(no subject)
As promised, an anime post. Thank you for your patience! ^^; The past few days, I've had Firefox open to pajamasmedia.com for news and Youtube for One Piece and Konjiki no Gash Bell. I wrote about the first, so let's write about the second, right?
I'd only ever seen the beginning and a few Alabasta episodes of One Piece, so when I discovered how many episodes were available on youtube, I started watching it systematically (though I skipped the filler arcs). I'd never seen the Whiskey Peak episodes before, and it's really weird seeing Vivi act as a villain. It doesn't suit her at all. XD Also, it seems like the main characters' power is ranked in opposite order to how intelligent they are. Luffy and Zoro are walking typhoons, but neither of them would be able to find their own house on a map. Sanji pulls some clever tricks, though, and Nami and Usopp both survive on their wits.
It's interesting to see the characters' sense of unity develop, instead of it being just a fait accompli in the later episodes. The relationship chart on the Going Merry is a bit complicated. By this point, it works like this:
Luffy->
Zoro My swordsman is pretty damn cool! *idiot duo*
Nami Nobody touches my navigator!!!
Usopp You're pretty funny!
Sanji FOOD!
Chopper It's cute and fluffy and funny looking! I'm keeping it
Zoro->
Luffy How the hell did I get saddled with a captain like this?! Now I have to rescue him again! *idiot duo*
Nami STOP SWINDLING ME DAMMIT
Usopp Coward
Sanji Shut up, you lovesick cook!
Chopper It's cute. Poor thing, getting stuck with Luffy.
Nami->
Luffy He's stupid but he's my invincible captain! Go get 'em (and bring me the spoils)!! Also, she babysits him
Zoro He's useful &hearts Another person for Nami-neesan to babysit
Usopp I understand your feelings >_<;; *coward duo*
Sanji I can make him do whatever I want~! &hearts
Chopper *sympathy*
Usopp->
Luffy The real captain is me, Usopp! But I won't fight you for it
Zoro Eeeek! ...so that's what a real warrior is like...
Nami Why did the two of us end up with these crazy people?! *coward duo*
Sanji Another crazy guy >_>
Chopper So warm &hearts
Sanji->
Luffy Don't eat all the food I cooked for Nami-san, dammit!
Zoro You wanna fight, stupid swordsman?!
Nami Nami-san &hearts
Usopp Don't run away, doofus. (Actually, I have no idea.)
Chopper Venison stew! ...Awww, he's cute.
Chopper->
Luffy He's crazy! But he's a PIRATE CAPTAIN &hearts
Zoro Scaryyyy... but actually kinda nice...
Nami She's nice!
Usopp Kinda funny (again, no real idea) DON'T HUG ME
Sanji REINDEER AREN'T FOOD ;_; And your compliments aren't working at all!!
I didn't make a chart for Vivi-san, sorry. What's funny is that so far, the couple with the biggest basis for a relationship is actually NamixVivi (I'm aware that I'm stretching it, but isn't that the point in this kind of thing?). XD This series is not really very romantic, I think. The most important relationship you can have is with your nakama. Heck, even the bad guys use the term.
Oh, and guess who my favorite character is! XD
Another thing is seeing how some stories were edited from the manga to the anime (even in the Japanese version.) For example, they cut out the scene of Luffy cutting a scar into his cheek, apparently to prevent little kids from trying the same thing. I have to say that that was probably a good idea. ^^;
Unfortunately the last episodes of both the Arlong Park and Drum Island arcs were missing when I watched them... OTL Alabasta is quite long so I gave up in the middle and switched to Konjiki no Gash Bell. Another shonen series with lots of manly tears. XD; I like it, but the characterization is more serious than the plot, which is rather weird. Also there are so many joke characters that kind of annoy me a little. I don't find Parco Folgore nearly so awesome as some other people do.
As for Suzumiya, it looks like Inbou is Mikuru's book, though Koizumi gets a bit of development too. With Shoushitsu being about Nagato and Yu'uutsu being about Haruhi, we've covered most of the SOS-Dan, I think. You definitely get a feeling that the author is setting up for another major arc with this hidden enemy... It's strange, because there is not that much overt story development (it's still about the SOS-dan, and they're still in school), but there has still been a considerable change in their circumstances. I can't really talk about it without spoiling the hell out of the novels, though. XD;;;
Also, Summon Night: Swordcraft Story comes out this week!! Amazon.ca has my copy scheduled to arrive next week, though...
I'd only ever seen the beginning and a few Alabasta episodes of One Piece, so when I discovered how many episodes were available on youtube, I started watching it systematically (though I skipped the filler arcs). I'd never seen the Whiskey Peak episodes before, and it's really weird seeing Vivi act as a villain. It doesn't suit her at all. XD Also, it seems like the main characters' power is ranked in opposite order to how intelligent they are. Luffy and Zoro are walking typhoons, but neither of them would be able to find their own house on a map. Sanji pulls some clever tricks, though, and Nami and Usopp both survive on their wits.
It's interesting to see the characters' sense of unity develop, instead of it being just a fait accompli in the later episodes. The relationship chart on the Going Merry is a bit complicated. By this point, it works like this:
Luffy->
Zoro My swordsman is pretty damn cool! *idiot duo*
Nami Nobody touches my navigator!!!
Usopp You're pretty funny!
Sanji FOOD!
Chopper It's cute and fluffy and funny looking! I'm keeping it
Zoro->
Luffy How the hell did I get saddled with a captain like this?! Now I have to rescue him again! *idiot duo*
Nami STOP SWINDLING ME DAMMIT
Usopp Coward
Sanji Shut up, you lovesick cook!
Chopper It's cute. Poor thing, getting stuck with Luffy.
Nami->
Luffy He's stupid but he's my invincible captain! Go get 'em (and bring me the spoils)!! Also, she babysits him
Zoro He's useful &hearts Another person for Nami-neesan to babysit
Usopp I understand your feelings >_<;; *coward duo*
Sanji I can make him do whatever I want~! &hearts
Chopper *sympathy*
Usopp->
Luffy The real captain is me, Usopp! But I won't fight you for it
Zoro Eeeek! ...so that's what a real warrior is like...
Nami Why did the two of us end up with these crazy people?! *coward duo*
Sanji Another crazy guy >_>
Chopper So warm &hearts
Sanji->
Luffy Don't eat all the food I cooked for Nami-san, dammit!
Zoro You wanna fight, stupid swordsman?!
Nami Nami-san &hearts
Usopp Don't run away, doofus. (Actually, I have no idea.)
Chopper Venison stew! ...Awww, he's cute.
Chopper->
Luffy He's crazy! But he's a PIRATE CAPTAIN &hearts
Zoro Scaryyyy... but actually kinda nice...
Nami She's nice!
Usopp Kinda funny (again, no real idea) DON'T HUG ME
Sanji REINDEER AREN'T FOOD ;_; And your compliments aren't working at all!!
I didn't make a chart for Vivi-san, sorry. What's funny is that so far, the couple with the biggest basis for a relationship is actually NamixVivi (I'm aware that I'm stretching it, but isn't that the point in this kind of thing?). XD This series is not really very romantic, I think. The most important relationship you can have is with your nakama. Heck, even the bad guys use the term.
Oh, and guess who my favorite character is! XD
Another thing is seeing how some stories were edited from the manga to the anime (even in the Japanese version.) For example, they cut out the scene of Luffy cutting a scar into his cheek, apparently to prevent little kids from trying the same thing. I have to say that that was probably a good idea. ^^;
Unfortunately the last episodes of both the Arlong Park and Drum Island arcs were missing when I watched them... OTL Alabasta is quite long so I gave up in the middle and switched to Konjiki no Gash Bell. Another shonen series with lots of manly tears. XD; I like it, but the characterization is more serious than the plot, which is rather weird. Also there are so many joke characters that kind of annoy me a little. I don't find Parco Folgore nearly so awesome as some other people do.
As for Suzumiya, it looks like Inbou is Mikuru's book, though Koizumi gets a bit of development too. With Shoushitsu being about Nagato and Yu'uutsu being about Haruhi, we've covered most of the SOS-Dan, I think. You definitely get a feeling that the author is setting up for another major arc with this hidden enemy... It's strange, because there is not that much overt story development (it's still about the SOS-dan, and they're still in school), but there has still been a considerable change in their circumstances. I can't really talk about it without spoiling the hell out of the novels, though. XD;;;
Also, Summon Night: Swordcraft Story comes out this week!! Amazon.ca has my copy scheduled to arrive next week, though...