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I was looking for my christmas avatar and found this good luck getting that tripod back

That's some nice context you have there. It'd be a shame if someone were to... ...quote you out of it.

I'm gonna jump on Shanghai's essay bandwagon and talk about one of my favorite series to get around my finals studying block. Specifically, the Nanoha series. It's three series of anime with a couple of spinoff/sequel/i'm not even sure what to call them manga. For the sake of simplicity, I'll talk about season 1, simply titled Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. I'll say that "Lyrical" means all of nothing in-series, although Nana Mizuki, voice of Fate Testarossa, does the insert songs for climactic moments in all three seasons. Anyway, the first series. We open with a boy (roughly nine) fighting a mysterious monster in a forest. He tries to seal it, but fails, and the monster gets away. Injured and drained of magic, the boy collapses, turns into a ferret, and sends out a plea for help. Enter our protagonist, Nanoha Takamachi, a nine-year-old girl with a loving family (Points to the show for giving our protagonist an intact and happy family. It's refreshing), two best friends, and no clue as to what she wants to do when she grows up. And yes, she's nine and thinking this. It's a bit odd, but it nicely sets up her character. She's mature for her age. After school one day, she hears the voice while walking home, and finds the injured ferret/boy. She takes him to a vet (he's still in ferret form, and will remain as such for several episodes), and long story short he stays at the vet overnight while she convinces her family to let her keep a pet. (They're fine with it.) Unfortunately, that night, the monster comes after ferret-boy again, and he barely gets a telepathic message to Nanoha asking for help. She heads out in the middle of the night, and comes across the monster, while ferret-boy literally lands in her arms. Because this is a magical girl show, we need our magical girl, so the ferret-boy convinces her to take a jewel, named Raising/Raging Heart (the translation was originally Raging, and that's what it sounds like, but eventually they officially translated it as Raising), and transformation ensues. And boy, does it ensue. The sequences are... skeevy. Thankfully they mostly disappear after episode 5 or so, and you can pretty easily ignore them. Long story short, the monster was born from something called a Jewel Seed, of which there are 21. Powerful magical artifacts that wound up on Earth (all in the same region of Japan, for narrative convenience) and need to be sealed. Nanoha agrees to help the ferret, who is named Yuuno Scrya. For the first few episodes, it's standard fare Monster of the Week. And then we meet Fate Testarossa, the rival magical girl who seeks the Jewel Seeds for reasons unknown. The running rivalry between her and Nanoha takes up most of the rest of series 1, as Nanoha realizes there's something more behind Fate's pursuit of the Seeds, and wants to understand her reasons- even if she has to beat them out of Fate in the process. Naturally, in the process, we learn about both of them, as well as the greater world Nanoha now finds herself a part of. It's at around this point that the series shifts from "Magical Girl" to "Magical Girl meets Gundam." The action scenes are impressive dynamic. And just as importantly, the dramatic scenes are really well done. There's one scene that honestly made me more upset than the infamous Nina scene in FMA. Series 1 is 13 episodes, and then we move on to series 2, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's (for "Aces), also 13 episodes. It's regarded by most fans (and I wholly agree) as the best in the franchise. Six months after season 1, Nanoha and her new allies find themselves in conflict with a group of of mysterious mages, the Wolkenritter (Cloud Knights), who are attacking other mages (including Nanoha) and stealing their mana. They are linked to a mysterious and powerful artifact (It's a trend) called the Book of Darkness, and the Wolkenritter seek to fill the book's pages with the mana of the mages they are attacking. Their conflicts with Nanoha and her friends, and their reasons for their desperation to complete the Book, are the plotline of A's. A's is where the series hit its peak, I feel, as the action goes into even higher gear, the dramatic stuff hits hard, and we get the two best characters in the franchise. Series 3, StrikerS, is significantly different, and I don't want to get into detail because a lot of it is spoiler territory. Suffice to say it's 26 episodes and still very good, just not quite as good as A's. Series 1: Episodes 1-5: B-. 6-13: A. One specific scene in episode 7 for sheer insta-hate of a character: A++. Series 2: A+. Starts fast and doesn't look back. Episode 11: A with more pluses than I can fit on a page. Series 3: B. Gets a bit confusing at times, and is different tone-and-setting-wise from the first two. However, it has my two favorite moments in the entire franchise by an absolute mile.

What the ♥♥♥♥ did you just clicked, you little ♥♥♥♥♥? I’ll have you know I farmed experience on Rats DW, and I’ve been involved in numerous stealth missions, and I have over 8.000.000 cash. I am trained in picklocking and I’m the best Mastermind in my team. You are nothing to me but just another cop. I will wipe you the ♥♥♥♥ out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this game, mark my ♥♥♥♥ing words. You think you can get away with kicking me from the game? Think again, ♥♥♥♥er. As we speak I am contacting my crime network of heisters across the DC and your safehouse is being traced right now so you better prepare for the heist, maggot. The heist that takes the precious little thing you call money. You’re ♥♥♥♥ing dead, noob. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill you in over seven hundred ways, and that’s just with my weapon butt. Not only am I extensively trained in melee combat, but I have access to the Gage's arsenal and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable ♥♥♥ off the face of the Steam, you little ♥♥♥♥. If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little “clever” kick was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your ♥♥♥♥ing finger. But you couldn’t, you didn’t, and now you’re paying the price, you ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ idiot. I will ♥♥♥♥ing noscope you with Thanatos. You’re ♥♥♥♥ing dead, kiddo. On a side note, apparently Overkill disabled Hoxhud since it was messing up Diamond heist by completely breaking the puzzles Meh, I can do better. What the fuck did you just fucking say about me, you little cloaker? Ill have you know I graduated top of my class in pre-planning, and Ive been involved in numerous shadow raids, and I have over 300 confirmed Hoxton Breakouts. I am trained in masterforcer and Im the top drill fixer in the entire black market. You are nothing to me but just another target. I will clean your apartment the fuck out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this Earth, mark my fucking words. You think you can get away with saying that shit to me over the Internet? Think again, fucker. As we speak I am contacting my crime.net network across the USA and your IP is being traced right now so you better prepare for the storm, bulldozer. The storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your bank account. Youre fucking broke, kid. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can rob you in over seven hundred ways, and thats just with my suit build. Not only am I extensively trained in GL40 combat, but I have access to the entire Gage arsenal and I will use it to its full extent to steal all of your miserable money off the face of the continent, you little shit. If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little clever comment was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your fucking tongue. But you couldnt, you didnt, and now youre paying the price, you goddamn shield. I will shit fury all over you and you will drown in it. Youre fucking dead, wanker.

This just came out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLcTwC9eSKM

Gentlemen, please.

SEVEN BUCKS? WE WERE HARDLY HERE

I had a dream that during lunch me and my friend hear air raid sirens and are quickly rushed into a classroom. Now, me and him have both talked about this a lot (mainly after one night we all watched good ol' Red Dawn) and we were at both entrances to the area ready to kill any damn dirty commie that walked through It's a shame I woke up before any did

I don't know if anyone remembers, but a couple of weeks ago I made a post in this thread, stating that I had been watching a ton of shoujo anime recently and that I was really enjoying Revolutionary Girl Utena. Well, I've finished it now. I actually finished it a while ago, but I didn't really post about it. I was a having a hard time collecting my thoughts on that anime. As per usual though, whenever I watch something which I thoroughly enjoy, I like to impose my opinions onto others by posting an essay on the anime in question in this thread (See: Legend of the Galactic Heroes or Hajime no Ippo, among others), because this is the only real outlet I have for these kind of things. I guess I could go join an anime forum somewhere, but I don't actually like people and you guys have acceptable taste. So I'll post my stuff here in hopes that someone might just pick up Utena, because it is 100% worth watching. ********************************************************************************************************************************** I guess I'll start by explaining why I ended up watching Utena in the first place, because if you judge this anime by looks and by whatever short synopsis you can find on various anime sites, it probably won't look or sound appealing at all. Revolutionary Girl Utena is a "Shoujo" (The opposite of "Shounen", it is aimed at younger girls) anime, which originally aired in 1997. It is an anime that has caused a lot of discussion between anime fans, because there is no clear-cut way of interpreting this anime. It released around the same time as giants such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and just like NGE, it is riddled with symbolism and it is a lot more layered than you might think at a first glance... Though it doesn't quite reach the same level of insanity which is the end of the Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series, so don't worry about that. It is one of those anime that is regarded by many older anime fans as a cult classic. This was the biggest reason I ended up watching Revolutionary Girl Utena, because my previous experience with older "cult classics" in anime, has shown me that I tend to genuinely enjoy those shows. A lot. Gunbuster, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Future Boy Conan, Neon Genesis Evangelion etc. That and also because Shoujo is one of the anime genres I am the least experienced with... Which I suppose is understandable, considering I am a dude. The only Shoujo I can remember watching prior to Utena, was "Kuragehime" or "Princess Jellyfish", which was alright. Enter Revolutionary Girl Utena, an anime that is presented initially a little bit like a fairy tale. In very picture book-esque manner, we are told the story of a young princess who lost her parents. As she was crying over their graves, she was approached by a prince on his white horse. The prince wipes away the young princess' tears and says to her: "Little one, who bears alone such a deep sorrow. Never lose that strength and nobility, even when you grow up. I give you this to remember this day. We will meet again. This ring will lead you to me." He proceeds to put a rose-signet ring on the girls finger and rides off into the distance. Perhaps that ring was an engagement ring? We don't know, but whatever the case, the princess was so greatly inspired by the prince, that she vowed to become a prince herself. But was that really such a good idea? Fast forward to the present time, we are introduced to the high school student "Utena Tenjou", who quite clearly is the princess from the fairy tale introduction. She is in an argument with a teacher at her high school, because she is wearing a boys uniform, she wanted to become a prince, remember? Utena is a tomboy by all respects. Dresses in boys clothing, is captain of the basketball team and in general is a very strong-willed (and not very feminine) person. She goes about her high school life as any regular student would, except she is waiting. She has been waiting for a long time. Waiting to finally be reunited with the prince who gave her the rose-signet ring all those years ago. One day, she notices a girl tending to flowers in the school's garden. This girl is being abused both verbally and physically by the captain of the Kendo team and a member of the student council, Kyouichi Saionji. As Saionji backhands the girl, Utena rushes to her aid, scolding Saionji for his behaviour and daring him to go any further. Saionji calls Utena out on her audacity, claiming that "The Rose Bride" was his to do with as he pleased and that she shouldn't get between them. It is at this point Utena notices, that Saionji is also wearing a rose-signet ring. She asks him about it and he seems equally surprised that she is wearing one and leaves in a hurry. Utena is left to introduce herself to the other girl, named Anthy Himemiya (Note: "Hime" means "Princess" in Japanese) or "The Rose Bride" as Saionji had called her. She is a very quiet, introverted and kind-hearted girl. Utena cannot for the love of her figure out why Saionji was acting the way he was towards Himemiya, especially considering that Saionji is a person admired by many girls on campus, both because of his dashing looks and swordsmanship. Later that same day, a private love-letter is posted on the school bulletin board for all to see. The love-letter was anonymous and directed towards Saionji, who obviously deemed it silly and meaningless and decided to humiliate whoever sent it by making it public. As many students gather around the letter to read and laugh at the wish-washy love drivel written in it, Utena notices her only true friend at the school, Shinohara Wakaba, standing near the crowd, at the verge of tears. Utena puts two and two together and decides that Saionji has gone too far. She marches towards the Kendo dojo and brazenly sparks a confrontation. Saionji tells her to meet him in the arena behind the school after classes and tells her that "her ring will grant her entry". Unfazed at the idea of having to duel the Kendo captain, Utena marches towards the arena after her classes and using her signet to unlock a vast door, she enters an arena which seems otherworldly. Spiralling endlessly into the sky, she climbs a staircase. At the top, she finds a circular arena, balancing at what can only be described as the top of the world. Even further above this arena, an upside-down castle floats in the sky, casting bright lights down onto the area. She is greeted by Saionji and none other than Anthy Himemiya, though she is dressed differently. Instead of the usual school uniform, she is wearing a regal looking red dress. Utena questions Himemiya's presence, but the girl seems different from before. As the duel commences, Saionji utters the words which will be echoed countless times throughout this anime: "Give me the power to revolutionize the world!" and with that, he draws a sword from Himemiya's chest... Yes, her chest. Utena herself had brought a Kendo practice sword and with that, the duel begins. As you can imagine, a wooden practice sword doesn't hold up very well against cold steel and the Kendo sword is quickly shattered, leaving Utena to dodge and weave the strikes from Saionji. I should probably mention at this point, that they were never actually aiming to kill each other, but rather to strike a rose which the Rose Bride had placed on their chests before the duel. Whoever lost their rose first, lost the duel. Just as things seemed at their worst, Utena is infused by a power emanating from the castle in the sky above. "The Power of Dios" (Dios = God in Spanish, if I am not mistaken) courses through her and with this miracle she is able to defeat Saionji, knocking the rose from his chest. Off in the distance, other members of the student council observe the duel, intrigued by this new addition to the equation. Utena learns that upon defeating Saionji, she now holds the engagement to the Rose Bride and that Anthy Himemiya is now effectively hers to command. Not that she really wanted it. This is the beginning of an insane tale of love, betrayal, growing up and shattering the image the world might have of you. What I just described to you, are the first couple of episodes of Revolutionary Girl Utena. As the series continues, it gets weirder and weirder, as more and more dots are connected in the plot. New players enter the stage, terrible secrets are unveiled and subtle symbolism hints at the truth throughout the entire anime, but you most likely won't be able to put it together until you have seen the ending and my god, what an ending. Probably one of the most brutal, yet satisfying endings I have ever seen in an anime. I cried, I'll admit it. Revolutionary Girl Utena is indeed a Shoujo, with a gratuitous amount of "bishounen" characters, not to mention very girly subplots, but the series finale is definitely not for kids, I can tell you that much right now and I don't feel any less of a man for having watched this show. Revolutionary Girl Utena is not a total dance on roses (hehe). I cannot give it full points, as it unfortunately falls flat with a few filler-esque episodes. They're not mindless fanservice or contrived sideplots, but the episodes serve no real purpose to further the main story, and because these episodes sidetrack the excellent main story, they become extremely tiring to watch. Not to mention the fact that there are quite a few recap episodes. Out of the series 39 episodes, I'd say roughly 8 of them could be completely cut, which is not exactly great. I suppose to some people, the art might be off-putting as well, I know I was having a hard time with it initially. I will also go ahead right now and say that Revolutionary Girl Utena is corny. Really corny. You know, "90s corny". It gets better as the story progresses and gets more serious, but man, the first episode especially really got to me. I know I described it in detail above, but I only really talked about the serious things. I didn't mention the corny song that plays as Utena ascends the staircase in the arena (I've come to love that song now) and I didn't mention the great one-liners uttered by some of the characters such as "Oh baby, light my fire!" in broken English. It was actually so bad, that I initially dropped Utena after the first episode. I just couldn't take it seriously. After reading other people's thoughts on it though, I decided to give it a real chance and controlled myself as I watched the beginning part... and lo and behold, it turned out to be fucking amazing, especially the last 10 episodes. 9/10, would recommend if you want to watch something that isn't braindead moe. Thank you for reading through my essay, I can't wait to receive my grade.

Ok, now you're just blurring the lines betweens an IMAGE and a VIDEO.

http://a.pomf.se/towyze.webm

we sound webms now http://a.pomf.se/fylevg.webm