Who here watches Anime?

[Kitsune]

I'm just curious. I got addicted to Anime over ten years ago at college. My college had a strong Japanes program thanks to Quaker opposition to the internment of Japanese Americans, and many of my friends were taking Japanese. Beecause of this I was introduced to Anime long before it became big in the US. Right now I'm rewatching Witch Hunter Robin, and I'm collecting Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. I'm wondering if anyone else here likes anime, and if so what are they watching now.

[PsychicWarVeteran]

I don't, but my kids do. My son has, like, all the Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell stuff. I know a lot about anime simply because the two of them won't shut up about it. It's Rei Ayanami this and Kusanagi that.

And, of course, everything is so kawaii to my daughter...

[DeeCrowSeer]

I was very taken with anime, back in the day when titles such as Dominion Tank Police and Project A-ko appeared on the shelves of high street stores. Unfortunately the company that was importing them tended to stick to the ultra-violent horror and sci-fi stuff, while I preferred the crazier humour titles. If I lived in a city with a decent comic shop, I would probably still be collecting titles like Oh My Goddess! and so forth, but there isn't really a reliable supplier in my area. And I have no money. But I've always loved the cuter anime (a friend once told me that most of my faves would be considered "for girls" in Japan, but I don't care) but Ghost in the Shell is pretty great too, and I have a film called Perfect Blue which I enjoyed a lot.

I'm glad to see anime coming out on DVD now too. I know there was a discussion about subtitles in a previous thread somewhere, but I would much rather watch a film in the original language, and read subtitles, than have to suffer the slightly hysterical and and unnerving dubbing that some anime titles came with.

D...

Slightly dull additional anecdote: I was a comic convention once (UKCAC) and I was desperate for the second tape of Dominion. I found the official sales table, and it was being staffed by two women dressed as the "sexy" Cat Sisters from the cartoon (they didn't really look like the characters at all, but that was the idea). I asked one how much the video was and she didn't know! She had to go and ask some random man who was stood behind another table. I'm sure the scantily clad women help to bring in a lot of interest, but if you don't give them enough information to actually sell the product they're promoting, what's the point?

[PsychicWarVeteran]

I'm sure the scantily clad women help to bring in a lot of interest, but if you don't give them enough information to actually sell the product they're promoting, what's the point?

Simply to get you to the table. That's all. After that, it's someone else's job to sell you on the product.

I used to work as a Game Play Counselor for Nintendo. They sent me one year to the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago to man their booth. They had hired all kinds of hot babes, who knew absolutely nothing about video games, to walk around and basically direct people toward the Nintendo area. Once they were there, it was up to me (or another knowledable employee) to answer the consumer's questions.

I was happy, because I got to stare at hot chicks all day long. :)

[Jerico]

Unless some of those hot chicks look like Jeanenne Garofolo, I don't think DCSeer will agree with that "hot chicks" statement.

I might prefer JG over a wanna be Barbie Doll wearing hotpants and go-go dancer boots. Actually I'll take Carmen Electra, then dump her a month later. She's married? so what!

well, maybe I'll just stick to the real girls that I'm talking to now.

yes. I'm confused. :roll:

[PsychicWarVeteran]

Unless some of those hot chicks look like Jeanenne Garofolo, I don't think DCSeer will agree with that "hot chicks" statement.

Well, there was one that looked a lot like Buffy...

[Mario]

You know I do already, Marc. :)

These days, I mostly watch frivolous stuff, like Shaman King and Rave Master. I'd be interested in Adult Swim anime, if I didn't have to get up at 6 AM :)

[DeeCrowSeer]

Unless some of those hot chicks look like Jeanenne Garofolo, I don't think DCSeer will agree with that "hot chicks" statement.

Well, I think I've shared too much about my personal crushes in the past, so I'll try not to clog up this thread with more of my rambling on that subject.

Obviously I can't claim to be above such marketing techniques, crude as they are, since my interest in the films had a lot to do with the Cat Sisters (although I was 13 or so at the time so I do have some excuse), but even at that age I really found it more annoying (or sad) than sexy. I couldn't even talk to the girls in my class, so how I managed to pluck up the courage to talk to a grown woman in a basque I'll never know. I hope they were well paid, that's all I can say. Standing around feeling the draft while greasy kids like me fumbled around in their pockets (for change) can't have been a lot of fun.

Of course, a lot of anime (like any medium I suppose) is quite reliant on the male weakness for "hot chicks"... and on the day of Russ Meyer's death, who am I to decry such things?

D...

[Kitsune]

I just got Tank Police on DVD for $19.99 US. Anna and Uni Puma are the names of the sexy cat girls. I've had good lucky finding anime online, it's usually much cheaper... I managed to get all of Kimagure Orange Road Online for quite a lot less that I would have gotten them otherwise. I use www.dvdpricesearch.com, but you would obviously want to find an equivalent that searches for UK Releases.

I was very taken with anime, back in the day when titles such as Dominion Tank Police and Project A-ko appeared on the shelves of high street stores. Unfortunately the company that was importing them tended to stick to the ultra-violent horror and sci-fi stuff, while I preferred the crazier humour titles. If I lived in a city with a decent comic shop, I would probably still be collecting titles like Oh My Goddess! and so forth, but there isn't really a reliable supplier in my area. And I have no money. But I've always loved the cuter anime (a friend once told me that most of my faves would be considered "for girls" in Japan, but I don't care) but Ghost in the Shell is pretty great too, and I have a film called Perfect Blue which I enjoyed a lot.

I'm glad to see anime coming out on DVD now too. I know there was a discussion about subtitles in a previous thread somewhere, but I would much rather watch a film in the original language, and read subtitles, than have to suffer the slightly hysterical and and unnerving dubbing that some anime titles came with.

D...

Slightly dull additional anecdote: I was a comic convention once (UKCAC) and I was desperate for the second tape of Dominion. I found the official sales table, and it was being staffed by two women dressed as the "sexy" Cat Sisters from the cartoon (they didn't really look like the characters at all, but that was the idea). I asked one how much the video was and she didn't know! She had to go and ask some random man who was stood behind another table. I'm sure the scantily clad women help to bring in a lot of interest, but if you don't give them enough information to actually sell the product they're promoting, what's the point?

[DeeCrowSeer]

I just got Tank Police on DVD for $19.99 US. Anna and Uni Puma are the names of the sexy cat girls.

Bless their perky little ears.

I use www.dvdpricesearch.com, but you would obviously want to find an equivalent that searches for UK Releases.

I did a quick search on some of the DVD sites I order from sometimes and there's far more anime available in this country than I would have guessed. Even a "New" Tank Police... and they've started to release the Ghost in the Shell spin-off series that was mentioned a while ago on this forum. Gah! To quote Anya, I don't like being shown beautiful things I can't have. Still, it's nice to know that they're out there. :)

D...

[Kitsune]

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
is quite good. I should be able to keep colecting it thanks to manditory overtime.

[McTalbayne]

Ive been a fan of anime since i saw Vampire Hunter D on TV at 2am when i was a kid. It caught my interest, i looked for more, and ive been a fan ever since. Im currently watching Samurai 7, which is based on the film The Seven Samurai, by Akira Kurosawa. Its got Mecha, Samurai Action, and a kickin story. Its good stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anime

I am picky about my entertainment in general and very picky about anime, but some titles I am very fond of are...

Cowboy Bebop (Perhaps the best anime series in recent years)

The Irresponsible Captain Tyler (First season was good, very odd and totally silly)

Those Who Hunt Elves (Totally silly and you get to hear elves cuss; I always thought that was funny)

Trigun (Another good one, mostly serious but with a lot of humor)

Slayers (Movie was funny, the series is good too)

Bastard (Ultra violent but lots of tongue-in-cheek humor)

There are some more but I can't think of them right now. Neon Genesis and Gundam are okay, but I never went in much for the Giant Robot genre.

[McTalbayne]

Re: Anime

I am picky about my entertainment in general and very picky about anime, but some titles I am very fond of are...

Cowboy Bebop (Perhaps the best anime series in recent years)

I agree. Cowboy Bebop is without a doubt my favorite Anime of all time. Plus the fact that Yoko Kanno did the music for it, totally puts it at the top of my list. I recommend it VERY highly!

[GoddessVirage]

Had to stop being a lurker for this thread.

Mwa, I've been into anime for as long as I can remember, back when Voltron was airing at like 6:00 am along with Ronin Warriors and such (wow, was that really like a decade ago O_O). I'm still a fan of those older shows, but much of the anime that is coming out now a days, for me, doesn't hold the same magic. Lol, a bit like Disney. Some animes I just love are Record of Lodoss War (not the TV series, though), Berserk, Juunki Kokki, Vampire Hunter D, and all the older movies like Dominion TP and Project A-ko and Gall Force and Macross ^_^

I don't know if anyone has any interest in Voltron (think, blazing sword and robot lions that form a big mecha), but a new comic series has come out for it and I must say it's absolutely wonderful!

This thread makes me think of my childhood, and I have got to say, today's children's programming is nothing compared to what I had growing up. Things just seem to have lost all sembliance of an ongoing plotline, it makes me sad T_T Guess that's one thing I appreciate about anime, the shows and movies really know how to tell a story!