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Merry Christmas!

Totally agree. I did come across an interview with Asano that took place after Punpun wrapped up, and it sounds like his perspective on escapism mellowed. I'll be curious to see if I spot the differences in his future works.

And thank you for the head's up, but no worries! I'm not expecting anything cheerful out of those two. I'm planning on taking a little breather with some lighter series before tackling anything gritty. Since we share some favs, maybe I'll browse your lists for some inspiration.

Great chatting with you!

>> "it didn't leave me with anything I hadn't thought of or encountered before."

Exactly that. And thank you for the follow-up info on Nijigahara and Reiraku! I'm looking forward to giving Asano's work another try.

After posting my comment in Punpun thread, I realized the one element of the story that might stick with me years down the road was its emphasis on the price one pays for escapism. That could be an essay in and of itself, and I wish Asano had explored both sides of the argument.

Your comments in the PunPun "disappointed in this manga" thread mirror many of my own feelings. I had wondered, in part, if my age was a factor in the narrative not having the same kind of impact on me as it did on so many other readers, but you're a little younger than me! The story was gorgeous, but at the end of the day, it just didn't offer me any takeaways. I'll have to give Nijigahara Holograph or Reiraku a try.

hi ~
what kind of metal does spotify recommend you?

Yeah, sorry, this is just something I do! And I can generally reply back fast! BUT I never expect anyone else to actually match me or feel obligated to reply back equally as fast. Seriously, if you need a few days or whatever to get back, it's fine. This is just my pace and how I like to do it, and I never expect it from anyone else.
Is that alright? I don't think many people could handle this level at my pace, and I certainly don't want to make chatting with me something tedious. I say what I need to say, then I'm more than happy to let someone absorb it all at their own pace.


Yeah, we are. I just feel like I'm way older mentally than anything. I was only born in 86, so we are less than 5 years. And okay! What does Pande mean? I've never heard of it before, apart from just maybe an abbreviated pandemonium?


You know, you're right with German. There's a manga version of Shana I desperately want to read, that the fan-translators stopped midway through for no reason.... yet it got an official release.... in GERMAN. -_- Why? So it's in Japanese OR German. So weird. I don't get their German preference either; I wouldn't think they're huge anime buffs!

Oh haha, am I mistaking you for someone else then? I would've bet money it was on your profile somewhere with "Watching too much anime instead of doing what I need to do", and that's what I meant. Haha, whoops, I must be mistaking you for someone else! I've talked to a lot of new people recently and this is what I mean by how things blur together X(

And thank you for that link, I'm going to read it and try to remember what I can! Color coding and being able to embed videos would be nice things to remember, most of all!


I found an older game that was sort of interesting looking from EA on PS3 and because the geniuses made it so the game HAS to attempt to sign into servers upon starting for no reason (it's not even a multiplayer game), because it's now old and defunct and no longer relevant, it literally crashes every single time now you try to start it. The only way to even play the game at all is to literally turn off your internet on your PS3 console while it's the game you're playing. Imagine if that was your only console (I only had PS3 for a decent chunk of time); that is another thing EA does, among the many others. They treat their employees like crap, and their customers, and apparently even their own games.


Oh? So all of your stuff uses references? Well, you still do a good job with them all! And give them your own style! I would like to see you try a drawing with your own style, just to see what it looks like! Have you ever tried that?
And with the clothing and such on the SIMS, I take it you just put a different design or pattern on existing models? Kind of thing? That would work or what I mentioned before with making a mostly patterned shirt (like, say, a Hawaiian shirt). Instead of a more custom and unique thing like a jacket, that would have to have its own model, right? Is that how it works?


AAAAH, yes; watching a review on that horrible DN movie is actually what made me want to re-read the manga and rewatch the anime again! And that is a great example! It's not THAT bad, because All you need is kill is so obscure, I'm sure 99% of people were introduced to it solely from the movie and thought it was purely original. (Maybe it's worse in that case, since it comes across as borderline thievery in that sense).
DN is in the mainstream zeitgeist and most of it was a lot of fanservice and pandering. Just as dumbed down and nonsensical, definitely, but a different beast in the approach, I think.
Fanservice is always more cringe, so I'd say DN is probably worse, but I hate the other too; scenarios where mediocre copies get more attention than, you know, the far better originals.

Wow, really? MAL puts EVERYTHING I thought, even random hentai OVAs; I'm honestly surprised such a series isn't added! I'm going to to search for it in a bit and see what it's about! But I'm definitely curious with that description, and since you like it too!


So you didn't like the book version of GOT, but you did like the TV series? Haha. I'm noticing this is a bit of trend with you! I heard the show followed the books very closely until like season.... 6? What did it do differently? It's pretty interesting given that you prefer the book forms most times too. But I imagine it's probably a pretty long and detailed book, and probably not the funnest read. I still don't know if you just like mangas or actual books, so maybe that's it.


I don't disagree with that. Of my favorites the Elemental Gelade anime is basically fixes everything wrong with the manga. It's like someone took bad source material and made something decent from it! The side by side was actually quite impressive!
Honestly, I can't say I agree with FMA vs FMA:B. FMA had some interesting ideas, but it was so.... utterly.... melodramatic, half the time I was laughing at loud. Even their actual attempts at adapting the manga chapters early on were just annoying to me. I really overall just disliked that series style and the especially when it got to the later original stuff.
When I finally read the manga, after hearing over and over how the anime was the better version, I was like "Ah, this is the potential I saw in it early on, and this is what I like" and then Brotherhood did a pretty decent job of incorporating the entire thing as it went along.

It also took me such a long time to get into the SK manga (after failing to get into the anime, past a decently strong start) but once it clicked, I remember really enjoying most of it. I'm hoping the new anime can recapture that.
The old SK anime has a lot of the same issues I had with the first FMA anime. It's just adapted in a very loose style and overly padded. It's hard to describe but I'm not really a fan of that direction. It is way better than the original FMA anime, but I don't really enjoy watching either. It does have way better atmosphere than the new anime (so far) at least.


Haha, really? See, when I was on the internet doing things like AMVing and the like, man, when I saw women on the sites and their yaoi, it was always serious business! Like, WE'VE GOT TO TRANSLATE THIS, WE HAVE TO MAKE A MUSIC MONTAGE TO THIS CHARACTER WE LOVE, and hell, even on some documentaries, there are women in their 50s or older who are dedicated to their erotic fictions of every genre you can imagine. The way I see it, women and their.... maybe porn isn't the right word, but eroticism is about as sacred to men and their gaming and/or sports, from what I've seen!

In any case, that's cool! That's definitely a more interesting approach to hentai that I probably never would've thought of. Just to view it as another story. But at the same time, I don't think I could do it the same way. I look or would invest time into hentai for other reasons than just story, and honestly, as I wrote before, I'll "read" whether it's translated or not. So long as it's "hot" or whatever I'm looking for, that's all that matters.
Needless to say, I don't generally invest more time into stories or fiction for that kind of spectacle approach. So the same approach to gauging simply wouldn't work! You don't ever just read yaoi for.... porn reasons? :P

Well, light novels are basically just books with a few pages here and there with some artwork. I honestly never have either, but Shana is most definitely a novel I am desperate to read. It's my favorite anime series (great adaptation) because it's so full of detail, but the source material, those novels, is where the real meat that everything that couldn't be fit in is in. It's the complete version and it sucks I can't get to read it past 2 measly volumes. Like the original book one of your favorite movies was based on, kind of thing.


Again, I didn't expect or even want you to reply back this fast. I noticed you skipped over some things; like the Berserk stuff or sharing more things between us? Not sure if you also didn't have anything to say about those, but as I started off, I really don't want chatting with me to become a chore or obligation, or anything but just fun. So you never need to rush it or even think you need to rush it.
These fast and long replies are just how I work, and I know not everyone can match it. I just get all my stuff out there (one at a time and all that) and then leave it for the recipient to then tackle/read at their own leisure between everything else.

That cool? And hopefully... understandable?

Slight addition to manga talk at end, since I can't edit*

The one "manga" series (at least according to MAL) I'm interested in reading is the source material of the Shakugan No Shana anime. The light novels. There is a manga version, but it's yet another adaptation of the source material. I'm dying to read more of that! But unfortunately, only 2 of 22 were ever (and probably will ever) be released in English.

But yeah, that's not manga; but that's the only thing past Berserk I have that same kind of vigor for. How much do you delve into light novels? Is it about the reading or the artwork for you? Or do you like both?

So do you like Pande, or (not gonna lie, but I did browse a lot of your homepages after we talked, because I was interested) Olivia? Which I think is your real name? I don't mind, but just let me know! Maybe I should only call you by your real name after we talk just a bit more? :P

It's great though! Not only can you type fast, and A LOT, but it's so fluent! I'm guessing it's now something your generation and under were instilled with and that's why? Just part of life out there, curricular, that kind of thing? So are you bi? Bilingual, I mean? Haha, sorry, I've seen some of your reviews and ratings too, I couldn't help but tease you there, haha. (More on that later)
What is Romanian like? Can you give me a sample text? How often do you need to alternate if you are? Outside the cities, obviously, but when you're like a kid, what is generally the first one you learn and then what you attain later on?

In any case, it's super fluent, and you write so much on your pages and here, it's A+! Top notch! And like I said, better than some natives where I live!

Before we progress, I gotta ask to be sure; now I like to talk and I get overly carried away. With just the fact English might not be your first language AND that you really love going through anime/manga on a daily basis (to the point it "distracts you from things you need to be doing", in your own words, many times), are long messages going to be a problem? Just need to ask. :x
Sadly, this is what you get when you talk with Justin, haha.

Anyway, I wish I knew how to add spoiler tags. I assume it's some sort of BBcode, but as usual, I'm terrible at remembering those too. I hate that MAL doesn't have them built in visually, or any hints at all. Can you enlighten grandpa? :)


Sure, but deep down, I feel we both know those aren't really the kind of 'friends' either of us would want to include. As they wouldn't really be someone to talk to or have in your life, just a number. I feel more sorry for them as possible. And yeah, dinosaur is a good word. It takes me right back to the early 2000s, with the advent of Myspace, where when that was the trending thing, it was literally ONLY about the number. Hell, I remember back when Youtube was all about "Sub4Sub" and the like; as long as you thought you had a NUMBER of people """"interested"""" in your stuff, that's al that mattered. Even though it was all just bribery and no one still watched your stuff. Pure hollow. I simply don't understand the appeal as anyone should know numbers alone don't MEAN anything. It gives you a very brief, instant gratification kind of buzz, I guess? Which is more sad? Hmm... hard to decide.


Was the Sims EA all along?! Haha, wow, I've heard nothing but bad things about EA, so I guess people must really love that franchise to stick around like that! It sounds like they almost assumed or even WANT people to not use teens or elders, haha, with those intentionally limited options. That's weird, because isn't the appeal to play as.... everyone? Honestly, I don't know how you even play those games at all, but I think people like them for the extreme freedom you can do. You basically play.... life itself, right?

And oh yeah! "Make it yourself" might as well be my motto in life. I told you how I mod everything, it's for that reason. Like, let's say I want to carry all my stuff on me; I might browse for a good base to start, maybe a shoulder holster thing. Then when I get it, then I'll add more, like for, say, my phone, maybe then a chain for the wallet, or a new pad for one of the straps and go from there, until it's basically a whole new thing tailormade for me and what I need it for. That's as far as my artistic skill goes though! But by the end, you end up with highly customized Mad Max kind of things, haha. I love it. (And yes, what I'm describing is actually a real thing I own too)

I don't think I can make something, because I'm too linear. I need a skeleton to build from; it's hard for me to visualize or start something from scratch. It's why I can't draw from memory, but can using a visual guide.

So with something like a skin or clothing you do, I feel I'd need a base to start from to have any hope in creating something. How much can you create? There are some awesome shirts and things you should definitely create! I have a few ideas, and honestly, with the levels I've hunted for these clothing articles in real life, I'd like to understand how easy it would be to make from simply images or whatever. What if it's a shirt that's a common cut, but it has a unique pattern kind of thing? Would you have to draw it, find a model and then move it around digitally, or what if it's a jacket with a very odd cut, like with seaming lines?

This is stuff I go crazy for in real life (in fact, I've made said odd jacket with the odd cut myself, simply because there was no other way and it was impossible to describe it to others. And yes, it was from anime :P), and now I'm super interested to see how making them would go in digital would go, both in game or outside. Hopefully you can show me sometime! It sounds really interesting! And I'd like to see your skills in action!

Anyway, I'm glad Tumblr has apparently died down into a more franchise-centered niche place. I had heard nothing but horror stories about it from the late 00's! I guess like with everything, if used right, it has its uses. :) Your homepage was definitely a surprise from what I expect clicking on Tumblr!


Oh nice! That's all, really? You definitely need to help me understand BBcode a bit more! Pweease, sempai. :') Haha.
I actually saw your wallpapers on one of your sites and I thought they were really nice! They're really that old? They were really simple but elegant; man, one of a favorite character of mine cloaked in red would be pretty awesome in your style, I think!
Can I ask something about your artwork though, the more I browsed, I couldn't tell if you drew some of them or just used them for modification and stuff like you said.
I guess take that as a compliment, that I can't tell! But yeah, do you draw and which ones? They're all pretty seamless!

I'm going to assume wallpapers are mostly mods of that sort, but on your DA, you had some pretty nice pictures of some of your favorite characters and they were just as nice as anything official you might find. It's hard to tell! What do you use to draw and color?
The few times I do, I know I could never do it with a mouse or digitally. I'm not an artist, but I can make something happen slowly (sometimes) with just a pencil. Haha, told you, I'm grandpa. :)

Either way, it's cool! I can see why you're a manga gal more than an anime one. You seem very into artwork and this kind of stuff in general. You are an artist, in any case! I'd be open to seeing more and sharing! I have more physical things that I make if you'd also like to see mine! I have some really awesome props, as you'd expect, as I like to work with my hands and bring things.... into the real world, I guess is the best way to put it!


For the movie, I mean, from what I heard they *tried* to do the same idea and drastically over-simplified it, and of course, dumbed it down. The character played by the girl is straight out of the manga, but she's not the same character at all. They really missed the point of her too, and yeah, not a fan. (I mean, they didn't even adapt her name correctly. In the manga, that name "Rita" isn't even her real name. We never actually know her real name, but it's just a name off an ID she used to enlist younger than was required and it stuck, as she left her old life behind after that and didn't need her original name).

Do you like dark stuff and sci-fi in the sense of very interesting ideas that explore a lot? Because those are two things I'm very much a fan of . Berserk, and then you have older (pre-2009) series like Star Trek. That's my bag. Really interesting concepts that most times also become morbid. The original story of All You Need is Kill is basically both of those.
The movie version is the.... well, Hollywood version. Haha. Overly simplified.

And as a manga fan yourself, as I said, the actual story is actually a pretty old one; it's just that many authors have taken a stab at adapting it as a manga themselves. Obata's version, I think, is the best, but it's not the only version. I don't know where I found them or anything, but I know I saw other versions with totally different designs. Like, the power suits in the story need to be there, but their design itself is totally up to the artist kind of thing. I think you'd have fun going through as many versions as you can!
It's probably on wikipedia, I think! I'll check later for you if you're too busy!


With a word document, do you mean like just a list with things to read? Damn! Do you have time warping abilities or something?? Haha, oh man, I envy people who can maintain that kind of pace! Yes, I can do it when I'm having fun in conversations with people, but man, with my media; games, movies, books, I am strictly a one at a time guy. Mostly because I am terrible (and borderline afraid) of forgetting shit and sullying said experience.
Like you play a new game, you learn the controls, then you stop or play another game and you suck at both because your control scheme wires are crossed. No. One. At. A. Time. Then I can enjoy them to their fullest.
Same with books too. I don't know how you all can do it, haha.

But I admire the hell out of you by how much you love to read. Believe it or not, there are actually people of our own generation online, who wil go like, say, on a forum or things that have you fill out your favorites in sections, and for books, go: "WHO READS?"
Like I illustrated before, laziness, instant gratification, reading is TOO MUCH WORK, so I definitely admire how much you love reading! Be it manga or otherwise! Maybe that's why you're so well articulated?
I assume you probably find your manga in English too, not Romanian? I can't imagine there's many versions of the latter, haha.

Ah, yes, Berserk. Well, the good news is the worst of hiatuses are over. It's slow (but you can't rush that kind of art) but pretty consistent now and finally the story is moving again. In fact, the author has stated we're probably around the 75% mark (after 30 years, haha, so do your math), and it's such an epic story, I can definitely relate to you not wanting to start it and then having to wait. It seems that, unlike me I guess, you don't like to be left stagnant and unmoving, as that would clog up your pace.
BUT... I feel if you really want to wait, you're gonna be waiting a really long time. Haha. It's basically a pick your poison kind of scenario, haha. I don't know if I can give an answer. I'd need to know how you think a bit better to subject you to that kind of torment on a whim!

At least though, you know you WILL get to read it eventually. I've personally never gotten into things like Game of Thrones (or the books) or even other epically reviewed (and often compared to Berserk too) manga, like Vanguard. Solely because I know THEY HAVE NO ENDING (or in GOT's case, a terrible TV ending). I don't want to get super invested in something only to be let down like that and then NEVER get a resolution. That is the absolute worst.

Thankfully though I trust Kentaro Miura and Berserk and I know it's coming. He doesn't want to leave it unfinished too and is working hard for the fans too, even training up assistants to help speed it up. In time, in time. :) Way different than the total indifference now of George R Martin of the GOT fame though, who has no plans or intentions to finish (and will probably die before he could anyway). So yeah, I totally get it.

But I love Berserk so much, I want to at least give you a taste. Check these out if you have some time. Honestly, Berserk has never had a perfect adaption and in fact, only one of them is any good at all. The rest are sheer garbage. So the fans have decided to take matters into their own hands. You can't top the manga so.... why not just adapt THAT?
And so... some already did!
They're already up to chapter 3 too, so check out what they did! Each one is about 15 minutes or so and it's just the manga pages brought more to life. It's really neat. (Though I do dislike that they cut out the first few pages of chapter 1.... that is always a sore spot with some fans >_>, but I'll save that rant for another time)
See what you think!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5lLQza7Mew&t
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rirU4zyVGdQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkbgJ81ETZw (Trailer of chapter 3, barring the joke intro)

Oh nice! Well, I gotta give you props then with FMA:B! The first.... 20ish episodes are really rough and rushed, because it just goes light speed adapting the manga (because the first anime covered a lot of it) and while it does work, it's not nearly as enjoyable as the manga. FINALLY when it slowed down, then it became the manga adaptation everyone wanted, so you'll know what to expect there! But I'm curious to see what you'd think of the earlier stuff slowed down with a lot more depth in the manga! If those quicker bits didn't bother you, you'll still like it regardless!

Can I say though, I found your profile from your post in the new SK anime topic. This is interesting because you didn't have issue with FMA:B, but you seem to be having the same issue with this new SK anime. I find that interesting. Do you suppose it's because you didn't read FMA's original manga? What about with Shaman King? I don't see it in your list, so I think might be because you're comparing it in your mind with the original anime, which overstuffed that early parts.
I do agree that they did a better job with the first episode (or two, in its case), but honestly, I kinda liked the whole Ren fight better than the 2001 anime. It started to lose me pretty quickly. I tried to rewatch it recently for context and couldn't stay long. I feel there's a fine line between expansion and, say, filler.

I should also mention too that the SK manga starts off very abridged and hasty, and this new anime has followed it damn near 90% or so. So hmm... in any case, I'd like to discuss this too with you! So I hope you don't drop it yet! :x
I'm actually kinda optimistic about it, to be honest. But we'll definitely see in the long run. It could go either way.


Haha, oh I know! But I thank you for your rationale in that regard! I don't care at all what is popular or obscure, just if it sounds genuinely interesting to me or I happen to stumble upon it! But I definitely don't hold back on my ratings in any case!
I was more bummed that I didn't share more with you that we could talk about! Haha. You're really fun to talk to you, you know? I'd like to share some of our tastes, to be honest and talk more! :)

I guess we're already doing that with you asking for recommendations and the like!

Speaking of, I was shocked to see you had Shimoneta of all things! Haha, we both gave it an 8 too! I love satire like that, especially the thinking man's satire that has a message! I even saw a few wallpapers from it! THEN I noticed all the yaoi on top of it, and haha, gotta say, I do respect it when someone can flat out say, as you put in one of your reviews, "The sex scenes were hot". You tell it like it is!
I was so embarrassed when I first put "Slut Onna" (or Slut Girl) on my MAL, and that was my first experience where I realized that yeah MAL has EVERYTHING listed. Even hentai! Hentai I literally just "read" out of........ uh...... boredom. Yeah, that's it. :P

But man, you are committed! You review them like an old pro and are like "Yeah, I like yaoi, I like dudes banging one another! I'll even make art!" and there's something to respect about that! Especially when women are taught to be prudish and the like, it's refreshing to see you just not care about that. So yeah, I can see another reason for why you also liked Shimoneta. :P
Hentai is great, I think we can both relate! I've always wanted to ask women who are really into yaoi and the like, do you like it more for the stories or just the art, or both?
Because, see, as a guy, some of my favorite hentai I save and even re-read isn't even in English! My point is.... guys don't read their hentai doujinshis or pay attention to the plots, haha. :P
I've just always been curious since I know women in particular take their porn very seriously! A lot more seriously that most people even realize! :x

As for other mangas... haha, well as you can see on my list, there's not much. I think everything an 8 or above I'd recommend. I went ahead and bought Kenshin, FMA, All you Need is Kill, Scryed, Yu-Gi-Oh, YYH, and Death Note, so.... take that as you will! Maybe the SK manga too, though that's been15 years ago!

You're the manga expert between us. I should be asking YOU for recommendations! :P

Holy shit, I didn't think that would be so long! I got carried away! Whoops. :x

Hey! What a nice reply! First off, I'm quite flattered you even decided to browse my manga list! And then wanted to talk about that!

I gotta say too, I barely even noticed you are apparently from Romania. Is English one of the main languages out there, because damn, your English here and on all your sites is impeccable! You speak it better than half the people who live in the States!

Anyway, as you can tell, I really respond to genuine comments like this, as well as genuine friends, so it's hard for me to even see the appeal at all in fake friends, apart from the most superficial reasoning "YAY, I HAVE FRIENDS... I DON'T KNOW ANY OF THEM, BUT LOOK AT THAT NUMBER...!" kind of thing.
Sadly, it's too common these days on the internet. Everyone wants a best friend, lover, or instant success without doing any of the.... you know, work you need to actually acquire those things. You can't actually become friends with people without you know, talking, investing time in them, etc. But now I'm just venting. Haha, hi, I'm 78 years old mentally, how about you?


Oooh, I wasn't sure because I kept seeing rave comments of like "MY SENIORS NEVER HAD ANYTHING TO WEAR BEFORE I FOUND YOU" and for some reason, I legit pictured you selling or designing an entire line of senior clothing, haha.
I am a gamer, but yeah, I'm definitely not.... skilled enough to know anything about modding or anything like that. I don't even play on the PC anymore because of so many technical issues, and for the longest time I was afraid to even play any game on a PC for risk of it exploding. Really. :x
And then moved to consoles thereafter.
I almost played Sims 2 once, but it seemed too complicated and I didn't. Did I miss out? It seems like you specialize in Sims 3, right? Is that your favorite or the easiest to mod or something? I think I remember hearing mixed reviews of 4. And is there more past that?

Anyway, I'm jealous of just how customized you made all your pages. A long, long time ago I tried Deviantart on recommendation (why, I couldn't tell you, as I'm no artist and I can't draw and I'm not an artsy type at all. I don't create, I.... modify, I guess is the best way to explain it) and I couldn't get into it at all or even figure anything out.
Yet your MAL, Tumblr are all highly customized and I'm jealous. This is what I mean by modify; I highly modify everything I own for function and aesthetic reasons (Think of any of the Mad Max movies, if you kinda want to understand), but I'm definitely not the best at it.

Not that I like social media, but still, customizing my page would be the biggest draw for me. I'm very selective with friends and I hate broadcasting myself like a.... whore, and only invest in people who interest me and share that same kind of passion for discussion; so yeah, social media is about the total opposite for that. So I was more impressed that you used your Tumblr so efficiently for advertising your work vs the typical way most use it for. IE, nothing productive!

And I think you need to donate to MAL to have more customization options? I enjoyed the aesthetic you had rocking. I'm so dumb I can't even figure out how to put in pictures or buttons/banners at the top. But yeah, I wouldn't mind giving my profile a definite red cloak. :P Red is so awesome.

But see, that's what I mean! Your familiar is like my sci-fi, haha. Way out of my league. I mean, I'm sure I could learn with some help, but on my own, it's like "What ._. Grandpa is confused" Haha.

And, interesting. See, I have the total opposite opinion, haha. I heard first of all that Tom Cruise was in it and immediately gagged, and then I skimmed it (I couldn't even watch it) and then just got a review summary instead. It's so dumbed down and exactly what I thought it would be.

So yeah, I didn't much care for it AT ALL. I hope what you found interesting is the concept, but I'd say definitely stick with the original in that regard, that does everything with it (and it actually makes sense) with a bittersweet twist at the end.

The story, I believe is actually quite old, and has been drawn by several artists in their version. The one I read and like is done by Obata, of Death Note fame, and it's pretty excellent. I just re-read it (along with Death Note, actually, and no it wasn't an Obata phase, just coincidence, haha) not too long ago and it still holds up. It's a short read too, so you can breeze through it pretty darn quick! I'd really love to hear your thoughts after you finish it, especially after directly comparing it to the film. I think you'll begin to see just how simplified and not as well oiled the film is by comparison.

I've never actually come across someone with more manga than anime! So that was cool, and I laughed at your explanation of ratings and some of your lesser rated anime. And that picture of how you seem to always choose the bad ones over good! The lone one you gave a 1 seems to almost be a meme with you! Either way, I liked your profile, and I think I enjoy talking to you a lot more! Thanks for writing! Let's do it more sometime!

As you can see, I'm kinda the opposite! I like a lot of mangas well enough, to even have bought a few of them, but yeah, I can't in good conscious actually call one of them an actual favorite besides of course Berserk. As a manga lover, I must definitely recommend that. If you truly want to explore the highest highs and deepest lows of the human condition and can stomach some of the most depressing content imaginable, it's a definite must read. My favorite story ever. But I need to give you a link to the good translations if you choose to! And it's one of those series that just fails to be adapted every single time.

I see you also liked FM:B; that's the only thing from your list I even know, haha. I'm such a normie when it comes to anime. :P But yeah, it was good too, but not as good as the manga. Did you read that too, by chance? I don't remember seeing it on your list. I've never come across a fan of Brotherhood and not also of the manga! Interesting!
And it's also nice to come across interesting people who are a little more interesting than I LOVE ONE PIECE AND NARUTO. :P

Talk to you soon! Pande, right? I'm Justin. :)

I was curious to check on your links, and you are a modder or artist? Are all those clothes you make for like a game or something? You really walk the line for me between physical and digital, I can't tell.

We're not even that different in age, and yet when I see people like you, I feel like grandpa who can't keep with the yung-ins, kind of thing. It was intriguing, so I thought I'd ask.

It's rare to see people not welcome ALL friend invites. Like, seriously, what's the point of fake friends?

i completely agree with your "Trash Leading Stars" review.

I'm fine and you? Thank you! Your birthday is also in January, so happy birthday!

Hi! Sorry to be commenting here, but can we be friends?