A friend asked about “The Big 3”, which is, arguably, what many in the U.S. think of when somebody mentions anime. His three were:

1. Robotech
2. Voltron
3. Battle of The Planets (aka G-Force)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoO5H_UKCrw

Now, as a kid, I watched all three of these. I actually tried to carefully follow Robotech, but I had other childhood pursuits (i.e. video games) to occupy my time. I each case, and why these 3 are important, the series named above are “Americanized” versions of some classic anime. What do I mean by that? It means there was not just translation, but usually, (and notably in the case of Robotech), heavy editing of, and shortening sometimes (Robotech vs Macross, for example) the original storyline.

Macross

It is to Robotech what Avatar: The Last Airbender is to M. Night Shamalan’s The last Airbender (rough analogy since the more recent movie had no translation to do.) One is great, and the other…we’ll…not so good. They have the same story, however, sorta. If you say you like Robotech, to a fan of anime, you’ll either get a frown of dismay, or an understanding nod and recommendation to go see Macross. So, I’ll be the latter: go see Macross. It really is a good story. It’s best to see it as it was meant to be; in its original form (sorry you’ll have to become a good reader of dubs or learn Japanese.)

Voltron

I liked the lions and the vehicles (lol at me if you want.) AND I’LL FORM THE HEAD! This one’s special because it was a combo effort between a Japanese and American team to adapt two animes, Beast King Go-Lion and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV. That’s why it felt like two different series to most of us who watched it. I didn’t learn that for quite a few years. I actually haven’t watched the originals yet. Someday, I will.

Battle of The Planets

took me a sec to realize he meant the Americanized version of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, which, aka Battle of the Planets (one of my favorites as a kid!) As with Macross, this may be a bit of an odd sensation to watch the original since there will be some differences. I must confess, I need to take a look at this one again too.

There’s a lot (LOT) of great anime you might have heard of, but should see if you like those 3. They are key ones, for sure. Just see the original Japanese versions, please. Here’s a few that you might also hear commonly, in case you want a good foundation:

• Neon Genesis Evangelion (or Eva, for short) -- Considered a classic by many. If you like giant robots defending Earth, this one should be on your list.
• Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) -- I admit I would not have seen this when I did if it weren’t for the popularity of it’s ending song, Hare Hare Yukai. Check it out, if you haven’t already, and keep in mind the series is actually very good:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5G5bD2Do-k

• Golden Boy
-- It’s short, but still a fun ride (lol). I was pleasantly surprised, and this is also an example of good ecchi anime (possibly NSFW, but not too raunchy at all.)
• Love Hina
-- Another good anime that kinda turned my on to the “harem” anime genre.

If you’ve heard of Bleach or Naruto, then I strongly urge you to still give them a shot. Both have their ups and downs, but there’s some really good plotlines in both. They’re popular (might be a good or bad thing), but they do deserve credit for having good production quality. In case I didn’t mention it before, see them subbed. Crunchyroll has both and that is good quality subbing.

This is by no means a definitive guide to anime. I’m not entirely sure one exists, but I hope that’s OK. I like to explore a bit, although I’ll be pretty busy in my favorite genres for quite a while I think. Hopefully, I won’t be alone in my exploration.

Now, this looks mighty promising. Premium WordPress blog backup service. I’m keeping my eyes open.

[spotted at daring fireball]

Update: I got a @reply to my tweet from what looks like a competitor, blogVault, offering the same type of service. Competition could be good.

Interesting. I kinda like the feel of Kazuma.

And….once I got the order right (I think.):

坂本 Sakamoto (book of the hill) 国海 Kuniumi (country ocean).

Take your real japanese name generator! today! Created with Rum and Monkey‘s Name Generator Generator.

Information on this fine beast at WoWhead

It would be a super long drive and perhaps an RV rental would be fun, but I’d likely be taking a solo trip, so a train trip or flight is what I’m thinking. I don’t mind flying, but I’ve never been on a cross-country train ride. That’s what I’d rather travel in for a long trip. What about you?

Would you rather drive across the country in an RV or go by train? [From That’s My Answer! » Would you rather…]

Work on easy Achievements

That’s right. Some achievements don’t involve killing a single monster (or critter.) For example, if I ever find some idle time, I’ll work on:

• To All The Squirrels I’ve loved Before – There’s even a handy guide by BBR at Random Ravings.
• Classic Dungeon Master – Yes, part of this one involves invading an opposite faction’s capital city, but once you’re in the instances, they are relatively easy to clear (and usually solo-able). A small group can quickly do the higher-level dungeons.
• Explore! Visit those nooks and crannies of Azeroth and Outland that you may have missed. uncover those fogged-out areas on your maps. It’s kind of relaxing, in a way…
• Level up a lowbie alt *

I’m probably going to see very little of Northrend during the first week or so after the expansion drops since I really don’t want to let the lag and spawn-camping slow me down. I went through it when the Burning Crusade dropped, and it’s simply a buzz-kill. Working on an alt can also be relaxing too because of the lower number of players in those “old-world” zones.

• Do something other than play WoW *

Yeah, yeah. This one is actually a tricky one. However, I’ve got games on consoles systems, for example, that I haven’t cracked open yet. Playing them could be fun…

Or, I could maybe go out and see a movie or something. Having friends outside WoW can make for a good social event during those evenings when playing WoW isn’t fun.

Hammer (MCHammer) is now following your updates on Twitter.

Yeah, yeah…..I know. It might be an assistant making sure to follow people who are following Hammer, but still; it’s MC Hammer! I don’t feel any more important, but it does feel kinda neat to know that Hammer might see my updates.

And….the normal amount of creepy…

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Whatever happens, make sure you print out your bingo card before you go, and then throughout the weekend, cross off everything that you see on there. If, by the end of the weekend, you’ve nabbed five across, you win!

I’m printing my Bingo card right now…

via WoW Insider

Oh, yeah. Fall has hit this blog as well. Enjoy the colors…