BTW

Check out the what we read and watch stuff on the side. Are there any you may not have heard of or want to check out? Let me know and can post links or give a description.

I read it for the art.....:)

Yippie! I finally got some responses..:) Ok, let's hear about what you like to read and watch. So, how many of you are into anime or manga for the story content or the art? I was discussing this with someone the other day and was asked, "Do you really consider graphic novels art?" Well, short answer is yes. It is isn't it? That doesn't mean everything is good of course. There are different styles just like anything else. Everyone has their own tastes. I like surfing and downloading scans in the raw which you wouldn't get here in the states and finding someone to follow. Watching how they grow as artists. I feel the same way about story lines. Finding little one shots and seeing all the different stories. Sometimes I finish a story even though the art makes me cringe. Other times I like just enjoying the art even though the story is very generic. When you find both that is a bonus. I have a new poll so don't forget to check it out and let's have a real debate. Any ideas for other topics would be great too!

Debate Topic One - Nudity

Ok, Let's start off with a good one! Anime and Manga can be for all ages. It seems though that it can be hard for the diligent parent to find anything that doesn't have some form of nudity in it. If not showing nudity than many references to being naked. Is it just our American morals that has the problem? Are we not enlightned enough? It seems sometimes it is hard to enjoy the plots and artwork over the "other stuff". Now, I personally like watching how artists grow and change. Sometimes, it seems to take over and plot suffers. To find something that has both in a balanced way is a barrel shoot. Violence also can be in the front lines that seems to me quite attractive to the younger set, although no more so than any tv movie or video game. There is a HUGE amount to choose from and that is the positive thing. I think the American market has less choice and as such the things that are marketed here first may have more sex and violence in order to get their pages in the door here. I find a ton of cute stuff online. On the other end of the spectrum though is the fact I have also found a LOT of stuff that made me go, "oh my God, did I just read that?" I mean actual drawn out sex. Maybe, growing up on Batman and X-Men I wasn't prepared to see a high school girl bullied so bad that it resulted in such a thing in a "comic genre". I will say though, I would have recommended the story to my son who is 15. The story was amazing. The art was just ok but the the tale of how this kid came out of severe abuse from so called friends and went from not coming to school to graduating and finding a source of strength was inspirational. It was just those two sceens that made me hesitate. It was just to graphic for me. The visual medium has much more impact. I was speechless. Is that a bad thing? Maybe not at first but then the risk of becoming no longer shocked at such things can be a sad result. Although in the story I mentioned it seemed to fit there are other things I have seen that made no sense what so ever to plot other than "let's see her naked already!" I saw one anime where a female assassin was chasing her helpless male victim through the woods. She became enraged at his running away (can't imagine why) so she stops....rips off her clothes...and hunts him down again. *stunned silence* After a few seconds all you could do was laugh. It was so SENSELESS. The idea that it would HELP her in the pursuit was moot. You would think a nice sports bra would have been of more use. Then if she used it to strangle him AFTER she caught him then MAYBE I could say...ok I gueeesss I can see the reason for taking off your bra....:) Thoughts?

For my Boys....:)

ok, then. This is my second blog. I thought this would just be pure fun. This is for me and my boys to share with....?.....about all the fun stuff we like...mostly centered on manga and anime ...art related things and writings as well. Let me just say we love the DVR feature on our Dish. With work and school staying up late to watch the latest anime is just out of the question. Although we do stay up late (in my case try to) on saturdays watching the animes and making japanese dishes and getting into heated talks about this and that. I am going to try and make this a fun place to hang out and touch base for us when things get crazy..:)