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For best anime soundtrack, I'm gonna have to go with Evangelion. Yes, I know Yoko Kanno is awesome, but there's something about the Eva music that's just eerie and awe-inspiring at the same time. Even the stuff that's not original, like Handel's Messiah, are used to the utmost effectiveness.

Anyway, that's my vote. Smile

Another good vocabulary lesson, err, column, Brian. Laughing

@HowMuchIsTooMuch - I'm definitely in the anti-Hikkikomori camp. I guess if their parents don't mind pay for their lifestyle, that's one thing. I don't think it's right mind you. We all have to grow up, no matter how much we like our cartoons. Man-up, leave the basement, function in society.

No Anime on BD - Seeing as how the Industry can't sell the standard definition discs, which are ubiquitous in homes now, I'm sure, moving on to the next replacement doesn't seem feasible at this moment. Though, Justin, as usual, brings up some additional points as well. Justin - do you know if similar licensing and pricing schemes existed for VHS/LD/Beta merchandise and if so, how far back does this practice go?

FTA wrote:

To add insult to injury the Japanese BDs are region-free but never have English subtitles.

Japanese discs aren't region-free, they're the same region as North America.

Also, BAAAWWWW @ no subtitles.

In addition,

Zin5ki wrote:

I've hardly watched any HD material at all,

I'm much the same way - I've only seen a handful of things that are HD/BD/not-the-standard and only one of those programs has made me wish that I had HD at the time I was watching it. The others just weren't worth the added expense in terms of enjoyment I got out of them.

Brian wrote:

I feel like we're about to hit a renaissance here in regards to digital distribution, via download or internet streaming, but if you read last week's column you'll know that that comes with its own particular hurdles. In short, it won't be very pretty.

I'd agree but I think there are going to have to be some leadership changes both in Japan and the US to make it work. Digital distribution is getting better but it still needs to grow leaps and bounds and companies are going to have to invest in the infrastructure to make it possible.

Answerfans - 5 out of 7 "worst or most unpleasant convention experience" incidents involving cosplay - there's a statistic I can get behind!

@ Allison Walker: Catty cosplay girls? Never! I would have told them off. But then again, I'm a dick. Not to say I really agree with statements like "BUT, all of those costumes were made with the same heart-felt care and pure desire to cosplay." but unless they made their costumes practically from scratch and they looked perfect, then I would have told them not to bitch.

@ Sheila Antonio:

Quote:

the panel turned into an Otaku Q&A session.

From what I gather, that seems like what a lot of voice actor panels turn out to be. I typically don't visit them, but from what I hear from other fans or the couple I may stray in on here and there, it goes from "how can I become a voice actor" to "can you make deep breathing noises in XYZ character's voice. I need inspiration for my shitty yaoi fanfic."

@ Taisa: This is an experience I've yet to have and hope I never do. That just outright sucks.

@ Lumicite: Your story made my day. A lot of time it's hard enough getting to the tables to see stuff but when you have people blocking them either causing or because of a traffic block, it just makes it that much more frustrating.

Hm... at first I wasn't so big on Hey Answerpets. Mr. Bertschy's fondness for fluffy animals was very funny, given that Mr. Bertschy absolutely despised everything else in the world. An agreeable guy like Mr. Brian doesn't need to prove his humanity, does he? But I'm not going to complain about getting to look at other people's cute pets. That mouse in the house was super cute.

And this could just be a "Zac is dead. He isn't here anymore. But in my cute animal photographs... and in my heart... he lives on in me!" thing?

While I enjoyed Zac's version of the column, I like Brian's take on it - it's not as brutal, which is kind of a nice change.

And for the win on anime soundtracks? Fullmetal Alchemist, hands down.

LordByronius wrote:

Metal Superman wrote:

I’m not too keen on Brian’s writing style. It might take some getting used to, but I feel like giving up on this column already. No offense, Brian, but it seems like you’re trying too hard to impress us with your extensive vocabulary. However, I did enjoy your anecdote from the last column you wrote. Jumping over a herd of manga-loving Otaku's made me crack up a bit.

Forsooth! I profusely apologize for my effervescent vernacular. Forthwith, I will bowdlerize any and all attempts or exertions towards flattering the intelligentsia with my flowing verbosity.

(i am sorry that i am a big nerd for words)

Well, I for one have been enjoying this column since Brian has taken over. I like the new dog image instead of the Howl's castle image. Change is good and the new leadership in the column is excellent.

As for question one, if all one doesn't have a job, doesn't help around the house if he/she lives there and shuts himself/herself into her room just so they could do a marathon; they have a problem. Anime, video games and manga are enjoyable hobbies, but one also needs to socialize with others and do other activities.

Because sooner or later, the friends and family you have may not always be there for that person.

As for convention events, I have one. When I was trying to find my room number, I accidently went to Travis Willingham room first. I reconized his voice, so that was how I knew it was him. I also sat next to this very annoying girl who would not shut up for about three hours. There also was this vendor who was ripping people off with these outdasious prices.

I'd understand if the items were rare or signed, but $125 plus tax for a Chocobo plush? Way too overpriced for me at the time.

Bluntly speaking, I've noticed at Anizona 2004 con and in the comments here, the over obsessive fans are often the source of the problem.

At least that's one thing I found out... now I will go and buy the Air! Blu-ray season and Code Geass now since they will work on my blu-ray player. Too bad he didn't get to my cat this time... I thought having my anime collection behind her would do it.

darcerin wrote:

And for the win on anime soundtracks? Fullmetal Alchemist, hands down.

Also an excellent choice. A very close second for me. Smile

Last edited by eviltimes on Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:01 pm; edited 1 time in total

Quote:

an immense knowledge of pornography

Oh God, I never thought of it that way...

Fav soundtrack CD: YK SAC OST 2

Blu Ray is the Laserdisc of today. Long before it reaches profitability a new (and superior) technology will arrive.

Great "overall" soundtracks, huh? And the OP/ED have to be considered a part of that? Shoot. That kills a few nominees because some of their scores are outstanding, but their openings and/or endings are less than "meh".

Many of the soundtracks folks have mentioned here are great listens. But the works from composers/producers like Masamichi Amano, Kunihiko Ryo, Kohei Tanaka and Ichiko Hashimoto should not go unmentioned. Any thread about great anime soundtracks should always include these four.

My gateway to Masamichi Amano was through Princess Nine, but it was his work on Giant Robo that truly blew me away. When I think of an "epic score", Giant Robo's immediately comes to mind. I believe its aged extraordinarily well and will continue to do so for years to come.

In Kohei Tanaka's case, his body work is long and diverse; there's a good chance you've heard something of his. My absolute favorite of his is Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team. I've seen a number of Gundam series, but this stands out as the best score from any them. His score is one of the main reasons why 08th Team is my favorite of the franchise. It's also one of the few scores where I loved both the OP/ED songs.

Ichiko Hashimoto has ONE anime series score to her credit. Thankfully, it's one of the best I've heard. And it was for RahXephon. I loved her use of the piano in this series; from unsettling and jarring to, at times, eerie and mournful. Also, it doesn't hurt that this score included Maaya Sakamoto and Yoko Kanno's finest collaborative effort to date (i.e. Hemisphere). Ichiko Hashimoto is someone I look forward to hearing another score from again. But it's been six years now and I'm losing hope.

Lastly, there's Kunihiko Ryo. His anime CV/resume is a bit longer than Hashimoto's. But the quality of his work is unquestionable. My introduction to him came in the form of Twelve Kingdoms. The fantastic and soothing elements of that score still give me goosebumps. The series' theme song and it's acoustic variations get a lot of repeat play on my music player.

I think the difference in the new Answerman is not so much Mr. Hanson's writing style or attitude so much as his choice of questions. The previous columnist seemed to often choose stupid questions and mock them, whereas Mr. Hanson so far has chosen intelligent questions and taken answering them seriously. I hope this continues in the future; just delete the dross and save the gold.

I know personally that my lack of purchasing started well before the economic downturn, when I lost my funding from my university. I've been living hand-to-mouth and draining my savings just to pay for rent and food, so all my anime and manga needs have had to be met by my library or by downloading unlicensed material. I hope to get a second job next semester when I have fewer classes so that I can buy a volume or two of Manga once in a while, and maybe the first volume of Baccano! when it comes out (although I may just save up and purchase the box set when it comes out).

As for greatest OSTs, Cowboy Bebop is the reflex answer, but I personally like Yoko Kanno O-Megagmi-sama's work in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex even more. The first time I heard the words "Ангелы и демоны кружили надо мной" sung by Origa, I knew I was in for a treat.

eviltimes wrote:

Blu Ray is the Laserdisc of today. Long before it reaches profitability a new (and superior) technology will arrive.

I don't disagree, but from a consumer standpoint nothing was better quality than LaserDisc for a good 15 years or so. Just, few people wanted to spend the money on it. And no porn. That killed the format, arguably. (The irony of this is that Blu Ray has plenty of porn, but NOBODY wants to see it!)

SalarymanJoe wrote:

Seeing as how the Industry can't sell the standard definition discs, which are ubiquitous in homes now, I'm sure, moving on to the next replacement doesn't seem feasible at this moment. Though, Justin, as usual, brings up some additional points as well. Justin - do you know if similar licensing and pricing schemes existed for VHS/LD/Beta merchandise and if so, how far back does this practice go?

The current generation is pretty much the beginning and the end of this. A portion of the $30,000 licensing fees go to the Blu Ray Disc Association, another (larger) portion go to the AACS committee, which is a layer of copy protection that has already been broken but is nonetheless mandatory for the format.

On the tape formats you only had to pay a royalty if you wanted to use the official logo on the box. DVD had patents, but they were very low and were absorbed into replication fees (with an additional fee if you wanted MacroVision turned on, or some of the later invented copy protection techniques). Both HD-DVD and Blu Ray had this ridiculous new system, and it's arguably doing much more to damage the format than the consumer prices, since it's severely limiting the number of titles released.

vashfanatic wrote:

...so all my anime and manga needs have had to be met by my library or by downloading unlicensed material....

Oh! I forgot! and watching stuff that companies are streaming online. I am so glad that this has really gotten off the ground in recent months, my wallet has been very happy. (/me goes to watch the latest episode of "Shikabane-Hime")

Bob Loblaw wrote:

WORDS WORDS WORDS Giant Robo that truly blew me away. When I think of an "epic score", Giant Robo's immediately comes to mind. I believe its aged extraordinarily well and will continue to do so for years to come.

MORE WORDS

Sir, you have fantastic taste. I was just glancing through this and Giant Robo caught my eye, then I had to read your entire post and I have to say I highly approve of your musical tastes. =) However, I'm actually not too keen on the RahXephon music myself (although the series remains one of my absolute favorites), and I don't really know why.

I think I'll have to jump on the Kanno bus and say that pretty much anything she's done is incredible. My absolute favorites are the Sousei no Aquarion OSTs. I think the series is often overlooked, and therefore the music is overlooked, but it shows a great range in musical-writing ability and continuously blows me away every time I listen to it.

An honorable mention has to go to the Fantastic Children OST though, I love the strings in it and the power that a lot of the songs hold.

Blu-Ray discs: Wow, a mention of Brave Story in this column? That makes this fangirl quite happy. That's definitely one I'd love to see on Blu-Ray, although I don't see it happening anytime soon. (Seriously though, everything else surrounding the series is out here, where is the movie?)

Con Horror: Hahaha, my worst experience was probably when I went to Comic Con 2002 and cosplayed for the first time. I dressed as Neon from Flame of Recca, who has a slit up the front of her dress to her belly button, and open upper back, and a diamond cut out of her upper chest area. Of course, the diamond doesn't show anything and she wears a leotard underneath, so although it may have seemed sort of "scandalous" on first glance (scandalous would definitely be pushing it), it really wasn't all that bad. That didn't stop a number of separate 50+ year old men from checking me out. I guess I wouldn't have minded so much if it wasn't just the older guys. T^T It didn't stop me from cosplay though, although it might be the reason I mainly cosplay guys now... hmmm....

Anime music? Eureka seveN. Naoki Sato blends a score that covers the entire gamut from booming triumphant themes to introspective quietness, and a lot of stuff from varying other genres. A bit of honky tonk, some 1920's America music, some aborigine folk music, and of course a lot of great techno beats. The OP and EDS were great to boot, helping emphasize the fun spirit of surfing through the skies. I've heard some of Naoki Sato's X TV music too, and the man is just great.

An honorable mention would go to anything by Taro/Taku Iwasaki. He can go from the depressing ambiance of "Now and Then, Here and There" to the bombastic hot-blooded action of "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann". Kudos to his classic spy movie score for the Read Or Die OVA too.

Just want to add kudos to Brian for his work on this column so far. I, too, enjoy the more detailed and direct responses to what are better-chosen questions. Refreshing is a good description. Lighter and more informative without being boring. A Happy Zac, if you will.

Frankly, though, it takes nothing away from Zac. Very few writers can handle satire or parody well, or even the cynical put-down, and he can bust a gut when he's on a roll. Being of somewhat similar disposition, I can also only begin to imagine how cynical I could become after 8 years reading mailboxes full of email from anime fanpersons (i.e., any entertainment fandom) every day Smile

He's a better man than I am, certainly.

FLCL soundtrack for the win, but yeah, Evangelion and Bebop also. But soundtracks for me are never disassociated from the film, in that part of my enjoyment always includes the feeling I had while watching the show, and how appropriate the music was for the scene.

Blu-Ray When my 2,000 DVDs begin to wear out... and when entertainment begins to be exclusively released on Blu-Ray. That's if DVDs contain enough extra features and material to justify buying them over the inevitable HD download option.

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