Hello all!

[Comix]

Hello all, I registered on this forum just today in the hopes of talking manga art with some of you (I like talking comic art of any kind, really).

Forgive me if I go on a little!

I didn't 'discover' manga until fairly recently - I was always aware of it, I had even bought a couple of books as 'research' for my own drawing style, but I had never sat down and actually read a manga through until a couple of years ago. I don't remember why I did, perhaps because I live in Asia now and see shops full of it pretty often, but I felt compelled to investigate. I was 28 when I started reading Dragonball. I read quite a lot of it, but went back home for over a month and never really picked it up again. After that I decided I would like to try 'One Piece', perhaps because of it's youthful charm or perhaps because I simply loved the look of it. I bought the first four books and absolutely loved them, but again, because of a short attention span, or put off by the sheer number of books I would have to buy to keep going, I put it aside. I recently started reading Dragon Ball again, going back to the beginning and this time reading a lot further than I had previously. I am only up to book 6, but I am really enjoying it.

I have questioned whether I am too old to read this stuff, but in all honesty I realise that the only reason I think that is because I've grown up in a Country where reading comics is considered foolish and not worthy of your time. It's sad, but in the West comics are still struggling to be recognised as something other than 'silly picture books for kids'. Dragon Ball, for me, is the perfect example of a comic that can be for everyone. One Piece is the same, something everyone can find enjoyment in.

I grew up reading European comics, got pretty into American Superhero comics for a bit, but have always loved non-superhero comics more. I feel like I 'outgrew' the whole super-hero thing, and I've never really gone back (though I do love the recent movies!). I don't mean 'out-grew' in the sense of 'they aren't mature enough' - I simply mean that they don't interest me. Some of my favourite comics of all time are 'Tintin', 'Asterix', 'Calvin and Hobbes', 'Krazy Kat' and 'Moomin'. I like whimsical, funny, charming stories, but I also love adventure and excitement. Dragon Ball could be a Western comic, in my opinion (even the strong cultural references feel relevant to Western audiences).

Anyway, I'm here because I really enjoy these two books, and though I may not be a huge manga fan, I am hoping that I'll be able to discuss these two in some depth in the future!

Thanks for reading, and 'Hello!'

[wizzard]

tl;dr

On a side note,

Any favorites, except DB and what about animes?

[Comix]

tl;dr

On a side note,

Any favorites, except DB and what about animes?

If you'd bothered to read my response, you'd know the answer to the first question.

Anime? Not a huge fan. I love Studio Ghibli movies (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is one of my favourite movies), but that's about it. Loved Akira, too. Manga and anime are hard things to get into, and the fanbase can be very off-putting (the 'hardcore' fans ruin it for me: when I read someone writing that 'anime is the ONLY way animation should be made' and 'Western animation sucks!' I roll my eyes and shudder a little), but I am a big fan of animation in general, so I'm not someone who writes off anime. I do think a lot of it panders to the popularity of the medium, though, and unfortunately does get lapped up even when it's only sub-par. I'm much, much more likely to read the original manga than watch the animation, to be honest. But, like I say, I LOVE Studio Ghibli, so I'm open to the idea that I'm wrong about my assumptions (some of them, at least).

tl;dr? Then just don't bother responding...

[Charlie]

Welcome to mh Comic.

Which parts of Asia have you traveled to.

[Comix]

Welcome to mh Comic.

Which parts of Asia have you traveled to.

Thank you, Charlie!

I've not travelled to much of Asia, I've flown in and out of China a couple of times, but have only seen Beijing and Shanghai airports, unless you count an unplanned overnight stay in Beijing, where I saw the inside of a hotel and not much else. I have plans to see Japan, but those go, as yet, unrealised.

I have, however, been living in Bangkok, Thailand, for the last 3 years, and that's been awesome. I'm going back to England at the end of next month for work reasons, but it's quite likely that I will, by choice, return here at some point in the not too distant future. I love it here, the lifestyle is quite unlike anywhere I've ever seen. Stayed in Australia once for a month, too, but that's not Asia so doesn't count! That's about the extent of my travels. Living away from your home Country is awesome, I recommend everyone do it at least once.

Thanks for the welcome!

[Charlie]

Oh that's really nice. I asume you've become fluent in the local language or somewhat close? This, Japan and Egypt have been on my list to go see.
I wanted to visit China for a while as well though. Some years ago I heard about some ancient statues and structures they have there.

[Comix]

Chai krab, pood Thai dai lao krab!!

Hehe, yes, I can speak quite a bit of Thai already, but I'm far from fluent. After living here for a while you start to find you can 'get by' and get lazy with the language, but I am always learning more and I enjoy speaking it!

China has some amazing places. There's an exhibition of photographs of some of China's most famous sights outside a huge shopping mall here at the moment, I spent a while looking around them and it definitely made me want to visit! It's a photographer's dream, I'm sure! Egypt would certainly be an amazing, if dangerous, holiday!

Japan must be on most people's lists here. The thought has passed through my brain more than once of moving there for a while, but I'm not sure it's the place for me. We'll see, but I definitely want to go there on holiday. I'm not a huge manga/anime geek, though, so I'd more likely want to visit the sights than go shopping - but I'm sure I'd pick up a few geeky things whilst there.

[wizzard]

If you'd bothered to read my response, you'd know the answer to the first question.

Anime? Not a huge fan. I love Studio Ghibli movies (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is one of my favourite movies), but that's about it. Loved Akira, too. Manga and anime are hard things to get into, and the fanbase can be very off-putting (the 'hardcore' fans ruin it for me: when I read someone writing that 'anime is the ONLY way animation should be made' and 'Western animation sucks!' I roll my eyes and shudder a little), but I am a big fan of animation in general, so I'm not someone who writes off anime. I do think a lot of it panders to the popularity of the medium, though, and unfortunately does get lapped up even when it's only sub-par. I'm much, much more likely to read the original manga than watch the animation, to be honest. But, like I say, I LOVE Studio Ghibli, so I'm open to the idea that I'm wrong about my assumptions (some of them, at least).

tl;dr? Then just don't bother responding...

I thought I made it clear I've read what you've written, how otherwise I'd have known you like DB.....

(it was a joke ( particularly bad one (was imitating a certain MH member xD)))

Seen Arrietty? (I may be getting the spelling wrong)


So you can read Japanese ^^?


dub or sub?

Do you like Games (In general)?

(also when I was asking about fav I meant concretely from the MangaShpere .)

[Comix]

I thought I made it clear I've read what you've written, how otherwise I'd have known you like DB.....

(it was a joke ( particularly bad one (was imitating a certain MH member xD)))

Seen Arrietty? (I may be getting the spelling wrong)


So you can read Japanese ^^?


dub or sub?

Do you like Games (In general)?

(also when I was asking about fav I meant concretely from the MangaShpere .)

I've literally just joined, so I don't know any members here. Perhaps your joke might have worked better had I been a regular member...

But that's by the by, I was only feigning insult! I do tend to go on!

Seen Arrietty?

I saw Arrietty at the cinema here in Thailand, actually, and just watched it again last week on Blu-ray. Such an amazing film. I also saw, 'From up on Poppy Hill' at the cinema a few months later - it's really worth watching if you haven't seen it.

So you can read Japanese ^^?

I can't read Japanese, nor can I speak it. I've never been to Japan, and haven't ever had a reason to learn it. I would love to be able to speak/read it, but the same goes for many other languages, and it's not high on my list of things to do to be honest.

dub or sub?

Ha, good question. I actually used to watch Ghibli films dubbed, because they are so well done - but after seeing Arrietty and From up on Poppy Hill in the cinema and subtitled I can't go back to dubbing. So subtitles for me, please! It's weird, because I LOATHE dubbing on live-action movies, and have always had no problem with subtitled movies, but I guess Disney did a good job on the Ghibli films previously that I hadn't really noticed. The 'Arrietty' dubs sound horrific, though.
That said, I don't always mind dubbing, I don't have anything against it if the voice actors are good. If watching anything live action, though, subtitles, EVERY TIME.

Do you like Games (In general)?

I do. I like board games and video games, if that's what you meant? Currently working my way through 'Okami HD' on the PS3 and thoroughly enjoying it (though I've taken about a two week break because that game is SO long). I'm not a huge gamer by any means, I'm getting a little too old to be sitting down for hours playing video games, but I do enjoy playing games that are a) fun b) all about having fun and c) not full of gratuitous violence just because that's what is popular now. Not a big fan of games that make me jump out of my seat or look away from the screen - I didn't buy Far Cry 3 BECAUSE it has sharks in it!

Anyway, again, I've rambled on!!!

Thanks for the questions, though, I enjoyed answering them! Please, ask me more if you wish, I'll try to shorten my answers next time!

Oh, favourite manga? Dragon Ball. It's awesome. It's one of the most enjoyable comics I've ever read - fun, witty, silly and exciting. Everything a comic should be!

[Charlie]

Chai krab, pood Thai dai lao krab!!

Hehe, yes, I can speak quite a bit of Thai already, but I'm far from fluent. After living here for a while you start to find you can 'get by' and get lazy with the language, but I am always learning more and I enjoy speaking it!

China has some amazing places. There's an exhibition of photographs of some of China's most famous sights outside a huge shopping mall here at the moment, I spent a while looking around them and it definitely made me want to visit! It's a photographer's dream, I'm sure! Egypt would certainly be an amazing, if dangerous, holiday!

Japan must be on most people's lists here. The thought has passed through my brain more than once of moving there for a while, but I'm not sure it's the place for me. We'll see, but I definitely want to go there on holiday. I'm not a huge manga/anime geek, though, so I'd more likely want to visit the sights than go shopping - but I'm sure I'd pick up a few geeky things whilst there.

The only Thai I picked was from a Thai Musical, a couple years ago I believe and maybe one other drama about Vampires.
The musical was not too bad. I liked the cast and songs.





The only thing I vaguely recall from the language was saying Ka and Kab when addressing females and males?

Yup Japan is an otaku fantasy land for sue.

hina has some amazing places. There's an exhibition of photographs of some of China's most famous sights outside a huge shopping mall here at the moment, I spent a while looking around them and it definitely made me want to visit! It's a photographer's dream, I'm sure! Egypt would certainly be an amazing, if dangerous, holiday!

You nailed it .

[Comix]

Oh, I completely forgot to mention the other manga I have read, though I'm not sure if it counts as a manga because it's a Japanese comic strip called, 'Neko Ramen' about a cat named 'Taisho' who runs a ramen shop. It's amazing. I was pulled in by the cutesy simplistic art on the cover and the description on the back which made it stand out ('A cat running a ramen shop? Is this seriously not a kids book?') and I fell in love with it upon reading. Really worth investigating if you haven't. Not for art snobs, though - this is pure cartooning fun!

The only Thai I picked was from a Thai Musical, a couple years ago I believe and maybe one other drama about Vampires.
The musical was not too bad. I liked the cast and songs.

...

The only thing I vaguely recall from the language was saying Ka and Kab when addressing females and males?

I've never really got into Thai music, to be honest. When I first came here I thought it was all awful pop stuff, but I soon learnt how ignorant I was. There are a couple of Thai songs I really like, but I don't know much about the music scene here. I have seen a couple of excellent Thai comedies here, though - the most recent one 'Pee Mak Phra Khanong' being (currently) the second highest grossing Thai film of all time. I mention this because the other day me and my girlfriend were waiting for a train and we ended up boarding with one of the stars of the film. Got his photo! A couple of months before that I walked past the guy who wrote this movie (he's an actor, too), so I'm building up quite a collection! One thing I've noticed in Thailand (well, Bangkok) is that I see celebrities ALL the time. If I knew who they were (and was addicted to chasing famous people around) I'd probably get very excited. Still, a nice story to tell!

Yup Japan is an otaku fantasy land for sue.

I'm not quite sure I'm at 'Otaku' level. From what I understand otaku means someone who is obsessed with manga/anime, like men in their thirties/forties who have never really grown up, still live with their parents and read books about school girls riding magical unicorns? I've never grown up, sure, but I'll never admit to the rest of it, never!

Seriously, though - I'm not into Japanese stuff enough to be called an otaku. I am pretty taken by Asian culture in general (I moved here...) but I'm definitely not a manga 'junkie'. Though I do love the different takes you get on things, and the completely random things that seem to happen in manga stories that you just don't see in Western comics. Am I an otaku? Maybe, but I'm definitely a geek/nerd, as described by Wil Wheaton in this clip:



Nerds unite!

[wizzard]

I've literally just joined, so I don't know any members here. Perhaps your joke might have worked better had I been a regular member...

But that's by the by, I was only feigning insult! I do tend to go on!

Seen Arrietty?

I saw Arrietty at the cinema here in Thailand, actually, and just watched it again last week on Blu-ray. Such an amazing film. I also saw, 'From up on Poppy Hill' at the cinema a few months later - it's really worth watching if you haven't seen it.

So you can read Japanese ^^?

I can't read Japanese, nor can I speak it. I've never been to Japan, and haven't ever had a reason to learn it. I would love to be able to speak/read it, but the same goes for many other languages, and it's not high on my list of things to do to be honest.

dub or sub?

Ha, good question. I actually used to watch Ghibli films dubbed, because they are so well done - but after seeing Arrietty and From up on Poppy Hill in the cinema and subtitled I can't go back to dubbing. So subtitles for me, please! It's weird, because I LOATHE dubbing on live-action movies, and have always had no problem with subtitled movies, but I guess Disney did a good job on the Ghibli films previously that I hadn't really noticed. The 'Arrietty' dubs sound horrific, though.
That said, I don't always mind dubbing, I don't have anything against it if the voice actors are good. If watching anything live action, though, subtitles, EVERY TIME.

Do you like Games (In general)?

I do. I like board games and video games, if that's what you meant? Currently working my way through 'Okami HD' on the PS3 and thoroughly enjoying it (though I've taken about a two week break because that game is SO long). I'm not a huge gamer by any means, I'm getting a little too old to be sitting down for hours playing video games, but I do enjoy playing games that are a) fun b) all about having fun and c) not full of gratuitous violence just because that's what is popular now. Not a big fan of games that make me jump out of my seat or look away from the screen - I didn't buy Far Cry 3 BECAUSE it has sharks in it!

Anyway, again, I've rambled on!!!

Thanks for the questions, though, I enjoyed answering them! Please, ask me more if you wish, I'll try to shorten my answers next time!

Oh, favourite manga? Dragon Ball. It's awesome. It's one of the most enjoyable comics I've ever read - fun, witty, silly and exciting. Everything a comic should be!

(Thats why I said 'aside from DB' xD)

I know it was a stupid joke, but , Hey, you're gonna get used to it, don't worry xD
(most ppl think I'm weird (and probably with reason(s)))

Also I meant all types of games, aside form the above mentioned also, tug of war, catch, hide and seek, mind games, word games, etc. etc. (I'm a fan of most every game invented so far (as long as it enchances something withing the player the more he plays))

note sure but I think I watched Arriettys En dub first and thought it's so well done that I couldn't comprehend the jp version after that (once I discovered it's actually an anime by Ghibly I was stunned )(but because I insist on watching everything in original I pulled the jp audio and watched it with it, took 2-3 rewinds to get used to it xD


bit bout me: I tend to say things out of context, but if you can imagine the right (suiting) context for them they kinda fall in place ^^
(so sorry in advance of saying weird/inappropriate things and the likes)

'bout Poppy; It's on hold.(looking for someone to watch it together with him/her/it)



Let me clear soem things up, you registered very soon after 'discovering' manga.
You've seen a small number of animes, don't have a 'my anime list' registration/account yet.
You're an artist.
You like DB.

and you also think you write more than an average person would be up to read if he had anything better to do?



on a side note, what are your manga preferences (if you even have set any for yourself to the moment of writing)
(same for anime?)

P.s. I hate horrors too.

[haruka9]

I think there are various kinds of otaku. I can call myself an otaku but in different way. I like to write reviews about my favorite manga and anime like One Piece. What about you. Do you consider yourself writing about your favorite manga