Since I got home from work early yesterday I started the series and I left off around episode 11

I couldn't agree with you more about the characters and the pacing. The two male characters are blubbering infantile idiots. I realize they are suppose to be young, but they are scripted more like elementary school than late high school. The whole "Hard On" Kei gimimick gets old (as have many of the schticks). The other irritating aspects are long drawn out points that have already been established. OK, we get the point, move along! And the melodramatics are way over the top.

Some better editing and script work and the story as a whole could improve from an OK rating to a very good. I've enjoyed the development, the story hasn't become stagnant yet ... though I've fast forwarded more than I'd care to admit, "Melons" provides some good fan service (she is smoking!!) even though that's really been her only use as a character, the series definitely doesn't hold back on the violence/nudity aspects - which is always a good thing.

So overall, it's unbalanced and could easily use some improvement, but there are aspects that I've enjoyed. I'm mostly interested to see where this is all heading (even if I do have to FF a few times to get there).

Oh yeah, and I'm pissed that my favorite (and most intriguing) character has already been killed off ....

Q, characters on Gantz get killed off quicker than on 24

Yeah, no kidding - there's no end in sight on that note. One driving factor ..is just enough introduction and build up of new characters is given to help formulate a more valid opinion on rooting for who's going to get it next. It's twisted and playful in that respect.

But the difference between them and the one main character that gets wasted annoys me. I was hoping that particular character had a more integral role towards the conclusion of the film. Instead I get to rely on a group of annoying nitwits.

Oh I love the name of the school they go to btw ... "nippletits"!! Haaa What is that all about!???

I agreed that if they improve script and less slow pacing, the series would've been better.

Keep your remote handy, the pacing will get worst next several episodes...

For Gantz the manga is still going. The anime completely changed the direction of the story on the last couple of episodes. However, the other episodes were pretty close to the manga.

Anyone watched Count of Monte Cristo? It's a show that has always intrigued me and I finally got around to ordering the series since rightstuf had the singles for $10 a pop. Just wondering what you guys' opinions are of the show if anyone has seen it.

I only saw The Last Exide and Samurai Champloo and they both are great series.

I don't quite understand what Funimation means regarding that ad...

I think it has something to do with rescue series from Geneon. The Last Exile is originally from Geneon.

I have seen it seemingly years ago. Without going to much details, the series contain interesting animation (it may take some time to get use to) and IMO rich storyline. The single volumes are currently $8 per volume. The boxset is available for $59.99. Otherwise you can wait for the FUNimation release later in 2009.

It was a licensing event by FUNimation. They revealed one series per day with the exception of yesterday (of which were 3).

License Rescue: Ikki Tousen, Gad Guard, Vandread, Last Exile, Gankutsuou

License Rescue (FUNi dealing with distribution): Gungrave, Samurai Champloo.

The rest are new licenses of which most will be releasing starting sometime in late 2009.

It basically means FUNimation completely rewrote the definition of "New."

"A Ten Day CountDown of New Anime for the New Year"

The list gives us a total of 5 "New" Anime series. Even if titles such as Samurai Champloo, Gankutsuou, Last Exile, etc were never part of FUNimation's library, these are not "new" anime series.

If say "Akira" went out of print, and gets rescued for release, it's not new.

In the literal sense, FUNimation should have announced 10 new anime titles, not a handful mixed in with a bunch of rescued titles. Nevertheless, I intend to buy the five new offerings. Here's hoping for better packaging than the current FUNi-thin-packs.

Thanks for the explanation guys, now I get it.

Hmm I don't know if I've ever posted in this thread before, so...

Top 10 favorite anime:

(Vision of) Escaflowne

Last Exile

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Twelve Kingdoms

Elfen Lied

Ah! My Goddess!

Noein: To Your Other Self

Scrapped Princess

Love Hina

Galaxy Angel (all versions)

Top 5 favorite anime movies:

Escaflowne: The Movie

Rahxephon: The Movie

Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion

Akira

As for Funi's announcement, I guess you should take it that they mean anime that's new to them, new to their distribution, or whatever. Personally, I'm just happy to see Soul Eater and Slayers Revolution on that list! Not to mention Ikki Tousen and Count of Monte Cristo being "saved", lots of good news!

Hah, figures as soon as I pull the trigger they would lower the prices. And now they lower the price of the box to what I paid for all the singles individually, that really hurts because I would loved to have had the box.

Yeah, what can you do. It happens to all anime fans. Sometimes you pay more, other times less. Regardless, it's a great series. I'm glad to see that FUNimation rescuing this series.

Sword of the Stranger in Select Theatres on 2/5/09
More info. and theater list

Looks awesome, already ordered a ticket to see it here in New Orleans.

It does look interesting to see. They didn't release on DVD in USA, right?

I have order a ticket myself. It will be first anime movie that I have seen in a theater since Paprika.

It will be released sometime in 2009. The release originally was planned for spring, but I don't see that happening with the other BEI delays. The movie is planned for DVD (Reg & LE) and Blu-ray (Reg & LE) releases.

Quite a variety on what we all consider the top 10...

Mine is more biased towards samurai/sword fights & gun action anime. I am not very big fan of anything Mech/Robot related and find most of them overrated and at times can not even finish them...but here goes.

The movie that started it all for me back in the late 80's...***Lensman***...

Top Ten Overall:

1.) Rumbling Hearts
2.) Death Note
3.) Rurouni Kenshin
4.) Gungrave
5.) Samurai Champloo
6.) Suzuka
7.) Bleach
8.) Ghost in the Shell
9.) Last Exile
10.) Azumanga Daioh

Honorable Mention:

Fate/Stay Night, Gun Sword, Genshiken, Le Chevalier D'Eon, Fullmetal Alchemist, Getbackers, My Hime, Kaliedo Star, DNAngel, Baki the Grappler S2, Samurai Deeper Kyo, Mushi-Shi, Samurai 7, Hellsing, Black Blood Brothers, Trinity Blood, Basilisk, Witch Hunter Robin, Hell Girl, Gantz, Afro Samurai, Peacemaker

Most Overrated:

1.) Cowboy Bebop (Boring & Dull...Not sure what anyone sees in it)
2.) Neon Genesis Evangelion (Made me sleepy....yawn)
3.) Trigun (Could never take the main character serious)
4.) Kyo Kara Maho! (Toliet Flushing, Gay Proposal..etc scary)
5.) Serial Experiments Lain (Blink...couldn't follow it)
6.) Paranoia Agent (Honestly, barely remember any of it)
7.) Rahxephon (Best part..how cool the artbox looked)
8.) Escaflowne (Finished it...but no replay value)
9.) Outlaw Star (Watched it...sorta of)
10.) Berserk (got that...so what feeling on it)

The What the Heck Was I Thinking List:

Neo Ranga, Gravitation, ES Otherwise, Samurai Gun, Ninja Scroll

In Progess/Currently Watching List:

Gilgamesh
Hell Girl
Mushi-Shi
WitchBlade

The To Watch List:

Beck, Gunslinger Girl, 009-1, Heat Guy J, Phantom Memory Kurau, Madlax, Cromartie High School, FaFner, Solty Rei, Noir, Black Cat, Desert Punk, King of Bandit Jing, Gad Guard, Utawarerumono, Yugo The Negotiator, Galaxy Angel, To Heart, X, Devil May Cry, FLCL, Shinchan, Black Lagoon, Saiyuki, Saiyuki Reloaded, Saiyuki Reloaded Gunlock, Zipang, Excel Saga, Wolf's Rain, Boogiepop Phantom, Karas, Banner of the Stars, Crest of the Stars, NowandThenHereandThere, Gankutsuou, Argentosoma, Kaze no Yojimbo, Ai Yori Aoshi, Koi Kaze, Full Metal Panic, Full Metal Panic TSR, Chrono Crusade, Dead Leaves, 5 Centimeters per second...(whew!)

I should also mention that credit goes to WTK for the info. on the Sword of the Stranger info. I nicked it from a thread of his on another forum figuring it should be made known to our fellow anime addicts here as well.
And mordanne, I can't believe you think Cowboy Bebop is "boring & dull". I can understand if you don't think it is the greatest show ever (although I certainly think it is), but no way it is boring or dull in any way. I respect your opinion, but jeez. Totally agree with you on Samurai Gun though, that is hands down the worst anime series I have seen in my entire life.

I’ll break up little (since I have watched almost 100 anime series/movies)…

So, here are my separated genre categories:

Top 5 Movies (non-Hayao Miyazaki film)

1. Tokyo Godfathers
2. Akira
3t. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
3t. Samurai X
4. Millennium Actress
5t. Origin: Spirits of the Past
5t. Perfect Blue

Top 5 Hayao Miyazaki Film

1. Kiki’s Delivery Service
2. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
3. Spirits Away
4. Howl’s Moving Castle
5. Porco Rosso

Top 5 Romance/Comedy series

1t. Chobits
1t. Strawberry Marshmallow
2. Love Hina
3. Ah! My Goddess
4. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Top 5 Adventure

1. Fullmetal Alchemist
2. Last Exile
3. Scrapped Princess
4. Twelve Kingdoms
5t. Freedom
5t. Kurogane Comm

Top 5 Action

1. Black Lagoon
2t. Gunslinger Girls
2t. Full Metal Panic!
3. Madlax
4. Noir
5. Chrono Crusade

There’s so many good anime series/movies that I have not mentioned above. It was tough decision.

This is my honorable mention:

Ai Yori Aoshi
Basilisk
Berserk
Cowboy Bebop
Death Note
Elfen Lied
Ergo Proxy
Ghost in the Shell
Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden
Read or Die (movie)
R.O.D. (TV series)
Rurouni Kenshin
Samurai Champloo
Stratos 4
The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye
You’re Under Arrest
Zipang

Top Favorite Characters
1. Revy (Black Lagoon)
2. Sousuke Sagara (Full Metal Panic!)
3. Jiji (Kiki's Delivery Service)
4. Miu Matsuoka (Strawberry Marshmallow)
5. Tina (Ai Yori Aoshi)
6. Dr. Nor (The Third: The Girl With the Blue Eye)

It didn't appeal to me at all. No great plot or mystery to it. The anime wasn't sharp or special. I personally found it flat. Since a lot of people like the series I truly expected more. I also felt it had no replay value. By no means anywhere close to my TOP 10.