Post by duohimura on Oct 4, 2009 18:39:07 GMT -5
*Resists urge to make an "Another Side, Another Story" pun*
So yeah. This is the same dude who tried to send out that email a while back and was told that apparently that's not something I'm so much "allowed" to do. So.
This would basically be an unofficial secondary weekly screening for whatever anime people have with them that they'd like to share. I'm trying to work out details such that they will be amenable to as many people (who are interested) as possible, which is somewhat difficult. There was an attempt at a meeting yesterday that went awry because of the not-planning that happened, but we did discuss future meetings, and here's what we're working with so far...
Time
We've discussed as a prime candidate 4:30pm on Fridays, running as late as we feel like, but probably ending after about two hours.
If there are conflicts with this from anyone else who is interested, the one strictly taboo day is, of course, Thursday, since that's when KJAS meets. The weekend has been suggested as the best time, but 5-7pm on Saturdays was thrown out because that's exactly when Peirce is open and so dinner gets in the way there. I, unfortunately, work afternoons all weekend, but theoretically that can be changed to later in the evening if there isn't any other way to accommodate people. I'd really rather do work first and then watch anime, but if the other way around is what works so be it.
Place
This is a slightly sticky situation. We tried meeting in Mather's lounge, only to realize that there is no remote for the DVD player, and ALSO no buttons on it to use the menu. Which means we can't access language settings to turn on the sub-track, and that's kind of a problem for me unless we're talking about Trigun, Wolf's Rain, or Ghost Hunters(?) (and maybe one or two others--Spirited Away's not bad). Plus we can't skip opening themes, previews, etc. The solution we came up with was to try Gund, but I checked in Gund today and found it had the same problem.
So what we need, really, is either someone who can suggest a room that's likely to be open at whatever time we end up choosing, that either has a DVD player and a remote, or at least a DVD player with menu buttons. Or if anyone knows how to make the buttons on the TV control the DVD player, that would work too, but I'm not sure it's possible. We can also consider meeting in someone's room, but that's kind of an imposition and seems like it would get cramped quickly in most cases.
A slightly more feasible but more annoying solution is to have someone bring, say, an X-box or other DVD-playing-device that we could access the DVD menu from and use that instead. If anyone has a portable DVD player that would be optimal--I'd rather not ask someone to disconnect and drag their game console around with them, but it also seems a shame to try and use someone's computer for screenings when we have giant flatscreen TVs all over the campus. Unless anyone can hook up their laptop to a TV screen...
What We're Watching
As I stated in the email, the ideal situation here would be to vote on what people want to watch, watch only as much of a series as people are interested in, etc. However I gave just a list of what I have with me in that email, so I guess I'll re-add the descriptions I wrote which I took out due to length. Anyone familiar with the series already can obviously skip these.
For the record, what we tried to watch yesterday was Crest of the Stars, which we may continue with at our next meeting unless anyone objects. It is one of only 4 series that I actually have the entirety of with me on DVD, whereas with most things we'd be stopping around halfway through (though we may not get that far before Thanksgiving and I could snag the rest then).
Crest of the Stars (whole series, 13 episodes):
A sci-fi series, about Jinto Linn, the son of the elected leader of the planet Martine, whose life undergoes a massive change when the Humankind Empire Abh appear one day, demanding their surrender. Jinto's father assents on the condition that he be made territorial representative--without his people's consent--which makes Jinto, by extension, a member of the Abh nobility. Jinto, still a young boy, is shipped off to an Abh school, and the story begins, years later, as he's leaving to begin his military training, in accordance with his rank. However, for the Abh, a war is brewing, which Jinto will inevitably be drawn into... A series notable for its great characterization/depth, its highly detailed world (including the Abh's language, Baronh), and for its relatively slow pace in spite of being a space-adventure. Conversation occupies a lot of the time, and the relationship between Jinto and his co-main character, an Abh princess named Lafiel, is very well done. Animation is so-so, characters tend to have kind of ridiculous cheekbones, but a very well done sci-fi anime all in all (also available as translations of the original novels, from Tokyopop).
Noir (episodes 1-12 of 24):
The tale of two female assassins, Mireille Bouquet and Kirika Yumura, brought together by a mysterious email, and a haunting, familiar melody. The two attempt to unravel what appears to be a conspiracy surrounding them, trusting and mistrusting each other, while still carrying out their work as professional killers. A very dark series by Bee Train (known for .Hack//SIGN), so you can expect the usual long camera pans and such, but it's actually got some pretty awesome action as well (and very little standing around talking). Oh, and Kirika/Mireille is entirely shippable (again, Bee Train), though whether it's canon is debatable. Please note that this series would often be absurd if it weren't so -serious-, and sometimes it is anyway.
FLAG (Whole series, 13 episodes):
The story of an embedded journalist, Saeko Shirasu, who follows a special/covert ops UN task force as part of the peacekeeping effort, in a fictional country in central Asia, torn by civil war. An "animated documentary" of sorts, the story is told entirely through the lens of various cameras, both Shirasu's, and the cameras installed on military vehicles. At the same time, a fellow journalist and friend of hers tries to investigate the war from the outside, unraveling various aspects of what's going behind the scenes himself. A very mature war story (giant robots not withstanding--and in fact this is one case where they're pretty much uncalled for... they're basically treated like tanks anyway), with a definite modern bent that evokes the current political climate. The topics of war, of how it impacts day-to-day life for the people living in a country, etc., are all handled with a level of sensitivity one does not find often in anime. A great show for anyone looking for something more thoughtful than flashy.
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (episodes 1-21 of 36):
A vintage ('81) mecha series that launched a franchise, and was also drawn upon for about the first third of the strange mash-up called Robotech. Essentially it begins by deconstructing a lot of mecha tropes (i.e. the main character being magically able to pilot the robot the first time he gets into it, humans reverse-engineering alien technology without any problems), but quickly evolves into the tale of a love triangle set against the backdrop of an interstellar war. Notable for continuing to break with mecha/anime tradition throughout its entire length, its meshing of pop-music (as representative of culture) and warfare, its jet-fighter/robot hybrids, and its decidedly classic sci-fi vibe (i.e. using science fiction to comment on society). Occasionally hilariously dated, often melodramatic, there are also moments of fantastic characterization, and things that are remarkably original-feeling, even 28 years later.
Master Keaton (25 out of... ~40 episodes):
The story of Taichi Hiraga Keaton, a half-British, half-Japanese jack-of-all trades. Which I mean quite literally: He has been at various times a professor of archaeology (his passion), an insurance investigator, an SAS-survival instructor, a soldier in the Falklands, and most other things in between. The series follows a roughly Burn Notice or MacGuyver-y setup, with each episode typically focusing on a particular adventure of Keaton's, usually helping someone in need. Somewhat slow paced, the series remains pleasant to look at despite being a bit old, and the character focus on Keaton and his life is very interesting, to say nothing of the individual stories (though as with all shows in this format, some are better than others). The original manga was by Naoki Urasawa, for anyone who's a fan of his--and if you are you probably know that that man can make just about any premise surprisingly deep and engaging.
Psalms of Planets--Eureka Seven (whole series, 50 episodes):
A 2004 mecha series by Bones (FMA, Wolf's Rain, Cowboy Bebop), about a young boy named Renton, who meets a girl named Eureka when she crashes her giant hover-boarding robot into his house, and immediately falls in love with her. Despite a somewhat slow start with a heavy comedic (almost sitcom-y) focus, the series evolves into a very sweet romance as it goes, and both uses and subverts the cliches of mecha anime brilliantly (for instance, there is an arc that is almost identical in terms of events to an arc from the original Mobile Suit Gundam--only with everything that was good about it dialed up to 11). The series is also littered with references to surfer culture and popular music, with most episodes drawing on songs for their titles (i.e. "Shout to the Top," "Higher than the Sun," etc.). The series avoids having an overarching plot for as long as it possibly can (somewhat to its detriment), but makes up for it with great characterization, not to mention generally impressive action and fantastic music. I was sort of under the impression that a lot of people had seen this one, but I've had at least two people say they wanted to see it, so it remains an option (and I do have the whole thing, even though it is pretty long).
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (whole series, 50 episodes):
--The sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and widely considered one of or the best the franchise has to offer. However, I've sort of learned my lesson about showing it to people who haven't seen the original (the cast is largely new, but the background information helps a lot with characters and understanding why certain things are important), so probably not going to do this one.
Anyway, sorry for that being so lengthy. Please, if you're interested in attending, respond with times that work best for you, suggestions on how to resolve our DVD player situation, series you'd like to bring in, or whatever else you can think of that will be important. Please bear in mind that it's really difficult for me to "organize" things if nobody gives me anything to work with, so even if you don't know as there are "days" when you are free to spend 2 hours watching anime, if there's a day that you usually have less homework or whatever, feel free to mention it as a possibility.
So yeah. This is the same dude who tried to send out that email a while back and was told that apparently that's not something I'm so much "allowed" to do. So.
This would basically be an unofficial secondary weekly screening for whatever anime people have with them that they'd like to share. I'm trying to work out details such that they will be amenable to as many people (who are interested) as possible, which is somewhat difficult. There was an attempt at a meeting yesterday that went awry because of the not-planning that happened, but we did discuss future meetings, and here's what we're working with so far...
Time
We've discussed as a prime candidate 4:30pm on Fridays, running as late as we feel like, but probably ending after about two hours.
If there are conflicts with this from anyone else who is interested, the one strictly taboo day is, of course, Thursday, since that's when KJAS meets. The weekend has been suggested as the best time, but 5-7pm on Saturdays was thrown out because that's exactly when Peirce is open and so dinner gets in the way there. I, unfortunately, work afternoons all weekend, but theoretically that can be changed to later in the evening if there isn't any other way to accommodate people. I'd really rather do work first and then watch anime, but if the other way around is what works so be it.
Place
This is a slightly sticky situation. We tried meeting in Mather's lounge, only to realize that there is no remote for the DVD player, and ALSO no buttons on it to use the menu. Which means we can't access language settings to turn on the sub-track, and that's kind of a problem for me unless we're talking about Trigun, Wolf's Rain, or Ghost Hunters(?) (and maybe one or two others--Spirited Away's not bad). Plus we can't skip opening themes, previews, etc. The solution we came up with was to try Gund, but I checked in Gund today and found it had the same problem.
So what we need, really, is either someone who can suggest a room that's likely to be open at whatever time we end up choosing, that either has a DVD player and a remote, or at least a DVD player with menu buttons. Or if anyone knows how to make the buttons on the TV control the DVD player, that would work too, but I'm not sure it's possible. We can also consider meeting in someone's room, but that's kind of an imposition and seems like it would get cramped quickly in most cases.
A slightly more feasible but more annoying solution is to have someone bring, say, an X-box or other DVD-playing-device that we could access the DVD menu from and use that instead. If anyone has a portable DVD player that would be optimal--I'd rather not ask someone to disconnect and drag their game console around with them, but it also seems a shame to try and use someone's computer for screenings when we have giant flatscreen TVs all over the campus. Unless anyone can hook up their laptop to a TV screen...
What We're Watching
As I stated in the email, the ideal situation here would be to vote on what people want to watch, watch only as much of a series as people are interested in, etc. However I gave just a list of what I have with me in that email, so I guess I'll re-add the descriptions I wrote which I took out due to length. Anyone familiar with the series already can obviously skip these.
For the record, what we tried to watch yesterday was Crest of the Stars, which we may continue with at our next meeting unless anyone objects. It is one of only 4 series that I actually have the entirety of with me on DVD, whereas with most things we'd be stopping around halfway through (though we may not get that far before Thanksgiving and I could snag the rest then).
Crest of the Stars (whole series, 13 episodes):
A sci-fi series, about Jinto Linn, the son of the elected leader of the planet Martine, whose life undergoes a massive change when the Humankind Empire Abh appear one day, demanding their surrender. Jinto's father assents on the condition that he be made territorial representative--without his people's consent--which makes Jinto, by extension, a member of the Abh nobility. Jinto, still a young boy, is shipped off to an Abh school, and the story begins, years later, as he's leaving to begin his military training, in accordance with his rank. However, for the Abh, a war is brewing, which Jinto will inevitably be drawn into... A series notable for its great characterization/depth, its highly detailed world (including the Abh's language, Baronh), and for its relatively slow pace in spite of being a space-adventure. Conversation occupies a lot of the time, and the relationship between Jinto and his co-main character, an Abh princess named Lafiel, is very well done. Animation is so-so, characters tend to have kind of ridiculous cheekbones, but a very well done sci-fi anime all in all (also available as translations of the original novels, from Tokyopop).
Noir (episodes 1-12 of 24):
The tale of two female assassins, Mireille Bouquet and Kirika Yumura, brought together by a mysterious email, and a haunting, familiar melody. The two attempt to unravel what appears to be a conspiracy surrounding them, trusting and mistrusting each other, while still carrying out their work as professional killers. A very dark series by Bee Train (known for .Hack//SIGN), so you can expect the usual long camera pans and such, but it's actually got some pretty awesome action as well (and very little standing around talking). Oh, and Kirika/Mireille is entirely shippable (again, Bee Train), though whether it's canon is debatable. Please note that this series would often be absurd if it weren't so -serious-, and sometimes it is anyway.
FLAG (Whole series, 13 episodes):
The story of an embedded journalist, Saeko Shirasu, who follows a special/covert ops UN task force as part of the peacekeeping effort, in a fictional country in central Asia, torn by civil war. An "animated documentary" of sorts, the story is told entirely through the lens of various cameras, both Shirasu's, and the cameras installed on military vehicles. At the same time, a fellow journalist and friend of hers tries to investigate the war from the outside, unraveling various aspects of what's going behind the scenes himself. A very mature war story (giant robots not withstanding--and in fact this is one case where they're pretty much uncalled for... they're basically treated like tanks anyway), with a definite modern bent that evokes the current political climate. The topics of war, of how it impacts day-to-day life for the people living in a country, etc., are all handled with a level of sensitivity one does not find often in anime. A great show for anyone looking for something more thoughtful than flashy.
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (episodes 1-21 of 36):
A vintage ('81) mecha series that launched a franchise, and was also drawn upon for about the first third of the strange mash-up called Robotech. Essentially it begins by deconstructing a lot of mecha tropes (i.e. the main character being magically able to pilot the robot the first time he gets into it, humans reverse-engineering alien technology without any problems), but quickly evolves into the tale of a love triangle set against the backdrop of an interstellar war. Notable for continuing to break with mecha/anime tradition throughout its entire length, its meshing of pop-music (as representative of culture) and warfare, its jet-fighter/robot hybrids, and its decidedly classic sci-fi vibe (i.e. using science fiction to comment on society). Occasionally hilariously dated, often melodramatic, there are also moments of fantastic characterization, and things that are remarkably original-feeling, even 28 years later.
Master Keaton (25 out of... ~40 episodes):
The story of Taichi Hiraga Keaton, a half-British, half-Japanese jack-of-all trades. Which I mean quite literally: He has been at various times a professor of archaeology (his passion), an insurance investigator, an SAS-survival instructor, a soldier in the Falklands, and most other things in between. The series follows a roughly Burn Notice or MacGuyver-y setup, with each episode typically focusing on a particular adventure of Keaton's, usually helping someone in need. Somewhat slow paced, the series remains pleasant to look at despite being a bit old, and the character focus on Keaton and his life is very interesting, to say nothing of the individual stories (though as with all shows in this format, some are better than others). The original manga was by Naoki Urasawa, for anyone who's a fan of his--and if you are you probably know that that man can make just about any premise surprisingly deep and engaging.
Psalms of Planets--Eureka Seven (whole series, 50 episodes):
A 2004 mecha series by Bones (FMA, Wolf's Rain, Cowboy Bebop), about a young boy named Renton, who meets a girl named Eureka when she crashes her giant hover-boarding robot into his house, and immediately falls in love with her. Despite a somewhat slow start with a heavy comedic (almost sitcom-y) focus, the series evolves into a very sweet romance as it goes, and both uses and subverts the cliches of mecha anime brilliantly (for instance, there is an arc that is almost identical in terms of events to an arc from the original Mobile Suit Gundam--only with everything that was good about it dialed up to 11). The series is also littered with references to surfer culture and popular music, with most episodes drawing on songs for their titles (i.e. "Shout to the Top," "Higher than the Sun," etc.). The series avoids having an overarching plot for as long as it possibly can (somewhat to its detriment), but makes up for it with great characterization, not to mention generally impressive action and fantastic music. I was sort of under the impression that a lot of people had seen this one, but I've had at least two people say they wanted to see it, so it remains an option (and I do have the whole thing, even though it is pretty long).
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (whole series, 50 episodes):
--The sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and widely considered one of or the best the franchise has to offer. However, I've sort of learned my lesson about showing it to people who haven't seen the original (the cast is largely new, but the background information helps a lot with characters and understanding why certain things are important), so probably not going to do this one.
Anyway, sorry for that being so lengthy. Please, if you're interested in attending, respond with times that work best for you, suggestions on how to resolve our DVD player situation, series you'd like to bring in, or whatever else you can think of that will be important. Please bear in mind that it's really difficult for me to "organize" things if nobody gives me anything to work with, so even if you don't know as there are "days" when you are free to spend 2 hours watching anime, if there's a day that you usually have less homework or whatever, feel free to mention it as a possibility.
