Bite me, irony

[drakyndra]

Well, that just figures. Or rather, it doesn't, and thus was completely unexpected to me.

After several years, and umpteen different people, both online and in RL, trying to convince me of the wonders of anime, all attempts of which have failed miserably, I have astoundingly managed to get hooked on an anime series.

And the person who got me hooked on this series? Was, erm, me. And I did it by accident.

After all those fervent descriptions and links and clips and all that work people had put into getting me into assorted animes, I end up getting hooked because I am bored, and watching random streaming videos to kill time.

*facepalm*

And it wasn't even Cowboy Bebop, either (Speaking of, tinyteddyqueen, I really must borrow your copy, just to see if I end up liking it as much as you reckon. The first episode didn't blow me away, but maybe I need a couple of episodes. It does have the most freaking awesome title sequence ever, mind).

Anyhoo, anime in question is Fullmetal Alchemist, which I am currently working my way through _{since I sortakinda bought the first half on DVD. And the guy at Animasia is putting the rest aside for me when he gets more in *facepalm*}.

...So this is me, being mildly bemused by the whole thing and going off to watch more FMA.

PS. I watched The Sarah Jane Adventures. Was not bad at all, though at times the kiddiness got to me. Though I shouldn't be surprised, seeing it's a kid's show and all. The next episode looks slightly less so, though, and I'll certainly keep on watching.

Comments

[khallandra.livejournal.com]

Did you laugh extremely hard at the mini!Slitheen? That was just hilarious! And the way it was a little more pudgy than the adults :LOL:

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

The mini one was my favourite. He was such a bratty little kid, despite being a bright green alien.

[xwingace]

FMA is pretty good, yeah. I got into it when I *was* already hooked on anime, but it's an entirely different 'genre' than what I normally go for.

So what's next after Cowboy Bebop? :-)

XWA

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Dunno. Whatever people recommend to me, and I can find a couple of episodes to watch online to see if it appeals (or are willing to lend).

[van.livejournal.com]

FMA! Ahahahaha, of all the anime! *headdesk* HAhaaha.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Why the headdesk?

[van.livejournal.com]

Erm... I'm not a very big fan of FMA, I guess. Not that it's a bad anime, per se. It's just one of the big, sort of brand-name anime that people get rabidly fannish about in annoying ways, proclaiming it the bestest anime ever when it's basically the only one they've ever seen.


Somehow I doubt you will be like that, but the knee jerk reaction is still there. (I'm also bitter 'cause my ex-girlfriend made me sit through all of it, rather against my will, hahahahaha.)

Still, am glad you're enjoying it! You could have done worse. XD

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Well, I knew it was mainstream on account of the fact I actually knew the name before I ever saw it. Also, I'd seen it on fandom_wank a bit. And the guy at Animasia said it was a big seller.

I shall try not to proselytise you about it. I can't not promise not tosquee over things I like, though. (And I feel that making judgements about best when I've seen very little is, well, stupid).

I really don't need any more fandoms. Oh, well...

[van.livejournal.com]

Heeee, squee away. I'm actually so far removed from anime these days that I don't even mind. I don't know who is liked or disliked in the show. (Except that Ed/Al and Ed/Roy are apparently Big Pairings.) I won't mind your squee. I like squee, generally. :D I certainly don't want to make you feel like you can't squee.

But I do think there are better anime out there than FMA. But, dude. I used to write Cardcaptor Sakura fic with a vegence. (It's an anime geared at like, 5-13 year old little girls.) So I am hardly one to talk.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I can understand Ed/Al, though given my personal preferences, I think I'll just like it as family love. But I obviously haven't seen far enough into the series to see where the Ed/Roy stuff comes from...

I'm sure there are. And there are lots of better books than Harry Potter. But I like both for the same reason, because I find them fun.

[hacked2death.livejournal.com]

I tried to get into anime, but apart from the essential movies, I don't watch a lot anymore. The only shows that really grabbed me were Evangelion and Fullmetal. Both start and finish I feel as completely different shows.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

See, I've seen a few random things on and off, but nothing really took my interest until now (and one of the yaoi ones I saw some of at a friend's place actively disturbed me - student/teacher romance is a DO NOT WANT zone here)

I know some of my friends like Evangelion, but I've never really heard much about it.

[hacked2death.livejournal.com]

If you're still interested after the 50 or so episodes of Fullmetal, you might want to give it a try. It's a little more head-fuck material then FMA, but the movie's version of the show's ending makes it all worthwhile..

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Maybe some day. I'm not even half-way through FMA yet...

[fannishnonsense]

FMA, YAY!

Though the manga is way better than the anime in every way and can totally be read online for free too...

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

O RLY? Link, plz.

(The thing about how they diverge and the plots go different places might confuse me, though. I've skimmed enough online to get that much)

[fannishnonsense]

You can read all 75 chapters (so far) at http://www.onemanga.com/directory/. I know there are places you can download it as well, but I prefer to just do it this way.

It is a little confusing, but if you read it straight through it should be obvious where they diverge. I should point out that the panels go from right to left, which takes some getting used to if you're not a habitual manga reader. But other than that it's easy to follow and even easier to get sucked into. Besides the manga has Ran Fan (that's her in my icon), who is so awesome that everyone should read it just for her.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Well, I shall certainly keep that in mind once I finish up with the anime. I might check out some of the other titles there, too.

[fannishnonsense]

Oh yeah, they've got several that I've been meaning to get to myself.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

It's easier than trying to read them every time I pop in Border's anyway (and the actually have the whole thing...)

[eido.livejournal.com]

I think if you're just getting into anime, FMA is a good place to start. I was only ever casual fan of FMA myself, but it is one of those things I knew I could watch if there's nothing else and it would probably always be something good.

It does have the most freaking awesome title sequence ever, mind

Word. Really great music throughout too and probably some of the best in any anime, but... not like I own the limited edition box set and I'm biased or anything. No, srsly. Ahem.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

It has a sort of fun value, but without being too silly. And it isn't too cultural specific, so it transfers well enough for n00bs like me. And, well, fun value.

Lulz fangirl.

[eido.livejournal.com]

It's good you've gotten into FMA now, like anything that's all been aired, no waiting or anything. You could almost watch it (51 eps + movie) in one weekend if you're really dedicated(-nee-crazy). You could totally do that with Bebop (27 eps + movie). Which is another thing about some of the anime which is cool as there are many quite good/excellent series out there that have like 27 eps or less. Short 'n' sweet. ;)

and sshhhh mah cartoon fetish is suprsekrits *hides Miyazaki movies and Ghost in the Shell poster under the bed*

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Well, I've seen the first 26 episodes of FMA thus far (just finished my box). Now I just need to wait until the store restocks the second lot. *sighs* I'll check in on the weekend.

*looks shifty* I may have sorta-kinda sat up all night watching it.

Oh, I know Miyazaki! Though the only thing of his I've seen is Howl's Moving Castle, of which I spent too much time being annoyed about the changes from the book to enjoy properly.

[eido.livejournal.com]

*looks shifty* I may have sorta-kinda sat up all night watching it.

Heeee You is now otaku proper. *welcomes you to the darkside mind the hentai*

And *flails* of Miyazaki things, you really must watch "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke". *flails some more* They (and, well, pretty much all his and most of the Ghibli movies really) are quite win. I like "Howl's Moving Castle", but yeah, not nearly enough good feeling for that one compared to his other movies (I'd avoid "Legend of Earthsea" too, which is Ghibli, but not Hayao Miyazaki. It's directed by his son, Goro... and he should have kept his day job).

IF I were evil (which I kind of am) and speaking of Ghibli, I'd rec "Grave of the Fireflies" (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=152) which is still one of the heart-wrenching movies I've ever seen. Srsly. Up there with "Life Is Beautiful", "Dancer in the Dark" and "Lilja 4ever". It's just... ugh.

AND as I'm bad at segue, I will give you a series rec after perhaps you're done with Bebop. "Last Exile" (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2294), it is kids with adventuring and steampunk flying machines.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I managed to miss Manifest this year, though (Melbourne Anime Con). I may actually want to end up going next year...

I'm just too much a fan of Diana Wynne Jones and her books, so I got annoyed at the bits they changed (possibly because they left some of my favourite things out, too).

I've heard of Grave of the Fireflies. Mainly in a "it was the saddest movie I have ever seen!" sense.

Okay, now I am getting too many recs. *flails slightly*

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

I have big, massive squishy love for Fullmetal Alchemist. I think it's down to the fact that Square Enix got involved with it. I'm now working my way through Bleach (an episode times itself just nicely on my train journey in an evening).

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Your icon is shiny. Shiiiiinyyyyy...

(IL Ed, I really do, even if he can be emo kid at times)

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

He has such lovely hair :D I want to ruffle him. Which I admit makes me a complete objectifier. The best thing about FMA is that it's whetted my appetite for Anime and I'm huntng out all sorts of different things. (It also helps that two anime channels have started over here n the UK in the last couple of weeks)

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I just want to pet his hair in that first icon of yours. Which is shallow, but hey...

I has no anime channel, but then again I don't actually watch TV anymore. So it's all DVDs or online stuffs for me.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Speaking of icons, am I allowed to yoink that one. I is being hypnotised by the hair...

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

Feel free, it's not mine but iconmaker credit is on my userpics page.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Mwhahaha!

Is it just me, or is the hair utterly hypnotic?

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

completely

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

The movie is post-series, I know that much.

And I shall pass along your threat.

[stickmarionette.livejournal.com]

Oh Lord, FMA. Awesome anime, batshit fandom. (Which you probably know from f_w.)

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I agree with you entirely.

Once I finish watching, I may have to drop in a little in search of good fic, though. *sighs* I am fearful already.

[stickmarionette.livejournal.com]

Let me know what kind of fic you're looking for when you do finish, since I can probably point you towards the good stuff.

You probably already know not to touch fm_alchemist with a ten-foot pole from f_w. *grin*

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I shall, I shall.

I took one look at that place, and decided it qualified as scary. And rather too busy for a n00b to get used to.

[stickmarionette.livejournal.com]

By the way, fullmetal_info is a good substitute for trawling through the main comms.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

It's a newsletter, right?

So, good for new stuff, but given the anime is a few years old, it's probably not the best way to find old classic fics that everyone in fandom read years back.

I need some recs, basically. (Or I will do, anyway)

[stickmarionette.livejournal.com]

It is a newsletter, but one which has been around since the heyday of the fandom a few years ago.

try_this_fic has some good slash recs, and I made a list of gen recs for someone a while back. There's also a few recs lists in my memories.

Do finish the series first, though. :D

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

If I ever have a few hours to kill, maybe I'll dig though the archive.

Sounds good. (I suspect I shall probably be mostly sticking with gen fic. Mainly because, thus far at least, the idea of shipping the characters is causing my brain to break. Then again, despite the insanity that is Doctor Who fandom, I almost always prefer gen to shippy fic)

I shall do so WHEN THE BLOODY DVD ARRIVES!

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Slightly OT, but I've just noticed there's also fma_herald.

...There's two newsletters. That's... confusing.

[stickmarionette.livejournal.com]

fullmetal_info is much the older and the more well known of the two. I'm guessing the new one was created when the old one started being a bit irregular when a lot of the people involved started drifting off into other fandoms.

[hacked2death.livejournal.com]

Damn, they don't have NG - Angelic Days. I bought the first volume the other day, I'm quite liking it.

I know the Manga becomes quite different from the anime series, just reading through all the beginnings again is a pain... Or is it different from the get go?

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

It's mildly different (different order, a few different things) but mostly the same until about chapter 30-ish, I think. At which point it starts to diverge hugely from the Anime.

[hacked2death.livejournal.com]

I see Beck is online as well. I suggest that, but without the music like the anime, I don't think it would be quite right.