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Dark Champions the Anime Series


Susano

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

The trend in Japan seems to be toward half-season shows now. More 12 & 13 episode stories rather than 24-26 episode seasons. A trend which disappoints me but I can see how it is the financially safe play for the studios.

 

There was actually an unsuccessful attempt in the Diet (Japan's parliament) to place a 13-episode limit on how many episodes of an anime series could be produced for broadcast. This was in the late 1990's, right after Evangelion, and was intended to address concerns about violence in broadcast anime (yes, there are idiot prudes in Japan too).

 

Obviously it failed; going against the interests of the Sony, Toshiba and Pioneer corporations is not a good idea if you're an ambitious Japaneses politician.

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

Gunsmith Cats is a somewhat darker story in the manga than the anime would indicate -- it's kind of hard to read Minnie-May's background without shuddering.

 

But it's classic Dark Champs fodder: a woman with an inordinate love of high-powered weaponry takes on the Mob.

 

You will also want to note its companion series Riding Bean, the story of Rally's rival Bean Bandit, the greatest getaway driver in Chicago.

 

As far as I know, Riding Bean was a one-shot OVA. Was there any more? And Bean isn't Rally's rival, since he's a courier, not a bounty hunter. Oh, and Riding Bean isn't in the same "universe" as Gunsmith Cats, since Rally goes from being an Indian-American bounty hunter to being Bean's blonde partner (and former lover).

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

High-stakes rivalries resolved by social combat rather than physical combat. Hard fro HERO to model, but potentially fascinating.

 

I've found that Spycraft's Dramatic Conflict rules work EXTREMELY well for this sort of thing - I'll be porting them over (using the extended conflict rules) for my upcoming "They Also Serve..." campaign (cinematic special ops in a superheroic world.)

 

Basically, a dramatic conflict is just an extended roll, but it lays out different strategies that people would use in different situations, the penalties to using those strategies, and the results that successes give you.

 

For example, in an Interrogation, you would normally use Intimidate/Bad Cop, which has the character doing a standard "I can beat you up, so you'd better tell me" approach. A success on that role does (mental stress) damage and moves the extended roll closer to resolving - a resolution indicates that they spill their guts over a single topic or question. However, you could also roll Persuasion/Good Cop, which takes longer, is rolled at a penalty, but if you succeed they like you more.

 

Each decision in a Dramatic Conflict has a different skill roll, penalty or bonus, requirements, and benefits; there are strategies for Interrogation, Infiltration, Chases, Brainwashing, Hacking, Manhunts, Seductions, and Organizational conflicts. I'm probably going to be porting the Chase, Interrogation, and Seduction rules over, at the least.

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

As far as I know' date=' [i']Riding Bean[/i] was a one-shot OVA. Was there any more? And Bean isn't Rally's rival, since he's a courier, not a bounty hunter. Oh, and Riding Bean isn't in the same "universe" as Gunsmith Cats, since Rally goes from being an Indian-American bounty hunter to being Bean's blonde partner (and former lover).

 

Bean shows up in the Gunsmith Cats manga quite a bit, Roadbuster and all. He is an important part of the Gunsmith Cats universe.

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

Bean shows up in the Gunsmith Cats manga quite a bit' date=' Roadbuster and all. He is an important part of the Gunsmith Cats universe.[/quote']

 

I know, but the Bean in Gunsmith Cats and the Bean in Riding Bean aren't the same people (exactly).

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

I am not really a big Manga person. I have read a few and they are good, but they are way too expensive for me to actually read on a regular bases. $11-15 dollars for a book that has a 30-60 minute read time is just too expensive. I read a lot and unfortunately that has driven up my reading speed with retention. Right now for a standard paperback if I stretch it out and only allow myself a short period each night I finish them off in 4-5 days. For manga I blink and it is done. I have checked the discount books store in the area and manga is virtually non-existant or it consists of #'s 2, 7 and 15 or some such. I still think $7-8 for a book is getting high, and $25-30 for hardback has severly cut back those purchases. If the cost went down to $5 I could see forking out the cash, but I don't see that happening anytime in the future since I am pretty sure the start to publication costs of a graphic novel is much higher than a straight text publication. Maybe if they went back and published combined volume editions like the mavel essentials line. I had picked up a copy of FMP #1 at half price books and decided I would get the rest (9 books total I think). I looked through all of the discount/used stores without success, sdo I tried a book store. $12 a piece making the 8 books out to be $96 before taxes. I finished off #1 over my morning cup of coffee. $96 before taxes for about 3-4 hours of reading doesn't work for me. Manga is actually working out to be more expensive than Anime, renting via netflix or buying complete collections actually cost less per hour. Since TV doesn't really have anything on, I've been averaging 3 DVD's a week for $20 a month. Some titles I don't make it through episode #1, but it does allow me to sample at a low cost.

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

I have gone on-line to buy my manga, finding places that sell it for $7-8 a book. I also use Border's discount coupons to make my purchases as well. It also helps that some manga companies have dropped their prices to around $7.99 a volume and many have $9.99 volumes.

 

I also read them quickly, but they are often far more in-depth than anime in characterization and details.

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

The manga was really good' date=' the felt the anime messed with certain elements too much.[/quote']

Normally I see an anime that I like and then buy the manga. Planetes was one of the first ones in which I read the manga first. I wish they'd print the final volume already though. I am begining to wonder if they ever will.

 

Since Black Lagoon isn't out yet I got the fansubs of the anime and the scanlations of the manga at about the same time. Black Lagoon is wonderful but I have been awfully busy this week and still haven't had time to watch past episode 6. Hopefully this weekend I can get caught up on my viewing and give the manga a more detailed reading.

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

Normally I see an anime that I like and then buy the manga. Planetes was one of the first ones in which I read the manga first. I wish they'd print the final volume already though. I am begining to wonder if they ever will.

 

What final volume? There's 1-3, 4a, and 4b and that's it.

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

I have gone on-line to buy my manga, finding places that sell it for $7-8 a book. I also use Border's discount coupons to make my purchases as well. It also helps that some manga companies have dropped their prices to around $7.99 a volume and many have $9.99 volumes.

 

I also read them quickly, but they are often far more in-depth than anime in characterization and details.

 

 

I didn't know about that, some of the prices dropping I mean. I'll have to try a new search. Any suggestions?

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

I didn't know about that' date=' some of the prices dropping I mean. I'll have to try a new search. Any suggestions?[/quote']

 

Viz and Tokyopop are selling the 7-9 books, with Dark Horse having a few titles in that range. I have been ordering manga from Anime Castle: http://www.animecastle.com/

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

Viz and Tokyopop are selling the 7-9 books' date=' with Dark Horse having a few titles in that range. I have been ordering manga from Anime Castle: http://www.animecastle.com/[/quote']

 

Thanks

 

You know of course you are directly contributing in the slow death of my bank account? :eek:

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

What final volume? There's 1-3' date=' 4a, and 4b and that's it.[/quote']

I guess that is all then. But I still remember Amazon, for a time, listed volume 5 without a cover picture. That coupled with how volume 4b seemed to be left open kept making me think that there would be a volume 5.

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

This weekend I was finally able to finish watching the first season of Black Lagoon (episodes 1-12).

 

I'll agree with the general consensus here. It is a definite must have series. As soon as Geneon offers it for sale in the US I'll pre-order it.

 

Now I guess I'll have to start seeking the fansubs of episodes 13+

 

On a related note I was just able to pre-order Hellsing Ultimate. :celebrate:

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

Having just finished episode 16 (which is episode 4 of the Second Barrage) of Black Lagoon, I gotta have this one. Period. Somebody wake up Geneon and get them cracking on an American release, and I'll owe you a big one. :) The "Hanzel & Gretl" story arc was so disturbingly nasty, I'm just all warm and fuzzy inside...

 

Matt "You-watch-it-but-I-live-it" Frisbee

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

I wish I could find a full version of Red Faction (I assume there is a longer edit than the opening music). I have the OST and have put the opening and ending songs on my mp3 player and the flash drive I keep plugged into my car stereo.

 

EDIT: I found a full length version, running time 3:44 but I only have it in a high quality Divx format. Now I have to try and figure out how to extract an mp3 from it. :think:

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

I wish I could find a full version of Red Faction (I assume there is a longer edit than the opening music). I have the OST and have put the opening and ending songs on my mp3 player and the flash drive I keep plugged into my car stereo.

 

EDIT: I found a full length version, running time 3:44 but I only have it in a high quality Divx format. Now I have to try and figure out how to extract an mp3 from it. :think:

 

Did you?

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

Yes, I figured out how to extract an mp3 from the Music Video. I think that I had my recording volume set a little too low when I extracted it though. It sounds fine, I just have to turn up the volume a little bit when it ques up on my player. I think I will try to extract it again and tweak my settings a little to improve the capture.

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

Yes' date=' I figured out how to extract an mp3 from the Music Video. I think that I had my recording volume set a little too low when I extracted it though. It sounds fine, I just have to turn up the volume a little bit when it ques up on my player. I think I will try to extract it again and tweak my settings a little to improve the capture.[/quote']

 

Excellent.... :sneaky:

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

...I think that I had my recording volume set a little too low when I extracted it though. It sounds fine' date=' I just have to turn up the volume a little bit when it ques up on my player. I think I will try to extract it again and tweak my settings a little to improve the capture.[/quote']

You could try MP3Gain (http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/) before you re-record it. That will make it louder without otherwise changing the music. And if the recording is just too quiet, or is low quality because it was recorded too quietly, you can always re-record it.

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Re: Dark Champions the Anime Series

 

Just because I can't let this thread die,

 

Just got done watching the untranslated episodes 17 & 18 on youtube.com -- it's looking like we'll have a full-fledged gang war between Hotel Moscow and some blokes from the Yakuza. Oh yeah, baby! I'm so looking forward to seeing "Fry Face" bare her organization's claws. :) But what does Revvy and the Schwartzenegger clone have in common and why do they hate each other so much? And does Rock finally have a love interest (besides Revvy)? And does this thing between Benny and Greenback Jane have a chance?

 

Matt "Baka-Gaijin-Otaku" Frisbee

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