Do you know what I really hate? Over-hyped anime. It seems that any anime that's even just a little popular is WAY over-hyped in the States and everyone talks about it like it's the end-all-be-all of anime. I suppose this is what you get when you don't grow up surrounded by anime. An example? Neon Genesis Evangelion. I saw this series back when it first came out on VHS and nobody had ever heard of it. To be honest, I didn't think much of it back then, and I still don't. Big mecha and fanservice are all great (any good anime has a little of both), but really, besides those two elements there are tons of "deep moments" that are supposed to actually mean something but translate to nothing more than audio silence or a still frame when you sit back and look at them for what they are, and in my opinion, Evangelion takes itself far too seriously and has got to be one of the most over-glorified anime I've ever seen. I used to like Evangelion--as it had fabulous character development and an excellent plot going for it--but I can't even watch it anymore because it seems everywhere I go there's someone still talking about how awesome it is and how it blows everything else away. Time to move on and watch something else.

Another thing I hate... rip-off DVDs. I think any DVD with less than four episodes is really pushing it for $30 a disc. Ten bucks an episode is expensive, at least give us four. And then there's short OAV series for which they put two episodes a disc! Amazing Nurse Nanako (a man has got to have his blatant fanservice) and Mahou Tsukai Tai! are evidence of this. Hentai series are also common 60-minute discs, although I can't complain since most hentai don't last more than a few episodes anyway. But really, if a series is being done in the same number of volumes as it was on VHS, then there's something wrong. My Saber Marionette J and Outlaw Star DVDs prove you can put eight or nine episodes on two discs and charge $45 for it. Good deal, I like anime that comes in three or four volumes, it's more of an incentive to buy it. Key The Metal Idol Vol. 1 is seven episodes on a single disc for $30, but then you get into compression problems which frankly no one can see but DVDphiles, but there are those who say they are there through extensive frame pausing and comparison (and proof they need a new hobby). Those Who Hunt Elves is a 12-episode series in two volumes (divided into six and six) for $30 a volume. Not a particularly great series but still a good buy.

Anime that's coming... I'm looking forward to it. Anime on DVD held a Love Hina showing in Boston I was unable to attend. It gathered a lot of fans and I hear the evening was a success. There's a lot of anime I want to buy in the future. Tenshi ni Narumon! (I'm Gonna Be An Angel!) looks cute and Char's Counterattack next year is an utter must-buy for me. Then there's those El-Hazard: The Wanderers DVDs I have to pick up and my AnimEigo's Macross boxset preorder which has yet to ship to me. I think I may also pre-order Kimagure Orange Road boxset from AnimEigo just because it's a classic. I'm planning on being a very, very poor otaku next year. Cartoon Network is thinking about putting The Candidate for Goddess (Pilot Candidate) on TV, and hopefully The Vision of Escaflowne and Cardcaptor Sakura as well. The more the merrier, it'll keep things fresh on their Toonami block.

Wow, this came off more as a rant than I had hoped, but anyway, it's all my opinion. And I've been listen to a lot of George Carlin and Denis Leary lately, so I think I'm due a rant every once in a while too. I'm probably going to get so blasted for my Eva comments, but eh, I'm expecting it. Anyway, I just want to conclude that no matter how much anime we get in stores or on TV or how many fans there are in the US, we still won't have a 1/10th of what Japan has. Something to keep in mind. ^_^

[Additional notes: You can probably tell this article is a little old. Yes, I have my Macross DVDs. I will be reviewing them for Akadot soon. El-Hazard TV I still have to buy. Gundam 0083, The Candidate for Goddess and Yu Yu Hakusho have premiered on Adult Swim. Otherwise, not much has changed.]

The views and opinions expressed in Confessions of the World's Greatest Otaku are solely those of Ron Ferrera and do not necessarily represent the views of Digital Manga, AKADOT or its sponsors.