This WORLD features all official updates from our network.
- Created By Adam
Now Recruiting: theOtaku News
One of the big complaints I've been hearing again and again on Version Vibrant is our lack of news coverage. We have a lot of members who can't draw and can't write and who still want a way to contribute to our community and interact here. Thus we announce the forthcoming release of theOtaku NEWS, a site that'll bring together news on a number of categories of interest to members in a fun and unique way.
Very, very rarely does our site have any sort of staff openings, but we're looking for two people to contribute daily: One person to focus on MANGA and one person to focus on OTAKU-oriented video games. I estimate that the time needed will be about an hour a day, lower once you get the hang of things.
Here are the qualities the right person should have:
(1) Online a lot and constantly reading news on your expertise area
(2) Can write fun/witty headlines
(3) Can write a paragraph without spelling or grammar errors
To express your interest in one of the two positions, simply email me here taking a few recent stories from around the web in the subject area you're applying to and turning them into a funny headline + short descriptive text. Any questions, post them here.
Otaku Attraction: It's a Two-Fer!
It's Friday and you all know what that means. It's time for another Otaku Attraction for the masses! Thanks to everyone that sent me more videos over the past two weeks. It's really appreciated. There wasn't a video last week due to reasons...Caption Battle: Two-For-One
"It's that time again..."
"To change the roll of toilet paper?"
"To figure out how many shows Des' is watching these days?"
"No... it's time for this week's caption battle!"
But first, last time's winners:
In third place, referencing one thing while at the same time using something I could totally hear the characters say: Miss Anonymous!
Ed: "Hello sir or madam! Would you like to hear of the wonders of the Great Pumpkin today?"
In second place, quoting something quite different but also to fine effect: Yamchaa!
Ed: "I put the lotion on my skin, please dont use the hose again!"
Transvestite: "Alright, a deals a deal, here's some M&Ms."
And in the coveted first place, making Ed's hand position all the more funny and using all of two words (more or less)... the real yojimbo!
Edward: Cough please. (Fail!)
Thanks for playing, everyone. And now before I finish off, I wanna give an honourable mention to red tigress for making me laugh while not really being able to give her a placing on grounds that she just kinda repeated my sentiments from the top of the page. Also, for those of you who were too lazy to type out all of the word "transvestite"... I want you all to Google "tranny" and then think about what you've done this October.
Ahem.
Now that that's done, I have a promise to keep. As situations over on my end of the world took up all my time, I didn't get to the caption battle right away. I apologise for that. Really. To make up for that... I'm posting a twofer this week! That's right, two screencaps for your captioning pleasure!
The first comes from Teh Kimmeh (or "KimmehWolfwood" if you're starting to wonder why you can never find "Teh Kimmeh" in the member lists); taking a snapshot from the Fullmetal Alchemist movie, "The Conqueror of Shambala", she has Alphonse Elric and a suit of armour surrounded by other suits of armour. Don't worry, it makes more sense than you might think:
Second screencap comes from Miss Anonymous and the series .hack//Roots. The guy on the left is Sakisaka, and the catgirl is Tabby:
You know the drill: type up the funniest, wittiest, most original caption you can think of for the screencap above in the comments below. Also, if any of you would like some tips on writing a great caption, you can find those here.
And like always, theOtaku is open to all submissions and suggestions for weekly feature content. You have a screencap you want used, you can PM me and we can do somethin' about it. You know we're good for it...
Vampire Hunter Interview
At the 2008 New York Anime Festival I was given the opportunity to interview both Hideyuki Kikuchi and Yoshitaka Amano via Kevin Leahy, esteemed translator. Kikuchi is the author of over 100 novels, including most famous the Vampire Hunter D series. He is often called the "Steven King of Japan." Amano is a legendary character designer and illustrator, creating a number of concept drawings for Square-Enix's Final Fantasy Series as well as, of course, Vampire Hunter D.
My first question is for Mr. Amano...right now in the US there's been a huge debate on whether video games should be considered an art form. You happen to be an artist who's contributed to so many popular video games, so what are your thoughts on this medium as an art form.
AMANO: (Chuckles) A game is meant to be played so I'm not sure whether it's an art. It's made to be enjoyed so it might not be viewed as art.
All right. This question is to both of you: If you were giving advice to an artist or writer just starting, what advice would you give?
KIKUCHI: (Chuckles) Write all the way to the end. A lot of times give up before the end. Get the story finished and then decide what to do with it.
AMANO: It's important to keep drawing. Don't retire, draw your whole life, and enjoy it, do it outside of work.
A follow up question for Mr. Kikuchi, a lot of writer's deal with writer's block, but you've written over 100 novels, how do you keep inspired to come up with so many ideas?
KIKUCHI: The ideas for my books come from things I've seen, books I've read, movies I've seen...if I see a scene in a movie that makes a strong impression, then I'll try to write that scene but with my own interests and inspiration and adapt it in that way.
For Mr. Amano, one of your trademarks is your very strong style. I can look at almost any work of yours and know immediately that you're the creator. How does your unique style reflect you as a person and what advice would you give to someone to develop their own style.
AMANO: My style comes from my roots as a character creator, that's my job is to create a show's style. I'm not sure what my style is but for the Vampire Hunter D novels I look at the text and I draw it as it occurs to me.
It's easier to draw works where you're given direction or when you're drawing works out of your own subconscience for yourself?
AMANO: It's interesting to do both but when I hear the idea from someone else it's much easier to do than doing it myself, I run into a block less often.
Mr. Kikuchi, happy birthday! What's it like to celebrate at an anime convention?
KIKUCHI: To be honest it's a little strange. I've never had an experience like this before.
In the West you're most famous for Vampire Hunter D, what is it about vampires that you think is so attractive to people?
KIKUCHI: Speaking for myself, what I find interesting about vampires is that they're a kind of Western nobility that Japan doesn't have in its history. They're immortal but they show that immortality isn't completely a good thing. They have to live forever with all kinds of doubts and pain and while they are immortal, they can also be easily destroyed by a stake through the heart or decapitation, so I like that juxtaposition. The D series isn't actually horror, it's fantasy, which adds to its popularity.
Both of you recently collaborated and I was wondering what future projects are on the horizon?
AMANO: (Laughs) We're going to work on D until one of us dies.
KIKUCHI: I'll continue with what I always do, write what I want to write. I don't have someone telling me what to do and I like that.
Mr. Kikuchi, I haven't had a chance to get the program guide and this is the first time an original story has been published in a program guide, what was that experience like?
Well the story was published elsewhere first. This will let more people enjoy it and the more people who enjoy it the happier I become!
theOtaku.com Anime Podcast V - Ep. 4
Batou didn't show up, and Ichigo made some weird noises while reading story summaries and stuff. Kinda silly, but y'know, it's Ichigo. He's just kinda ridiculous like that.
And I've been moving into a new house with iffy WiFi, man! Lazy has nothing to do with it... jerkass... probably...
Music - Systematic People by Wagdug Futuristic Unity from Kurozuka
For a link to Anime Pulse's theOtaku.com World, go here.
For a link to the Bootleg News Reporter World, go here.
For a link to The Watercooler World, go here.
And finally, you can find Ichigo's travel log over at the Anime Pulse website (under the "features" tab). He's gettin' some crazy adventures over there. Go read. Right after the podcast.
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