-
layout for digest 1
Anime_DVD_UK 33
i like the lay out, it's beautiful. otakucastle.com… -
Anime : Manga Digest 99 - Featured Anime Song
Granger18 26
For the book, I'd go with the black back cover or I… -
Anime : Manga Digest 99 - Featured Anime Song
Blood_and_gold 27
First of all, I LOVE this entry's icon. =) Uhmmm… -
Anime : Manga Digest 97 - CLAMP
Granger18 26
For the back of the book.. cover.. I'd go with 3a a… -
layout for digest 3b - Finished
Jclover_88 24
Don't forget 'Next Time'... Worth Reading/Buying…
|
jclover_88 , 24from RonkonkomaCommentsStatistics
Anime : Manga Digest 99 - Featured Anime Song[bgcolor=#FFFFFF]
 [font=monotype corsiva][color=#596A5A]Anime : Manga Digest Issue OO99 [font=freshbot]Today's Subject ---> Betrayal[/font] Today's Offerings[/color][/font] [color=#364E3E][font=sylfaen]First, I need your opinions about the back covers again. This will probably be the last time .^_^. Please look at the front cover first, and when you look at the two versions of the back cover, if you can, move them, the front cover with one of the back covers, next to each other so you can see what they will look like together. Then, please let me know which one you like best: Front Cover Back Cover Gold Back Cover Black Thanks so much! Sorry for the delay. As you all know, I have been busy, thesis, classes, and all that. But I won't leave the Digest to total un-update-ville .^_^. QUESTIONS: 1) So...I'm not going to be asking what you'd like to see featured in certain Digests for awhile. You have all given me so much thus far, so when I need ideas, I'll let you know .^_^. 2) Cyber penny for your thoughts on...The Familiar of Zero. 3) Today's surprise is...another fanlisting (yue from CCS. That man is rather hot). 4) Anyone know of any good Twelve Kingdoms art (can be fanart or from the original creator)? I had trouble finding some images of Rokuta/Enki. Therefore, my question. (this is the same as last time, and many times before. I'm just keeping it up just in case any of you come across something spectacular .^_^.) 5) And...I want pictures of the twins from Ouran. Actually, maybe just Koaru. I like Koaru. He's my favorite .^_^. (I'm a dork, I know) I can just hear them asking me in unison, "...Reasoning?" yeah, I know - I'm weird. (yes, this is a repeat from last time...and the time before that .^_^. Although, I just love Tamaki. I think I would do my best to keep him happy .>_<.) 6) Sometime in the next week, I will be deleting the last icon Digest's icons, most if not all of them, from my photobucket account, like I usually do. So if there were some you liked and haven't saved them yet, go there now and do so! 7) Belated birthdays. The 15th of September was Kakashi's, the 22nd was Shikamaru's, and the 23rd was Ino's. *throws confetti* I would get a masked pinata for Kakashi-san, a day of sleep (negotiated by me thru the Hokkage-sama) for Shikamaru-kun, and well...I don't know if I'd get anything for Ino .>_<. I still think Ino would have lost against Sakura in the Chunin exams, so...let's leave it at that. Thanks so much in advance! [/font][/color] [font=sylfaen]Artist and Anime[/font]    [color=#000100][font=sylfaen]Wow. It took me awhile to get to featuring these songs. They were definitely suggested awhile back. First is 'Inner Universe by Yoko Kanno'. And one of you noted, "Good! ::thumps up:: It's the first opening song for Stand Alone Complex." So, as I often do, I decided to include "Rise" by Origa, which is the second opening theme to Stand Alone Complex as well. (Both songs are actually composed by yoko kanno and sung by Origa, but I decided split them - that is yoko kanno and Origa - up between the two openings so we can find out more about both of them) And, because it bothered me a great deal after investigating these songs, I found out that they both are a mixture of Russian and English .^_^. I thought maybe it was Swedish and English, but...there you are. "Inner Universe" Between ^s is the lyrics in the opening theme. Video English and Russian, no translation: ^Angely i demony krujili nado mnoy Rassekali ternii i mlechnye puti Ne znaet schast'ya tol'ko tot, Kto ego zova ponyat' ne smog... Mana du vortes, mana du vortes Aeria gloris, aeria gloris Mana du vortes, mana du vortes Aeria gloris, aeria gloris I am Calling Calling out! Spirits, I am calling!!! Soboy ostat'sya dol'she... Calling Calling, in the depths of longing! Soboy ostat'sya dol'she... Mana du vortes, mana du vortes^ Aeria gloris, aeria gloris Mana du vortes, mana du vortes Aeria gloris, aeria gloris Stand alone... Where was life when it had a meaning... Stand alone... Nothing's real anymore and... ...Beskonechnyj beg... Poka zhiva ya mogu starat'sya na letu ne upast', Ne razuchit'sya mechtat'...lyubit'... ...Beskonechnyj beg... Calling Calling out! For The Place of Knowing! There's more that what can be linked! Calling Calling, Never will I look away! From what life has left for me. Yearning Yearning, for what's left of loving! Soboy ostat'sya dol'she... Calling Calling, in the depths of longing! Soboy ostat'sya dol'she... Mana du vortes, mana du vortes Aeria gloris, aeria gloris Mana du vortes, mana du vortes Aeria gloris, aeria gloris * Translation * ^Angels and demons circle above my head cleaving through thorns and Milky Ways He who does not percieve his calling, does not know true happiness... Watch in awe! Watch in awe! Heavenly glory! Heavenly glory! Watch in awe! Watch in awe! Heavenly glory! Heavenly glory! I am Calling Calling out! Spirits, I am calling!!! To be with you longer... Calling Calling, in the depths of longing! To be with you longer! Watch in awe! Watch in awe!^ Heavenly glory! Heavenly glory! Watch in awe! Watch in awe! Heavenly glory! Heavenly glory! Stand alone... Where was life when it had a meaning... Stand alone... Nothing's real anymore and... ...Endless running... While I am alive, I can try not to fall while flying, nor to forget how to dream...to love... ...Endless running... Calling Calling out! For The Place of Knowing! There's more that what can be linked! Calling Calling, Never will I look away! From what life has left for me. Yearning Yearning, for what's left of loving! To be with you longer... Calling Calling, in the depths of longing! To be with you longer! Watch in awe! Watch in awe! Heavenly glory! Heavenly glory! Watch in awe! Watch in awe! Heavenly glory! Heavenly glory! * Now, as for the video, I don't have >anything< against CG, but I would have liked to see the opening theme not in CG. Unless Stand Alone Complex is done in all CG, then that's another story. I thought that it was primarily regular animation. If not, then ignore this. In any case, the doll thing creeped me out a little. I do like the main character's hair though in the opening sequence. But I'll never understand her outfits. *shakes head* The song is so mysterious and ethereal. I like it .^_^. The mix between Russian and English just works, it's amazing in that respect. Only yoko Kanno and Origa, huh? Here's some info on yoko Kanno from www.jameswong.com/ykproject: Who is Yoko Kanno you ask? Composer of music from anime titles such as Macross Plus & Vision of Escaflowne, as well as game music for Koei, Ms. Kanno is known worldwide for her moving and adventurous orchestral, jazz and experimental works. Yoko Kanno was born March 18, 1964 in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. She made her debut as a keyboardist in the band TETSU100% *Me - Gah, when I think keyboardist, I think of Gravitation* Prominence in piano was Kanno's fortè for Japanese TV Dramas "High School Teacher", "Somebody Loves Her"", "Unpainted Face" and other TV presentations such as an NHK special, "The Reformation and Liberation of One Billion Chinese". Ms. Kanno has even graced television commercials: music for a Japanese Coca-Cola Commercial, as well as others (NTT Burutta, Georgia Coffee, etc.) Yoko Kanno is well known for her music productions in the anime arena. In the net newgroup rec.arts.anime.music there have been endless requests for Kanno's works. From pleas for the sheet music to Cowboy Bebop or questions about her identity and that of "Gabriela Robin", her music is appreciated by anime enthusiasts and musicians alike. Some may be mislead that Yoko Kanno is responsible for "the whole soundtrack". This is not necessarily the case. In fact, it seems almost apparent that she and two other musicians: Hajime Mizoguchi and Akino Arai, cross paths frequently. Mizoguchi was responsible for composing most of the "Please Save My Earth" soundtracks, and Arai has composed several songs but has mostly performed vocals for many of Kanno's works such as the ever-so famous "Voices" and seemingly exotic "Idol Talk". Furthermore, Mai Yamane has been a strong presence in Kanno's more recent "Cowboy Bebop" soundtracks. As of late, Kanno's team seems to be that of Steve Conte, Tim Jensen and Scott Matthews. They are featured in the Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex and Wolf's Rain original soundtracks. *Me - I love Wolf's Rain music, namely 'Gravity.'* Mrs. Kanno has attended anime and comic conventions in the past year, including Anime Expo (99) and Otakon. More information about her attendance and panel discussions are avaiable at Kevin Lillard's "A Fan's View". In addition, she was declared "Personality of the Week" on his website as well. Thank you for visiting the Yoko Kanno Project. And, thank you, Miss Kanno, for creating some of the most amazing and moving music our minds will ever experience. * Her Music (from anime): Brain Powerd VICL-60264 Original Soundtrack 1 VICL-60299 Original Soundtrack 2 VIDL-30207 Single - Ai no Rinkaku (Field of Love) Card Captor Sakura VIDL-30450 Purachina Clamp School Detectives VIDL-10856 Mini Soundtrack VIDL-30035 "Gift" Cowboy Bebop VICL-60201 Original Soundtrack 1 VICL-60202 NO DISC / Original Soundtrack 2 VICL-60203 BLUE / Original Soundtrack 3 VICL-60248 Vitaminless VICL-60371 "Music for Freelance" VICL-35297 ASK DNA Mini Album VICL-60756 VIZL-54 Knockin on Heavens Door / Future Blues - MOVIE OST VIZL-54 Cowgirl ED OST (Single that came with the first pressing of Future Blues) Earth Girl Arjuna VICL-60703 Original Soundtrack 1 VICL-60735 Original Soundtrack 2 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex VICL-65101 Original Soundtrack VICL-61232 Original Soundtrack 2 VICL-61695 Original Soundtrack 3 VICL-61217 be Human VICL-35603 Get9 Jin-Roh VICL-60569 Original Soundtrack Legend of Crystania VIDL-10673 (The First Adventurers) Macross Plus VICL-570 Original Soundtrack, Volume 1 VICL-571 Original Soundtrack, Volume 2 VICL-23112 "For Fans Only" VICL-15037 SHARON APPLE, CREAM P.U.F. Macross Dynamite Seven VICL-60259 Radio Fire!! Please Save my Earth ----- Golden Dreams through Eternity VICL-446 Original Soundtrack, Volume 1 VICL-519 Image Soundtrack, Volume 2 VICL-5260 JVC 1007-2 Image Soundtrack, Volume 3 Record of Lodoss War VIDL-30202 Heroic Knight Legend "Miracle Ocean" The Vision of Escaflowne VICL-60590 Theatrical Feature OST / ESCAFLOWNE MOVIE OST *Me - I own this. It is fabulous! *sighs in adoration** VIDL-30497 Yubiwa VICL-769 Over the Sky (a.k.a. Volume 1) VICL-772 OST, Volume 2 VICL-773 OST, Volume 3 VICL-841 "lovers only" VICL-830 Thought of Jeture (CD Audio Drama) Turn A-Gundam KICA-473 Original Soundtrack KICA-481 Original Soundtrack 2: Dianna & Kihel KICA-508 Original Soundtrack 3: COCOA KICA-496 KICA-495 The Concert KICA-566 The Movie Soundtrack ----- Single - Turn-A-Turn - Hideaki Saijo KIDA-192 Single - Tsuki no Mayu (Moon's Cocoon) Wolf's Rain VICL-61082 Original Soundtrack VICL-35603 Original Soundtrack 2 Katsuhiro Otomo presents Memories VIZL-22 JNA 1503-2 Original Soundtrack "X" VICL-836 Character File Soundtrack *Me - She's had her hand in a lot of anime, hasn't she? I'm just in awe. And hoping to get to listen to more of her work.* Music (from J-Pop): Akino Arai VICL-60042 Sora no Mori (Forest of the Sky) Kyoko Koizumi VICL-822 Otoko no ko, Onna no ko Maaya Sakamoto VICL-60012 Grapefruit VICL-60320 Dive VICL-60507 Singles Collection Plus : Hotch Potch! VICL-60702 Lucy VICL-61165 Shounen Alice VIDL-30506 Single - Shippo no Uta Yoko Kanno VICL-60159 Song to Fly * Music (from Film & TV): 23 Ji no Ongaku VICL-60885 23 Ji no Ongaku (Music from the 23rd Hour) OST Natsu Zikan no Otonatachi RACA-3 Kanno Yoko / Kyoko Endo NHK Special MRCA-20061 NHK Special Chuugoku~12 Oku-jin no Kaikaku Kaihou OST Per l'eternità RACA-23 YOKO KANNO vs. Roman Police Department feat. KEN NISHIKIORI Samply Red RACA-21 Perfect Rouge I,II,III * Music (from Games): Orchestral Game Concert SRCL-2732 Orchestral Game Concert 3 (YK is a featured artist) SRCL-2736 Orchestral Game Concert 4 (YK is a featured artist) KOEI Music Works KECH-1045 Kanno Yoko Collection Napple Tale, Dreamcast Game Soundtrack MJCG-80042 Original Soundtrack 1, Napple Tale Yosei Zukan MJCG-80043 Original Soundtrack 2, Napple Tale Kaiju Zukan (Illustrated guide to the Monsters) VIDL-30506 Single - Shippo no Uta Nobunaga's Ambition KECH-1033 Nobunaga no Yabou Haou den (Nobunaga's Ambition: Legend of the Supreme Rule) KECH-1077 Nobunaga no Yabou Tenshouki (Nobunaga's Ambition: Chronicles of Heaven) KECH-1083 Shin Nobunaga Densetsu 2 (True Legend of Nobunaga 2) KECH-1147/8 Nobunaga no Yabou Kyuukyokuonban (Nobunaga's Ambition: Ultimate Music Collection) Uncharted Waters ----- The Era of the Great Voyage ----- The Era of the Great Voyage (Uncharted Waters) II KECH-1061 Uncharted Waters II, Special Edition * I'm just astounded on how much she has done. Just blown away. And, I don't think her music is so much an acquired taste. I think everyone can appreciate it and her talent when they listen to her works, you know? Just...wow. And here's something else: Kyoko Koizumi "Otoko no ko, Onna no ko" A sample of non-anime work: (might be for School Rumble though. She's been involved in so much, it was kind of difficult not to find something that wasn't anime related.) Video Never have I seen anything like this. My brain feels like I have lost brain cells. It was the most cutsey-bizarre music video I have ever seen. Are we >supposed< to think it's funny? And the people in it...aren't all Japanese, are they? Woah, that was weird. [/font][/color] [color=#957A67][font=sylfaen]* "Rise" Between the ^s again are the lyrics used in the second opening theme. Video Russian and English, no translation: ^I'm a soldier, znachit ya I otvyetchik i sud'ya Ya stoyu na dvukh kontsakh ognya Ogibaya virazhi, obgonyaya smyert' i zhizn' Ya byegu srazit'sya s tyen'yu lzhi skol'ko b nityey nye plyol obman pokazhyet lik svyeta istina *Save your tears for the day when our pain is far behind on your feet come with me we are soldiers stand or die Save your fears take your place save them for the judgement day fast and free follow me time to make the sacrifice we rise or fall ^ I'm a soldier, born to stand in this waking hell I am witnessing more than I can compute pray myself we don't forget lies, betrayed and the oppressed please give me the strength to be the truth people facing the fire together if we don't, we'll lose all we have found *repeat Za myechtoyu nakray propasti Lish' tol'ko tak mozhno mir spasti Ty nye plach', Slyozy spryach', Ved' nastanyet novyy den' Tvoy ogon' Sogryevat' Budyet tysyachi syerdets A syeychas podnimis' Spryach' podal'shye bol' i strakh Pobyedit tot, kto prav Znay, chto vsyo v tvoikh rukakh *repeat * Translation * ^I'm a soldier, meaning that I'm Both the defendent and the judge I'm standing on both sides of the fire Moving along curves, overtaking death and life I'm running to battle with the shadow of a lie No matter how many threads deception would weave Truth will show its face of light *Save your tears for the day when our pain is far behind on your feet come with me we are soldiers stand or die Save your fears take your place save them for the judgement day fast and free follow me time to make the sacrifice we rise or fall^ I'm a soldier, born to stand in this waking hell I am witnessing more than I can compute pray myself we don't forget lies, betrayed and the oppressed please give me the strength to be the truth people facing the fire together if we don't, we'll lose all we have found *repeat After a dream to the edge of a chasm Only that way can the world be saved Don't you cry, Hide the tears, Because a new day will begin Your fire Will warm Thousands of hearts And now rise Tuck away the pain and fear The one who's right will win Know that everything is in your hands *repeat * I liked this opening a little better. I liked that it was just regular animation, except for the robots of course. But I may like the first song better .>_<. Still rather cool. I liked when she looked like she had white hair and then when she was talking on the TV. I don't know why. It just looked awesome .^_^. Here's some info about Origa from wiki: Origa (real name Ol'ga Vital'evna Yakovleva, born October 12, 1970 in Kochenvo, Novosibirsk oblast, Russia) is a Japanese singer of Russian descent. *Me - How cool is that?* After graduating from music school in 1990, she took an opportunity to visit Japan in 1991 and finally contracted with the ROAD&SKY Organization in 1993. Origa has since participated in several projects with various artists in addition to the Radio Japan Series and being part of the chorus for the Kobe earthquake disaster charity single. Origa married Iranian producer Zhian Saedi in 1998. They met at a party where she was singing. She gave birth to a son, Alyosha, in 2000. As of 2005, Origa has released seven solo albums, two mini-albums, and 3 singles. She gained popularity outside of Japan with the release of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and the subsequent original soundtracks, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex O.S.T. and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex O.S.T. 2. These were written by long-time friend *Me - this is just too cool that they were friends instead of just point blank collabrators* and composer Yoko Kanno, and both the first season's theme song, Inner Universe (featuring boy soprano Ben Del Maestro) and the second season's theme song, Rise, used Origa's vocals. Origa first performed with Kanno for Gundam, singing Gabriela Robin's "Moon" with the Gey's AX chorus. In 2005, Origa performed songs for the anime series Fantastic Children, most notably the ending theme "Mizu no Madoromi". In 2006 Origa was involved in lyrics & vocal performance for the opening song ("Player") and the ending theme ("date of rebirth") from the movie Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. Solid State Society. In 2007, Origa performed with Yoko Kanno for the Ragnarok 2 Concert. There, she performed all three Ghost in the Shell opening themes, "Player" for Solid State Society, "Inner Universe" for the first season, and "Rise" for 2nd Gig respectively, and substituted for Ilaria Graziano on "Yoru_Vo", Pierre Bensusan on "ELM", and Gabriela Robin on "Torukia". She also performed alongside fellow vocalists Maaya Sakamoto and Mai Yamane and joined in singing selected songs originally performed only by Maaya. It should be noted that Origa is no longer active in Russia, but does tours over the world. Solo Discography The Songwreath (2008) Hana Gumori (Single) (2007) Leleyala (Single) (2006) Land of Love (Single) (2006) Spiral (Single) (2006) Aurora (2005) Mizu no Madoromi (Single) (2004) Era of Queens (2003) The Best of Origa (1999) Eternal (Eien) (1998) Le Vent VertLe Temps Bleu (Single) (1998) Lira Vetrov (1996) Aria (Mini-Album) (1996) Illusia (1995) Kaze no Naka no Soritea (Single) (1995) Crystal Winter (Mini-Album) (1994) ORIGA (1994) Olga (Demo) (1991) Electra's Song (Single) (Release year unknown) Featured Discography CM Yoko / Yoko Kanno (2007 - vocals for "Exaelitus") Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. Solid State Society O.S.T / Yoko Kanno (2006 - vocals & lyrics for "Player", "Date of Rebirth") Fantastic Children: Drama & Image Album / Kouji Ueno (2005- vocals & lyrics for "Fuyuu Yume" - both Japanese & Russian versions-) Fantastic Children: Original TV Soundtrack 1 / Kouji Ueno (2005 - vocals & lyrics for "Pobezhdaet Ljubovj (TV-Edit)") Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex O.S.T 2 / Yoko Kanno (2004 - vocals & lyrics for "Rise") Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex O.S.T / Yoko Kanno (2004 - vocals & lyrics for "Inner Universe" and "Rise (TV-Edit)") "GET9" (Single) / Yoko Kanno (2004 - vocals & lyrics for "Rise") Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex O.S.T / Yoko Kanno (2003 - vocals & lyrics for "Inner Universe") Princess Arete: Original Movie Soundtrack / Akira Senju (2001 - vocals & lyrics for "Krasno Solntse (Puroroogu)", "Majo no Yubiwa", "Krasno Solntse (Sutoorii)" & "Krasno Solntse") Gundam: The Concert / Yoko Kanno (2000 - vocals for "Moon") Ao no Jidai: Original TV Soundtrack / Various Artists (1998 - vocals & lyrics for "Le Vent Vert ~ Le Temps Bleu (Poljushko Pole)") * I just think it is so cool that she's of Russian descent and is so immersed in Japanese culture that she mixes the two like nothing. I just think it is fantastic, and her talent and ability work so well with yoko Kanno's style. I'm a little taken aback, but in a good way. I like the music, but I probably won't ever watch Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex .>_<. Example of Non-Anime work: Aurora (the video I found of the song was put against FFX clips, so the song wasn't originally in the game) Video Pretty, and that's all I have to say about it .^_^. I feel like I forgot something for this Digest...if I did, let me know! I don't know why, but I really feel like I left something out that I usually include. *shrugs* -Our Digest Banner-  Last week's  I'm leaving Kamui up for another Digest because he is so pretty. .^_^. I'm going to try and feature different banners for your enjoyment. Whichever one you fancy, please post it where you see fit. This one is different than last week's .^_^.(Obviously, it is not.) [/font][/color] [font=freshbot]Betrayal[/font] [color=#596A5A][font=sylfaen]Ah, betrayal. Pretty bad, especially when it is unexpected. At least, I think so. I mean, if the audience has a pretty good idea that a character is two-faced and is going to betray the main character at some point, you just roll your eyes and say, "Well, saw that one coming." But when you as the audience don't even know...oo, can it be bad. Examples? Hmmm. Well, there was this one character in Burst Angel. Thought he was a good guy, but he was the one behind terrorizing all of Osaka. Not good, especially since he really lets loose once it is revealed. And...well, gah! I can't think of any others. Just that I know I have seen it happen, and have wanted to hurt those betrayers! *laughs* I guess my brain is tired. (Oh! youko's maid/some woman official in 12 Kingdoms who helps plan an assassination on her with a few others. She even feeds youko some Japanese foods first, hoping to lull her into a false sense of security. Wench.) ----- NEXT TIME...Icons Stay tuned! Don't forget to check the surprise I always put up. Now I have Origa's singing in my head .^_^. [/font][/color] [font=sylfaen].:. blood_and_gold .:. I think the only reason some people are really nit-picky about Trinity Blood is because of the genre it is in - vampires and such. It's been done, and there's many series to put it up next to, you know? I love hardcore cosplayers. Bless them, they are devoted. .:. Granger18 .:. Well, I already answered your Shugo Chara question .^_^. How many episodes are there so far? 20-something? I really need to catch up .>_<. It so uber-cute. And Ikuto...*blanks out happily* .:. Responder .:. Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout .:. Responder .:. Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout[/font] [bgcolor=black][/bgcolor][/bgcolor] layout for digest 3b - Finished[bgcolor=#213445]
 [font=monotype corsiva][color=#6ED5FE]Anime : Manga Digest Issue OOOO [font=freshbot]Today's Subject ---> Eyes[/font] Today's Offerings[/color][/font] [color=#E5FEFF][font=sylfaen]Color from dot in the J's eye My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here [/font][/color] [font=sylfaen]Today's Icons[/font]  [color=#2A5C7F][font=sylfaen]My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here [/font][/color]                     [color=#5A9EC5][font=sylfaen]My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here [/font][/color] [font=freshbot]Eyes[/font] [color=#6ED5FE][font=sylfaen]My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here My little blurb here [/font][/color] [font=sylfaen].:. Responder .:. Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout .:. Responder .:. Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout .:. Responder .:. Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout .:. Responder .:. Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout[/font] [bgcolor=black][/bgcolor][/bgcolor] If the RR ever comes to light againI have the old layout for the RR and the speal
But I want to change to a new layout RoundRobinRitrs password is stories Not continuing last story and want to change the RR a little 7 not 5 days to finish anymore Requirement(no 's') at the end of the chapter (challenge to next writer and keeping story on track) Anime : Manga Digest 97 - CLAMP[bgcolor=#08173F]
 [font=monotype corsiva][color=#D0356F]Anime : Manga Digest Issue OO97 [font=freshbot]Today's Subject ---> Utena[/font] Today's Offerings[/color][/font] [color=#FCE6EA][font=sylfaen]Okay, I need you all to choose which back cover you like the >best<. Only one please! Because whichever one turns out to be the most popular, I need to fix it so the barcode will fit in the bottom right hand corner (I remembered with the first version, but with the others, I phased out and forgot.) Back Cover 1 (you've seen) Back Cover 2 Back Cover 3 Back Cover 3a (the spacing of the text is a little different) And, I guess, you could choose both 3 and 3a and it would count as choosing one, since they are virtually the same except for the spacing. Thanks for your opinions in advance! (and there was totally more I had to say, but...I forget) And, this might have been it! .^_^. Are you all interested in figurines/figures from anime/manga? (just me asking for info-gathering purposes) QUESTIONS: 1) What Anime vs. Manga would you like to see featured? 2) Cyber penny for your thoughts on...Simoun. 3) Today's surprise is...another fanlisting (Li Syaoran from CCS and Tsubasa) 4) Anyone know of any good Twelve Kingdoms art (can be fanart or from the original creator)? I had trouble finding some images of Rokuta/Enki. Therefore, my question. (this is the same as last time, and many times before. I'm just keeping it up just in case any of you come across something spectacular .^_^.) 5) And...I want pictures of the twins from Ouran. Actually, maybe just Koaru. I like Koaru. He's my favorite .^_^. (I'm a dork, I know) I can just hear them asking me in unison, "...Reasoning?" yeah, I know - I'm weird. Thanks so much in advance! [/font][/color] [font=sylfaen]Manga/Anime[/font]   [color=#FC7B6D][font=sylfaen]Angelic Layer First, you must face the wrath of a review of my own. I love the manga to pieces, but the anime...once it gets to a certain point, I want to hurt it. I made a list of points I wanted to make about the show, in connection with the manga, just so I don't take up too much time going on and on about it. But bottom line - read the manga. It is really good. Bypass the anime, for goodness sake, by all that is sacred in anime-dom. Please. Spare yourself the horror of it as it spirals into oblivion. (and I'm not giving a summary, only because the reviewers below will do that for me .^_^.) - The anime goes spiraling downhill at end of volume 5 (So, again, in terms of the whole anime v. manga - manga is infinitely better) The show is pretty much canon, with at least one exception, up to the end of volume 5. Then, it all goes horribly wrong. - Okay, you are warned, I am going to give spoilers. But I feel the public needs to know the horribleness that was committed to this wonderful story in anime form. First, there are two characters: Ohjiro and Ichiro/Icchan Mihara. In the manga, they are brothers, and it is awesome. In the anime, they were made step-brothers. What? Why? No one knows. Just the beginnings of the total obliteration of Ohjiro's wonderful character. He was hot, cool, and wonderfully wonderful. This was the beginning of the awfulness done to his character. I loved him so much in the manga, and they twisted him into a clone that was no longer Ohjiro on the inside *pouts* - How Ohjiro's character was further obliterated: They made Ohjiro be severely messed up. First, he's in love with an older woman, which is fine, but she happens to be Misaki's, the main character's, mom. Then, anime-Ohjiro, since he can't have Misaki's mom, transfers those feelings over to Misaki, her daughter, and convinces himself that he really has feelings for Misaki instead. I really summed it up without going into it in detail. The whole thing in itself is wrong and aggravating. Ohjiro is not in love with Misaki or her mother in the manga! He's perfectly fine in the head and not warped into this thing called Ohjiro in the anime. I have had to daydream about the story to fix him into a better, realizes-these-feelings-are-wrong-and-empty, Ohjiro. Because there is no way he just happens to fall in love with Misaki. He notes that she reminds him of her mother, who was his first love, and then, as I observed, transfers those feelings over to Misaki. That isn't love. That's just a severely messed up individual who doesn't know what they feel. It >really< pissed me off to a continuing extent. So basically, he is made to love his first love's daughter in the anime. And everyone acts like that is okay on the show. I would have a word or two to say to him, trust me. And he wouldn't like them. But manga Ohjiro is okay! - At the end of the anime, Misaki wins against Athena = total and utter sacrilege. Misaki loses in the manga, as she should. There's a reason she should not win all the way. Winning doesn't fit. There is no way she should win. She's a rookie, and it isn't canon. Athena is leagues ahead of her. It is very wrong. - In the anime, Misaki's lack of talent was impressed endlessly on me. you use the headsets to control the dolls, the angels, to fight the game called angelic layer and yet in the final battle, she just keeps yelling at Hikaru, her angel, to stand up, as if she doesn't know that if she can't make Hikaru stand up with the headset, she isn't going to stand up at all. So she yells, and everyone yells, too, with her - and Hikaru stands up. Totally stupid and infuriating. I actually fast forwarded through it the second watch through, when I watched it in Japanese. It is such a stupid scene. If she was really skilled, she would just concentrate and Hikaru would get up if she could still continue fighting. But no. She yells like a child. It was embarassing to watch. - Like I said, before vol. 5, there is the first misstep, which is the only one I remember. The character of Shuko is in a wheelchair. I won't tell you who she actually is, but she isn't supposed to be. I dealt with it. I understand that it gives more to the plot and all that. I respect it when they change things from the manga. However, there is a difference between adding to what is already there and changing what is canon. They should never change canon (ie. of okay - background stories for characters, such as those of Sai and Kaede, and background info for the game, angelic layer, itself. Also, the addition of a second needed in the national games is also okay because it doesn't interfere with canon) - The relationships that are established at the end of the show are obviously, totally not canon, to the point I cringed and yelled for a long time at the screen. It was that bad. I wanted to cry. It was so wrong. Ohjiro is meant to go with Tamayo, and Misaki with Kotarou (it is even clear that they like each other in the anime!) However, then there comes the whole Tamayo and Kotarou crap! Blasphemy! They are not supposed to be together! Misaki and Kotarou forever, people! They like each other in the anime, and in the manga, they end up with each other, like I mentioned. However, Ohjiro then transfers his feelings to Misaki, and confesses his faux love, and Tamayo confesses her crush on Kotarou in the anime, so Kotarou, being the nice guy he is, gives her a chance. No. I say no! - Shuko turns out to be an idiot-bitch. When did that take place? It never did. She is endlessly adorable in the manga. However, in the anime, what she put Misaki through, how she makes herself feel justified, and how cold she comes across is wrong on so many levels. Whereas you think she is a wonderful ball of fluff in the manga, she is someone you want to beat in the anime = wrong. - No Alice. Very sad. What I mean is, there was a battle between an angel named Alice and Hikaru in the manga. And with how long they made the anime, they could have gotten it in. It is one of the best battles in the story, but they cut it out entirely. I highly recommend the manga. (if that wasn't painfully obvious) - They changed how Hikaru beats Wizard. So annoying. Why do that? I don't understand. *shakes head* All things surrounding this fight highly annoy me anyway. - The commentaries are funny, but...I don't know. They can't quite make up for it. Considering the first four and a half volumes are okay, and there are only seven volumes, I guess it's strange the rest upsets me so much - but it was so bad, it hurt. Ugh! So utterly horrifying to watch a wonderful story be absolutely murdered. - And with that, instead of talking about the characters and plot, I'll leave that to the reviewers below. The manga is just so much better, plot and character-wise. I loved all of it. There was nothing I didn't like. However, the anime...well, you can see how well I liked it .>_<. Oh, and the opening theme was good .^_^. It's a shame the anime could not measure up. It is very catchy. I even have it on my Zune .^_^. The two ending themes are nice - I like the animation for the second ending theme better though. They show each Deus, the person/player who controls the angels/fighting dolls in angelic layer, with their angels, but either relaxing or sleeping. They took the pose of Ohjiro straight from the manga *squeals* It was one of my favorite pics, too! I had it on the cover of my agenda book in high school! The dub...*shrugs* I thought Misaki was rather bad, especially toward the end. I don't remember disliking anyone else though. ...It's like the manga you want so badly to be animated, but then it turns out to be mostly a disappointment. *sigh* Okay, and now I leave it to the reviewers .^_^. *laughs* First I'll focus on the manga, then the anime: Manga: Related anime: Angelic Layer (TV) (adaptation) Alternative title: Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer (Japanese) Mobile Angel Angelic Layer Genres: action, adventure, comedy, science fiction, tournament Age rating: Older Children (May contain mild bad language, bloodless violence) Plot Summary: Misaki Suzuhara is a 12-year-old Middle School Freshman (7th grader) who just moved to Tokyo. She sees a show that features two doll-like toys fighting, and she is interested in it. Icchan, a strange man in a laboratory coat and glasses, takes her to a toy store and introduces her to those dolls and the fighting going on with it: Angelic Layer. Misaki meets friends interested in Angelic Layer and enters Angelic Layer tournaments, becoming a major competitor, even as a newbie. Number of tankoubon: 5 Number of pages: 200 Review from www.mangalife.com: Angelic Layer v1 Reviewed by Lisa Anderson Sometime in the future, a new sport will sweep across Tokyo. Full of action, suspense, and electronics, the name of this new game is Angelic Layer. Participants create and train their own fighting doll, known as an Angel, then fight in battles. Each player, or Deus, has to put a lot of thought into their Angel. Looks aside, speed, strength, and attack style all play major roles in Angelic Layer. Add to that the needed strategy and observational skills, and it is certainly more than a simple game. Enter Misaki Suzuhara, a sixth grader making her debut in the world of Angelic Layer. After seeing an Angel battle on television, Misaki instantly falls in love with the sport. With support from family, friends, and a strange scientist, Misaki is already on her way to the top. Being so new to the game, the road will not be easy especially when her first fight is not only against a veteran of the game, but against a friend as well! When I first picked up Angelic Layer, I expected a story of an underdog rising to the top of the game. While volume one certainly starts on that road, it by no means stays confined to it. At times Angel battles are front and center, with pages devoted to action-filled panels and fight-driven dialogue. At other times the story shifts gear, focusing solely on interactions between Misaki and others. No matter the setting though, there is a definite theme for the story overall. Gradually Misaki learns how to improve herself, both in terms of spirit and life in general. Each scene serves to highlight how events effect Misaki. At one point a conversation with friends later serves her well during a battle, when her earlier observation skills show her a technique to win the fight. At another a battle loss serves to give her the needed perspective to strengthen her will and resolve to keep going. While on one level the story overlaps various lessons for Misaki, on another level the story jumps from one odd comic scene to another. Such comedic moments included everything from a scientist that goes out of his way to make dramatic entrances, to a classmate that greets others with martial arts moves. I know the overall story is a balance between serious and comedic moments, more than once I found the humor jarring. Many times the story would just be picking up momentum, then suddenly the pace was destroyed by an odd entrance or pointless gag. Some people might actually prefer the humor, but Im the type to stick to the rhythm once its established. *Me - I liked it. I thought it was funny, and the switching of moods was appropriate.* Another oddity came in the form of background noise. One panel would translate sounds into English, making it easy to know what was going on. The next few pages would leave everything in Japanese, leaving me curious more than once as to what exactly was going on. *Me - I actually don't pay attention much to those things* While Angelic Layer is hardly the first manga to do so, it is still a practice that bothers me on some level. I would rather see everything handled one way or the other, instead of translations randomly distributed throughout the volume. Aside from a few negative points, which could just be a quirk of readers like me, Angelic Layer was a fun read. It was interesting seeing a story based on a sport that could quite easily become a reality down the road. It was also refreshing to see a story centered around a sport focus on more than just a series of battles. Even during the battles, the fight is more about strategy than simple power or heart. Overall, while Angelic Layer still reminds me of an underdog sports story, there is far more to it than that. It is a story of growing up, both emotionally and realistically. Humor plays a big part in the story, but while it gets to be a bit much at times, for the most part it is enjoyable. Any age should find something they enjoy in Angelic Layer, since it caters to a variety of ages and tastes. For those hoping for another dark tale from CLAMP, this may not be the manga for you. In the end, I think Angelic Layer is best described by a quote from the manga itself. Once upon time after time another young girl is seduced into the Realm of the Angels. While Im not exactly a young girl anymore, Ive certainly fallen under the spell of Angelic Layer and I look forward to the next volume. * Anime: Adapted from Angelic Layer (manga) Alternative title: Angelic Layer , Poupée de Combat (French) Battle Doll Angelic Layer Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer (Japanese) Mobile Angel Angelic Layer Genres: action, comedy, drama, science fiction, tournament Themes: Game Age rating: Older Children (May contain mild bad language, bloodless violence) Plot Summary: 12-year-old Misaki Suzuhara has just gotten involved in Angelic Layer, a battling game using electronic dolls called angels. Even as a newbie, Misaki shows advanced skills as she meets new friends and enters Angelic Layer tournaments to fight the greatest Angelic Layer champions of the nation. Running time: 24 minutes per episode Number of episodes: 26 Opening Theme: "Be My Angel" by Atsuko Enomoto *Me - again, it is really catchy* Ending Theme: #1: "The Starry Sky" by HAL #2: "Ame Agari" by Moeco Matsushita Review from www.animenewsnetwork.com: Review by Zac Bertschy, Dec 16th 2003 Angelic Layer DVD 1: Divine Inspiration Synopsis: Fresh off the train in Tokyo, Misaki, a twelve year old middle school student, is adjusting to a new life with her aunt. Miskai quickly gets swept up in to the world of Angelic Layer, a fighting game where two kids with customized living dolls battle it out for total supremacy. Misaki's angel, named Hikaru *Me - She is CLAMP's knock off of Magic Knight Rayearth's Hikaru. I think they favor Hikaru over some of their characters, since they gave her a place here, in this particular form*, starts climbing the competition ladder, with the help of Misaki's friends Kotaro, Hatoko and Tamayo. A mysterious stranger calling himself Icchan helps Misaki along the way, as new mysteries surrounding Misaki's family are uncovered. Review: Studio CLAMP, beloved by fans across the world, has invaded nearly every anime genre at this point, usually with resounding success. Chobits marked the manga circle's first foray into shounen romance territory, while Magic Knight Rayearth set fantasy storytelling on its ear. Angelic Layer is CLAMP's entry in to the collectible fighting monsters genre (think Pokémon or Digimon), eschewing the monster part in favor of little humanoid dolls wearing spandex. *Me - disregard the spandex part. Some clothes may cling, but others do not* The result is difficult to judge, coming across as a toy commercial for a toy you can't purchase. The story follows totally-average junior high student Misaki and her journey through the prestigious ranks of Angelic Layer, a highly popular game where kids pay through the nose for collectible dolls that fight each other. Sound familiar? The entire story structure is extremely similar to shows like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, where an impressionable kid finds out about a hot new game, and quickly becomes the best player in the land. We all know what purpose shows like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! serve; they exist to sell the game the show is based on. The problem with Angelic Layer is, it apes the formula found in these other series to a tee, but you can't actually play the Angelic Layer game, so what's the point? It's as if the director saw these other shows and didn't understand that the story was written in order to sell collectable game cards. Essentially, you have something that's written and designed like a marketing gimmick, without the product to back it up. Of course, this being a CLAMP series, it departs from the pre-established formula on several levels, and it's these various departures that save it from the Pokémon scrap heap. The show tries to focus on character interaction and relationship development rather than the dolls themselves. As it is, we spend far too much time in the arena watching these kids throw dolls at each other, but any time not spent there is used to develop the characters, which is a refreshing departure from the Pokémon formula. There's very little drama during the battles, since it's never really clear what's at stake. *Me - snort: Remember this is only a review of volume one. Gosh, does the drama swarm in after awhile* We know Misaki is competing against someone for something, but since she can't be hurt and the doll usually recovers instantly from the fight, watching Angelic Layer is a lot like watching two people play a fighting video game. It's highly interesting if you play the game yourself, but since nobody can actually play Angelic Layer, the fight scenes are completely skippable. *Me - unless you consider the dolls are characters themselves, which I, in a way, do. They are like extensions of the player's themselves. If you view them that way, the games are not skippable. I love Kaede's battle against Misaki - Blanche v. Hikaru. I love Blanche's hyper mode, both in the manga and the anime! A must see!* Regardless of the formula, Angelic Layer has some interesting characters. Misaki is somewhat bland, but since the heroine in these sorts of stories always is, that's forgivable to a point. The manic doctor Icchan is an interesting character, and provides both comic relief and story depth at appropriate moments. Misaki's friends and family both provide a huge amount of intrigue and plot development; there are few wasted characters and the cast is kept relatively small. The problem is, aside from the supporting cast, there just isn't anyone to root for in this show. Misaki wanders from plot point to plot point cluelessly. We're continuously asked to hold our attention during Angel fights that are completely uninteresting just to get to the meat of the story. It's an unfortunate flip-flop back and forth between interesting and uninteresting events, and the result is a little frustrating to sit through. *Me - not if you've read the manga. Watching the drawn scenes come to life kept my attention* The dub is expertly handled by ADV's talented English cast. Jessica Boone voices Misaki's clueless 12-year old voice like a pro. *Me - snort: um, no. She annoys me.* She's one of the few instances where a young girl is believably dubbed in to English. In an amazing feat of acting prowess, Andy McAvin effortlessly pulls off Icchan's numerous leaps between stoic and insane. Again, a character that could have been a complete disaster manages to match the Japanese performance in tone and delivery to the letter. Most of the supporting cast is surprisingly well-done. Even Misaki's fiery female friend (you know, hyperactive competitive tomboy girl that shows up in nearly every series now) is performed with finesse. The dub for this series is nothing short of a marvel, and you should take the time to appreciate it. The animation in Angelic Layer is a marvel. Brought to life by the world-famous Studio BONES, the characters move with grace and fluidity seldom seen in other series. The backgrounds are bright and colorful, and frequently very beautiful. ADV's crisp and flawless digital transfer really makes the show shine. The character designs are surprisingly generic for a CLAMP series; the principal characters all look alike. They didn't use much variation in the facial design, and since most of the time the chief cast members are wearing identical outfits, it makes for a somewhat generic-looking series. The Angel dolls themselves are a cosplayer's paradise, rife with crazy outfits and imaginative armor. Design, like the plot itself, seems to be split down the middle in terms of quality. Regardless of its production values, Angelic Layer is something of a conundrum. They took what was basically a crass marketing gimmick, removed the product, and added a few reliable CLAMP ingredients. The result is something with equal parts good and bad, and is destined to divide fans down the middle. If you love the fighting monsters genre, then you'll definitely want to check this one out. Longtime CLAMP fans already know they need to purchase this. Everyone else should proceed with caution. Overall (dub) : B Overall (sub) : B Story : C Animation : A Art : B Music : B + Great animation, fun characters - Angel battles are boring and uninvolving ------ Again, this is only a review of only vol. 1, so...you don't get the brunt of what they did to the canon story, from the manga. you already know how I feel about the anime, so I won't go on anymore. Thoughts? [/font][/color] [font=sylfaen]Manga[/font]  [color=#EF3328][font=sylfaen]Duklyon : CLAMP School Defenders I have no frame of reference, so here is what I could find: Spinoff of Man of Many Faces (manga) *Me - Did not know that...* Alternative title: Dukalyon (French) Duklyon: Guardia Especial Escolar Gakuen Tokkei Duklyon (Japanese) Justice Guard Duklyon (German) Patrulla Especial Duklyon (Spanish) Polizia Scolastica Duklyon (Italian) Plot Summary: In the CLAMP Institute, there is a team of sentai fighters who defend the lives of the common students from the attacks of the Imonoyama Shopping District Association's evil forces. Number of tankoubon: 2 Number of pages: 121 Review from www.mania.com: Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders Vol. #01 By Megan Lavey June 04, 2004 Release Date: September 01, 2003 Creative Talent Writer/Artist:CLAMP Translated by:Ray Yoshimoto What They Say In a crisis, a team of justice appears from nowhere. People call them Duklyon, the Clamp School Defenders. To defend our peaceful life, they carry on struggling rain or shine. The enemy, a secret society of evil, is out to conquer the Earth. Go and fight, our Duklyon! Save our Earth! The Review Packaging: The packaging is almost worth the price of the book. The front and back are both lush portraits of the principal players in this book. Gracing the front is the main Duklyon warriors, Kentaro and Takeshi. The back contains Eri, Kotobuki, the General and his assistants. The art is lush and detailed and is beautiful to look at. Which all leads into the logo check! The logo fits in well with the scheme of the book. It's a simple badge design of blue and gold with Clamp School Defenders Duklyon in it. Artwork: This isn't Cardcaptor Sakura, but it's still pretty attractive, especially the cover and the color insert of Kentaro and Takeshi. The reproduction is crisp and clear and I had no problems figuring out my way through the action scenes. Text: The book is unflipped and the SFX is not translated. The text is a pretty good read and I notice no visible translation glitches. Review:The concept behind the Clamp School is pretty neat. Take everything that you've ever imagined as a child about a self-contained world where everyone works together for the advancement of society and you've got Clamp. In a self-contained world, you need people to defend them. This is where Kentaro, Takeshi and Eri come in. These high school students are known as Duklyon, the Clamp School Defenders. Their hideout is in the basement of the Duklyon Cafe. They are ordered around by an elementary school-aged general (who looks like it's Nokoru from Clamp School Detectives) Their job? To prevent the campus from falling to the evilness known as the Imonoyama Shopping District Association - headed by Kentaro and Takeshi's classmate, Kotobuki (they don't know this, of course.) The adventures are pretty standard - so standard that they get old very quick. Each chapter consists of Kentaro and Takeshi goofing around, the General saying there's a mission, Duklyon transforming and encountering the Imonoyama Shopping District Association, fighting some weird monster and then a short epilogue. All of the chapters are self-contained and, frankly, if you read the first chapter, you've pretty much read the entire book. There are some bright spots in here. The last chapter pits Duklyon against the Man of 20 Faces (aka Akira from Clamp School Detectives and his own book), and it's a very funny fight. Another subplot has Kotobuki falling for Eri, not quite getting it through his skull that she's actually his enemy. Comments If you're going to read this book, take it for what it is - poking fun at general manga storylines and as a foray into the ultimate childhood dream. Still, for my initial foray into the Clamp School world, it's left me pretty cold. The heavy dose of repeatedness really takes away from what charm the series does have. I'd only get it if you're a CLAMP completionist. ---- *shrugs* I don't know. The art's really pretty .^_^. But...I'm not going to add it to my list of manga to get, at least not yet. I'll wait and see if I find any positive reviews one of these days. Thoughts? [/font][/color] [font=sylfaen]Manga/OVA[/font]   [color=#ECA949][font=sylfaen]RG Veda I've always wanted to read this manga. Just haven't gotten around to it. Here's the info: Manga: Related anime: RG Veda (OAV) (adaptation) Alternative title: Holy Scripture - RG Veda Seiden (Japanese) Seiden ~ RG Veda (Japanese) Genres: adventure, drama, fantasy Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity) Plot Summary: Three hundred years ago, Taishaku-Ten the god of Thunder rebelled against Tentai, the emperor of Heaven. Both Tentai and his strongest warrior, Ashura the god of War, were killed, but not before Kuyo, the emperor's seer, could predict that six stars would eventually appear and set Heaven aflame. It's the fateful encounter, set in present time, of Yasha, one of Taishaku-Ten's warriors, with the last scion of the Ashura clan, who has been sealed since the war, which will set the prophecy in motion... Number of tankoubon: 10 (Me - Not sure if there is more.) Review from www.animenewnetwork.com: Review by Carlo Santos, Apr 29th 2005 RG Veda G.novel 1 Synopsis: At the dawn of creation, the mythical land of Tenkai was ruled by a peaceful king. However, the treacherous Lord Taishakuten rebelled and overthrew him, ushering in an age of chaos. Now, three hundred years later, Taishakuten sends out warrior-king Yasha to kill the prophetess Kuyou, who offers one last prediction: "Six stars will fall to this plane they will be the schism that splits the heavens." She also predicts that Yasha will find a child who will ultimately kill him. Out of sheer curiosity, Yasha seeks out this child, and finds a baby named Ashurathe last descendant of a tribe that was supposedly wiped out by Taishakuten. However, Yasha's decision to protect Ashura guarantees a horrific fate for his loved ones: Kuyou, his tribe, and anyone else he meets. Despite this ominous destiny, Yasha and Ashura head out in search of the "six stars," hoping that they will be the key to ending Taishakuten's reign. Review: In the past fifteen years, few manga-ka have been as popular as the four-woman team known as CLAMP. However, readers in late 1989 probably wouldn't have predicted such success based on the first volume of their debut work. RG Veda starts out as an enjoyable but unspectacular fantasy storyin short, a testing ground for themes that would return in future CLAMP titles. This is where it all begins: prophecy and fate, a doomed quest, magical combat, and yes, gender-ambiguous characters. It's not their best work, but it's a key stage on the way there. As some of you might have guessed, RG Veda is loosely based on the Rig Veda, a sacred Hindu text. Don't worry about brushing up on Hindu mythology, thoughthe similarities begin and end with the character names, which have been translated from Sanskrit into a Japanese phonetic equivalent. The story is CLAMP's own, although it does feel like a copy of an ancient legend. Every culture has its tale of a hero faced with an ominous prophecy, so this setup should be comfortable territory, especially for fans of mainstream fantasy literature. Yasha's journey is an easy one to follow, although it gets off to such a quick start that the early scenes feel rushed (apparently, wandering into a forest and finding a cursed baby is as easy as stepping outdoors). Once Ashura enters the picture, however, the pace settles down into a classic adventure story with dramatic scenes in all the right places. The main drawback is that these scenes are so well-placed, you can see them coming from several pages away. Like any fantasy or mythological universe, the world of RG Veda is populated with many charactersgods, kings, and warriors. The fast start in Volume 1 demands that the reader learn who they are in rapid succession, and with names like Kuyou, Yasha, and Ashura, it can feel like studying a foreign language. Those who take the time to invest in these characters, however, will find strong personalities that fit the mold of legendary heroes. Yasha's courage in the face of tragedy, along with the mysterious motives of Ashura and magical wanderer Kujaku, will leave readers absorbed and wanting to know what happens next. While some fantasy stories puff themselves up with reams of history or countless battles, RG Veda is one series that's all about drama and emotional impact. Even in their first book, CLAMP's florid art style is already fully developed, filling each page with broad-shouldered men, sharp facial features and expressive eyes. Principal artist Mokona Apapa shows great confidence in her linework, rendering the characters with dramatic expressions and poses. These characters look awfully alike, though"that dude with the dark, wavy hair" could be any one of three or four possible candidates. In fact, it might not even be a dude. RG Veda has its share of androgynous characters, and while Ashura has the excuse of being a young child, Kujaku is just plain confounding. On the other hand, there's no confusion with the page layouts, which take a straightforward storytelling approach. Even as the panels change in size and shape to fit the action, it's easy to see what's going on. Occasional full-page spreads add impact to the artwork, as do the lush backgrounds and exotic outfits that define the land of Tenkai. Although Tokyopop gets a lot of flak for their hit-and-miss handling of manga releases, the English adaptation of RG Veda is one that goes down easy for readers of fantasy literature. With a formal but still readable style, the dialogue calls to mind other epic legends and adventures. There's a little bit too much "thee" and "thou" in the scene where Ashura awakens, but the writing flows well everywhere else, even in Kuyou's poetic prophecy. Because of this rich dialogue, however, Tokyopop's choice of font is a tight squeeze in the word balloons and takes some time getting used to. Also, there aren't any glossy color pages like in the packaging of CLAMP's other early work, Tokyo Babylon. As is customary for this publisher, the Japanese sound effects are left untouched and untranslated, so hang on to that kana chart. Don't assume that RG Veda is only suitable for hardcore CLAMP fansthis manga is a worthwhile pick for anyone who's into myths and legends and wants to explore a new universe. The pacing stumbles at times, and the character designs can confuse newcomers to CLAMP's art style, but it's a promising start to an exotic fantasy story. Sure, there's already plenty of manga in that genre, but RG Veda is one that's got enough drama and scope to set itself apart. Overall : B Story : B- Art : B + An absorbing story in the classic fantasy-adventure style. - Fairly predictable; lots of names and back story to learn at the start. * OVA: *Me - I forgot to mention this...there's an OVA .^_^.* Adapted from RG Veda (manga) Alternative title: Holy Scripture RG Veda Seiden RG Veda (Japanese) Genres: adventure, drama, fantasy Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity) Plot Summary: At the dawn of time, the gods ruled the universe under the leadership of the mighty Tentei. But suddenly, the ferocious general, Taishakuten, appears, and destroys Tentei. Taishakuten declares that a new age has begun, and all who oppose him will die horribly. But legend says that a shimmering six-pointed star will rise into the heavens and restore the world to a golden age. The six points are six warriors, each with the power to move the stars and the hearts of all people... Running time: 45 minutes per episode (Me - Might be 25 minutes) Number of episodes: 2 (Me - It might be 4. I wish I knew.) Ending Theme: "Six Star Cluster Storm" by Nick Wood Review from www.animecritic.com: RG Veda is based on the manga of same name by the famous artistic group, CLAMP. Since it was a fantasy anime, I quickly picked it up. The one thing that immediately struck me was the really good character art. CLAMP's style is rather distinct, particularly in the eyes of the characters. They also sported very shiny hair, as well, which made me wonder if shampoo was available in the middle ages. The background art wasn't very detailed, however. This wasn't a problem, since most of the time is spent looking at the characters. The characters themselves were quite good. Ashura is such a cute little thing, and quite charming as well. The various other main characters were fairly developed as well. However, the main villains suffered from a lack of proper character development, due to the short length of the anime. The story is one of this series' greatest strengths, but also its biggest weakness. A prophecy tells of six warriors coming together to overthrow the evil tyrant, Taishakuten. Four of the six have already joined forces, as they seek out the remaining two. Since only four episodes *Me - there's my answer* were made, they only have snippets from the manga. The overall story revolving around the six warriors joining forces is present, but it is never resolved. As is such, merely a few minor plots occur, which isn't entirely a bad thing. I enjoyed the elements of the story line that did occur, but it's too bad the larger tale wasn't told in full. There's also some pretty exciting medieval-type action, with lots of glitzy spells, ferocious sword fights and big ol' monsters. The soundtrack which accompanied the action was a bit on the heavy side, but enhanced the mood nonetheless. It's a real shame this anime didn't contain the entire story from the manga. The story that was presented was very good, and it's too bad the whole story will remain in the manga. Don't let that stop you from seeing RG Veda, though. If you like fantasy, you shouldn't be disappointed. The Verdict: * * * * (good) ----- Welp, definitely checking out the manga first, then the OVAs. I doubt I'll appreciate it without reading the manga first. Just really looks great and interesting. Thoughts? -Our Digest Banner- Oldie .^_^.  Some Angel Sanctuary for us all, again. I'm going to try and feature different banners for your enjoyment. Whichever one you fancy, please post it where you see fit. This one is different than last week's .^_^. (I'm not on a fast connection, so I decided not to try and upload a new banner. My apologies.) [/font][/color] [font=freshbot]Utena[/font] [color=#D0356F][font=sylfaen]Go done fighting! That's what Utena did. And I love the quote with this icon. So, so true. And even more so if you knew the full extent of what is going on in the scene that the icon is taken from. Others who've fought 'til the last? Well...I suppose Alex Row from Last Exile is one. Mu from Gundam Seed is another. But I can think of more characters who I would expect to want to keep fighting until the end. Like Inuyasha, Naruto, Tamahome-Tasuki-etc from Fushigi yugi, Kyo from Fruits Basket, yuuhi and Ushio from Neo Ranga, youko from 12 Kingdoms, etc. Ideas? ----- NEXT TIME...Dub vs. Sub Stay tuned! Don't forget to check the surprise I always put up. I need to take a break soon...and watch more Ouran .^_^. [/font][/color] [font=sylfaen].:. blood_and_gold .:. Well, if you ever get to read Un Lun Dun, let me know! .:. Granger18 .:. I guess I didn't think of that, but half-ghost does seem right up your alley .^_^. yeah, Sasuke's annoying like that. Doesn't he realize the pain he's causing? His parents would never want to see him doing and choosing what he has...gets me so mad...as only an anime character can. Hmmm, another anime/manga creature...I probably mentioned it/her already, but Kirara from Inuyasha. .:. Responder .:. Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout .:. Responder .:. Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout[/font] [bgcolor=white][/bgcolor][/bgcolor] Anime : Manga Digest 96 - Anime vs. Manga[bgcolor=#1B1C17]
 [font=monotype corsiva][color=#F6DD69]Anime : Manga Digest Issue OOOO [font=freshbot]Today's Subject ---> Love It![/font] Today's Offerings[/color][/font] [color=#846249][font=sylfaen]More coverart stuff .^_^. I have four different versions of the back cover. I want to know which one you like the best. Also, if the one you like the best, you think something is still lacking, please let me know! Back Cover 1 (you've seen) Back Cover 2 Back Cover 3 Back Cover 3a (the spacing of the text is a little different) Thanks for your opinions in advance! AND, I just finished reading a great book .^_^. It isn't anime related, but it is called "Un Lun Dun" (like UnLondon) by China Mieville. It ended up being really good. I love the Unchosen theme. Deeba, the heroine, towards the end pretty much states that she was the UnChosen one, and Hemi, the half-ghost, said, "yeah, but where's the skill in being a hero is you were always destined to do it?" said Hemi. He hesitated, and said, "you impress me a lot more." *squeal* If you can't already tell, I'm a Deeba and Hemi fangirl .>_<. Okay, I'm done here. QUESTIONS: 1) So...I'm not going to be asking what you'd like to see featured in certain Digests for awhile. You have all given me so much thus far, so when I need ideas, I'll let you know .^_^. 2) Cyber penny for your thoughts on...Shinesman. 3) Today's surprise is...another fanlisting (Toya from CCS and Tsubasa) 4) Anyone know of any good Twelve Kingdoms art (can be fanart or from the original creator)? I had trouble finding some images of Rokuta/Enki. Therefore, my question. (this is the same as last time, and many times before. I'm just keeping it up just in case any of you come across something spectacular .^_^.) 5) Happy Birthday in advance to Temari from Naruto on the 23rd! yeah! Thanks so much in advance! [/font][/color] [font=sylfaen]Anime[/font]   [font=sylfaen]Manga[/font]   [color=#E6C97B][font=sylfaen]Card Captor Sakura One of you suggested this, so here it is! I've done dub v. sub before for CCS, this is different so...I decided it would be alright. And I didn't feel the need to post a summary. The reviewers will probably sum it up and all that. Plus, like I said, I kind of featured this before, so most of you probably already know about it. First up, a Manga Review from www.justmanga.com (I was impressed by it, so...and it mentions the anime)*Me - after reading it, I think it is an anime reivew...on justmanga.com...*: reviewed by ChocoMilkTea Cardcaptor Sakura is a classic. It is one of those anime that everyone could enjoy, regardless of age and gender. While being a typical magical girl anime, the plot is actually intertwined with lots of comedy and romance. There's not a lot of drama (yet), except maybe recurring goofs and difficulties that each characters face. However, that is the true magic of Cardcaptor Sakura. It has such a high enjoyment value that you will often forget that you are watching someone capturing cards, but rath...er, live through the experiences of a not-so-typical elementary girl whose live was changed in many ways by the cards she will make her own. Story: 4/5 The first and second season, in my opinion, is not most impressive plot-wise. It is pretty much very episodic, with recurring goofs such as Sakura's battle costumes, Tomoyo with her camcorder, Toya always showing up at the right (or wrong) times, Sakura trying to win over Yukito, Kero looking up at the sky saying Yue like he's heartbroken, and Syaoran once again tries to compete with Sakura. The impressive part of the first season is its comedy and action, because it was just amazing. For a magical girl anime, the action was just there. Every scene, suspense, effort, luck, desperation, success, it was there. When Sakura is not capturing cards (she approximately captures one per episode), she enters an environment with heartfelt friendship and goes through life very joyfully and often humorously. Even though the only plot is to capture them all, Cardcaptor Sakura such a variety of enjoyment that you will find yourself staying glued to the screen. The season offers a change of pace as Sakura embarks on a brand new adventure, meeting a mysterious new rival. This is where the plot starts to change, as the cards are no longer the main emphasis of the plot. It is clear that while the cards changed her destiny (in capturing the cards), it also affected her daily life as well. The third season explores how the cards created a new path for Sakura in friendship and romance. This part of the plot is present in the first two seasons, but it became the main focus of season three. Personally, this is when Cardcaptor Sakura won me over. Until then it was just a very addicting and enjoyable show. Season three gave meaning to the cards and provides a few dramatic moments that fortifies the underlying themes and symbolisms the series tries to convey. Art: 5/5 If you are new to Cardcaptor Sakura, then you might not realize that it was made in 1998. For its time, the art was amazingly amazing. From the opening sequence, you can point out minor details such as the movement of Sakura's costume in the wind and the animation of her hair was just so realistic. Voice acting was awesome (and cute), and facial expressions were especially awesome. And then, there are the action scenes themselves. When the cards are released/captured, there's a wow moment that you don't expect to see in a typical magical girl series. Even though the action isn't very technical with cool names and gadgets, it features everything from flying, sword fighting, evocations of the elements, and last but not least, Sakura. One thing that cannot be expressed enough is how cute Sakura is portrayed. That may sound stupid, but it's one of the main attractions of the show. Sound: 5/5 Not only are the opening and ending sequences catchy, the background music was incredible, simply incredible. From the opening scene featuring Sakura on top of a tower, the music was engaging in every aspect. Then it smoothly makes a transition to everyday music when Sakura introduces herself, and finally to the suspenseful and catchy battle theme that everyone loves. One of the main complains about the dub (Cardcaptors) was that the music was changed. The original music was excellent, and it fits the situation it is for very well. Character: 4/5 For an anime like this it's tough to be perfect character-wise, but which anime masters character portrayal, right? The anime focuses the most on Sakura, Kero, Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Meilin, as expected, since they're the main characters. Of course Toya and some other characters I don't want to spoil have their roles also, but mostly it centers on the elementary students (and Kero). While a good deal of the supporting characters were developed, it is done mostly through inferences and vague symbolism. In a way this is good, because it gives Cardcaptor Sakura a deeper meaning if you see it, but if you don't, it's still a very enjoyable anime with minor plot holes. So in short, Cardcaptor Sakura is mainly an anime of character development and emotional maturation, and it mostly succeeded, for the main characters only. Enjoyment: 5/5 From what I said above, this category would definitely have to be a 5/5. In fact, it has one of the best re-watching values of all the anime I've watched. The first time you go through the anime, it's just plain enjoyable. The second time, you tend to pick up symbolism and motifs from here and there. That ah hah moment where everything clicks makes the series even more enjoyable, because it connects its episodic attribute to the main plot more closely. Cardcaptor Sakura just enjoyable no matter how you look at it. An interesting character in Cardcaptor Sakura is Meilin. She is a filler character, meaning, she is not in the original manga. However, her roles are clearly defined and becomes one of the major plot-driven characters at the end of the anime, as well as being a very consistent character. One example is how I regard an episode that dedicated to her as one of the best, even though it is a filler. The addition of Meilin is not for the detriment of the plot, and I applaud the excellent direction it took to incorporate such a character. Another factor that might affect some viewers is how everything is in romaji or English. At the opening sequence, Sakura's name tag says SAKURA, the cards are in English, even how Sakura says them is in English. There's just a lot of convenient things here for English watchers, something curious but gladly accepted. Controversies: If you watch this anime, then watch out for some controversial topics. The first one is homosexuality, which is present plainly in one relationship, and very vaguely implied in a couple of others. It would certainly bring up some questions for younger viewers, but in the end, the anime explains it in a very fitting and safe way. Still, it could be a concern but it shouldn't stop you from watching it. It's safe to say that yuri/yaoi isn't a main component of the plot. Another controversy is incest, the legal kind (in Japan)*Me - there is a legal kind of incest?!*. While a non-Japanese audience might be a bit uncomfortable of a first cousins relationship, it is best to keep in mind that in Japan, it is completely normal. There's no weird things like brother/sister, mother/son, or stuff like that, so don't worry. And there's a third kind of relationship explored in the anime, which is an innocent student-teacher crush. The anime never really goes anywhere with it, but it's nice just to mention that it's there. The one important thing to keep in mind is that all these three types of relationships do not affect the enjoyment of the series in any way. Relationships, after all, are part of the main plot, and they should be treated in an adult manner. Lastly, although it's something that not many cares, there is death. Throughout the series, no one really died, but the motif of death, angels, and the afterlife appears frequently. It's listed as a controversy due to the assumed target audience (young females), but in the end, death is one of the aspects that gives more meaning to the plot. Cardcaptors: As much as I don't want to bash Cardcaptors, I feel that it is relevant. If you watch Cardcaptors, then my ratings do not apply. These ratings only apply to the Japanese subbed version, as well as what I think is the best version. Get this one if you can! Overall: 4/5 I can't bring myself to give this anime a five just because it carries no major revelations or any of the sort. You can argue that the ending is pretty dramatic, kind of, but the main purpose of the anime is to let the audience sit back, relax, and enjoy. Of course I am being harsh because I want something out of every anime I watch, but for Cardcaptor Sakura, enjoyment alone is enough to get it to a 9. Once in a while, it's good to just watch a series and and enjoy it wholeheartedly. * More impressive reviews for the manga which mention the anime, but from myanimelist.net: The manga for Cardcaptor Sakura is of course very similar to the anime however only includes the parts to the story that are important. Story: 9/10 The story doesn't seem overly impressive at the start with the collection of the Clow Cards but with the introduction of the romances between certain characters there is certainly a comedic, albeit strange, side to the story. The story is quick to start the introductions are generally done during the capture of cards and the little side notes they have showing all the likes, dislikes and what not. As the story continues the character development just gets better and better, how long will it take for to Sakura realise what she really feels is a key part to the romance side of the story. The thing that makes the manga better than the anime is that the final volume (Volume 12) is not included in the anime, The final volume is the main end to the story and it wraps up the story superbly. It explains why Sakura likes Yukito, it explains why Eriol looks similar to Fujitaka and also the last page of the story gives the reader that real feeling of joy for Sakura and Syaoran. Overall an interesting story that was really gripping in my opinion even though I knew what would happen in most parts. Art: 9/10 The art is great, the art suits the story perfectly epitomising the kawaii effect that the story gives and I cant really think of any faults with the art. Character: 10/10 I don't know of any better story of any sort for the characters, they were quite typical of CLAMP and the build of relationships between the characters were just fantastic even if controversial in some cases, most notably Tomoyo's crush on Sakura. The love triangle of Sakura, Syaoran and Yukito develops superbly throughout the story. The characters are a real breath of fresh air compared to the dull and unimaginative characters from a number of other manga and anime stories. Enjoyment: 10/10 I never thought I would ever put a 10 for enjoyment of manga because I don't like reading much but I thoroughly enjoyed this manga, it was rounded off brilliantly at the end, actually feeling that you knew why everything happened as it did. I never went even close to the thinking of dropping the this manga and it just got better and better as the story went on. This manga would definitley benefit from either watching the anime as well or reading the manga again. I would definitely consider re-reading this manga. Overall: 10/10 (9x2+2x10=9.5) Cardcaptor Sakura had an interesting story and characters that were quite brilliant and I would recommend that you give this manga a try even if you aren't particularly into reading manga. * There is only one official word that comes to my mind when I think of Cardcaptor Sakura: Beautiful. Everything about it is simply the epitome of beauty. The story, the characters, the art. It's a CLAMP cult classic, and perhaps one of the most famous mangas ever written. You think you know magical girl manga? Well, you haven't seen ANYTHING until you've read Cardcaptor Sakura. As far as your concerned, this is the ultimate magical girl manga. This is what inspired 100's of other artists to rip off the idea. (Oh, and as I usually say, the Cardcaptor Sakura Manga is waaaay better than the anime. So don't even think that you shouldn't read the manga series, if you've already seen the show) Let's get started, shall we then? Story: Sakura Kinomoto is a do-good 10 yr old who finds a mysterious book in her father's library entitled " The Clow". Upon opening the book, Sakura discovers that The Clow is in fact not a book, but a container to a host of 19 magical beings who were originally sealed in "Clow Cards". As well as releasing the cards, Sakura also releases the guardian of The Clow, which appears as a plushie like animal with wings, whom Sakura nicknames "Kero". Kero tricks Sakura into becoming the next "Cardcaptor" after sensing that she had magic in her. And so begins the adventure of Cardcaptor Sakura, but collecting the cards is only the beginning. Art: CLAMP's art is always breathtakingly beautiful, so it's no exaggeration when I tell you that I have never seen anything more amazing than the art in Cardcaptor Sakura. Some of the designs for the outfits Sakura wears while "Cardcapting" are so original that it begs the question "where did they come up with this stuff?". CLAMP is truly the best of the best, the creme of the crop. Characters: Throughout the manga, one has to just fall in love with Sakura and her optimistic views on life. Her character is developed very well throughout the series, and each volume she starts to look more and more amazing than the last. The Clow Card designs are equally as wonderful to look at, and leaves the reader anticipating what the next one will look like. Enjoyment&Overall: If this manga was a person, I would marry it. So yes, to answer the question "If you love it so much, why don't you marry it?", I would. I most definitely and without any hesitance, would. Cardcaptor Sakura is like a nice batch of fresh-baked cookies, but for your eyes. And what always gets me is that it's not just the art that makes this manga great- it's the fact that it manages to keep a well-thought out plot with plenty of questions and mysteries to keep the reader going. I truly and from the utmost pit of my heart, suggest that you give this manga a try. Thanks for reading. *[/font][/color] [color=#C8BAB7][font=sylfaen]From mangaupdates.com: Special by Cloverbomb on January 13th, 2009, 1:38pm This is the one of the first few anime I've ever watched when I was a kid. I didn't realize it was a manga until afterwards. It's a really cute series that I think everyone should try. Sakura is a likable heroine (even though I believe she's a Mary-Sue). You can't really dislike the girl. When I was a kid, I began to imitate the way she twirls her staff by using a tree branch. (Eventually, it stuck to me as a habit and I still twirl my pencil in class during those long lectures.) Throughout the manga, you get happy, sad, you 'squee'... it's a very nice series. - Another great work by CLAMP by Kit451 on January 11th, 2009, 8:36pm I have to say, this is one of my favorite mangas. The manga is different from the anime so whatever you read in the manga, some of it wont be in the anime D: Like the yaoi! D: That saddened me a lot ;_; but! There are hints of shounen-ai! Uwah! <3 Anyways this is a series for younger readers but its still a good series if you want a shoujo manga. Its got beautiful artwork, the plot is original, the characters are developed, and there are plot twists! I've only read this series once but I absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute series! Clamps artworks are very good and worth any money you have to spend! Rating: 10 / 10.0 - A Classic by Selenium_Glow on June 23rd, 2008, 11:31am This was the first Anime I had seen in my life... (It was back in 2000) but since then, I've been a Huge fan of Card Captor Sakura... The manga, as one mentioned before, has a better and more complete story. The anime has a Awesome artwork... I've seen the anime like 18 times... call me Crazy, Insane or anything!!! XD - Surprisingly good O.O by dreamit. on June 14th, 2008, 12:25am well.. this manga was actually pretty good! I saw this manga being completely scanned a long time ago but i never thought of reading it cuz it seemed so childish to me plus last time i watched it i was a lot younger. However, i started watching the first movie and well, i wanted to read the manga! I finished it all in 1 day and right now it's around 12am. haha At first i was like "hm.. pretty good art but i liked the anime art better" i heard the manga was better den the anime and i havn't watched all the anime eps. The manga was quite good though and i liked the romance with sakura and Li. LOL ders like mix of everything. yaoi, yuri, loli hahah! Overall, i enjoyed it (: now, i wanna watch the anime eps and the 2nd movie some problems though which is why i gave it a 9.5 and not a 10 Spoiler . . . I liked the ending where it showed them older but i wish it woulda lasted more than 3 pages and more romantic or smthing. but evertything else was good! they explained everything well! Rating: 9.5 / 10.0 *Me - people need to learn how to spell* - First Time by spirix on May 13th, 2008, 2:42pm My first and most beloved anime when I was a child. It wasn't until last year that I bought the manga the started it all, both for me and North America. This is an adorable story about a preteen girl who find a out she has a magical than she can understand. With her friends and rivals she struggles to become the strong person everyone sees in her. It's light and happy as well as sad. There are a lot costumes and fun. I recommend this with my whole heart. - beautiful manga by ywu on January 3rd, 2008, 8:09pm this was my first manga series, i saw the anime first but the manga is way better, i wish there was more to the sakuraxsayoran relationship though, so maybe Reservoir is like the part that happened that didn't, doesn't make sense but okay - ccs vs ccs by lemoni on September 27th, 2007, 5:25am anime= better art, manga=better story, sakura x sayoran= i wish the have deeper relationship...... ----------------- I've never watched the sub (I grew up with the dub). I have read the manga, and I can't imagine any animated version of the story being better than the manga, which seemed to be the total consensus above. So...read the manga before watching the anime! Thoughts? -Our Digest Banner- NEW Some Angel Sanctuary for us all. I'm going to try and feature different banners for your enjoyment. Whichever one you fancy, please post it where you see fit. This one is different than last week's .^_^. [/font][/color] [font=freshbot]Love It![/font] [color=#F6DD69][font=sylfaen].>_<. I just loved this image, so...ah, the tension between two characters, who fight endlessly even though they should just be friends hurting each other in much more mild, and not so serious, ways. *sigh* Boys will be boys. Any comments are welcome since what I just typed up was predominantly random. ----- NEXT TIME...Guess! Stay tuned! Don't forget to check the surprise I always put up. My feet are cold .>_<. [/font][/color] [font=sylfaen].:. Granger18 .:. yeah last Digest was a bust. Silly American manga. Had hopes, but they were dashed. Another anime animal - Plue from Rave Master. .:. blood_and_gold .:. I love the cover of the first volume of Absolute Boyfriend. Made me stop in my tracks the first time I saw it .>_<. Aw, thanks for the encouragement .^_^. Now, if only the copyright people would get themselves in gear. .:. Responder .:. Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout .:. Responder .:. Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout Shoutout[/font] [bgcolor=white][/bgcolor][/bgcolor] |
|