I'm going to try again with my difficult question...this is for all you anime experts out there.

Hmmm...QK2Rusty, you're a bad luck poster. You spilt this over into the 13th page....

Anyways, I found this at http://home.earthlink.net/~jhendrich/anime_history.htm

"During the war with China in 1937, animation took a military look. The works weren't creative in many aspects and basically were created as propaganda to help the public support the army. In 1943, during Word War II, the Imperial Government had an artist, Mituyoseo, create a short Anime film. His team created the first animated feature in Japan, Momotaro's Gods-blessed Sea Warriors"

I guess that was the first one that was actually given a title.
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My grandma says that she watched Hello Kitty and she's like 70 somthing years old and she says her older brother liked Astro Boy....

Speaking of 08th MS team, I just saw that today. I really like what ive seen so far, its nice to see "new" style animation linked to a UC Gundam series. And it was cool to hear some of the more familiar "new" voice actors in this series.

Ive been on a UC kick recently, I watched the movies and im starting to watch the Zeta I have. Char truly is one of the best characters!

(Referring to a bunch of earlier posts)...
The Gundam 08 MS Team series is due out on July 1st.

Hey, everyone, quick little question:
Who here watches Ranma and or reads the manga?

Hmmm, I guess nobody cared about the anime quiz idea.

Oh well, moving on. I've watched the first two seasons of Ranma 1/2 and I'd say it's probrably one of my favorite series. It gets a little frustrating watching it after a while since Ranma and Akane always get so close to expressing their feelings to each other, but are too stubborn to admit them. So basically their relationship never really gets anywhere.

As for the Ranma 1/2 Manga, I've got the first issue that viz released in 1992. The series almost follows the manga word for word, with just very minor changes. So if you like the show, your basically getting the exact same thing in the manga.

Ranma 1/2 is ok, but I like Inu Yasha a lot better, anyone here read/watch it?

Speaking of Ranma the gashapon set should be out soon, Japan has it already, so the online shops should get them soon. Im still wating on my pre-order...

Random anime news: "Starship girl" Yamamoto Yohko has been picked up for commercial release by I belive "right stuff"

I was just wondering who watches it around here. So far I've seen 2 movies, 4 subbed eps, and read vol. 3 of the manga. If I didn't already have to finish Bebop, Wing, Tenchi, and 0083, I'd be buying Ranma stuff like there was no tomorrow.

Best of Ranma 1/2? Oh, right, I remember. Saw an add for them in Animerica (along with a nice article on Akira). I'm half tempted to pick up the Ryoga set I saw advertised. Unfortunatly, I'm waiting for the DVDs because I'm an idiot and will gladly pay money for another language and some extras. That and the lack of previews. I always hated seeing previews, becasue I didn't know what would be shown (Ninja Scroll for example. This dsoen't apply to Ranma, just VHS tapes in general).

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Friendship.
Trust.
Desire.
Hatred.
You all carry too many unnecessary burdens.
Only. One. Thing:
Absolute devotion to Him,ought to be all you need.
-Legato Bluesummers, Trigun

Ok, top 5 anime episodes. I'll start:

5. "Underneath the Sky So Blue" Trigun Episode 26
4. "Paradise" Trigun Episode 23
3. "Sin" Trigun Episode 24
2. "Farewell, the Strongest Men" Rurouni Kenshin Episode 11
1. "Ballad of Fallen Angels" Cowboy Bebop Episode 5

Im still watching Gundam 08th MS Team, Ive gotta say I really love this "series". Its great to see new style animation hooked to a UC timeline Gundam anime. It's great to seee Zeons again! Has anyone else seen this? cause ive got quesitons but dont know if I can post them cause I might spoil something.

Also some new UC Gundam figures are out. I saw:

-Gog
-Char's Z'gok
-Z'gok
-Shiro Amada's Gundam (08th MS team)
-Char's Gelgog.

Why, Legato? Why must you make me choose my top five favorite episodes, you madman?! Anyways, here they are (in no particular order):

Bubblegum Crisis
OVA 6: Red Eyes

Slayers
Episode 26: Victory! I Will Allways Be The Winner!

Outlaw Star
Episode 26: Back Into Space

Tenchi Universe
Episode 25: No Need For a Showdown

Dragonball Z
Episode 191: Fight For The Future

If I wasn't limited to just five:

Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040
Episode 26: Still Alive and Well

Trigun
Episode 26: Under The Sky So Blue

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I present to you:
ANIME'S 500th POST!!!

I'm amazed that this topic has gone on for so long, so I just want to say, thank you to everybody for contributing your anime fandom and anime knowledge to this board.

And Insane called me a madman...HA! Get it! Someone named "Insane" called me a madman! OHHOHOHOHOHOHO! The irony kills me!

*ahem* Moving on...can't think of anything. Crud.

THIS THREAD WILL NOT DIE! Anyone, can you think of ANYTHING to talk about!? Maybe a continuation of the Top 5 Episodes?

All right... You guys asked for it...

What can anyone here add to the subject of "Live Action Anime"? Yeah, some of you I'll bet are cringing, and some of you might not actually know what I'm referring to. (To those of you who wish tro keep your innocence on the subject matter, skip on down... But you'll know sooner or later.) Well, as with almost any sub-genre of film, I have mixed feelings about the whole situation.

The first Live Action Anime I ever got my hands on was Fist of the North Star. Yes, that's right- Not the cartoon version steeped in bloodshed and starring such Japanese Seiyuu as Kamiya Akira, Torishou Furukawa and Kenji Utsumi- No, this was a movie made by an American film crew and filmed in Hong Kong- mostly for budget contraints. In this version, our stars are Gary Daniels, Costar Mandylor (How God, HOW could you let this happen!?), Chris Penn (!?), and even Malcom McDowell. I actually drove for over an hour to finally see this film, and the end result... Well, I'll get to that in a moment.

Hokuto no Ken was NOT the only anime/manga to have a movie based off of it- Far from it, actually. Many of you by now have seen, or at least heared of the Japan/Hong Kong Co-production of "Dragonball: The Magic Begins" (As released by Tai Seng). I found it to be a fun, amusing, if a rather strange children's Hong Kong flick. The thing that scares me is that in some ways, this is closer to Toriyama's work than the FUNimation English release... Though a few events were changed considerably, to make it a stand alone story. The film follows the original manga, if not word for word, then in spirit. However, be sure you have plenty of crackers and wine while watching this... You'll have more cheese than you know what do do with- Particularly if you watch the English Dub.

*Please note that from here on out, I'll only use the English/US titles to avoid any confusion. I'm not familiar enough with many of them to really feel I'm allowed to do otherwise.

Sanctuary was given a simmilar treatment, though I know nothing about either the live action film or the original story. An English dub was offered a few years ago, but I really don't know anything more than that.

The live action Kekkou Kamen (Pretty Mask) trilogy by Japan's number one bad boy himself, Go Nagai, was an interesting switch; The live action film came *before* the anime. I still haven't been able to track this movie down, try as I may... But I warn you, if gratuitous nudity to a point where there's actually very little clothed skin in the film bothers you, or rather lewd acts from the basically nude superheroine (She wears a mask, a scarf, go-go boots, super heroine-ish gloves, and a Nunchaku... Need I really say any more?) uses to take care of her opponents, don't bother. On the other hand, if this sort of thing strikes you as funny, go for it! (I have yet to hear anything from the supposed US release for this year... We'll see, I suppose. If "Sailor and the Seven Ball-Z" can get a DVD release, anything is possible.) Oh- Did I mention there is a guest appearance by Violence Jack, or that she oil wrestles Lum herself? I have yet to see this trilogy- But feel free to bet your spleen I will.

Another classic in this sub-genre is The Wicked City. It can be considered a sequel to the anime of the same title, but it could also merely be considered a new interpretation of the same story. This is really a Catalogue III film at it's best- It's certainly NOT a kids film. Another I have yet to see, only because I have yet to pick up the Chinese/English DVD yet. This looks like a good one for a Hong Kong anime based horror, even if they do use Black Light antenne on occasion. (Don't ask... You'd have to see it for yourself.)

There were a pair of Guyver movies made in the states- No, not McGuyver, the Bio-Boosted armor stuff. I've seen the second film on the Sci-Fi channel countless times over the years, but I've yet to see the first. It should be fun, if nothing else, on the grounds that Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker himself, plays the lead. The second was low budged US Sci-Fi at it's best, such as it is... If you're a fan of Dai Kaiju films or the guyver series in general (I have yet to see it myself), it's worth a rental. Don't be surprised if you hear thr occasional curse or see a little blood- It was given an R rating, even if it was made for TV.

Jackie Chan became Kamiya Akira... Go figure. Chan starred in a live action City Hunter movie, and it sounds like one of the wildest rides Asian cinema has to offer us. I mean, come on- Jackie Chan talks to Bruce Lee on a movie screen AND gets to dress up like the cast of Street Fighter, all in teh course of one movie! I'll give you a fair warning though- The US version was cut, but the only thing removed was some rather blatant and moderately offensive homophobic humor. If you don't mind jokes at the expense of someone gay, get the import. If you're a bit more PC than I am with you're viewing, get the US release.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing Live Action Anime I know of (And still haven't seen >.< ) is an French "Crying Freeman" film, shot in English, that was never released. It seems the film is very close to the original manga, but for one reason or another, was never released in the US. (I've heared it's incredibly violent for a film of it's type- That could have been the reason, in some odd way.) Bootleg copies aren't too hard to find for those curious, and I know I'll track one down eventually... (Hey, $20 for a movie based off of a manga is always worth it, even if it is embarassing.)

My personal favorite is a film that has no equals... Not even a rival for what it is, save perhaps Shogun Assasins. (I haven't seen that yet, so I won't judge.) In 1992, Hong Kong released a film that was based off of a spoof manga, one that playfully dealt with Post Apocalypse stories- Violence Jack, Hokuto no Ken, things of that nature, as well as Kung Fu films in general. The manga was called Rikki Ou, and the Hong Kong film was released as 'King of Strength', aka Story of Ricky. This movie is the silliest, goriest, most entertaining piece of film I've ever seen in my LIFE from Hong Hong- And while I've not seen all that many films, I am a fan of the overall style. If you've got a weak stomach for gore so over the top it's actually funny, skip on by. However, if movies like "Evil Dead 2" and "Braindead" (aka Dead Alive) are your cup of tea, and you enjoy Bruce Lee clones punching THROUGH their opponents in silly, spashy, gory detail as much as I do, you'll LOVE it. Just be sure to bring some Nacho's... It's good cheese. (Also, it might help to understand many of the jokes to have read the first English 'Fist of the North Star' manga by Viz. Many scenes from it are spoofed directly.) Be warned, though- The gore in the film is silly, and very hard to take seriously with the mile over the top presentation, but it is right up there with Braindead...

I've heared rumors of a Live Action Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) movie, Hong Kong style... But I haven't heared of it in a long time. Maybe it was only a phantom rumor, or perhaps it's the legendary HnK TV movie... I just don't know, and maybe I never will. *Sigh*

*HOWEVER*, I own the live action 'Fist of the North Star' movie. Any Malcom McDowell fan should see it at least once for his scenes as Ken's father Ryuuken, and if bad Mad Max rip offs are your idea of a good time, you'll probably love it. Chris Penn makes a wonderfully scuzzy Jackal (A cross between Jackal and Jyagi of the original manga), and Downtown Julie Brown doesn't come off nearly as bad as I thought she would as the village leader. (Now... Where did they pull her out of? Sorry- She is NOTHING like Mamiya.) On the other hand, Costar Mandylar was JUST PLAIN WRONG for this movie. Sure, he can play a forbiden love kind of guy, if you like those movies, but A) He can't fight, B) He's not evil in the slightest, and C) He's so effeminate I doubted his version of Shin was heterosexual anyway. Yes, Shin had to be a pretty boy- A BLONDE pretty boy, something the film makers didn't catch aparently- But come on, we went from Torisho Furukawa, Piccolo himself, to this!? On the other hand, Gary Daniels as Kenshirou, despite the fact that the man couldn't act his way out of a moist paper bag, was decent. His body language was right, and he looked quite a bit like Ken- and most importantly, he could fight. If Van Damme had been Ken, I would have destroyed the tape- Even if it was a rental. I just didn't like his accent, that's all. If he was going for a Japanese accent, he just screwed it up horribly... I think it was just supposed to be a standard 'I'm a US action star and now I need to sound European' thing going on. Ah well, Kenshiro had minimal irritating dialouge (What dialouge he did have wasn't half bad... It's just when he's trying to sound 'Nice' that he gets on my nerves...) and maximum whupass going on anyway, so I really can't complain. Now if only it had more gore, more than 90 seconds of gore, I would have been at least content... But, despite the cheese and the sometimes painful rewriting of MY favorite show (Shin didn't kill Ryuuken, and when he did die, he WAS NOT shot with a gun, he was killed in the dojo with his own North Dipper style... That was the biggest thing that bothered me about the film- That they could change such an important battle), it had high production values for a low budget film. (Good sets, gorgeous costumes, neat lighting, great slow motion battle scenes, etc.) It's worth watching... Just expect a somewhat artsy version of Mad Max with a lot of Kung Fu with Chris Penn beating up kids and Costar Mandylor being, well, lame. I don't use that word often, but that's what it is; Lame. It's not a bad movie, really, it's just Gary Daniels beating up WWF's Vader in an attempt to be Kenshirou versus Heart that shows the downfall of it all... They tried, they really did, but they just weren't very good at doing it.

I won't even get into the Live action La Blue Girl series. After all, I know what it is, and I'd wager the vast majority of you guyys do too. It's something you would either love and laugh with or be appaled by. It just depends on how jaded you are... And as you all must have guessed, I'm quite jaded. Either way, they're out there... Let's not bring them up again, hmmm?

So... What does everyone else here think about 'Live Action Anime'?

One thing I tend to like about anime is the energy. Pure, fast and filled with energy...

I've seen few live action movies that were able to portray the above requirements.

Matrix could have passed off as a convincing anime if I squinted my eyes and pretended I saw speed lines...

I can also see Crouching Tiger passing off as a live action anime.

Other than that, I'm hard pressed to think of any movie that has been able to truly transfer anime to film...

I was going to go on longer about this topic, but I gots a craving for sloppy joes...

mmmmm.. sloppy.

I've seen tons of Hong Kong movies, but the only one I can remember right now is part three of A Chinese Ghost story trilogy. It's not really an anime, but there is a hong kong produced cartoon of it made by Kung Fu movie director Tsui Hark. It's a pretty good movie with lots of anime type antics, and the humour is pretty good. The special effects are quite terrible though, and the monsters that appear in the film come off as sort of low budget muppets.

I was bored today and posed my Wolfwood and Vash figures in a "yaoi" type pose. All I did was put Vash's arm around Nick. I didnt think it was too yaoi but me friend thought so....