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Post by ShayMay on Feb 23, 2010 17:19:37 GMT
Never read either of them, I'm afraid to say. I'm making a trip to Glasgow on Saturday, so I could probably pick them up in Forbidden Planet.
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Post by Pombar on Feb 24, 2010 0:31:33 GMT
The super-duper best order to read Naoki Urasawa's works! No, wait, it kinda works in any order. Except, probably best to start with Pluto (it's also his shortest!). Pluto itself benefits hugely from watching this hilariously dubbed episode of Astro Boy on youtube - www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWjK1qk8wzE - as the 80 chapter Sci-fi Noir Thriller is a jaw-dropping adaptation of this inane source material.
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Post by The Shad on Feb 24, 2010 10:22:35 GMT
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Post by Dave on Feb 26, 2010 19:47:14 GMT
Batman always beats Superman. Anyone read Blackest Night 7? All the tie-ins, and mini-series' and one shots have finally ended now and it's just focused on the main story. Good ending to issue 7, I'm glad issue 8 is oversized, and I'm really looking forward to Brightest Day starting in April.
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Post by The Tikal who had no Toes on Feb 27, 2010 8:53:58 GMT
I dunno, apart from having a loud obnoxious hero (although I like Luffy and Naruto) and being shounen, Nardo and One Piece don't have much in common. But then I've been reading the former longer than the latter, so I can't speak with authority. I hope to G-d Naruto ends within the next 2 years. I know it's Kishimoto's big cash cow but I'm getting so tired of Sasuke's endless whingeing, and the last [censored]ing thing we need is another timeskip, unless it's a Harry Potter-style epilogue. It's been going for 10 years, it needs to stop before it gets stale.
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Post by ShayMay on Feb 27, 2010 9:47:28 GMT
It just needs to die. I mean, actually die, not pretend to die, but then not die next chapter, because of Deus Ex Machina no Jutsu. Why has the Sharingan gone from an eye for copying techniques to some kind of crazy God move? Why is it that none of the characters really do anything? Why is my rocket drifitng off into deep space? Whhyyyy?! WHHYYYY?! There are sometimes that you catch glimpses of the old spark, where it was relatively fun to read. But it takes itself far too seriously, Masashi Kishimoto can't create a consistent plot for [censored], and I'm gonna stop now before I waste an hour ranting on. the last [censored]ing thing we need is another timeskip, unless it's a Harry Potter-style epilogue. Don't get me started on Harry Potter. But no epilogue - I think we can all agree that the epilogue in Harry Potter 7 was complete rubbish. But then, Naruto's already complete rubbish, so...
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Pitt
Script Hume
Ungrateful Sonic Saxophonist
If Lando dies, I'll destroy your planet!
Posts: 7,007
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Post by Pitt on Feb 27, 2010 11:03:03 GMT
Naruto's biggest weakness is its fanbase as much as its many internal problems. ;D I'd still read Naruto and Bleach, even if they are starting to go a bit stagnant. That said, I don't think they're as good as Fullmetal Alchemist or Negima.
I've recently got hold of the first few Slayers light novels. Obviously they aren't actual manga, but I think they ought to be entertaining (I understand they're meant to be superior to the anime, so they'd have to be good).
Additionally, I've been thinking about reading series which are shorter and preferably finished. I liked Ral Ù Grad. Does anyone know any of these which they'd recommend?
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Post by Pombar on Feb 27, 2010 14:21:33 GMT
Naruto has parts that are as good as FMA's later parts. That's about the highest praise I can give it. One Piece is a slightly different beast - it's like Naruto never got out of its fun, kiddy "nothing really matters all that much" phase at the beginning, but still attempted serious plot arcs during it. So at OP's biggest moment of tragedy yet, built up to over dozens of chapters, Luffy pulls a big funny face. That pretty much sums it up for me.
Naruto haters like Shaymay tend to be dismissing it based on its fanbase - there's plenty of parts in Naruto that disappoint, but when it does get good, it's the best weekly shounen there is. One Piece is just much, much more consistent in its quality. Bleach... Bleach had a whole ton of potential, is why I think a lot of us got caught up in it. But it's mostly squandered that and sidelined its best characters.
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Pitt
Script Hume
Ungrateful Sonic Saxophonist
If Lando dies, I'll destroy your planet!
Posts: 7,007
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Post by Pitt on Feb 27, 2010 19:43:38 GMT
I believe Tite Kubo said creating tons of new characters is his method of overcoming writer's block, which probably isn't for the best when he doesn't kill off any characters.
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Post by The Tikal who had no Toes on Feb 27, 2010 20:17:48 GMT
That might change though. Most of my favourite characters in Naruto are the side characters. I'd rather see Lee / Shikamaru / Gaara / whoever than endless whining from Sasuke. And the Sharingan is stupid. It's pretty broken, although not as broken as Aizen, who I've warmed to ever so slightly because I half expect him to grow a moustache just so he can twirl it villanously. Btw has anyone else here read Franken Fran at all? I found it via TV Tropes and absolutely loved it.
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Post by Lost Mercenary on Feb 27, 2010 22:20:32 GMT
Aizen rose to whole new levels of awesome in the latest Bleach chapters. Getting Hitsugaya to impale Hinamori and then moving on to kick the living [censored] of Genrusai!!!! O.o Naruto has been just ugh ever since Pain decided to ressurect everyone back from the dead thanks dues ex machina no jutsu. One Piece. I love One Piece
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Post by Pombar on Mar 11, 2010 12:49:35 GMT
So basically Naruto was the weak link this, er, week. Bleach was pretty great, but once again One Piece takes the prize as best chapter of the week (unless Hunter X Hunter does something unbelievably jaw-dropping) - even beating its own previous records. This chapter will set the stage for years to come, methinks.
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Post by Alex on Mar 17, 2010 3:47:19 GMT
The only manga I've ever truely liked and enjoyed was DeathNote. Though the last half is no-where near as strong as the first half, it's still awesome. Though I do also like the Pokemon Special/Adventures manga - but mostly for the Pokemon bit. Other than that, though, manga - and anime in general, it has to be said - doesn't appeal to me on the whole... Far too much of it seems to be centred around being just plain weird or insane for the hell of it.
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Post by Pombar on Mar 17, 2010 11:19:57 GMT
Other than that, though, manga - and anime in general, it has to be said - doesn't appeal to me on the whole... Far too much of it seems to be centred around being just plain weird or insane for the hell of it. That's just the stuff that gets the most exposure on the internet, but then bad subsets of every medium are likewise misrepresented online. DeathNote was pretty heavily flawed itself, so if you could enjoy that to the end, there's lots out there that'd appeal.
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Post by The Shad on Mar 17, 2010 11:23:56 GMT
Other than that, though, manga - and anime in general, it has to be said - doesn't appeal to me on the whole... Far too much of it seems to be centred around being just plain weird or insane for the hell of it. Whereas a baby rocketing from a doomed planet and gaining superpowers on his newly adopted homeworld is perfectly normal. Try Monster. Its fantastic. Admittedly, I've only read the first four volumes, but they're brilliant.
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Post by Pombar on Mar 17, 2010 11:57:21 GMT
Monster or anything by Naoki Urasawa is great. Pluto's easier to get into and only 8 volumes long, mind.
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Post by The Tikal who had no Toes on Mar 20, 2010 10:50:33 GMT
One Piece is all kinds of wonderful at the moment.
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Post by Pombar on Mar 20, 2010 16:54:02 GMT
One Piece's chapter last week (not this week, though that was still good) has been the only chapter to have beaten FMA in terms of sheer awesome and coming-together-of-plotting in years. Of course, FMA is still probably stronger for its insane consistency in being fantastic, especially over the last year and a half, but One Piece did have one hell of a climax that it built up to. A pity you have to read all those hit-and-miss episodic arcs to get to the really good stuff.
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Post by Lost Mercenary on Mar 26, 2010 12:45:40 GMT
One Piece 579 HOLY HELL IT'S SHANKS!!!! DO THE AWESOME LEVELS KNOW NO BOUNDS???
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Post by The Tikal who had no Toes on Mar 26, 2010 13:45:35 GMT
It's comeback week for the Big Three, what with Tsunade in Naruto and Isshin in Bleach.
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Post by Pombar on Mar 26, 2010 14:37:39 GMT
Naruto's comeback was the most tedious, mind. Would've rather had a funeral, eh.
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Post by The Tikal who had no Toes on Mar 26, 2010 15:57:21 GMT
She's probably going to die anyway. I mean, he's got to become Hokage somehow BELIEVEITBELIEVEITBELIEVEIT.
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Post by Pombar on Mar 26, 2010 17:17:35 GMT
Yeah, but I wanted Kakashi to get some Hokage time before the inevitable 'final sequence nets some deaths' bit where all obstacles to his Hokageness are removed. Of course, he could end it all like Jiraiya and not become Hokage at all!
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Pitt
Script Hume
Ungrateful Sonic Saxophonist
If Lando dies, I'll destroy your planet!
Posts: 7,007
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Post by Pitt on Mar 26, 2010 19:58:54 GMT
More likely than not, it'll come down to rescuing Sasuke or being Hokage. I've not read the last few chapters, though, so I don't know what that situation is.
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Post by The Shad on Mar 29, 2010 19:29:29 GMT
Read Books of Doom and Alan Moore's Future Shocks today.
Book of Doom was okay, some real stand-out moments, but very middle of the road. Except when the entire army stepped out of Doom's way.
Future Shocks was great. The Chronocops was especially good.
Did anyone ever touch Abelard Snazz again?
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