VFTF1

Yeah... that's the problem I'm having too. It's almost as though Bandai have been asleep in a cave for 10 years and suddenly had to built a great Valkyrie. It's a good first try - but one almost wants to insist on bringing out "version 2.0" like...tomorrow Pete

Nice NSJ23 Is that stand for the VF-OS a Yamato stand? It looks really cool. Pete

Ah - Gubaba - I knew you'd resort to the "but what if you just want it for entertainment value" line You are of course right - I would just say to that, that the two (entertainment and amusement) aren't mutually exclussive. After all, I am certainly not arguing against DUBs in the sense that "they should not exist" nor am I arguing ONLY for the existence of meticulously literal subs (to the point of being mind-boggling). If anything, I guess my case stemmed from disagreeing with the spirit, if not the content, of Yellowlightman's argument in the other thread. He seemed very insistent on why subs are all bad - so I just had the inclination to point out why sometimes literal subs have some good points to them. As to the Twain piece -I'll check it out; always something new Oh well - I hope Yellow also writes his views on this subject, because the problem with us two is that our arguments always boil down to: "What to eat first? The cheesburger or the french fries?" and end with "eat both together, interchangeabily." And to paraphrase you: where's the fun in that? Pete

The initial two posts plus my reply - and away we go. Everyone join in : I think we agree, but simply do not understand as of yet why...to whit: Exactly- and my point is that it should be left falsified, to allow us to experience a bit of the "strangeness" of a foreign way of expressing humanity and the world. "choices" must be made - yes - but not "a choice" - that's the beauty of literal translation. Like the NGE TV series we discussed, so too literal translation does not pretend to be the final word, the final say - it is one of many "choices" and does not shy away from being strange because of it. A translation should show us that we have many choices. Interpretive translations chose for us - giving us only the interpretting translator's choice. A good literal translation of a book - for example - will often have just as many pages in footnotes as it has in actual text for the book. I agree. So why not let listeners hear all five of the different intepretations rather than forcing them to hear one? A good translator will want to give his reader/audience the broadest possible horizon - even if it means sacrificing style and grammar. And a too interpretive translation can have Machiavelli saying in the original italian "and his virtue could be seen in the act of killing his friends once they had ceased to be useful" only to be rendered "and his proficiency could be seen in the act of killing his friends once they had ceased to be useful" while Machiavelli writes elsewhere of Christian virtue, using the exact same word as when describing the virtue of murder; and the translator (the "professional translator") doesn't give us the chance to be shocked - like Machiavelli's contemporaries were - by reading someone speak of the virtue of murder as though he were talking about the virtue of religion. Point? Point is: your example only serves to illustrate my point. A good translation should bring up comments just like the one you made - it should bring up questions about what certain words mean. It should actually be HARD on people. It should ultimately convey to them that they need to learn the foreign language to really begin to understand. Of course every discussion will always basically end up with "well you need to learn the original language to get it" - and that's good. And a great way to learn is by discussing literal translations. This is better than having a smooth interpretive translation which ends up with people saying "I understand" - even if they don't. Pete

Well - it's all about context. It all depends on what Anno meant by "artistic failure." Same with the Wiki statements. It's not like they were making statements on mathematic formulaes or something "Artistic failure" could mean big success if we define art as convention and success as adhering to what is conventional... So... it all depends on the context - which I don't have access to since Wiki just gives snippets and there don't seem to be any "Making Of" books available to me Pete

Insofar as "professional translators" prefer "explaining" things from the original language to us rather than giving us a "direct translation" - I think that this is a vice and a bad habit in the translations business. I think it is more important to get a literal translation, even if it sounds or reads strange in your language rather than getting the translator's interpretation of something. Gubaba - you and Yellow know Japanese, so it is not surprising that you take issue with fan subs, because you immediately spot inconsistencies, errors - sloppiness that is the result of a rush job. However - if we are simply speaking in general about which method of translation is better - then I would say that literal translation is the best, while interpretive translation is the worse. Here is why: For those of us who do not know Japanese (and in general for readers/viewers who do not know the original language), it is not simply a matter of words being different, but very often a matter of being confronted with a different intonation, way of expression, vocals, structure - everything that is inherent in linguistic form which to a large extent actually determines content. If we who do not know the original language are not given the opportunity to be confronted with the strangeness of this language through literal translation, then we will not come as close as possible to the original work, but instead what we will get is a professional translator's opinion of the work. I believe that the translator should be invisible - neutral to the extent of not even caring whether something is grammatically correct, let alone stylistically pleasent in english (or whatever the language is that things are being translated into). I think the reader/viewer should have the opportunity to say "huh!? What?!" and take that shock and explore the linguistic discrepencies. Without those discrepencies, lots of things will be glosed over - and we'll end up thinking that we've seen a movie or read a book when what we've really seen and read is a translator's interpretation thereof. So - I'm not going to argue that there are not sloppy dubs out there - but whenever I have compared subs to dubs - I have prefered the subs - and lots of times it was precisely because the subs were "wierder" and more raw and more strange and hard to fathom - this gave me a clue that something more was being said than what the dub hinted at - and that is good - it expands the possibilities for thinking things through. Pete

You're not the only one who can't take his eyes of off Bassara and Rey's static hands just being THERE while music play... And yes - NGE actually demonstrated how important a good director is to an anime...unless I'm talking out of my bungolo here - but I assume that these were the director's choices? In any event - it was perfect. It's certainly not a random "oh drat - no more money - just show this wall for 10 minutes." Sometimes, I get the feeling that people tend to confuse "vacuous" with "complex." NGE is not vacuous - it's not just a matter of "oh we had no money." The wiki has them saying that they had no money AND decided therefore to show the audience their frustration and what they were going through. By "show them" it is not meant "give them shoddy animation hah hah" but rather use those frustrated emotions to build something different. It's kind of like anime on the fly - anime that is a constant rehearsal towards becoming a better anime. And maybe that's why NGE has so many remakes and movies- the format is so open ended that it really calls for different artistic interpretations - particularly since form is so key to the communication of content in NGE. Pete

Ok guys - one sample and one simple question - and give me a straight answer: Is this a tolerable art form to convey a story? I am considering the following options: a) using this type of thing as a Storyboard layout and then drawing the actual work by hand (will take a longer time but should come out nicer) b) using this type of thing as the actual comic I myself have mixed feelings. My biggest problem is juxtaposing the "life like" valkyrie from Yamato with drawings... I'm trying to think of it like juxtaposing CGI with drawings... but still...it's hard to get a good balance. a final option would be: c) Writing the story as a text story with select black and white hand drawn illustrations and photo-graphics using the Yamato figures. I personally think c) will actually be the most effective way of conveying the story - but wanted to throw these pages at you guys to see what you think. If these pages are laughable and suck - please say so so I know that they are hopeless. The minimum task of such work should be to convey mood and astmosphere - if they are "so bad" that one cannot get beyond their suckiness to even get an inkling of mode and atmosphere - then I'll probably shift gears and go to option C - but wanted to see what people thought first. Here ya go: Pete

I don't mean to sound like a wanky fanboy ...but I think that's how this is gonna come across...but.... I reaalllly want Bandai to make some Soul of Chogokin Gurren Lagann figures! Do you guys think there's any chance of it happening?? Pete

Looks good to me! The die-cast metal frame is great. The fighter mode looks to be the weakest... which I don't know if that's a good thing.... but looks ok. And there is a neck so Ozma also has a neck for sure. Pete

Actually - the review makes me want to go see it. But - then again - I managed to watch about 5 minutes of G-Savior too...and...hmm...I think what killed G-Savior wasn't bad CG but just bad acting. I mean - there have been lots of movies and tv shows out there which were live action and used poor FX and cheesy sets but were saved because of good acting. Think Doctor Who, for instance- most of the sets and special effects were really cheesy - but the acting was top notch and the plots were involved and interesting. I usually enjoy B movies; but yeah - sometimes there are these b movies where there is just such terrible acting combined with absolutely no pornography that it just makes it literally painful to watch... Pete

Sorry for the double post, but I wanted to share my thoughts on Episode 4, and add one other comment regarding episode 3: Re: Episode 3 - Something I had wanted to note, but forgot to write, was the Vinel(?( [The Enki pilot] at one point in the battle noted that he couldn't believe that he had to draw his swords in order to fight such an insignificant foe as a human. This could have just been an off hand remark - but I kind of interpretted it to mean that usually he is off fighting something more menacing than humans? So - I wonder - could it be that for the Beastmen - the humans are just a petty nuissance and that they are busy fighting something/someone else - far more menacing? .... And now - Episode 4: I loved the disclaimer "We are not responsible for the animation in this episode" Was THIS the 'famous' episode for which that one guy resigned from Gainax for flaming the fans? Personally - I loved the animation - the close ups and raw lines were a breath of fresh air. In fact, this entire anime seems to be very expressive, and very bold insofar as it is will to mix so many animation styles and elements. I mean - just look at the silly animals that Yoko and Kamina hunted in episode 3... those things "don't belong" in a giant mecha anime - but there they are. But anyways...back to episode 4... I thought that the "training" of Simon and his "revelation" about what it really meant to combine was a bit forced. I didn't really get it, and for that reason, didn't really like it. The sisters were interesting - and now I realize that it was they who stumbled into the Beastmen's Sauna in episode 6... But as usual - the show belonged to Yoko. Her fast thinking and fast actions saved Kamina and Simon - not the first time. She seems to be the only one who combines common sense with bravado. Kamina just comes across as insane - and his penchant for sustaining bleeding head wounded probably doesn't help with his mental stability. He lives like his father and tuants death - but he's gonna get it one of these days. It's a noble sentiment - but it's also stupid because he's a stand up guy and by risking his life so frivolously, he's not taking into account how much his eventual death or dismemberment might hurt Simon, Yoko and anyone else he meets - after all, the death of a friend is sad. Kamina didn't learn the right lessons from finding his father's remains... Er - but yeah - Yoko. She's one tough, smart cookie. Also - I've been thinking - Kamina mentioned her "nice body" and I started wondering whether the implication here is that she doesn't have as nice a face? This isn't just a flipant remark, but rather, given the importance of faces in this anime, it should be noted that Yoko's is not distinct. It's not an ugly face by any means - she's a very attractive woman - but it is true that he face seems to be the last thing you tend to notice about her. She's one of those girls who strikes you with everythin but the face, which you see only at the end. Of course, since that is where the humanity is (in the face), this could be bad for Yoko because no one will see the "real her" but only her boobs. On the other hand, if she's smart, it'll also mean that because no one looks at her face, but only her boobs, then she'll be able to shoot or manipulate at will. However - on that note - what do the faces on the Gunmen and the Lagenn represent? Is there any significance to them? There must be some reason all the mecha have faces? Episode 05 is next... Pete

Grand Admiral: Taddle Tale No worries - we all got a bit over-excited, myself included. Next time, I would recommend sending a private message to the person you feel slighted by to try and resolve things first Pete

That's what I thought oo - Sukhoi Variable would make sense. But then again so would Satan's Vicar. Pete

Is that the 1:144? No - just kidding:) Congratulations dude! That thing rocks! Clearly someone was a very good boy Pete

Well - as big of a Frontier fan as I am, and as defensive of these Bandai DXs as I have been (and am) - I will admit to you that looking at some of the pictures has made me think "hmm...glad this DX is late in getting released, and that I could get Hikaru 1J v.2 1/60 from Yamato instead"... because the Yammies are really just that good ... Again - I am very curious how the DX would look standing next to a Yamato. The pilot looks ugly as all get out - in fact - it looks ...moulding in!... uuugg... I hope the pilot is removable - I don't want a permanent Alto moulded in with shoddy colors... but - again - I am still hopeful. Pete

What? Really? Which post? We've been tossing a bit of mud at one another lately - true - but I was under the impression it was all in good fun. I don't get the sense that anyone was making any personal attacks or anything - and the only time when things got a tad heated (Grand Admiral vs Quinjester - both parties simmered down and Grand Admiral even said he enjoyed the debate.... Anyways - if it was something I said: sorry! Pete

Because that's what ignorant people do They run their mouth off without knowing a thing What did you expect? But seriously - I'm not mocking people for deliberating the situation; in fact I'm greatful that there are people who know and care enough to point things out. For every dozen complaints that are just whiny, there are also legit points brought up that help people like me (who might not know better) spot a troublespot and also, such comments - if they filter back to the company that makes the product - are also helpful. That said, I think my mocking also is born out of the fact that I'm truly more happy at the prospect of the 1/60 VF-1 than I am upset about something I consider to be a minor detail. Thus, it's hard for me to get into the "OMG!?!? The fusealage is rrrgggmmmfffaa$#$#%@!!!" mindset. You know, I have an extra Roy, but I don't think it'll be worth the effort to send him to Australia Pete

I agree with Agent One. Such ideas should first be given a test bed - rather than engaging Shawn and Graham's time to create something that suddenly will find itself being used by one or two people, you could just create your own and invite MW members to come chat at a certain set time/date (probably would need to synch everything in such a way that some people won't be sleeping) - and if it gets off the ground then maybe it could become something more official. And now, I will present my computer illiteracy: This first thing I thought of - and am still thinking - when I read this was/is: Yeah - I also think it's more important to add CMS Minmey to the site than to put a chatroom our shoutbox up. Pete

Got done watching episode 3 yesterday. Very nice opening three episode ark which sets about introducing everyone and everything and it's cute the way Yoko leaves. Cute and also telling. Kamina and Simon's village chief commanded authority by way of screaming, yelling and threatening people. However, Yoko is loyal to her tribe/village and at the same time female shame seems to preclude her asking for permission to leave. It's interesting that they need the permission because there doesn't seem to be a set of laws anywhere - so - it seems that the character of the villagers is the law of the village. Kamina's fellow villagers were cowards (look how his Gurren Laggen Brigade partners reacted - they all sold him out in five seconds), while Yoko's village is full of upright people. This is, of course, kind of an over-simplification - but then again not really. Plenty of real world examples of people without backbones allowing themselves to be ruled by thugs and other examples of imperfect but generally honorable people in other villages...soo...I guess it's not a stretch. Still - it was nice to see that Ron was the one who was like "I'm going with you!" instead of Yoko And I loved Kamina's line to her when she did join: "If that fat a$$ of yours slows us down, we're leaving you behind!" But better still is that Yoko takes stuff like that in stride. I...umm...can't remember what she said...again...dag...I seriously have trouble listening to her...but it was wonerful anyways for sure Final note - some people earlier mentioned how this series reminds them of Getter Robo - I haven't seen Getter Robo; except for the ending to the first episode where they defeat the monster, save the girl and immediately get attacked by three more. But this series reminds me of something else - namely Dancouga. In Dancouga - it was the emotional rage of the pilots which powered up the mecha - kind of like Kamina's fighting spirit and Simon's rage power up the Gurren and Lagenn. However - about Simon - he seems to be a little Shinji-esque. Shy, unsure of his own worth, and then able to fly into a mad rage when necessary - although - to be fair, he's not quite the same because Shinji's entire problem was rooted in the relation to his father, while Simon's problem is not so complex. Simon's just young and somewhat frightened but has a good heart in the end... As for Yoko - why is she being so nice to Simon - in the sense of coming on to him? But then she suddenly gets peeved that Kamina asks Simon to come hunting with them? Or is she NOT coming on to Simon? In any case - I hope this develops into a love triangle Pete

I think one of the reasons it's easy for me not to is because I still don't understand what the problem is about. Too many big words like "fuselage" (sic?) which I see bandied about and don't understand what they really mean. I look at the 1D and it looks orange and shiny and has cute Minmey in her TV dress in it. Also - I look at the the episodes in SDFM TV featuring it and sometimes it is animated a bit different depending on the dynamic... But I will admit that I'm not one to actually be giving a firm opinion about how one of these should look 'cause I don't know enough. I'm just a mindless Yamato Zombie. I like the 1D. I'm gonna get it and be happy with it I'm sure Pete

For the record, Mr. March also hates Macross. He just happens to be a super genius who takes pity on us and provides us with a coherent world-view that makes our hobby seem important. Without him we'd all be doooomed. Pete

Actually that has been figured out - there's a youtube of it being amplified and it's something silly like "I like ice cream" or "I'll call you" or something - I can't remember... and I'm totally not trying to be funny or sarcastic - I honest to goodness can't remember the line because it was so forgetable. But then again - maybe it could have been a fake? I'm a sucker for fakes... As for Gendo whispering to Ritusko - I always thought it was "I really loved you" - but given Gendo's character, that doesn't mean he actually did really love her. It's no different from a mafia style "kiss of death." Edit: Also - another reason it couldn't have been Misato. She caught Kaji trying to break into central dogma earlier and technically should have shot him when he swiped that security card - but Kaji was counting on her not being able to kill him, and also on her wanting to know the truth. That's also why Kaji slipped her the pill later - Misato was a good person Pete

It couldn't have been Misato - why would she be scared to pick up the phone (aka anticipating a farewell message) from Kaji? She clearly FEARED that he was dead/had been killed when the intelligence agents came to give her her weapon and ID back. She came home - and there was a message on her phone and her fear/anticipation grew - and then she cried knowing that Kaji must have also expected he'd get killed so he called her to say goodbye. Misato wouldn't have killed Kaji. No frickin' way. The agent did - and would have. She was a NERV plant the whole time. Pete

I so totally agree with everything nghia59 has written, especially this: We do tend to forget that if it were strict monetary greed driving the people at Yamato then they'd just say "screw these Macross fans" and start making something that sells on a far bigger scale for far lower costs of production... But the fact that they put so much risk and effort into tryign to make a perfect valk for us really shows their dedication. Pete