Funimation dvd discussion II ( UPDATED 8/4/12, FIRST POST FOR F.A.Q)

Money and Spades

Aokiji VA is black. I respect him even more.

Maron

@Money:

Aokiji VA is black. I respect him even more.

No he's not. Jason Douglas voices him in the anime.

You must be confusing him with the actor he had in the video game, Bob Carter.

ARC-1300

@Zephray:

Yeah… The anime **cked this arc to hell.

Indeed. One of the only times toei really seriously tampered with the source material, and hopefully the last.

Zephray

People consider the aokiji section to be water seven episodes in the anime, where the aokiji scene was Davy back fight in the manga.

Arcadia080

Picked up collection 8 at Best Buy. When does collection 9 come out? :)
Collection 9 now with Bluray. "To Dream the Impossable Dream."

Money and Spades

He sounded black to me.

Zek

It's called ACTING!!!

Dumnerd

@Money:

Aokiji VA is black. I respect him even more.

@Maron:

No he's not. Jason Douglas voices him in the anime.

You must be confusing him with the actor he had in the video game, Bob Carter.

@Money:

He sounded black to me.

@Zek:

It's called ACTING!!!

It's funny.
I just watched this week's "The Big Picture" on The Escapist on this subject.

MasterKingJC

@Money:

He sounded black to me.

Yeah, because we Black folk talk exactly the same. :swanson:

Zephray

@MasterKingJC:

Yeah, because we Black folk talk exactly the same. :swanson:

Do you know what the word 'instigating' means?

Maron

Are you implying that we black folk are all instigators?!??!?!

just kidding I agree let's end this discussion now

MasterKingJC

@Zephray:

Do you know what the word 'instigating' means?

No.

Yes. :ninja:
[hide]The Comic Sans font was supposed to imply that I was being sarcastic, btw.[/hide]

Money and Spades

Im black. I know he was actimg, but Im saying he sounds black

gum gum jet bazooka11

wow i didnt know aokijis VA wasn't black. Now thats what i call some damn good voice acting!

firecrouch · Blog last updated 01/31/2013:

Guess what time it is? Time to drop it.

Money and Spades

Rude much bro???

Vmant

Race….why must it be such a sensitive topic

sniperking323

Aokiji's dub dialouge and delivery really makes me laugh my ass off :'D

MasterKingJC

So yeah, how about that Ocean's Dream filler or whatever?

Game And Guy

Not G5 awesome, but by any means not terrible. It was a fairly good filler, and the voice acting was superb~

Zephray

400million, at the risk of getting off topic, what's your signature referring to? I've always thought one piece payed much more attention to plot over violence than other manga series. With the exception being Skypeia and Enies Lobby. But the second of those I excuse.

Vmant

@Zephray:

400million, at the risk of getting off topic, what's your signature referring to? I've always thought one piece payed much more attention to plot over violence than other manga series. With the exception being Skypeia and Enies Lobby. But the second of those I excuse.

I'm pretty sure it's referring to how One Piece is different than most shonen by focusing more on the plot than fighting.

firecrouch · Blog last updated 01/31/2013:

@Vmant:

I'm pretty sure it's referring to how One Piece is different than most shonen by focusing more on the plot than fighting.

Plot is an all-encompassing word. If a manga focuses on fighting than that IS the plot, not a form of focusing away from plot. You're probably thinking of exposition or something.

But hey I'm a very literal person.

Game And Guy

Actually, this stems from the latest chapter, wherein the current arc introduced so many plot elements, some people are pissed off that one of the elements gets focus, especially in this current chapter, and would rather see fights and fights and more fights.

So yeah.

BatDan

People that want nothing but fights are uncultured swine. But that's what I think.

On-topic: I got Season 3 Voyage 2 today. Only 3 sets left until I have a complete Voyage collection.
I have:
All of Season 1
All of Season 2 (S2V5 cost me a pretty penny)
Season 3 V1 and V2
All of Season 4 (so far)

Zephray

@firecrouch:

Plot is an all-encompassing word. If a manga focuses on fighting than that IS the plot, not a form of focusing away from plot. You're probably thinking of exposition or something.

But hey I'm a very literal person.

We're thinking story. Battles don't consist of story. Plot is synonymous with story. Technically, a fight scene is part of the story and/or plot, but generally, it isn't as narrative-driven as the rest of One Piece's content. People generally use 'plot' to refer to significant narrative events.

This arc has been fantastic. Tashigi and Zoro's fight was highly entertaining, and kept my interest more than any battle in the Fishmen Island arc. Why? Because it was more plot/character driven than simply trying to kill the enemy.

firecrouch · Blog last updated 01/31/2013:

@Zephray:

We're thinking story. Battles don't consist of story. Plot is synonymous with story. Technically, a fight scene is part of the story and/or plot, but generally, it isn't as narrative-driven as the rest of One Piece's content. People generally use 'plot' to refer to significant narrative events.

This arc has been fantastic. Tashigi and Zoro's fight was highly entertaining, and kept my interest more than any battle in the Fishmen Island arc. Why? Because it was more plot/character driven than simply trying to kill the enemy.

So basically you're saying in order for something to have a story it has to have a lot of dialogue. You're telling me the story of "Afro Samurai" is irrelevant because pretty much all the character development and tension came from mostly fight scenes?

Zephray

No, story can happen within fights, but the fight itself doesn't offer much story. For instance, all the fishmen island fights (except Luffy's) were just mindless attacking with some comedy mixed in to keep the tone.

! The latest punk hazard fight had much more to offer in terms of story. Tashigi and Zoro's character relations and building, and the establishment of Zoro's new strength without haki.

I am 'telling you' that story-driven chapters contain more narrative than fight-based chapters. They have more to offer in therms of writing, plot development, character development, etc.

Listen, I'm a creative writing major. I read books more than manga. The only reason one piece kept my attention and love is because of its phenomenal story, whereas things like bleach and naruto became, at some point, incessant fighting with little story or significant plot developments/twists. But we'll save that argument for another time.

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Also, dialogue doesn't mean story. You'll learn from a lot of indie American comic artists that plenty story can be told without any words at all. Jeff Smith especially.

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Generally, fights provide less developments than the average chapter, which is why so many people generalize that fights are bad.

Yet I'm pretty sure the anime/manga world in the US, which is made up of mostly middle/high school kids, enjoys fights more than strict plot. Sure, you could cite deathnote to prove this thesis wrong, but I could cite more anime to prove it correct.

Edit: also, the frequency with which an event happens also determines its value to the plot. Fights happen often in shonen series, so they aren't very valuable, whereas in something like 'The Perks of being a Wallflower', Charlie's fight to save Patrick is very significant to the plot because its the only fight in the film/book.

firecrouch · Blog last updated 01/31/2013:

Seriously people how hard is it to remember to wrap stuff that hasn't been in the anime in spoiler tags? I'm starting to get sick of this.

Zephray

Sorry. On my phone. Never done that before.

No response to the topic?

Zephray

This post is deleted!

firecrouch · Blog last updated 01/31/2013:

@Zephray:

No, story can happen within fights, but the fight itself doesn't offer much story. For instance, all the fishmen island fights (except Luffy's) were just mindless attacking with some comedy mixed in to keep the tone.

! The latest punk hazard fight had much more to offer in terms of story. Tashigi and Zoro's character relations and building, and the establishment of Zoro's new strength without haki.

So basically you're saying fights for the sake of fighting are not story-driven. Yeah, that's a given. To be fair, the Fishmen Island fights were story-driven in their own right because they context in relation to the story at large, but it sounds like you're saying they weren't as of major importance compared to other fights in the series.

I am 'telling you' that story-driven chapters contain more narrative than fight-based chapters. They have more to offer in therms of writing, plot development, character development, etc.

Thankfully fight-based chapters don't have to always be fighting for the sake of fighting. If executed correctly I believe a story can be fight-based without being devoid of plot. Probably something more visual-based.

Listen, I'm a creative writing major. I read books more than manga. The only reason one piece kept my attention and love is because of its phenomenal story, whereas things like bleach and naruto became, at some point, incessant fighting with little story or significant plot developments/twists. But we'll save that argument for another time.

I don't know if reading books more than manga particularly changes anything. Stories are stories. What matters is exposure to multiple mediums, which it sounds like you're on the right track with. I mean I hardly read prose, so I'm not as inclined as you in lending valid points to this discussion.

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Also, dialogue doesn't mean story. You'll learn from a lot of indie American comic artists that plenty story can be told without any words at all. Jeff Smith especially.

It's been a while since I've read any American indie comics. I'm a big fan of Johnny Ryan though. "Prison Pit" was pretty much a mostly wordless incessant mindless violence story but it was fun to read (or rather look at). I couldn't get into "Bone" though, I thought I would since I liked reading it in kindergarten but now it's just not my thing.

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Generally, fights provide less developments than the average chapter, which is why so many people generalize that fights are bad.

Fair enough, I agree

Yet I'm pretty sure the anime/manga world in the US, which is made up of mostly middle/high school kids, enjoys fights more than strict plot. Sure, you could cite deathnote to prove this thesis wrong, but I could cite more anime to prove it correct.

Eh, I think that's a very general statement.

Zephray

If I had time or cared, I would address all of those, but I won't.

Just as each genre has its own motifs and commonly used plot points, techniques, etc, as does each art form. What I meant by saying that I read plenty of novels, and am a crw major, is that I'm used to reading novels more than manga. I value story, which is -generally- found more in novels, over violence, which is found more in manga. Because I'm used to the literary side of things, I don't much care to see fights- I'd rather see fantastic plots.

You say 'stories are stories', but that greatly GREATLY changes depending on the medium by which they're presented. Prose poetry, short stories, novels, comics, manga, film, tv shows, etc. Each has its own strengths in how it tells a story. Manga has settled on action and adventure more than anything else.

As for your statement on exploring many mediums, I certainly agree. Any creative medium should be explored and experimented with.

Silly as it may sound, my biggest issue with anything you've said is saying that Bone is 'not my thing'. This drives me up a wall because Bone is a masterpiece. How anyone who appreciates fantastic art and story can be opposed to Bone is beyond me. Not only is the story hilarious and the characters fresh, but he is also a fantastic artist, who pushes the boundaries and experiments with his medium. EX: A scene in the dark where there is rain. Lightning lights up the sky, and the page as well, allowing us to see villainous characters in the background that we hadn't been able to see before the lightning flash.

Jeff Smith is the leader of independent comics in the US. If you insist on not reading Bone, read RASL, which is of the scifi-noir genre. It isn't as good, but is still leagues above most other things US comic artists put out.

And if you're still opposed to Jeff Smith, try Blankets or something.

Maron

@Zephray:

If I had time or cared, I would address all of those, but I won't.

Just as each genre has its own motifs and commonly used plot points, techniques, etc, as does each art form. What I meant by saying that I read plenty of novels, and am a crw major, is that I'm used to reading novels more than manga. I value story, which is -generally- found more in novels, over violence, which is found more in manga. Because I'm used to the literary side of things, I don't much care to see fights- I'd rather see fantastic plots.

You say 'stories are stories', but that greatly GREATLY changes depending on the medium by which they're presented. Prose poetry, short stories, novels, comics, manga, film, tv shows, etc. Each has its own strengths in how it tells a story. Manga has settled on action and adventure more than anything else.

As for your statement on exploring many mediums, I certainly agree. Any creative medium should be explored and experimented with.

Silly as it may sound, my biggest issue with anything you've said is saying that Bone is 'not my thing'. This drives me up a wall because Bone is a masterpiece. How anyone who appreciates fantastic art and story can be opposed to Bone is beyond me. Not only is the story hilarious and the characters fresh, but he is also a fantastic artist, who pushes the boundaries and experiments with his medium. EX: A scene in the dark where there is rain. Lightning lights up the sky, and the page as well, allowing us to see villainous characters in the background that we hadn't been able to see before the lightning flash.

Jeff Smith is the leader of independent comics in the US. If you insist on not reading Bone, read RASL, which is of the scifi-noir genre. It isn't as good, but is still leagues above most other things US comic artists put out.

And if you're still opposed to Jeff Smith, try Blankets or something.

Dude, I think Bone is amazing but Firecrouch is entitled to his opinion. It makes no sense for you to have such an issue with someone because they don't like something you like. Why would a matter of personal preference in comics drive you up the wall??

Anyway still hoping for possible shipments next week…

Badass SnoCone

@Zephray:

Plot is synonymous with story.

Ohohohohohohoho, my theatre professor would have your head for saying this. Plot and Story are two different things.

The Story is the basic outline and bare bones of something, so to speak. So, say, the story of Fishman Island is something along the lines of "Pirates drop in on an island of people plagued by thousand-year hatred and racism from surface dwellers on a quest to circle the globe".

Cool.

The Plot, however, is what happens there. The events and actions that take place are all part of the Plot. Fights included.

Am I right to assume you want more story?

For more on Story VS Plot: http://cinemoose.com/plot-vs-story/

Zek

^And if we're going by theatre rules, then Luffy isn't the protagonist. The protagonist is the character who changes the most and…well...Luffy doesn't change

The super objectives of the main characters are all very clear though, so it's really easy to analyze

Zephray

I don't really know much about theater. The protagonist is the one who changes most in theater? That's weird.

Also, I wasn't talking in theater terminology when speaking of story and plot. Though I think I have heard some people try to distinguish the two, they're generally used synonomously.

And maybe 'drives me up a wall' is too strong. It's like someone saying they don't like one piece. What isn't there to like about one piece? If you appreciate good art and story and characters, you should like one piece. Bone is the same- it has emotion, fantastic art/experimentation, great comedy, decent plot.

Having good tastes in any art form means you have an understanding of what is well done and what is badly done. You have an understanding of the medium. It's not just having an opinion that Twilight is bad, but understanding all the technical reasons why Twilight is bad. (This usually requires an education in the medium) ex: which camera angles are considered unprofessional in film? What types of plot twists are considered cliche?

But in one way you're right about personal preference. I read an entire novel that featured an unreliable narrator. I was able to appreciate the author for doing such a thing, and I found the book to be well written, but god did I hate the unreliable narrator technique.

As far as personal preference away from Bone, I suggest he give it a fair shot, assuming he hasn't already, because it seems to me to be near the same genre as one piece. Minus the fighting, of course.

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Both Bone and One Piece are really well done in different respects, so I defend them when people say they don't like them.

Anyways, Maron, I hope you're right about us getting a release next week. That would be amazing. I just finished my set yesterday after rationing the episodes two per week for a month and a half. I'll never do it again.

And I like the scene where Aokiji doesn't say anything to the dolphin and just rings his bell. It's cute. Though I can't see why FUNi would depart from source material. Strange.

Man, I cannot wait for Water 7. It's going to be amazing.

firecrouch · Blog last updated 01/31/2013:

Zephray what's your problem? I gave "Bone" a fair shot, I bought the omnibus because I liked reading it in Disney Adventures as a kid. I just wasn't feeling it. I didn't read the whole thing but it just lost my interest.

Zephray

No problem. That rant was more in defense of bone than anything. Definitely my favorite American comic. You should give it another shot eventually.

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If anything, it'll ship at the end of next week. Definitely not the beginning. Rightstuf hasn't even put up the cover art yet.

Maron

Yeah, after rechecking my calendar, I realized that was basically what I meant to say. And that's only if we're lucky enough to get this as early as Voyage 2.

Zephray

Yeah. I'm not counting on next week. I wrote in the voyage for the end of November on my calendar. I'm hoping it'll come in the 20's, though. As I said about the last voyage, if there's any set that should come early, it's voyage three.

Once it gives me shipping confirmation, I'm going to start doing all my homework for the next two days so that I'll have time for a marathon. I'll also have to clear out my DVR so it can hold all the tv show episodes while I rewatch the set over and over for the next week or two.

firecrouch · Blog last updated 01/31/2013:

@Zephray:

No problem. That rant was more in defense of bone than anything. Definitely my favorite American comic. You should give it another shot eventually.

For sure. It's just that it seems like you feel too strongly about your opinions. So what if someone doesn't like something that's in "good taste"?

Anyway I'd be willing to give "Bone" another chance, I didn't even reach the halfway point. I'm sure the story gets more interesting and exciting as it goes along. It's just that the beginning seems to rely heavily on humorous dialogue that just doesn't gel with me.

I haven't been reading any comics lately but I have to say my favorite American comic books are anything by Johnny Ryan. If you read any of his work you'll get a good idea of what my sense of humor is like.

Zephray

As I said, I'm a creative writing major. And a film minor. I have very strong opinions in relation to the arts.

Personally, I've always defined good tastes in more of the official sense. Example: Wes Anderson films are more highly regarded in the film world than James Cameron films. 'Good tastes', for me, are along the lines of what is well made, not so much in relation to personal preference. To not understand why a Wes Anderson film is fantastic is to be ignorant of an understanding of what technoques are good/well used in film.

If one likes something that is bad in terms of the medium, one may refer to it as their 'guilty pleasure'. Let's say you like Glee, for example, but understand that it isn't well made.

This probably needs more explaining, but I don't have all day to explain it. There isn't really a distinction between tastes and preference. Bleh.

Let me rephrase: one's tastes should reflect what's well made. Personal preference shouldn't be a bigger factor.

firecrouch · Blog last updated 01/31/2013:

@Zephray:

As I said, I'm a creative writing major. And a film minor. I have very strong opinions in relation to the arts.

Personally, I've always defined good tastes in more of the official sense. Example: Wes Anderson films are more highly regarded in the film world than James Cameron films. 'Good tastes', for me, are along the lines of what is well made, not so much in relation to personal preference. To not understand why a Wes Anderson film is fantastic is to be ignorant of an understanding of what technoques are good/well used in film.

If one likes something that is bad in terms of the medium, one may refer to it as their 'guilty pleasure'. Let's say you like Glee, for example, but understand that it isn't well made.

This probably needs more explaining, but I don't have all day to explain it. There isn't really a distinction between tastes and preference. Bleh.

Let me rephrase: one's tastes should reflect what's well made. Personal preference shouldn't be a bigger factor.

That's the art school mentality if I've ever heard that.

Zephray

@firecrouch:

That's the art school mentality if I've ever heard that.

Hence my background info. I'm an artist. I strive to make and appreciate the best. But anyways, let's drop this and get back to One Piece.

Has anyone ever heard of a set being shipped out over a month early? I haven't, but this is the only anime/manga I really keep up with.

Sano

That happend a long time ago, when Season 1, First Voyage orginally came out.

Zephray

Good to hear.

Re watching the last two episodes. Luffy's 'this is me frozen' is the funniest thing.

Anyone hear any new voice actor hints on twitter?

Sano

Reminder with Daylight Saving time happend last weekend, the simulcast will be starting in less then a hour.

Badass SnoCone

@Zephray:

Also, I wasn't talking in theater terminology when speaking of story and plot.

Those definitions aren't simply for theatre. They're for any story. The link I posted in my previous posts likens the idea to films, as an example of that.

Chopperrules

@Demon:

I've been watching it with my best friend every chance we get. We just finished the second Foxy filler episode where they meet Aokiji at the end.

It's a good time to remind everyone of Zoro's Shadow Clone no jutsu technique he pulled out! Impressive stuff! I didn't know he was trying out for a filler character on Naruto!

Anyway, yeah, I did watch only a few episodes at a time with this one. I do it sometimes, especially with the terrible filler after Alabasta. But you know I'm going to marathon the shit out of this next set when I get it on my doorstep. Even if it takes me all night.