Hey guys, and welcome to the first ever Anime Round Table. Here we gather those in the know about all things anime and have them share their opinions on a variety of issues. Now I introduce to you a bunch I found stalking around outside:

*Warning the following may contain spoilers for several anime series*

Prologue: Before we get this underway, feel free to introduce yourselves and tell us a little about you.

Kanashimi: My name is Jackelyn Lee Payne, but on the internet I’m more commonly known as Kanashimi (aka Kana). I’m a staff member at 91.8 The Fan (www.918thefan.com) as well as a news source for the popular golf game Pangya, my blog for that is Tiki’s SpellBook (http://pangya.faithfuldreamer.net).

Kibs: Hi, I’m Kibs, I like romantic dinners, I hate the beach, and cuddling is totally my thing.
But seriously I’m a college student living in florida, I work as a phone technician for my Uncle, and also have a job (that often feels like it’s full-time) at 918TheFan.com as the graphic artist, and singing anime critic.

Sandgolem: (Sandy didn’t send me an introduction. Possibly because he is in witness protection)

Joeshadowman: Well I am known as the one and only Joeshadowman. I guess you could say that I got the name from my time in watching anime and playing games. Anime has been a part of life since I was a young kid. (is there any other?)

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Level 1: What contributed to you becoming an anime fan? Was it by coincidence or recommendation?

Kanashimi: Actually, I’m a rare case as my father actually read manga. Not the graphic novels you see today, but in fact the old school style comic books. He commonly encouraged me to read them, and at that age they were far better than listening to him read me Lord of the Rings.

Kibs: To be completely honest I saw an episode of Naruto years ago on cartoon network, and since I could never catch the first episode I decided what I could do about finding it online, that led me to a site called CENSORED where I was introduced to the world of anime.

Sandgolem: Well, I was shown anime to be honest; in college my best friend had an entire book of Burned and Purchased DVDs with all kinds of Anime on them. He showed me Trigun and Cowboy Bebop and the rest is pretty much history. Before that I did see and enjoy Dragonball Z and Pokemon but didn’t realize they were “Anime”

Joeshadowman: When I was younger I was watching TV, well ok I was channel surfing, and I came across an animated show. But this show wasn’t like any cartoon I saw before that time. The style of artwork was different from the usual Saturday cartoons I watched at the time. While watching this show my brother came down and told me that I was watching Dragon Ball Z. This started a chain of events that made me the anime fan I am today.

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Level 2: What is your favorite anime and what do you feel it provides that other anime lack?

Kanashimi: Haha, I always get slack for my favorite anime, but it is Sailor Moon. Yes, that magical girl way back when dubbing an anime meant censoring it. I think by growing up with it, I adapted a lot of real life lessons from the anime. Sure, Sailor Moon is sugar coated in English, but it does have a lot of positive aspects. Many people look at it now as something childish they would never enjoy, while I’m still watching it and appreciating the simple notions of, “Be happy, don’t worry.”
EagleEyes: Be nice to people, don’t litter, animal cruelty is bad! Sailor moons says!

Kibs: I don’t know about a favorite anime, it would have to be something classic like azumanga daioh, or perhaps balls to the wall in your face action like TTGL. I honestly can’t really think of one anime I like above all others, I just like what I like.

Sandgolem: Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, it provides a humorous look at suicide, mental illness, social anxieties, and life in general. It has an amazing soundtrack and stunning visuals that don’t leave you wanting. Not to mention it makes alot of throw backs to other anime and old movies. Most anime comedies can’t even keep up with this one.

Joeshadowman: Well if anyone knows anything about me they know i love Chrono Crusade. This anime did something to me that no other anime or TV show has ever made me do, cry. Thats right, the ending to this show is so sad that it brought tears to my eyes. But aside from that it had a lot of good scenes and great episodes. The only thing that I think this anime has that others don’t, is the emotions this anime will put you through. One second your happy and the next your crying, no other anime/show has ever done anything like that to me. If you haven’t seen the show go watch it, it’s awesome.

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Level 3: Some anime videogame adaptations have a reputation for being notoriously bad. Are there any anime to game, or game to anime series which you would like to recommend?

Kanashimi: Actually, one that wasn’t so bad was the Lupin The Third game. It was tremendously great, so if you expect something that will turn heads, then look away. However, if you actually enjoyed the show than the game itself isn’t a far stretch.

Kibs: Tales of the Abyss is all that comes to mind, I know Valkyrie Chronicles and Tales of Vesperia are set to be anime’d, but as those aren’t out yet I can’t exactly tell you how they are.

I did hear that a few of the dragon ball fighting games were pretty decent. However Kibs does not condone the use of fighting games as you may experience things such as: Lack of story, sore thumbs, a baditude, sore losing streak, frustration, and an overall sense of wasted time.

Sandgolem: I guess I’m not entirely familiar with a lot of these, maybe Pokemon, and I know Valkyria Chronicles is getting an anime adaption don’t know how good it will be. I guess street fighter has had a couple anime out for it, that weren’t too bad.

Joeshadowman: I have played very little anime based video games. Out of the games i have played i would have to say play the DBZ games. They’re good fighting games and there are so many of them that your will most likely kind one you like. As for anime based on games I saw this one short anime about Chrono Trigger where all the monsters in the game go wild on the carnival grands. (Don’t ask me what the name of the anime was because I forgot.)

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Level 4: In regards to voice acting who are you favorite English voice artists and Japanese seiya?

Kanashimi: As someone who gives the dubs a benefit of the doubt despite being a subtitle elitist, I would say Liam O’Brien (Asaba from Kara Kano, Mitsuhiro from Paranoia Agent, Hisoka from Yami No Matsuei) acting wise. If the answer was based on hotness or just plain awesome character it would be Johnny Yong Bosch (Vash from Trigun, Albert from Gankutsuou, Kiba from Wolf’s Rain). My favorite Japanese voice actors are Mamoru Miyano (Light in Death Note, Setsuna in Gundam 00, Kiba in Wolf’s Rain) and Mai Nakahara (Nagisa in Clannad, Rena in Higurahi no Naku Koro ni, and Maria in Vampire Knight).

Kibs: I have a sort of love/hate thing going on with Johnny Yong Bosch, I love him in certain roles (Vash, Guy, ect…) but I also think he ruins a few roles (Renton, Lelouch, ect…). I can’t honestly blame him for taking the roles, but I rather feel that dubbing companies do a bad job with casting him, as though they think that their dub will be watched just because it has him in it.

Favorite Japanese Seiyu would definitely have to be Kobayashi Akiko, simply because her voice is unique, and ever so slightly sexy.

Sandgolem: English, I would have to say it’s a two way tie between, Luci Christian (Ouran Highschool host club’s Hunny Sempai) and Christopher Sabat (Vegta). And Japanese hands down its Asami Sanada, who played Matoi the Stalker from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.

Joeshadowman: For the English voice actors I would have to say Steven Jay Blum. He’s always been great at what he does, in fact I bought Rouge Galaxy just because he was in it. As for the Japanese Seiyu, I can’t remember her name right now, but she does the voice for Naruto in the Naruto anime.

EagleEyes: The lack of love for Stephen Derrick Prince disturbs me…

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Level 5: If you were to assume the life of an anime character, which character would it be and what would you do differently?

Kanashimi: This is… insanely difficult. I could give a fan-girlish answer by stating I’d want to be around the Ouran High School Host Club for Tamaki or perhaps one of those goofy insurance girls from Trigun since they get to chase Vash, but I doubt either of those would suit my current lifestyle. I think if I wanted to become an anime character it would be Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess. I mean, she generally always gets her happy ever after, has awesome holy powers, and crazy adventures that she’s had years to manage since most of them are caused by her very own sisters.

Kibs: Hmm, for lack of a better idea: Renton Thurston, and I wouldn’t be such a whiny bitch all of the time and act like a man every once in a while.

Sandgolem: Nozomu from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. Except I’d probably stop running away from my stalker and let Matoi catch me.

Joeshadowman: I can’t really answer a question like that for one reason. The anime probably wouldn’t be the same. I think that if I were to be any character and do something different it could end up ruining everything that happened in that anime. So to answer your question I would have to say, no one.

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Level 6: The nineties was a “boom” period for dubbed anime worldwide. With “Pokemania” running wild, Gundam, Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon also being immensely popular, do you see another large “boom” period in the near future, and are any current anime capable of causing this?

Kanashimi: Everything has a boom per se in selected intervals, I earnestly believe that we’ve already seen another boom go by past the nineties. I mean, when was anime on local cable along with being heard by every teenager, and available in every store in the DVD rack? Never before the recent years. Anime is another form of media, much like video games, movies, art, music… so in all actuality it depends. I can’t predict which one the next one will be (though I would hope it would involve bringing visual novels over here), but I can say that I would be expecting one.

Kibs: I think after the 90’s boom people have been a little more accepting of anime, I mean, take for example two American shows: Avatar, and Teen Titans, which have very anime-esque styles. I don’t see another boom happening, per-se, but I do see anime slowly growing on America, as a form of entertainment for older folks, and not just young kids and really geeky folks.

Sandgolem: I’m afraid I don’t see another huge anime boom coming dub wise, but I’m not a physic or have done enough research to be able to throw off a correct market analysis off the top of my head. Sure there are plenty of anime that are worthy of causing another boom, but you can never say what will be popular like that again.

Joeshadowman: Bleach, because life is a bleach. But yeah Bleach looks like it might be the next DBZ in America. And if not bleach it would have to be Naruto, ok I know that the dubs for Naruto aren’t that great. But the voice actors for Bleach are good enough for me to enjoy. But when it comes to action I would have to say Naruto takes the cake. So since I can only have one answer I’m going to say Bleach even though I like Naruto better.

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Boss Battle: Deathnote! What is your opinion of the Deathnote series?

Kanashimi: Death Note was a truly epic series, and it’s a rare series I’m happy someone spoiled it for me. I remember when I first watched the series, and because of the sheer suspense I had to keep watching another episode. “This is the last one for tonight!” Yet I would always end up with around ten or so more than I planned. I flashed by that anime in five days with a sour attitude at the end. I despised the finish to it, despite how well planned and what not it was, I wish it had been something else. I don’t give the creators flak for moving forward in the series, but more so for breaking my attachments to the anime itself (as I was a Light fan).

Kibs: The anime was epic, it completely drew you in and made you really care for both Light and L, and you sort of wanted them both to win. But the one thing that I didn’t like about the anime is that it kept going. The anime should have ended after L’s death, and the continuation of the series just simply didn’t seem like Death Note anymore.

Sandgolem: It’s a great series to a point. Let me just say that Kira should have won, it was such bullshit when they brought in two more geniuses to use against him. It became a gang up on one guy instead of the epic battle of wits between two geniuses. So liked the first part, hated the ending. Be sure to look out for a “Why it sucked” next month on this topic.

Joeshadowman: Deathnote is a very good series. I like the fact that you’re really seeing the whole thing from the eyes of the villain, and how he thinks he’s really doing good for the world when he isn’t. The story has a lot of twist and turns and ends on kind of a sad note, but a good one at the same time. If your looking for something that is different from most story telling then Deathnote is an anime for you. The characters of the show are very well done. Look at Light, he thinks that through a notebook, known as the Deathnote, he can change the world into a place he thinks is better. And then there’s L, he is trying to capture Kira and stop him from killing people. I don’t want to give too much away for anyone that hasn’t seen it. Even if you’re not a fan of anime I highly recommend it. The only thing I didn’t like about it though was the ending, which I won’t give away. 9.5/10

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Joeshadowman: I hope that you enjoy reading this blog by G1 EagleEyes, and that you pick up at least one of the anime, I was talking about on this blog.

EagleEyes: Thanks to everyone who had a read through the blog. To catch Kanashimi, Sandgolem or Kibs make sure to check out iStalk which is posted here on Screwattack every weekday. Thanks to G1’s Kanashimi, Sandgolem, Kibs and Joeshadowman for contributing. Also thanks to “They call me the fizz”, whom I forgot to include this week (Sorry Fizz).

~EAGLEEYES OUT~