Forum Buzz
By da Original S Man & asagiri2040

9/24/03 Edition

Important News

System Update: Back the Blue
Its been quite a week for The English Track. da Original S Man stepped down last Wednesday to some surprise. And taking up the forum is not one but two moderators. The English track is now watched by current moderator asagiri2040 and poster martialstax has gained a blue man to watch The English Track, Cover Art, General Anime, and Off Topic.

A special reminder to all who wish to join the forums, be sure to check out:

And now, onto the forums...

I’m (finally) Gonna Be an Angel (again)!
It’s been almost a year and a half since the first volume of I’m Gonna Be an Angel was released by Synch-Point. Fans of the show have been waiting patiently for volume 2. And it’s finally coming! In January, to be precise. It seems like the majority are still quite forgiving of Synch-Point, although everyone hopes that there won’t be another near-two-year-long wait for volume 3. Ganbatte, Synch-Point! We believe in you!

Hirameki, off to a rough start…?
Initially, the thread was meant to clarify which pieces of cover art were being used for the first volumes of both Soar High! Isami and Su-chi-pai. Then people got to talking about things such as Hirameki’s editing policies and H-games-turned- non-H-games. User “c_julio” bit the bullet and picked up a copy of Soar High! Isami volume 1 and posted a review, in which the show content received high marks and the rest didn’t really. But at least the cover art issue was resolved.

Nausicaa R2 DVD to remain mono only
Nausicaa.net is reporting that Buena Vista looked into remixing the original mono track into stereo but the results did not improve the track. As such, the DVD will retain its mono only audio track.

6 discs makes Chiyo-chan happy!
User “Arcturus” learned from ADV’s David Williams that the R1 release of Azumanga Daioh is slated to be a 6-disc release. Everyone is happy. Now we just need to know about box quality, cover art, extras, the dub, the price, the release timeframe, and what exactly could be possible as far as merchandise from the ADV Toys line. Y’know, just little things like that.

Bandai: taking the distribution reins
Starting next year, Bandai Entertainment will no longer be using Pioneer as a distributor, and will instead be distributing DVDs themselves. What does this mean? No one knows yet, although the most popular assumption is that the change will mean lower prices for Bandai’s discs. Some concrete info straight from Bandai’s Jerry Chu can be found in the short interview piece conducted by webmaster Chris Beveridge.

The most spoilerific RahXephon thread ever!
Ohhh, how to write this without spoiling anything. Well, a significant event happens in episode 19 of RahXephon, and user “Yushiro” didn’t quite care for one particular aspect of it. Quite a few seem to agree, although there are some interesting thoughts presented to the contrary. The thread is also filled with an insane amount of spoilers for the end of the series, as well as the movie. Whether you have no intention of seeing RahXephon or are busy watching and dying to know about things, if you want to know its secrets then this thread is the one to read!

Tenchi Muyo! OVA 3 Review gets a reaction
Paul Coddington's recent review of the first TM! OVA3 DVD has reached the feelings of some fellow TM! fans. The detailed review discusses many flaws within the first episode and how it has been presented to the fans. Understandably, this will gain some outrage (even if some haven't even seen it themselves to actually backup their comments). So will people get the DVD just because its Tenchi Muyo! or will they hold out in hopes of a better release down the road?

Poll: How many discontinued series?
The actual poll results are somewhat interesting, but the real fun is in the actual posts. Seriously, it’s quite intriguing to read the thread and learn what shows your fellow AoD’ers have given up on, have put on hold, etc., and for what reasons. Or maybe it’s even more intriguing (and pleasant) that everyone seems for the most part to be only reading, as opposed to trying to argue with someone’s personal opinions. Be sure to post your list for the reading benefit of the community!

Steam Detectives Cast (again)
For those that may have missed it the first time around, Mariela Ortiz has reposted the ADV Monster Island cast list for the upcoming "Steam Detectives". Originally this was part of a cast guessing game back in May but we figured you could use a reminder. ;-)

DVD Covers for the Week
So many covers, at least look at the Su-Mi-Re and Someday's Dreamers covers.

Manga Keepers
Small week of items and yet alot of content within.

ADV Manga

Dark Horse

Viz

Recommendations Rundown
Are you pondering what I’m pondering? Chances are, probably not. At any rate, it’s time for Recommendations Rundown again, that fun and wacky part of your weekly Forum Buzz experience that seeks to help your fellow users find a beacon of light amidst the dark and foggy sea of anime in which we all sail. So, onwards! Get wild and tough!

User “Vincent” asks a dangerous question… and gets by with it! Having picked up a couple of discs of the X TV series, but finding it annoying to hunt for the slipcases and difficult to budget for the show, the question is whether or not X is overrated. Somewhat surprisingly, the majority of the responses seem to indicate that people think it is. That, or the CLAMP fans haven’t yet discovered the thread. So, if you think X is the best thing since sliced bread, or want to save “Vincent” the pain you went through, then post and let us know!

User “Death.is.Peace” puts it simple: “Is [s-CRY-ed] worth watching or not?” One response later, and the decision is made to rent it to give it a shot before buying it. Still, people continued to give responses, which help quite a bit if you happen to be considering the show but have some questions first, as user “evilarrex” is. Weigh in with your opinions!

User “bahamut727” needs your help! After abstaining from anime for the summer (a stronger person than many of us!), he’s looking to burn some cash. At this point, he’s narrowed it down to four choices (Crest of the Stars, Berserk, Utena, FLCL), but you could always try talking him into something else! Help a fan with a decision!

Finally, another quick list of some more series recommendations. Princess Nine, Last Exile, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and GTO. And doesn’t anyone know anything about Orphen: Revenge?

Sports bars in Japan
Pigskin lovers in Japan? No way? Way! While it may seem silly, some people just can't give up sports like American Football even when they're going to Japan. So whether you're pulling for the 'niners, the Titans, the Raiders, or even the Cowboys.. you can rest easy that there are several places in the Japan to catch those and many other sports.

Lusting after an HDTV...
Chris Beveridge (reviewer of anime, breaker of wallets, Darth Sodapop of the AnimeOnDVD Empire) is looking at getting a new TV set. And so cruel mistress of temptation is now leading him towards the shiny Panasonic 50". So if you have some feelings towards this particular set or think there's a better deal out there, you better let him know. After all, he has alot more DVDs to review...

Tamala 2010 Boston Gathering
Forum Goddess "LadyFae" is trying to get one & all in and around the Boston area to get out for a gathering. Current plans are to go see the feature movie together on November 1st (9:45PM showing) at the Brattle Theatre. Reply if you can make it.

The Big O cleans up the mean streets of Paradigm
Joy, sorrow, confusion, hope, irony. These are the things which can best describe what happened Sunday. And the fans keep begging for more. Can Norman keep up with all the work Roger seems to be creating for him?

Anime Weekend Atlanta 9: Sept. 26th - 28th
AWA 9 will be happening this weekend (expect the usual rundown of any announcements next issue). Carl Horn has a little party going on at AWA called "Their Otaku Majesties Request" so check it out if you want to find any fellow AoD'ers (or just some new friends to hang out with for the weekend).

Speaking of which, Jerry Chu will be holding another giveaway session on the 27th. He's hinted at revealing a title license so no doubt many will join to find out. Hop on the mIRC-X IRC server and join #askjerry.

Studio Madhouse news (Gungrave, Herlock OVA, Gunslinger Girl)
Studio Madhouse has released some details of when 3 series will start airing. Game turned anime Gungrave will start in the dark hours of the night on October 6th. The Harlock OVA follow-up (an OVA on TV!?) starts October 7th. And the little girls with assassin plans in their eyes will hit the ungodly hour of 3:48am with 28 full minutes of animation to eat up. Gunslinger Girl walks away with the most odd hour but no doubt fans will be up to watch (and everyone else will just tape it).

Live Action Sailor Moon Pics
The time is drawing near for five women to take their first steps into the world of fighting eVil in sailor suits. We have in a picture of all 5 lovely women in their costumes to be used in the TV series and several translations of the articles the official TV series website has been running. Fandom awaits (impatiently) for the day to finally arrive.

IGPX on Cartoon Network
The joint effort between Cartoon Network and Production I.G. has run its course. Reactions look to be positive and hints from AX that this series may see full episode production could get many people hoping for it to be true. But if you missed it you can watch all 5 online now at the Toonami website.

Wait a sec, can we ask ya a question or two?
The weekly round-up of QnA fun is here. Answer now... or we'll haunt you! ;-)

Hello Kitty cabs
Hello Kitty is known the world over. And having graced just about every single type of product out there (and some would make you blush), the little Kitty is now taking up a new job of collecting fare from delighted fans. Yes, Tokyo has ten custom Hello Kitty themed cabs complete with music, gifts, and female driver to take you and whoever else to where ever you need to go. Rates are the same as regular cabs but things like smoking are not allowed.

The King & JFK take on Bubba Ho-Tep (new Bruce Campbell movie)
The true king of b-movies & goodtimes, Bruce Campbell has a new comedy/horror movie in the works. Titled "Bubba Ho-Tep", he plays a retired Elvis impersonator at a retirement home. Along with him is a black man who thinks he's John F. Kennedy and a nasty monster called "Bubba Ho-Tep" whose killing people left and right. It's weird, it's silly, it's a Bruce Campbell movie.

Quote of the Week

"and yes Chris, you have to come. The Faerie says so!" - LadyFae

When not stopping trouble (or starting it) on the AoD Forums, S-Man can be found working on the database project at Crystal Acids and asagiri2040 can be found not updating his Rising Sun Alternative website. Written to the tune of AC/DC's Back in Black. Some classics never get old.