- Tech TV

Just yesterday I discovered that TechTV has a new series called 'Anime Unleashed', that runs at midnight central time on weekdays. Lately they've been showing an anime called 'Crest of the Stars'. Has anyone else been watching this show? Anyone familiar with 'Crest of the Stars'? I haven't been too impressed with what little I've seen. It looks like an unremarkable Star Wars knockoff. The dub acting is very stiff. Also, the TechTV commercials are lame. They proclaim 'Anime, it's the bomb' as if they're the only ones broadcasting anime. Next week though they're going to be showing 'Serial Experiments Lain'. That I'm very interested in. I think that 'Lain' gets mentioned all the time in r.a.a.m. Is 'Lain' that popular?

- Juan F. Lara http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~jfl/intro.html

'Those guys only know how to cover their ankles.' ust yesterday I discovered that TechTV has a new series called 'Anime Unleashed', that runs at midnight central time on weekdays. Lately they've been showing an anime called 'Crest of the Stars'. Has anyone else been watching this show? Anyone familiar with 'Crest of the Stars'? I haven't been too impressed with what little I've seen. It looks like an unremarkable Star Wars knockoff. The dub acting is very stiff. Also, the TechTV commercials are lame. They proclaim 'Anime, it's the bomb' as if they're the only ones broadcasting anime. Next week though they're going to be showing 'Serial Experiments Lain'. That I'm very interested in. I think that 'Lain' gets mentioned all the time in r.a.a.m. Is 'Lain' that popular?

- Juan F. Lara http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~jfl/intro.html

'Those guys only know how to cover their ankles.' [ This is anime 'unleased'? ]

Hah, come to Canada and watch YTV sometime. That'll teach you what lame commercials REALLY are.

I'm not sure how popular it is overall, but a lot of people have high regard for it, and it definitely has a cult following.

Personally, I count it as one of the five best anime I've seen, but YMMV. For what it's worth, the dub is superb, so you needn't fear 'missing much' due to it being broadcast in English.

Blade

Oh, yes. Got the 21st marked on my calendar for the US release of the first DVD of the sequel, 'Banner of the Stars'.

You betcha.

Say wha? There are things not to like in CotS

'Crest of the Stars' is actually one of my favorite anime in recent years. It's an old-fashioned epic romance about a human boy, Jinto, who by strange circumstance becomes part of the nobility of a conquering alien race, the Abh. His mandatory military service is kicked off with a fateful meeting with Lafiel, an Abh girl who could be next in line to the throne of the Empire. You get the idea.

Show is very character and dialogue driven. I've heard nothing but bad things about the dub, and the Tech TV run especially.

As for Lain, it's pretty well established as a classic, sure. Very surreal. Good dub. Enjoy.

IMO the sub is much better and allows for a better feel of the show, but the dub is ok. Its kind of hard to get into it with the commericals.(they annoy me so)

I believe they are the only ones showing anime... Oh wait there is that other one Cartime Notwork, or something..(Forgot Dbz and don't even think about DBGT, just gimme my Gundam...just a little more Lupin...I think i have issues)

It has a large following..(me included)..I don't know what to say about it with spoiling something. It is an anime which will make you go hmmm..

Buy more anime. . .Support your addiction

A dash of marionette, half a dragon, a pinch of hina, a speck of goddess, A bit of slayer and kimagure orange. garnish with chobit and karekano Serve on fruits basket Yummy...

Maybe the f*-ing commercial breaks every five minutes? . . . at REALLY inoportune times??!!

- Vaughner

'Oh sweet baby Jesus, I'm a female anime-type character and I'm being attacked by tentacles!!! That means there's only one thing that could happen next!!' - Bimbo Moneymaker, (www.)Exploitation Now(.com)

What bugged me was that it took me a while to realize that it was an alternate reality, instead of being a nicely surrealist SF show, which I initially thought it was. I probably should watch it again, now that I figured that out, and see if my opinion changes.

FWIW, I had a similar reaction to yours. I felt that the major accomplishment of Lain was its surreal, almost ethereal atmosphere. Unfortunately, it didn't seem very plausible otherwise, and I was constantly distracted by the 'Um, no, it can't possibly work that way' sounds in the back of my head.

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Hmm? What about Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha, and the upcoming anime Trigun and Big O season 2?? You talk about CN as if it's low on quality anime or something.

Plus you're forgetting the other channels that show anime - Encore, the International channel, and even occasionally Sci-fi network.

Fata Morgana

Well, given that the creators wanted it to take awhile for you to figure that out, I doubt your opinion will change.

It's more atmosphere then substance, but there's nothing wrong with that if it's done well as was the case here.

The show constantly raised one question in my mind: are the scenes of power lines a powerful symbolic image reflecting on modern technology and life, or a good way for the director to not have to animate anything for 5 minutes an episode?

Not necessarily