Well...

[Valles]

I just saw Vision of Escaflowne (subbed) in a marathon session. First, I'd just like to say: Eglahblah!
Next, I -like- it. This is so supremely nifty. I wonder what the various manifestations of destiny-so-called would make of his probability field?
Probably a triple gainer with a quarter left twist.
And then there's Doug's reaction to Guymelefs: "Okay, there's a giant mechanical thing with a cape and a sword the size of a school bus. I need to remember that pot blend."
Blessed be.
-n
(fried)
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

[Bob Schroeck]

---

Next, I -like- it. This is so supremely nifty.

---

Yup, Escaflowne is pretty neat. We watched it on fansubs some years ago, and have been meaning to pick up the commercial release now that it's been out.

---

I wonder what the various manifestations of destiny-so-called would make of his probability field?

---

"I'm sorry, that future is not in service. Please check your fate and try again."

---

And then there's Doug's reaction to Guymelefs: "Okay, there's a giant mechanical thing with a cape and a sword the size of a school bus. I need to remember that pot blend."

---

And the cloaking device, can't forget the cloaking device.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Valles]

>And the cloaking device, can't forget the cloaking device.
"After Van's expression of masculine insecurity blocked the Nothing's attack, that same fell back a step and into visibility with a swirl of its cape.
I stared. 'How the -fuck- did they manage to hide -that-?!'"
Never having seen Neverending story, I can't claim credit for the reference above, but it seems like a Dougish thing to do.
Blessed be.
-n
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

[Bob Schroeck]

I'm coming to think that Doug's reactions to new worlds are getting stereotyped, and I haven't even released anything other than DW2 yet! No matter who writes him, it boils down to: look at strange thing, express disbelief in some profane manner, and then kick something's ass.
I think I need to buy this boy some new reactions.
Yes, this is my way of saying, yeah, sounds like him.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Ebony]

Escaflowne would be a good step. Maybe Doug can do something about the ending. Seriously, I really dug that show, up until the last two episodes, where the writers evidently felt that they had to jam about five episodes worth of plot into two.
I actually see Doug adapting quite well to the world of Escaflowne, at least initially. He's already done fantasy, in the first step, so falling back to that shouldn't be difficult.
Ebony the Black Dragon
aka Draco Draconis Ebenium
known to Sunrise as Aaron F. Johnson
Senior Editor, Living Room Games
www.lrgames.com
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

[Bob Schroeck]

Yup. He's very adaptable, and as he notes at the beginning of DW2, the Walk is far from his first experience with other universes. About the only thing in Escaflowne that will surprise him will be the mecha, and that only because he wasn't expecting it given the local motif. Once he gets over his surprise, he'll be like, "Cool!" and want to take one apart.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Valles]

A good file sharing program and some patience will find you the most interesting things. In my case, fansubs of Read or Die.
Whee! Yes, that place would indeed suit Doug right down to the ground. He's even got the obligitory funky and creative superpower.
Oh, and, an idea for a plot: Just where did the Ijin -come- from, anyway? Who created them? Who backed them? Are they still there? What do they want? How many resources do they have left?
Blessed be.
-n
(Nancy no baka.)
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

[Bob Schroeck]

I can't comment, because I still haven't watched the copies Logan sent me.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Logan Darklighter]

---

I can't comment, because I still haven't watched the copies Logan sent me.

---

Bad Bob! No bisquit! ^_^
Find 30 minutes per day somewhere and watch them one a day. On the other hand, you could watch the the first two and then wait six months to watch the third episode like I did to get the same anticipation, because there's a cliffhanger at the end of episode 2 that's just a killer!! ^_^
-Logan

[Bob Schroeck]

Okay, okay. I watched it all last night. Happy?
And now, I just have to say...
The British national Library has its own freakin' super-powered secret agents? (Hm. If Helen didn't already have her own copies of the series, I'd throw that into Warriors' World when I resume the game in a few weeks.)
And is Drake some kind of really inobvious super, or is he just a damn good special ops type?
And I lost track of leatherclad women at the end. Which one did what?

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Logan Darklighter]

---

Okay, okay. I watched it all last night. Happy?

---

Heh. Finally wore you down. ^_^

---

The British national Library has its own freakin' super-powered secret agents? (Hm. If Helen didn't already have her own copies of the series, I'd throw that into Warriors' World when I resume the game in a few weeks.)

---

It's just one of those weird things. I think it falls under the "don't examine this too closely" rule, for the most part.
On the other hand - it could indicate that superpowers are far more common in this world than otherwise would appear to be the case. It may be that there are as many metahumans in this world as there are in Warrior's World or the IST universe, but for some reason, the practice of donning outlandish costumes like a standard comic book world has just never taken root. Metahumans, no matter how powerful, just don't do that. (I know, I know, a couple of the villains in Read or Die have some pretty wild costumes, but they aren't of the "tights and cape" variety.)

---

And is Drake some kind of really inobvious super, or is he just a damn good special ops type?

---

I don't know for sure. There may be details about him in the manga that were glossed over in the anime. Maybe we'll find out more about him in the next Read or Die series.
As a guess, I'd say he shows - indirectly - some pretty significant physical powers.
Episode 1 - He picks up and throws both The Paper and Miss Deep on that paper airplane off the top of the World Trade Center (yes, for those of you paying attention - THAT World Trade Center. The first episode was released a few months before 9-11...), and does it pretty casually, all things considered, giving them quite a boost. He's obviously got at least some kind of augmented strength, even if it's only low level. I bet he could pick up a VW beetle, at least.
Episode 3 - He survives a fall of what looks like several hundred meters. We don't see him land. And we don't know what he did to survive the fall. Somehow I doubt there was a big air mattress waiting for him down there. Maybe he caught a few pipes on his way down ALA Jackie Chan? If not, then he's just hellaciously tough. Either way, I think it points to him being some kind of physical adept. The bug kid derisively called him "techno-boy" at one point. That could be reference to all the gear he was carrying, but maybe he's a cyborg?

---

And I lost track of leatherclad women at the end. Which one did what?

---

You'll probably catch this better on a second viewing, but I'll lay it out right here.
WARNING FOR ANYONE ELSE READING WHO HASN"T SEEN THE SERIES!!!
BIG, HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...

Throughout episode 1 and almost all of episode 2, the Nancy Murakami, or "Miss Deep", that we see is the "original". She's the one who forms the friendship with Yomiko and such.
Note that during Episode 2, Joker is going over the satellite footage of the meeting between Genjo and the electricity wielding I-jin and notices during one of the satellite passes that there is a woman off to the side, partially hooded, who looks amazingly like Nancy. But Nancy is there with them at headquarters. It makes him curious, and he starts the process of digging into Nancy Murakami's past. Then hand that duty off to Wendy as events demand his attentions elsewhere. Wendy's research shows that "Nancy" is really an I-Jin who has taken over the original Nancy's identity (the information unfortunately comes a little too late). She's Mata Hari.
(For clarity sake, I'll continue to call her Nancy, even though her real name is Mata Hari, because that's what Yomiko continues to call her.)
At the end of Episode 2, it's not the original Nancy who is on the plane, but Nancy #2 (the "evil" twin).
Nancy #2 is also the one we first see at the beginning of Episode #3 standing on that stanchion outside the citadel before the plane gets shot down.
The next time we see Nancy, it's the original one. And Nancy #2 is the one who seemingly wounds her.
Nancy#2 is the one who initially fights and almost kills Yomiko before Nancy#1 steps back in to the fray. (And wasn't that scene of the two of them trying to shoot each other one of the damn coolest throwaway bits ever?^_^)
At that point, it gets confusing for a bit. We lose track of who is fighting who and I'm sure it's on purpose. But just to be clear in case it wasn't made obvious by the ending, it was Nancy#1 on the rocket, and Nancy#2 who was left floating in the water and later wound up at the hospital at the end.
Clear as mud? ^_^
Anyway, hope you enjoyed the series all the way through.
-Logan

[Valles]

WARNING FOR ANYONE ELSE READING WHO HASN"T SEEN THE SERIES!!!
BIG, HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...

>Throughout episode 1 and almost all of episode 2, the Nancy Murakami, or "Miss Deep", that we see is the "original". She's the one who forms the friendship with Yomiko and such.
Given that the rest of the Ijin are clones, my suspicion is that the 'original' Maka Hari is, in fact, dead, and Nancy #1 is an Ijin clone grown quite some time ago and inserted into the identity of Nancy Murakami in an attempt to infiltrate the British Library system - for which purpose to avoid the necessity of a great flashy break-and-enter job like the one that starts off the series.
Of course, part of my reasoning for this is that it lets me have four different 'Nancy's' running around in the ROD fic I'm planning, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't work.
>Clear as mud? ^_^
Nope. Coffee, maybe.
>Anyway, hope you enjoyed the series all the way through.
-I- did.
Blessed be.
-n
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

[Logan Darklighter]

---

Given that the rest of the Ijin are clones, my suspicion is that the 'original' Maka Hari is, in fact, dead, and Nancy #1 is an Ijin clone grown quite some time ago and inserted into the identity of Nancy Murakami in an attempt to infiltrate the British Library system - for which purpose to avoid the necessity of a great flashy break-and-enter job like the one that starts off the series.

---

That was my take on it as well. It begs the question though - WHO originally started the whole I-Jin process? There has to have been a mastermind behind it all. And I'm not talking about mister what's-his-name that Nancy#1 was lover to. Because he himself was an I-Jin.
If that's not at least part of the plot of the next ROD series, then maybe it can be the subject of some fan fiction. (Bob, you listening? ^_^)
-Logan

[Bob Schroeck]

Yeah, I'm listening. I'm still trying to figure out who the boss-guy with the skull cane was myself. For some reason, I kept thinking of Jimi Hendrix, but I knew that was wrong. Every one else among the I-Jin is some kind of historical figure, cloned and given superpowers (except maybe Beethoven, who merely looks weirdly cybered), so who is he? Although some of his dialogue suggests that he isn't a clone, it's hard to be sure.
I keep feeling like I ought to recognize him, though.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[nemonowan]

I don't remember the name, but when I looked
him up, it turned out he was a Zen monk, and
grand master of the tea ceremony. (he appeared
with a ladle a one point, didn't he?)
NN

[Logan Darklighter]

---

(he appeared with a ladle a one point, didn't he?)

---

And it's also mentioned he was a songwriter.
He does refer to himself as "...Ikkyu, I'm the one with the bamboo ladle."
But he never is shown with this. To my knowledge, He only carried three items of note in the OAVs- the aforementioned skull-headed staff, a scroll from which he conjured an illusory tiger to distract Yomiko, and a bomb that Nancy relieved him of at the end of the 3rd episode.
Interestingly, he must have more than one copy of that skull headed staff, because he killed Genjo at the end of ep #2 with one which was promptly lost underwater. He had another one in Ep#3 that hid a sword within it. It also had what apparently was something like a little flame-thrower or chemical igniter that burned Yomiko's paper and gave off a greenish fire.
-Logan

[Bob Schroeck]

So I guess he is a clone, then. Which of course begs the question, who set the I-Jin in motion?
I suppose it's answered somewhere in the manga.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Valles]

Guess who just saw Serial Experiments Lain?
My mind hurts.
Blessed be.
-n
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

[Xenoproctologist]

---

Guess who just saw Serial Experiments Lain?
My mind hurts.

---

A-heh.... I hope you made a marathon session of it. The true whatthefuck-ness simply can't be fully appreciated otherwise.

Hmm...I'm of two minds as to how Doug would get along with the Lain universe.
On one hand, I get the feeling that Doug would pop on his magesight, get a good look at Lain, and find a very pressing engagement Elsewhere. Even if he didn't, All Reset would nix the whole experience.
On the other hand, there's some serious potential for really cool world changes. Dump him in during the events of the TV series and things would get interesting. Well, more interesting...if that's possible.... Hell, dumping him in after the Reset and having him use "Lightning's Hand" to connect to the Wired--thus attracting Lain's attention--would be good for a nice one-shot mini-Step on the walk.

[offsides]

Hmm... I've only seen the first couple of episodes, but I think that watching it all straight would be even worse than the evening Bob, Peg and myself watched NGE: Death & Rebirth and RGU: The Movie back-to-back (with dinner in between)...
Offsides
(note from Bob: Somehow I accidentally edited this rather than replying to it. If I didn't restore it properly, my apologies.)Drunkard's Walk Forum Moderator and Prereader At Large

[Xenoproctologist]

---

Hmm... I've only seen the first couple of episodes, but I think that watching it all straight would be even wors than the evening Bob, Peg and myself watched NGE: Death & Rebirth and RGU: The Movie back-to-back (with dinner in between)...

---

You bet your ass, it's worse.
NGE: D&R can be taken fairly literally. The only part that really needs any work is the rather-clearly-defined and heavy-handed "here, analyse this" bit at the end.
The RGU movie can be taken in fairly easily, so long as one accepts that it's a convoluted metaphor for Hot Lesbian Sex. It can then be picked apart in more depth at one's leisure.
The Lain marathon, on the other hand...well, mindfucks don't get much better than that without chemical enhancement. There's not much you can do except watch it and let it percolate for 24 hours or so.

[Valles]

>The Lain marathon, on the other hand...well, mindfucks don't get much better than that without chemical enhancement. 8) There's not much you can do except watch it and let it percolate for 24 hours or so.
And, it now having done so... My opinion hasn't changed since the last shot of ending credits.
It was incredibly well executed, there was an interesting plot and interesting characters somewhere in there... but they're hard to find past all the mindfuck.
I don't -like- mindfuck. So.
Glad I saw it, but I never intend to repeat the experience.
Blessed be.
-n
(Yes, just to point out what should be obvious by now - it was a marathon session.)
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

[Logan Darklighter]

---

NGE: D&R can be taken fairly literally. The only part that really needs any work is the rather-clearly-defined and heavy-handed "here, analyse this" bit at the end.

---

Ah yes, the Evangelion movies. Where Anno basically says - "okay you sniveling fanboys! You didn't like my innovative self reflective end of the series? You want a climactic robot battle to end the series on? Here you go! And CHOKE on it!! NYA HAHAHAHA!!!"
Anno just so dearly needs a good smacking around the head for that.
*AHEM* Sorry. Went off on a rant there. ^_^
My one-line capsule description of End of Evangelion runs like this -
Imagine 2001: A Space Odyssey - but directed by David Cronenberg instead of Stanley Kubrick, okay? That's End of Evangelion.
-Logan

[Bob Schroeck]

---

> Guess who just saw Serial Experiments Lain?
> My mind hurts.
A-heh.... I hope you made a marathon session of it. The true whatthefuck-ness simply can't be fully appreciated otherwise.

---

We've got to try that one day. We got into Lain the hard way -- one tape at a time, as it came out. So we often had months between chunks of semi-enlightenment.
Oh, btw, according to eeggs.com, the Lain DVDs have easter eggs buried in them. I don't remember the specifics, but if you don't mind crawl-over ads, you can check out their listings.

---

I get the feeling that Doug would pop on his magesight, get a good look at Lain, and find a very pressing engagement Elsewhere.

---

It depends on which Lain he sees.

---

dumping him in after the Reset and having him use "Lightning's Hand" to connect to the Wired--thus attracting Lain's attention--would be good for a nice one-shot mini-Step on the walk.

---

Oddly enough, I was thinking about the possibility of a Lain step while driving to work today and listening to "Duvet" (I recently burned a lot of anime themes to CD for my driving pleasure...). I haven't a clue what I'd do for a plot, but a snippet of dialogue came to me:
"Are you the ghost in the machine?"
"No. I'm the ghost using the machine."
I don't know who says what here. It just bubbled out of my subconscious, and it may take me a while to do anything with it.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Bob Schroeck]

---

Hmm... I've only seen the first couple of episodes, but I think that watching it all straight would be even worse than the evening Bob, Peg and myself watched NGE: Death & Rebirth and RGU: The Movie back-to-back (with dinner in between)...

---

It was the dinner that made it work. If we hadn't gone out for negimaki at that little Japanese place, we would have been flatlined and drooling by the end of the evening.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.