Shadowrun Pub
General => Reviews => Topic started by: BornKrazi on March 04, 2007, 09:26:05 PM
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In one of the threads we got in the discussion about anime. I expressed my dislike for such "cartoons" as I refered to them, but I made a promise that I would look into ones that you guys considered worth the watch. So one of the series I got ahold of was a collection of Robotech dvds. There are a total of fourteen dvds, composed of three series: The Macross Saga, The Masters, and New Generation. They seem pretty old, the copyright on them started in 1985, but they were digitally remastered in 2001. Any suggestions on which of these to watch?
<Note: I also have access to a dvd of The Ghost in the Shell which I'll also watch, but I have to wait a few days to get it.>
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Well, the truth about anime is that it is the same as anything else on TV. Some is good, some is bad, and you usually have to dig through the trash to find good stuff. Of course, if you find something you like, you usually broaden your likes, and find that old trash actually seems awesome now. If you find something you like, expect it to spread. Anime is addictive. Which is a good thing. ;)
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man, robotech...I loved that anime. I watched that when I was a kid. And ghost in the shell is great. I recomend you watch Akira and Ninja Scroll
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Now see, I like Ninja Scroll less every time I watch it. The story is ho-hum, and the super ninja girl spends all her time getting raped by every bad guy she meets. However, my girlfriend loves this one.
As for Robotech, I was addicted to that show when I was a kid. I don't like it as much now, but it is still a damn good series to watch, especially the original Macross series. I thought the others just fell flat. Robotech is one anime I know that has stood the test of time, and probably will for a long time.
Gabriel
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Depending on your favorite genre of movies, I'd recommend.
Love story = Get any of the Tenchi Muyo series, Ah! My Goddess, or Love Hina.
Very cute and sweet, Tenchi and Love Hina have lots of comedy with the romance, and Ah! My Goddess is just a great romance, and it takes a lot for me to say that.
Action/gunfighting = Cowboy Bebop, Trigun. Welldone, with the added great music, and indepth stories.
Psychological "Makes you think movies" = Serial Experiments Lain. Best when watched when sleep deprived. A girl discovers the matrix (called the Wired in the show), becomes addicted and actually splits her personality. Her digital form is actually acting indepently of herself (In the sense that there are two separate identical people. Not just two in one head.). A good study of how people freak out when reality starts to bend. Good for wanna-be deckers.
You must see Neon-Genesis Evangelion. It's obstensibly a mecha anime, but it's got deep, deep symbology about family, religion, man vs. god in a war, social pressures, etc. In fact Serial Experiments Lain is like that too. I am a fan of the "Very deep symbolic, figure it out" type movies.
P.S. FLCL, also called Fooly Cooly, aka Furi Kuri is a great show to watch! It is only six episodes long. But it is, how should I say it. On the surface it's a wacky, zany show full of funny moments and great action. Then underneath that is the huge depth that I've previously discussed. . . Made by the same people who made Evangelion.
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Another pair of good ones to watch, on a purely animation-value basis, are Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. These films have beautiful artwork and animation as well as interesting stories. Princess Mononoke is a very well-written story of old world/new world confrontation. Spirited Away is more of a fairy tail, but very good none the less.
Gabriel
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I loved Akira, Ghost in the Shell (as well as Stand-Alone Complex) and Cowboy Bebop. But I'm not a big fan of anime-style storylines. Robotech I think should be initiation for anyone thinking of getting into anime, but like Gabe said, Macross saga is the best one.
-kv
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I think my brain just fired on anime overload reading this thread...I think I'm gonna go smoke...
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Yeah, anime does cause smoking brain syndrome. Good luck with that. . .
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Another pair of good ones to watch, on a purely animation-value basis, are Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. These films have beautiful artwork and animation as well as interesting stories. Princess Mononoke is a very well-written story of old world/new world confrontation. Spirited Away is more of a fairy tail, but very good none the less.
Gabriel
ah! 2 very good anime's! If you like the samurai type show Samurai Champloo is really good also. Or how about something kinda horrer? Vampire hunter D isn't bad and Blood the Last Vmpire is good but short
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See, I have gotten to the point where I really hate it when an anime goes from excellent art/animation to that stupid as hell "huge face to show emotion" or the ever-present "huge drop of sweat and no eyes" face. And the worst is the "huge streams of water bursting out of the eyes" style of crying. Typically, any movie/TV show I see do that is one that I turn off and never watch again. The only exception to this rule is Avatar: The Last Airbender. I love that show, and even if it's not a true anime, it has fantastic art and animation. The storyline is getting more indepth now as well. I can't wait until the second season hits DVD.
Gabriel
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hahahaha... when I describe those anime faces to people, I call the one with all the tears "crying milk," because that's what it looks like they're doing.
I like anime, even if I am choosy about what I like, but I really have a hard time reading any manga. Think everything Gabe just described, X 1,000,000.
-kv
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2 oher good seris is witch hunter robin and wolf's rain
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I've been curious about Witch-Hunter Robin for a while. I may have to look into pirating some of those.
Gabriel
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Hey I like Avatar...that show rocks...and I just saw a preview that season 2 is now on dvd...I still didn't buy the first one yet. What really sold me was when I watched the behind the scenes on Toph Bei Fong, her style of fighting is actually based on the Pry Mantis martial art and they had instructors actually fly in to help train them in the ways. I think they did a great job on this show. Nike gives me drek all the time cuz I love this show.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/Tophnick.jpg)
She rocks!!!
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You know our little girl loves Avatar too. They do water bending all the time, lol 8)
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all the bending is based on real styles. Can't remember what they were. Saw it on the internet somewhere. I'd like to know who they're gonna get to replace uncle Airo since the guy who did his voice died. And yes, Toph is the sheeeeit!
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I was really upset about Mako (voice of uncle Iro) dieing. I would really have liked to get his autograph one of these days. Oh well. I really liked the dedication they did to him in the episode "Tales of Ba Sing Sei". It was very tastefully done.
As for Toph, she's pretty cool, although I still think Sakka will come into his own as the series progresses. Just a hunch. He can't always be comic relief.
Oh, and water bending is based on Tai Chi, and fire bending is based on the Shou Lin fighting monks. I forget the other two styles, but yes, all of the bending was originally based on actual martial arts styles. I really like the idea that the people doing this show were researching it as deeply as they were.
Of course, you would think they would have come across the idea that Asian cultures don't have the same elements as the western world does. In japan, there are 5 elements, not 4. They are Air, Water, Fire, Wood, and Steel. But still, it's a great show.
Gabriel
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Fire, Air, Water, Wood and Iron are more chinese elements than generic asian elements.
At least, that was my understanding.
Witch Hunter Robin was beautifully drawn, but akwardly paced... there was a lot of "look at the scenery why I explain something about nothing..." and that made it hard to keep up with. At least, for me.
-kv
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I know Toph is based on the Pry Mantis (I dunno if I spelled that right or not), and is considered one of the rarest forms. They said there are only like 3 masters left in the world...
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Also, Witch Hunter Robin had a great scene of society in which magic users are feared and shunned.
Not to mention the great decker. What's his name. Michael.
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never saw that
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I only ever saw part of the first episode. They had a pretty interesting guy who could control sand. He spread it on the floor and when people walked on it, they got it on their feet, which he was then able to control. I wish I could learn a spell like that in Shadowrun. Of course, I'd have to be Awakened first...
Gabriel
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Maybe I could dig up some YouTube clips or something. Or google video. That'd learn ya!
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yes! youtube suckas!
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You know the thing I liked most about Robotech? It was ripped off by FASA when they printed the 2nd Edition of BattleTech (the first edition being a game called Battle Droids), who they then sued like no one's business.
Gabriel
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That's corp politics for you, rip off the other guy and put enough spin on it they can't sue...
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Actually, FASA did get sued.
Gabriel
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Is that what put them under until WizKids took over?
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No, that was REALLY early on. I think FASA just dind't know how to balance books. They have both BattleTech and Shadowrun, both long-lived games, and they STILL went under. So who can really say.
Gabriel
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Didn't they come out with a Shadowrun card game or something?
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Yep, although i have no idea how it did. I heard about it after it was already dead, so I guess it didn't do too well.
Gabriel
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Yeah I never knew anybody that got involved in it either...
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and the lawsuit about battletech was over only a cploule mechs that had same name as in robotech
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Yeah, but that's what they get for stealing the names.
I think what sunk FASA was that they weren't satisfied to stay with what they had- they tried to move too much, too fast, and they couldn't afford to keep designers on, and they got in over thier heads. Once they were in the hole, it was just easier for everyone to go thier seperate ways, and sell off parts of the company (now bankrupt) to the people who created them.
-kv
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part of it was they were grinding out sorce books too fast before players had time to implment them and accept rapidly changing trch
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Whic, while very cyberpunk, is bad for buisness.
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and the lawsuit about battletech was over only a cploule mechs that had same name as in robotech
actually every mech in the 2nd edition booked looked exactly like one of the robotech robots. A buddy of gabe's and mine can take that book and tell you the robotech names for each one. So it was a lawsuit on how they looked. They didn't use any of the names.
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Very interesting...any thoughts on why they would do that?
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don't know, laziness?
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Actually, I have a theory on that. I think they got permission to use the images in the original BattleDroids game and when they changed the name to BattleTech for the second run of the game, they just used the images again. Of course in the world of business, f you cange the name, you change to product, and with Battletech hitting it big, the Robotech guys decided to collect a bit of cash for what they saw as a violation of their rights. That is only a theory, mind you, but it holds together in my mind.
Gabriel
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Sounds like Business 101
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Like I said, only a theory.
Gabriel
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Sounds solid to me.
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yea, me too