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It's been a little while since I last wrote anything here, hasn't it? mrgreen It's currently 1:35am, and though I could use sleep, I know I won't be getting any just yet.

I've started expanding the list of anime I've seen. I stumbled upon AnimeEden recently, so I have plenty to choose from. I started with Death Note, just to see what all the fuss is about. The fuss is about it being awesome. It's been a while since I last saw a straight-faced, serious anime series, so it's made a nice change from all the cutesy, funny stuff I've been immersing myself in lately. It's beautifully animated, and the story is compelling. And the best part is, I'm never sure who to root for. Logic dictates that I should be on the side of L and the task force, but that choice is made difficult by the fact that the main focus is on Light and his misguided quest for 'justice'. I know what he's doing is evil, but somehow I don't dislike him for it. In fact, I don't think you're supposed to support either side, rather, you're supposed to look at the game of cat and mouse objectively, without bias. It's a really fascinating way of doing things.

My other anime/manga priority is expanding my CLAMP collection, since I just started the Tsubasa manga, and it'd be nice to recognise all the crossover characters, and not just the ones from Chobits and Magic Knight Rayearth. So I started with one I've been recommended since finishing Chobits, it's precursor, Angelic Layer. That is one awesome anime. Despite the fact that it uses the uninspired, clichéd 'opponent of the week' episode structure, it still presents an enjoyable story, with interesting characters and romantic developments that really do keep you guessing who the heroine is going to end up with, and whether the other girl is going to get in on the action too. And the fights are spectacular too. It's well worth watching. If there's one flaw to it, it's that Misaki gets too good at Angelic Layer too quickly. 'Miracle Rookie' or not, the final battle against the national champion shouldn't be that balanced. But even that's a moot point.

Finally, I very recently started downloading Cardcaptor Sakura, the series that sets countless anime fans' teeth on edge when they remember the travesty that was the English version. For those who don't know, Nelvana adapted the series for American TV, changing every detail they could in the interest of making it more appealing to American kids. This included changing the characters' names to western ones, removing almost ALL romantic subtext (not just shōjo-ai and shōnen-ai - apparently to make it more appealing to boys), removing entire episodes, and giving it a godawful westernised opening (which, to my disgust, I still remember bits of). Just like with Sailor Moon, they butchered an iconic Japanese show just to try and get money out of it. Well done Nelvana, you made practically every anime fan in the west hate your guts.
Well, I've seen the first episode of the original Japanese version, and I can already see that it's far better. The opening song is joyous and very catchy, and Yukito is voiced by the legendary Megumi Ogata (who somehow manages to make her adult male characters sound sexy in a way that even I, a guy, can appreciate...) I'll have more to say on the subject of this series once I've seen a few more original episodes, although from my memories of the Nelvana version (henceforth referred to as 'Crudcaptors') I know to expect the same format as Angelic Layer and a few other CLAMP series - that of a new obstacle appearing each episode, and for the most part being overcome in the same episode.

It took me 25 minutes to write this entry... Could this be the most well thought-out piece of writing I've done lately? Let's hope I can do as well with my upcoming research project and exam! blaugh