The Hobbit Hole VII - But not yet weary are our feet...

[Professional Engineer]

Why is Furious George out of uniform?

[Fedora]

"Domo arigato!--or something like that :)" Um, you do know that 'domo arigato' means 'thank you very much', right?

Yeah, I know--that's why I said "or something like that" :) I was actually alluding to a song:

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto. . .

Inuyasha looked interesting art-wise, but I had a hard time picking up the plot from just one episode. I'll probably have to watch a few times and/or read an episode guide to get a feel for it. I tend to have to watch Japanese cartoons/movies a few times to pick up the plot--I think maybe Asian plot structures follow a different method than Western ones, which is something I've noticed in Godzilla movies as well as Chinese Kung Fu movies. The storytelling method wanders around a lot more.

[JenB]

True... or like in Kenshin, this story arc's been going on for at least 20 episodes and is going to need several more to resolve. It's not like Western sitcoms where every episode is it's own story.

I like that. Means the stories can be complicated.

I'm getting an expense check from my trip to Detroit next week... think I shall purchase something cool. Perhaps the Kenshin banner I was drooling over yesterday. I have a nice Aragorn poster... something about guys with swords...

[Fedora]

PE, sorry to hear that happened--that's terrible! I hope they do something to correct that.

[Fedora]

I like that. Means the stories can be complicated.

It has a weird effect. I've noticed that if I only watch one Godzilla movie, the plot makes no sense at all and I can't get into it. But if I watch about three in a row, they start to make a weird sort of sense and suddenly something clicks--probably the sound of my brain short-circuiting, LOL!--and it's like a whole new universe opens up. Same with Kung Fu movies and anime.

I vote that you should spend your expense check on anime CDs or comic books :)

[JenB]

I vote that you should spend your expense check on anime CDs or comic books :)

What about a compromise between the two? Manga! Stopped at the bookstore over lunchtime and, hehehe, the Kenshin manga is just as cool as the anime, and cheaper than I thought... only $8 for a book, compared to $12-18 for most graphic novels.

[Fedora]

Manga's a good compromise :) Also you could try anime-influenced American comics. Frank Miller's Daredevil, Ronin, and "Dark Knight" version of Batman were the pioneers there. You should be able to find reprints of these in the same section of the bookstore that has graphic novels. You might also be able to find some of Wolverine's Japanese adventures reprinted--the Wolverine and Wolverine & Kitty Pryde limited series were good.

[JenB]

Ronin... was that made into a movie? Or is there just a movie by the same name?

I'm stepping into these waters one inch at a time. Read some spiderman in the bookstore the other day. Still can't spend the money on it.

[Fedora]

There was a recent movie called Ronin, but it didn't have anything to do with the comic.

On Spider-Man, the cheapest way to catch up on him is to read reprints of the originals. These used to be published monthly in a series called Marvel Tales, which you can find back issues of if you go to a comic store or if you search online--this site has most of them indexed for decent prices:

Index of /Reprints

Some reprints are also collected in this series, which is available at bookstores or used from Amazon starting at $5:

The Amazing Spider-Man (The Essential Spider-Man, Volume 1)

Essential Marvel Team-Up

This series reprints the stories in black-and-white, which is why they're so cheap. Marvel Tales reprints are in color. There have also been mini-sized paperbacks reprinting the first 20 or so issues very cheaply in color but in smaller size; these are hard to find but a comic store might have them. There are also more expensive reprints, but that's the cheapest way to catch up on Spiderman, along with reading summaries like Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide.

[JenB]

Cool... and as there are only 4 Kenshin manga right now (and one of those doesn't actually come out until next week, I guess it's a translation issue. Only I know someone who's read them all. hmm) maybe I'll spend some expense check on Spider-dude.

[Fedora]

On that first link I gave, actually this is the right page with the prices--the other one just had the covers:

Reprints: Sale Price In Black

It looks like most of them are 95 cents each. At #137 they started over reprinting Amazing Spider-Man #1, so that's a good place to start.

[Fedora]

I bet there's reprints of old manga around, too--I should check into that. Recently I picked up a comic which adapts a proto-anime show, Battle of the Planets.

What's the "Oro?" tag referring to?

[Wneighbor]

It'll be a reference to "eagles", as in... needing rescue from someplace really bad. :-)

You got it babycakes! hehehe

Good idea Suzi!

[Wneighbor]

We have knives again!!!

Yippee!!!!

[JenB]

Hehehe... well, er, it's a 'Kenshin' reference. What I call his 'happy penguin noise' - when he's in goofy mode, he makes this 'oro' sound a lot. Sometimes even 'ororororo'.

In some ways it's an amazingly subtle anime. The tone of voice or shape of eyes means a whole lot. Other times it's just over-the-top Japanese animation. There is a scene I really, really like in the very first episode that intercuts past and present... they did a really good job setting Kenshin's character up right away.

Almost all that subtlety and nuance is lost in the dubbing. For one thing the guy who does Kenshin is too masculine.

[Fedora]

Oh, yeah, the Japanese cartoons do a lot with the eyes and nose. I think I know what you mean with the "happy penguin nose" :) One thing I always wonder is how come the eyes are drawn so big; and also, how come so many of the characters don't have typical Japanese-looking racial features? There are some Japanese who look more Caucasian than others, I sometimes wonder if that's the explanation.

[SuziQ]

Good idea Suzi!

Yeah, I'm just full of it, uh, them!

[SuziQ]

That stinks! From where was the Honor Guard supposed to come?

[JenB]

Maybe it's just the style? Also the big eyes are more expressive. Ever noticed that their eyebrows float on top of their hair?

Heh, no explanation yet for why Kenshin's the only person around with red hair and blue eyes. Sometimes purple eyes. If they turn yellow, it's really really bad.

In most anime I've seen, nobody looks Japanese at all and they have green or purple hair. RK is downright dowdy, compared.

[Wneighbor]

Yeah, I'm just full of it, uh, them!

Says Suzi, leaving herself wide open!

Actually, I was thinking last night of telling Ramius that he should have given me a clue... but then, that makes me "clueless" as is. LOL