February 28, 2007
"Elmer Season!"
(from Lio, by Mark Tatulli. Check out more about the series HERE. Thanks in advance to the syndicators and the artist for not suing me.)
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I'm glad none of my neighbors have been feeding that stuff to our local avian free-loaders. Say what you will about bread, it keeps them quiet and happy. (Don't even need circuses.)
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at March 01, 2007 07:59 PM (+rSRq)
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...which is good, because ducks hate clowns.
Posted by: Wonderduck at March 02, 2007 02:32 AM (YadGF)
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We're in your internets...in the very tubes...watching you.
Posted by: The Syndicators at March 02, 2007 04:50 PM (GQv1b)
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February 26, 2007
F1 Pr0n: Goofy Edition!
There are no words:
I'm not going to talk about the differences in aero or whatever here. I'm going to talk about the paintjob for the new Honda.
Actually, I'm simply wondering who thought this was a good idea:
Yes, it's a marvelous technical achievement, the globe on a F1 car. Bravo. Even better, YOU can put your name, website, or whatever you want on the car as well, just by purchasing some pixels on the image. Proceeds go to a good cause, or chassis development, or something.
What the hell were they thinking?!? They're going to look ridiculous out there. Hell, they look ridiculous now. I can't wait for the first engine fire, it'll look like the aftermath of a nuclear exchange.
The paddock is SO going to make fun of them...
UPDATE: In an e-mail to me, Official First Reader Mallory brought up a good point... namely, what is the pit-crew fire suit going to look like? What if Saudi Arabia ends up on the butt of a tire changer? Will Japan be over the heart of all of them? We need to know the answers to this!
In a similar vein, does anybody see the emergency gear release on the car anywhere? It's supposed to be clearly marked for safety reasons, and I'm not seeing it.
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And there's no place to put sponsor stickers! Where does the Valvoline sticker go?
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at February 26, 2007 07:19 PM (+rSRq)
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Honda has specifically said that there won't BE any sponsor logos on this car. The whole "One World, One Car" thingy; a logo would ruin the vibe, man.
Besides, it's HONDA! They hardly need the sponsor cash. If I had to guess, I'd say they were either 3rd or 4th in the whole money outlay per team thing, behind Toyota, Ferrari and perhaps RedBull. All three of those teams probably pour around a quarter-billion dollars US into their seasons; Honda is somewhat less, but they're still way up there.
Which just goes to show that you can't buy a winner... which makes my heart sink considering what the Cubs did this off-season.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 26, 2007 07:26 PM (YadGF)
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I think it is pretty nifty that they managed to get a model of the Eiffel tower sticking out from the map too.
And we could always have a competition to see how many times we could get the word "duck" on the cars. Or "Michael Schumacher".
Posted by: flotsky at February 26, 2007 08:32 PM (6T2ID)
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Plug ugly comes to mind. It looks like wallpaper for a kid's room.
Posted by: Mallory at February 27, 2007 02:09 AM (KJzva)
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Anything that removes some advertising from the world is good by me. And I have a thing about maps. I like the idea behind the changed paint job - but not the execution - the black section on the rear end just looks out of place. But it certainly looks better than a cigarette billboard.
Posted by: Vaucanson's duck at February 28, 2007 06:06 AM (oplPK)
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A F1 - racecar "racing to raise" awareness for an environment-friendly lifestyle? Huh?!?
Anyone?
Posted by: Huckleberry at February 28, 2007 09:55 AM (I7IUz)
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The funniest thing is going to happen if they do not win a single race this year. Then everyone is going to laugh, even harder than now.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at February 28, 2007 12:19 PM (9imyF)
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Hmm... There is some kind of red dot just forward of the cockpit. Although on most of the cars isn't the neutral gear release marked with an N in a circle?
So far it looks like this will be the easiest year in a few to tell the cars apart. And just when CBS looses their coverage too.
Posted by: Buttons at February 28, 2007 07:14 PM (K9Mty)
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February 25, 2007
Kanon 2006: ongoing thoughts
As the blizzard blew outside last night, I pulled my comfy armchair in front of the computer desk and got caught up with
Kanon 2006, watching episodes 17-21 (that's the entire Shiori arc and the beginnings of the Ayu and Natsuki arcs for those of you watching the show).
There are plenty of sites out there covering the show episode by episode, so I'm not going to do it here. Instead, I'm just going to comment about my thoughts and feelings regarding the show.
Maybe I'm just a sap, but this show is really, really managing to yank every emotional string I've got. Be it with the storyline or the visuals, KyoAni seems to have the ability to make me laugh or sob at will, and isn't shy about doing it. As a result, I've fallen head over heels with this series. Even if the story stunk, which it doesn't, I'd like the show because of the visuals. For example, this scene:
This is almost a throwaway shot, just something in passing, but it's stunning. The lighting on that fountain goes through five or six colors, for example, affecting everything around it seamlessly. It's an effect that would have been impossible to animate well a few years ago, but KyoAni uses it to 'set the mood' perfectly in the Shiori arc.
But the entire show looks as good as this scene. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say it's the best looking series I've ever seen, bar none.
I never saw the Toei version of the series, nor have I played the game, so I haven't the faintest idea where this is going to end up. Yeah, Makoto, Shiori, and Mai are out of the picture for one reason or another, so they aren't likely to be Yuuichi's final love (too bad, too, in the case of Mai; I have a feeling that I'd never see any ending in the game other than her's). The common wisdom seems to be that Ayu will be the last one standing, but I can't even guess. For once, I'm stumped, and I'm loving it.
The series is FUNNY, too. A lot of it can't be conveyed in pictures (such as the not-incredibly-subtle [but still funny] eye twitching) alas, but it is. Some of the more obvious humor comes from 'Zombie Nayuki', the girl that can't wake up to save her life:
...and Yuuichi's reactions to her. The bulk of the credit would have to go to his voice actor, Tomokazu Sugita, who also did the role of Kyon in Haruhi Suzumiya.
The worst part of this is now that I'm caught up to the most recently aired episode, I won't be able to marathon the new ones. That's gonna kill me. Actually, what's going to kill me is knowing that there won't be a sequel. There CAN'T be, the series ends when it ends.
As a final thought, when Jun and Yuuichi were dancing during Shiori's birthday party, did anybody else expect them to break into Hare Hare Yukai, the ED from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya? Using my mad l33t 5k1llz with Photoshop, I threw this together:
I'm sorry 'bout that.
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When Kanon '06 was first announced as being 24 episodes, a lot of folks wondered whether KyoAni would be able to maintain their trademark animation quality for a full season. With three episodes to go, I think that question has been answered. I'd go so far as to say there's been less animation quality dropoff than in Haruhi (cf. Yuki reading in the clubroom in episode 9).
If you find yourself experiencing Kanon withdrawal after the series ends, you could do worse than to check out AIR, Kyoto Animation's anime adaptation of another game by the people who made Kanon. The plot and characters aren't quite as good IMHO, but the visuals on par with Kanon's.
That's assuming you haven't already seen it, of course.
Posted by: Andrew F. at February 25, 2007 08:49 AM (ZGzG/)
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February 24, 2007
There Are Ducks In Anime EVERYWHERE!
Kanon 2006, episode 20. And it's computer generated, to boot!
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"I hate Illinois Nazis."
The Brickmuppet is looking for
the source of this picture, as well as having a bad week.
G'wan over and take a look. I think it's a piece of fanart, m'self, but I could easily be wrong.
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February 21, 2007
They were silly to even THINK about...
...
canning The Duck.
Of course, all of this talk about putting an end to the Duck was true... until We had a little talk with them. If we can end the Tsar's rule, we can handle an insurance company...
Mwah-ha-ha-Ha-Ha-HAAAAAAAA!
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Posted by: GreyDuck at February 21, 2007 08:15 AM (GRUEw)
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I, for one, welcome our new web-foot overlords...
Posted by: Peter the Not-so-Great at February 21, 2007 02:06 PM (XoZtz)
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February 20, 2007
D@mn you, Sid Meier!
He's done it to me AGAIN. I've got "One-More-Turn Disease"
again!
Civ IV is the culprit, but I can't entirely blame Sid this time around. No, he's got an accomplice now, a modder that goes by the name of "Sevo". Sevo took Civ IV, a good but not great game, and tweaked EVERYTHING.
The result is Sevomod. New units (including ethnically diverse settlers, workers, and scouts... no longer do the Zulu look like they're from Sweden!), new leaders and civs, new buildings, new techs (that make sense!), new wonders (and movies), new resources (salt? Who'd ever think THAT was important?***), and, even more impressive, new music and quotations for everything! It's an 170mb download, though... thank heavens Duck U. doesn't block 'direct downloads.'
To say this game has become engrossing is to put it mildly. Tonight is anime night, and I'll have to pull myself away for the evening... I hope I can manage it.
***
more...
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February 18, 2007
Daytona 500
Say what you want about NASCAR being a 'hick sport,' perfect for the redneck set. Say what you want about the cars 'going fast and turning left.' It's pretty much all true.
But DAMN, can they put on a show!
The ending of the Daytona 500 had the winner, Kevin Harvick, coming from somewhere around 10th on the last lap, beating Mark Martin by .002 seconds. On the tube, that was about, oh, two feet.
It also had a huge accident on the last lap. One driver finished 18th by crossing the finish line upside down on his roof AND on fire to boot.
You won't ever see something like that finish in a F1 race... for good AND bad.
UPDATE: I couldn't resist this...
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Monty is 19th. Was he involved with Clint?
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at February 19, 2007 12:57 AM (9imyF)
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As you can see from the (late) photos, The Pope didn't get caught up in the accidents.
His car was pretty meh all day, from all indications. I will give him credit for one thing, though: he's got a nose for avoiding accidents. He came through the entire race with nary a scratch, and just about EVERY yellow-flag incident happened right in front of him.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 19, 2007 07:26 AM (svIB9)
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Despair.com - gotta love it...
Posted by: johntheirishman at February 19, 2007 03:00 PM (bRF0i)
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February 17, 2007
TurboDuckling!
250 mph on the water.
Better traction on the ground.
More manueverable in the air.
It's... TURBODUCKLING!
Next step: biplane ducks. Then ducks with the CC gear. Then ducks with heat-seeking missiles! Then we will RULE THE WORLD!!!!1!1!!eleventy!
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February 15, 2007
Parody AMVs
So, you're watching an AMV, and you think to yourself "hey, you could do this EXACT SAME VIDEO, using (insert different anime here)." Well, most times, you'd be wrong.
But not with these vids.
The first set of AMVs is Nightmare by Mousepotato. Using "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums" by A Perfect Circle and Neon Genesis Evangelion, this is a tightly edited, dramatic, almost scary video. Highly rated in my book, it's an excellent AMV.
And because the video takes itself SO seriously (to it's benefit), it's a PERFECT target for parody. That's where Floyd's Nightmare comes in. Using the same song, and the original AMV as a framework, Parodic Productions remakes the viddy using... Azumanga Daioh? And it's ALMOST as technically perfect as the original. Want some examples of how it works? Here's some screencaps: the ones on the left are from Nightmare, on the right is Floyd's Nightmare.
Download 'em both, and prepare to giggle like a schoolgirl.
The other pair I've come across have a similar idea behind them. The original of the two is Mitternacht by Pwolf. Using scenes from three of the best known vampire animes out there (Hellsing, Blood: The Last Vampire, and Vampire Hunter D), and music by E Nomine, this is a neatly done action AMV. And who doesn't like vampires, huh? It's also another AMV that takes itself VERY seriously... and it shows; it won more than a few AMV contests at cons.
Now there comes Mitternacho by FallChild42. It's an attempt to do a shot-by-shot remake of the original using... um... Chobits, Cromartie High School, and (oh look!) Azumanga Daioh. Please note: NONE of these shows have vampires in them. That DOES add a certain level of difficulty to the proceedings, doesn't it?
And while it doesn't entirely succeed in the shot-for-shot thing, it DOES come pretty darn close. And more than a couple of times, it made me laugh out loud. A word of warning, though: to play it, you need a pretty hefty rig, as the file has TWO video streams, the 'vanilla' AMV, and the AMV with the original Mitternacht viddy playing in the corner, so you can compare the two. Neat trick! And a pretty neat vid.
Now, there are others out there, of course. AMV HELL 3: The Motion Picture had a fantastic (but short) clip called Ophoria parodying the legendary Euphoria.
It's a shame it isn't a full vid. Oh, and that too, uses Azumanga Daioh.
I'm noticing a theme here...
Anyway, download 'em, and laugh.
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I actually enjoyed "Floyd's Nightmare" a lot more than the original. That's the hallmark of a good parody (see also Weird Al Yankovic).
My favorite parody AMVs are those which attempt to recreate the OP animation of one series with footage from another, very different series.
Eva Bebop (Eva characters with Cowboy Bebop motif) was the first one of these that I saw, but I've also seen the Haruhi OP done with characters from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. Wish there were more out there...
Posted by: Andrew F. at February 15, 2007 03:03 PM (tIvVo)
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I didn't think of
Eva Bebop as a parody viddy, odd as that may seem. I think it's great, one of the best "trailers" that's out there, but not so much a parody as a tribute.
But that's just me. Of course, one could say that a good parody IS a tribute in it's own way.
Now my brain hurts.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 15, 2007 03:34 PM (YadGF)
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Heh....very good vids, in particular, the first two were quite creepy...In entirely different ways.
regards parodies, allow me to apologize in advance for this....
http://www.jealousastronaut.com/
Posted by: brickmuppet at February 16, 2007 04:15 PM (V5zw/)
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February 14, 2007
Um, Steven? About that fansub...
"Noodle Fighter Miki" has been licensed, and is going to be
released in March. (scroll about halfway down)
(The Duck Sez: Snarky, insulting bit removed. See "Further Update," below.)
Oh, and Hanayuko Maid Team is pretty atrocious, at least through the first few episodes or so. After that, I couldn't take it anymore. Nudity is rampant... which is fine. MORE than fine, actually, but it just didn't much work for me. And it wasn't funny.
FURTHER UPDATE: Upon thinking about it, my "snark" DID come across as much more snarky than I intended, and I can see why he reacted the way he did. Sorry, Steven, I truly didn't mean to insult you, just 'poke' you a bit... seriously. That'll teach me to blog during whilst at work... I might have thought longer about it if I had been at The Pond.
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Comments are back on again.
We'll put it behind us and move on.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at February 15, 2007 05:54 AM (+rSRq)
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Comments were off? I didn't notice. Was it the spam filter again?
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 15, 2007 06:49 AM (svIB9)
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Fluffy had a stomach ache, and comments were down for a few hours. All fixed now.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at February 15, 2007 09:59 AM (GaSFI)
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February 13, 2007
Ahhhhhh, spring!
Yes, Spring is here... Spring is here, life is skittles and life is beer.
(/Lehrer off)
Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training camps today. In 49 days, the baseball season starts for my Chicago Cubs.
The return of baseball is one of those things that, well, makes me happy. Then I realize I'm a Cubs fan, and life goes back to normal, but for those few short minutes... things are Good!
All of which is my way of saying that I had a really nice post on parody AMVs that I was going to put up here, but I took a nap that lasted for almost five hours, and now I don't have time to put it up tonight.
Wednesday night, though...
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February 11, 2007
February 10, 2007
Sad Girl In Snow?
So I'm visiting my folks (Momzerduck and Ph.Duck) for lunch, doing laundry, that sort of thing, this afternoon. Normal Saturday stuff, y'know? So I look out the window, and what to my wondering eyes does appear?
A fox, hanging out in the backyard, chasing birds! THIRTY YEARS the Duck family has lived in the Olde Homepond, and never THIS! And we're in the middle of Duckford, nowhere NEAR where a fox should live!
Of course, considering the Kanon '06 kick I've been on recently, I blurt out "Makoto!"... then "Ph.Duck, get your camera!"
He dashes out of the dining room, gets his camera, and hustles (quietly... he's the only person I know who can hustle quietly) onto the back porch, secures the cat (who normally goes berserk at any sign of an interloping animal; not this time... this time he came slinking in with his tail between his legs. He may not have known what he was looking at, but he knew it was WAY out of his league), and leans out the back door to snap the photo.
And an amazing photo it was, too!
Then I got my wings on it:
If an amnesiac girl shows up at my door later, I'll be sure to let you know.
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Posted by: Steven Den Beste at February 10, 2007 03:23 PM (+rSRq)
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It really was, too. The photo is amazing in full-size (I reduced it about from 2048x1536) for posting.
You can't see it in the small-size photo, but there's a wound of some sort on the left foreleg, near the 'elbow'. It surely wasn't handicapped by it, though, judging by the way it was jumping and running around the back yard.
If you want a copy of the full-size, lemme know!
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 10, 2007 03:43 PM (GQv1b)
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MY GOD THAT'S THE BIGGEST FOX EVER! It's bigger than they are! It must be 6-8 feet long! Those 2 need to run!!
And that chair! That chair is huge! It must be like...9 feet tall.
Ahem...
...seriously...
That is a really cool picture.
Posted by: Ken Talton at February 11, 2007 11:20 AM (V5zw/)
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Well, I DID say it was an amazing photo until I got my wings on it...
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 11, 2007 12:40 PM (86QII)
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Sunday 2/11/07 6:00 PM
Big fox came back! Stighted standing at the base of the bird feeder looking up for a snack. He is beautiful. We may have to name him now.
Posted by: MomDuck at February 11, 2007 03:19 PM (YadGF)
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We'll have to be careful with the cats now... probably be a nice lunch for the fox.
By the way, MomDuck: Makoto. On this, I will brook no argument. :-)
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 12, 2007 01:59 AM (YadGF)
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No argument from me! HuckDuck has been looking out the window all day watching for Makoto. Me,too. I rather missed her today.
I have put out an Edgewater neighborhood alert to see if others have seen the fox, too. We'll see if there are any responses.
Posted by: MomDuck at February 12, 2007 04:54 PM (86QII)
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The Fox Saga continues. Have received many responses from our neighbors. The fox is a female and was spotted with a kit a few months ago. There must be a family...one of them naps in a yard and enjoys eating grapes! All ducks should be on the lookout!
Posted by: MomDuck at February 15, 2007 06:18 AM (86QII)
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February 06, 2007
Kanon '06: Mai's Story.
I've just finished Mai's story arc. I feel like I've been put thru a wringer. The whole thing left me stunned beyond belief.
Bravo. Simply... well, maybe not perfect, but about as close to it as I've ever seen in an anime. I laughed:
I cried:
I yelled at the screen in frustration:
And in the end, I cheered:
But I know, because of the way the story of Kanon is structured, that we'll probably never see Mai again. Dammit. THAT'S why this arc wasn't perfect.
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You know, if you want to get someone to watch this, you're not necesserily helping. Just a thought.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at February 07, 2007 11:34 AM (9imyF)
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Pete, my reactions are my own. If the reader doesn't want to watch the show, nothing I really say will change their mind, like as not.
However, that's not going to make my posts any different. I'm not
trying to get someone to watch the show, I'm posting my reactions to the show. In this case, I honestly believe that this was the finest five-or-six episodes of anime I've ever seen. I also believe that the character of Mai won't reappear in the series. I'd be lying if I said differently.
If THAT makes someone not watch the series, well, that's kinda silly, but okay. That's life, I suppose. They'll be missing out on a great show, but that's their choice, isn't it?
I'm not shilling for KyoAni here, I'm coming out with my opinions and thoughts. If the reader trusts my opinion enough to try a series on my recommendation, well, I'm honored and flattered. If they read my opinion and say "that's full of crepe," I'm okay with that.
As long as the reader is entertained, and is interested enough to come back, that's enough for me.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 07, 2007 11:45 AM (OS+Cr)
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Yeah, it looks like we're getting stuck with the Ayu ending. Mai's arc was awsome. Not awesome, awsome. As in, "Aw, sometime it had to end, but why now? We've got 11 more episodes to go!"
Frankly I don't think Shiori is as tragic a character. Mai's miraculous blessing is ironically also her great curse. By comparison, Shiori just has.... um, spoiler.
And if you won't shill for KyoAni, I will. They've become the only studio that I will check a series out, just based on them doing it. I'm not convinced they did a great job with the FMP series, but then, I've only watched one DVD of the two seasons they did. So just on the strength of Melancholy and Kanon alone, I'd give any series of theirs a shot.
I'm of the opinion they need to trademark those orange skies though; they do them so well.
Also another series you didn't mention (maybe you didn't see it either) was Ouran Host Club. It starts out and ends as silly fluff, but it's good fluff. The main characters turn out to have all kinds of surprising angles to them. They're usually silly, but deeper than you'd expect for such an absurd series. I think the twins' story was probably the best.
Posted by: ubu roi at February 07, 2007 12:30 PM (SWzBu)
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Personally, I think Mai's arc was awsome
and awesome.
Seconded on the shilling for Kyoto Animation--the
weakest series they've ever done is Air, which is still very much above average.
Posted by: Andrew F. at February 07, 2007 04:04 PM (U7aCz)
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I did watch
Ouran, and liked it quite a bit, which came as a big surprise to me, as that type of show generally ranks just slightly higher than tentacle pr0n in my judgement.
Instead, I found it VERY funny, and a little bit touching to boot.
I didn't use it in "For Those Who Don't Like Sport..." because, um... I forgot about it. Oops.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 07, 2007 04:29 PM (Qlphq)
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As I've noted elsewhere, my general soft spot for dark-haired sword-slinging babes combined with some exceptional storytelling to make the Mai arc my favorite stretch of Kanon '06 so far, even if I thought that part of the ending was a bit "huh?"
The entire sequence at the dance is, all by itself, some of the most enjoyable anime I've ever watched.
Posted by: GreyDuck at February 12, 2007 08:19 AM (GRUEw)
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February 05, 2007
"For those who don't like Sport, there's Sport."*
"Am I getting tired of anime? Or is it just that I can't find anything new to excite me?"
Hang on, Steven! There's help on the way!
*quote from Monty Python's Flying Circus
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Problem is that I already know about those series and I'm not interested in most of them.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at February 06, 2007 10:53 AM (+rSRq)
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There's no guarantee they'll all be licensed, either...
Incidentally, what show is the fifth picture from?
Posted by: Andfew F. at February 06, 2007 11:25 AM (XvjHR)
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If you hover your moose over the pic, you'll get a message of some sort... at least, in IE you will. For those who don't get the messages, from top to bottom, you have:
Death Note
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Kanon 2006
Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru
Welcome to the NHK! (yes, really)
Simoun.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 06, 2007 12:54 PM (YadGF)
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The next (last) three episodes of Simoun will make or break the series for me. If they don't explain a lot of the background, it's going to go in the loss column, as much as I like it.
Oh and you left out Code Geass, which isn't high quality, but is such a mish-mash as to facinate. Can they pull off the epic storyline or not? Apparently they have a second season in which to tell us; the plan is for 52 episodes, not just 26.
Posted by: ubu roi at February 06, 2007 01:16 PM (c+YTT)
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I didn't include
Code Geass because I'm not watching it. I've got enough anime on my plate that one more would shatter it, and to be honest, the character designs do nothing for me. I had the same problem with
XXX-HoLiC or however it's capitalized.
I haven't deleted the episodes I've acquired of that show yet, though. I find I like the characters. It's low on my watch list, though, and could be flushed at any time.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 06, 2007 01:21 PM (YadGF)
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Firefox puts title= into tooltips, instead of alt=. I have no idea why. In theory, it's "more correct", but many years ago (in 2000 or so), only alt= existed, so IE uses that. Maybe IE7 has corrected it, dunno.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at February 06, 2007 03:46 PM (9imyF)
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As far as some of these shows not being licensed in the future, well, I suppose it's possible on
NHK and
Otome wa....
I'd be stunned if
Kanon and
Simoun weren't, and of course
Death Note and
Haruhi already have been.
NHK might be too "Japanese-specific", as the hikkikomori problem doesn't seem to be as big a thing here.
Otome wa... doesn't grab me as a show that'd do well in sales here, but I've been wrong before.
We shall see.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 06, 2007 06:44 PM (YadGF)
8
"Puru Puru Pururin..."
Argh! I haven't watched that show in months and that song is still in my head!
Posted by: Nick at February 07, 2007 02:08 AM (Q0Emr)
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February 04, 2007
SuperBowl XLI
Just a few hours away now. I won't be liveblogging, but there will be comments at halftime, not to mention trashtalking over at
The Astronomicon's place.
WARNING: foul language is expected from sk8.
Remember my prediction: Bears 30, Colts 24. Actually, I think that predicted score is a little high; after the past two weeks, I've come to think Bears 27, Colts 21, but I'll stick with my original.
That way, when it turns out 27-21, I can say 'well, at least I've got it on a post.'
Any other guesses?
Update @ 223pm: Just saw an interesting little factoid over at AoMM..."And, finally, the past national championships for various pro and college sports have all been won by the underdogs. The NBA in 2006? Miami featuring a beyond washed up GP, Shaq, and Alonzo. The MLB? St. Louis with Suppan and Weaver as their 'aces.' The BCS? Florida berating Ohio State like a random Chinese guy berating another random Chinese guy... ...I think you get the feeling for the trend for the Super Bowl. In other words, be careful betting against the underdog."
ME LIKEY!
UPDATE, 527pm: Three things just before kickoff...
1) The Thunderbirds did the flyover. They were HERE for DuckBurg's Airshow this summer. Neat thing: they had a camera inside the cockpit of the lead plane, and the shot was shown on the jumbotrons in the stadium.
2) Patrick Mannely, longsnapper for the Bears, has a great porn mustache.
3) Bears win the coinflip.
UPDATE, 530pm DEVIN HESTER RETURNS THE KICKOFF FOR A TOUCHDOWN!!!! OMFG!!!
UPDATE, 706pm, Halftime. Bears down by two, 16-14. Sloppy, sloppy game by both teams, but the Colts got things cleaned up in the 2nd quarter, while the Bears kept dropping the ball. The D is doing the job, though, if only the offense (read "Rex Grossman") could actually show up. Losing Cedric Benson to a badly sprained knee ain't gonna help.
Prince rocks.
UPDATE, 717pm: Prince went from Hendrix's All Along The Watchtower to The Foo Fighter's The Best Of You, and made my jaw hit the floor. DAMN nice cover.
UPDATE, 903pm: ...and the party's over. Close the coffin, fade to black. The Colts just kicked the Bears butt all over the field. Congrats to them, kudos to the Bears for a great season.
Crepe.
Posted by: Wonderduck at
08:11 AM
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1
Depends on how quickly Peyton gets rattled. If he falls apart early it could be a blowout. 30-24 sounds about right otherwise.
Posted by: astro at February 04, 2007 08:19 AM (fh7ip)
2
I do hope you're right!
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 04, 2007 08:20 AM (YadGF)
3
I'm not watching the game, but I just took a look at the stats as of a few minutes into the 3rd quarter, and it looks like the Colts are completely humiliating the Bears. Except for that first kick returned for a TD, the Bears are playing like a bunch of clowns.
The Colts are listed as having 18 first downs, compared to only 4 for Chicago.
Chicago fans are used to pain, of course, at least if they follow the Cubs in summer. But after the elation of that first score, it must really be painful to watch what's happened since.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at February 04, 2007 01:56 PM (+rSRq)
4
Was there a football game today or something?
Posted by: ubu roi at February 04, 2007 02:11 PM (c+YTT)
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From the evidence, apparently not.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at February 04, 2007 02:22 PM (+rSRq)
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I wouldn't go so far as to say that, SDB, but I will say that the Bears are getting outplayed badly.
There's still 11 minutes left, but it's pretty much over.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 04, 2007 02:27 PM (0Co69)
7
Sorry, Wonderduck. I knew I shouldn't have pulled for da Bears - I'm cursed when it comes to picking NFL games.
Posted by: astro at February 04, 2007 03:02 PM (fh7ip)
8
Hey, they made it to the SuperBowl. It sucks that they lost, but if you had told me at the beginning of the season that they were gonna be in the SuperBowl, I would have laughed.
Yeah, it's a shame they didn't win, but it was a helluva season. I'll live.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 04, 2007 03:05 PM (0Co69)
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Hell, I'm a Cubs fan. This is NOTHING.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 04, 2007 03:06 PM (0Co69)
10
Up until an hour before the game, I couldn't recall what two teams were playing. I only tune in to sports if it's F-1, Endurance Sports Car Racing, Tour de France or World Cup. They can keep the rest of it.
Posted by: madmike at February 05, 2007 04:07 AM (yVm42)
11
I'm not a Colts fan, but it's pretty clear that the NFC can't hang with the AFC. That game wasn't even as close as the score indicated. I was hoping for more competition.
Posted by: Shawn at February 05, 2007 06:13 AM (xZebA)
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Hey WD, I didn't want to contaminate the comments of your anime posts and you didn't have an email listed. I have a baseball pool going if you are intrested over at my blog. Tx, Dan.
Posted by: dfm at February 07, 2007 02:40 PM (mflSW)
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February 03, 2007
So, what's new?
The Bears/Colts SuperBowl is tomorrow.
I'm up to episode 13 of Kanon 2006, and will probably catch up to where the 'subs are now tonight.
I'm kinda bored with the games I have on my computer.
...and we just finished the Rush/Returns/Inventory three-week stretch at Duck U.
Anybody have anything they want to discuss? Or have discussed via duck?
Posted by: Wonderduck at
01:36 PM
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1
I also found myself falling behind on Kanon, but managed to get almost-caught-up today. Man, I watched a metric crap-load of anime today. Lessee... Manabi Straight 2, Hataraki Man 4-5, Kanon 14-16, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 14-17. Still have an episode each of Kanon and Higurashi, might watch one before going to bed...
Posted by: Andrew F. at February 03, 2007 04:59 PM (XvjHR)
2
Kanon is a weird one for me. I love the show, and when I watch it, I'll blow through four or five episodes at a time... but then I won't watch it for a couple of weeks.
I don't know WHY I do this, I just do. Now I'm actually sad that I'm on ep 13, because that means I only have four to go on my backlog and I'm all caught up.
Which, of course, makes NO sense at all.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 03, 2007 08:52 PM (0Co69)
3
I'm caught up on fansubs, which isn't hard since I've dropped almost all of them from lack of interest in mediocre anime. All I'm keeping up with now are Kanon & Busou Renkin, although I'm waiting on the much slower Bakumatsu and Simoun.
I've got plenty of unwatched DVD's, since Cardcaptor Sakura arrived.... but it looks like my attention might have to be on my political blog for a couple of days. If I can work up the discipline to not goof off playing Civ 4.
Posted by: ubu roi at February 03, 2007 08:54 PM (c+YTT)
4
I'm about three episodes behind on Kanon now. I've just been too busy to watch lately. When I do get time, I keep going back and starting with ep 12 and I run out of time before I can get past ep 15. That's ok, though, Mai's story is my favorite part anyway.
Posted by: astro at February 04, 2007 08:23 AM (fh7ip)
5
I've been really impressed with
Kanon 2006 overall, but Mai's arc has been
amazing.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 04, 2007 08:26 AM (YadGF)
6
Yes, Mai's has been the best thus far. Shiori's is just too contrived. I was going to say why I thought that, but it's a spoiler and I don't know if you've heard so I'll pass.
Posted by: ubu roi at February 04, 2007 04:25 PM (c+YTT)
7
Thank you for not saying anything; having one's team lose the Super Bowl has a deleterious effect on one's interest in watching... well, much of anything. So I'm still on ep13.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 05, 2007 02:05 AM (0Co69)
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February 02, 2007
About That Energy Source...
SDB's at it again:
"20070202.1005: A viable source of infinite free energy has been discovered. Naturally, the great Duck Revolutionary cabal has been suppressing it, to maintain their power."
Not quite. The Infinite Source of Power doesn't use a potato. Ducks don't eat potatoes.
Close, though.
Muah-ha-ha-ha-HAAAA!!!
Posted by: Wonderduck at
11:06 AM
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1
Once you become aware of it, it becomes clear that ducks are illuminati. I see signs of it everywhere I look now.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at February 02, 2007 11:13 AM (+rSRq)
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 02, 2007 11:38 AM (Eodj2)
3
Still more evidences of the Global Duck Illuminati plan of the Elders to take over the world:
http://www.egscomics.com/Filler/d/20030211.html
Posted by: Sir Sefirot at February 03, 2007 03:04 AM (9xXJy)
4
Yep, that's Ralph. He washes dishes because he was too much a wimp to join the Duck Army.
You don't want to see our soldiers.
Muah-ha-
ha-ha-HAAAA!!!
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 03, 2007 03:08 AM (GQv1b)
5
Actually the very first appearance of that character is here: http://www.egscomics.com/d/20020906.html
And he pays an extended visit starting here: http://www.egscomics.com/d/20051121.html
Posted by: Michael Brazier at February 03, 2007 11:29 AM (fNlux)
6
Damn you, Michael. Now I'm reading through all the strips... I'm up to June 2006 now, and I dunno if I'm going to be able to stop.
Posted by: Wonderduck at February 03, 2007 01:31 PM (0Co69)
7
My work here is done.
You ought to thank me -- I've saved you from the horrible fate of being eaten by the Owl.
Posted by: Michael Brazier at February 03, 2007 04:12 PM (fNlux)
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