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Gargoyles

The Phoenix Gate

Comment Room Archive

Comments for the week ending October 27, 2003

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HEY CRISTI!!!

Tell your boyfrined that there is ABSOLUTLY nothing wrong with comming to Canada. (Any rumors you may have heard about "diseases" and "Meat" realted problems are all filthy lies.)

ANY WAY, welcome to the room!!!

That is all I will say.

Battle Beast
CANADA, YES CANADASunday, October 26, 2003 10:07:07 PM
IP: 142.59.145.149

Welcome Christi.

There are more people here,it just has been a slow week it seems...

For some reason, Toon Disney has edited parts in most of the Gargoyles's episodes. Some more than others, with Deadly Force completely edited out. Some of the other posters can tell you of Disney's editing job.

Be sure to look up the huge Ask Greg archive and FAQ for mountains of info.

Rac
Troy, NY, USA
Sunday, October 26, 2003 07:52:45 PM
IP: 24.194.41.153

Hi, everyone! I'm new to this forum but certainly not new to Gargoyles. I've loved it since it was first on (I guess I was about 14) and it has NEVER gotten old for me. I am now in the process of recording all the episodes off Toon Disney with my TiVO. Is it just me, or are some of the Toon Disney episodes a little bit edited, though? Why can they show any of the Gargoyles getting thrown around like ragdolls, but not Elisa? Weird.

Anyway, it's strange for me to look back at the show now that I'm older and catch all the little things I missed before. Right now, the show is like new to me because I find myself falling in love all over again for different reasons. When I was 14 I loved the magic, time travel, and I had a few certain favorite characters. But at 22 I'm noticing more of the personal relationships between characters, and finding the deep interwoven storyline the biggest pull of the show. The characters I favor has also changed drastically. Although I am still a huge advocate for Goliath and Elisa ^_~ Then again, who isn't?

Anyway, I guess that's all! One of these days I would love to go to The Gathering and drag my boyfriend along ^_^ I missed the year it was in VA ;____; And he's refusing to go to Canada! The nerve of him! ^_~

<3
Cristi

Cristi - [healerkou@hellokitty.com]
Dumfries, VA, USA
Sunday, October 26, 2003 07:15:41 PM
IP: 4.33.66.105

Back on topic, Last night I watched "Cloud Fathers" off my HD. In case you need a reminder, it's the Coyote (faerie) vs. Coyote (robot) episode.

So this my version of a rant:

Knowing sort of how the episode ends (I saw years ago in the first run), I was waiting for Peter Maza to slug Coyote (faerie) at the end. Too bad he didn't.

I loved Xantaos' line "This is my first real attempt at cliched villany."

After that Xanatos comments to Goliath (he and Angela are staple gunned to the ground) that Angela is "lovely". Later on, after they're freed, Angela tackles Xanatos and says "I'm the lovely one, remember?".
In my opinion, he should have responded by saying "No, I was talking about Goliath."

That's as much as I've got for now. If I think of more, I'll post that too.

CKayote - [CKayote@worldnet.att.net]
Orlando, FL
Saturday, October 25, 2003 10:52:45 PM
IP: 132.170.36.145

I think another issue that can really ruin the atmosphere of Inu Yasha in English is the non-verbal or semi-verbal way we express ourselves. The cadence and inflection used in a lot of conversations is integral to understanding the subtleties of the relationships between the characters, and that's lost in the English often, or just made to sound foolish.

A good example is how the Japanese emphasize statements with "ne" with a drawn-out "eh" sound or "yo" with an increase in voice volume and sonorousness. There really isn't an English equivalent to those gestures that matches the dubbing process. Consequently, you get something else in the translation that doesn't usually convey the same sense of distress, anger, angst, or scorn necessary to truly appreciating the details of the conversation.

Even just responding dismissively to someone's statement with a non-verbal "Meh" is important. When Inu Yasha is being an insensitive, condescending pain, he has a tendency to draw out that non-Verbal for a lot of beats.

Those kind of things really interfere with the Romantic-Comedy aspects of Inu Yasha, probably worse than the whiny America VAs ruin the Action end of things in battles.

Gargoyles, to come back to the topic of the room, has fewer linguistic land-mines, IMO, because it doesn't rely quite as heavily on complex and subtle semi-verbal gestures, IMO.

Kaioto - [kaioto@yahoo.com]
Boston, MA, USA
Saturday, October 25, 2003 06:11:50 PM
IP: 66.30.158.19

Jim R. > [Guess it all matters on which you see first.]

Hehe, I might be an exception to that. I saw it in English first as well, and Kagome and Inuyasha irked me to no end. I started getting used to the voices. I liked the story enough so that I bought a Japanese DVD so I could watch new episodes that VIZ hadn't gotten to yet. I WAS expecting such a different type of Inuyasha and Kagome to from the Japanese acting. What I DIDN'T expect was for it to be so different that I would do a complete 180 regarding hwo I viewed the characters! I just began adoring them. And the rest was history... ;)

Why different acting can make me feel so completely different about a character, I really don't know. It's like that with a lot of dubbing, becasue the acting is so different...



I wonder how other countries who've heard only dubbed versions of Gargoyles would feel if they heard Keith David's voice. I can't imagine anyone else but Keith playing Goliath... but who knows. ;)

Kiva
Honolulu, HI
Saturday, October 25, 2003 05:23:54 PM
IP: 4.3.232.8

hi new to this forum just dropping by and saying Hi Gargoyles rule. Gargoyle Elisa is HOT!
Hunter - [hunterofthewind@yahoo.com]
Brainardsville, New York, US
Saturday, October 25, 2003 03:13:53 PM
IP: 12.107.141.206

Hey all.
Jim R> "However, anyone think Goliath could run for governor of New York? Hey, if Arnold can do it... " - surely first minister @ Edinburgh would be more appropriate?

"Once you hear a character and become used to that character's voice, it's very hard to listen to that character with someone totally different voice acting for him/her. " - Yeah. First time i saw the buzz lightyear cartoon on disney channel, buzz was voiced by Patrick Warburton. A few months later one of the kids at work brought the video movie in - and he was voiced by Tim Allen. That just sounded weird, even though he did play the original in toy story.

Sheltie
Shetland, UK
Saturday, October 25, 2003 01:45:54 PM
IP: 213.122.142.6

Sorry, been out for a bit.

Demona Taina> "Well, Goliath sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger, actually, but without the accent." LOL. Luckily we never heard Goliath say "I'll be back" in that low monotone. However, anyone think Goliath could run for governor of New York? Hey, if Arnold can do it... ;)

Dubs> I don't mind the InuYasha English dub. Guess it all matters on which you see first. I saw the English version first. So when I go back and switch the language on a DVD to listen to an episode in Japanese (subtitled), it sounds all wrong and somewhat loony, because I wasn't used to the characters talking so...fast. Once you hear a character and become used to that character's voice, it's very hard to listen to that character with someone totally different voice acting for him/her. So I can totally agree with those of you who've seen the Japanese first and can't stand the English.

I wouldn't mind hearing what Gargoyles sounds like in another language dub, but the same holds true, I probably couldn't ever get used to it.

Jimmy> "Thought you guys might like the link I put up. Click on my name." Sorry for asking, but who/what/where is Archie McPhee?

Jim R. - [jim@dialwforwarp.com]
Shippensburg, PA
Saturday, October 25, 2003 11:39:37 AM
IP: 65.41.207.44

[Inu Yasha's claw-attacks sound foolish.]

Ooooh yeah... I've had many a qualm with "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer," and "Blades of Blood" being used in place of "Sankontessou," and "Hijinkessou." I just think that the was Richard Cox plays him is so different than Yamaguchi; it came across whiney and snotty, as apposed to Kappei Yamaguchi's agressive and argumentative performance.

Once I heard Kappei and Satsuki as Inuyasha and Kagome, respectively, there was no turning back. ;)

I guess the thing is that Japanese is naturally a much more different sounding language than English. It's not easy to match the attitudes without sounding forced, but some dubbing (like Inuyasha and Kagome) play it SO differently that I feel completely different about the characters when I listen to them in either language.


["Sit boy!" doesn't have the right cadence either.]

*LMAO* No. No, it doesn't!


[The translation in the Graphic Novels is higher quality since they don't have to mangle the translation to fit lip-flaps.]

True. I've opted for the Japanese tankoubon as well, in the case of the manga. :)


[I was wondering about that. How does it sound in Japanese? Is that a literal translation or what?]

Actually, yes, it is. The Japanese word is "Osuwari!" which is the command used to tell dogs (and yes, even peopls) to sit. Thing is, to tell a person to sit, you'd say "suwatte kudasai," or "osuwari kudasai." For a dog, it's simply, "OSUWARI!"


...and yes, I know this has nothing to do with Gargoyles, but it's animation talk. ^_^

Kiva
Honolulu, HI
Saturday, October 25, 2003 03:39:09 AM
IP: 4.3.232.8

""Sit boy!" doesn't have the right cadence either."
-I was wondering about that. How does it sound in Japanese? Is that a literal translation or what?


Jimmy
Friday, October 24, 2003 08:02:13 PM
IP: 199.74.79.167

Kai: I'll agree with you mostly about Trigun and CB.. however I don't like Vash's english voice actor as much as the Japanese one (he's OK at the beginning but starts sounding kinda dorky later on in the series). I prefer Ed's Japanese voice over the English one, although I like the other English voices just fine. The dubbing of the CB movie was AWESOME. (Mmm.. nano-SARS..)
;)

..What does this have to do with Gargoyles again?

Lurking Fish
Friday, October 24, 2003 04:42:22 PM
IP: 4.7.35.8

Inu Yasha is flat-out an amazing series, but I refuse to watch the English dub anymore.

I've watched an extensive amount of Inu Yasha in Japanese, and the Voice Acting is top-notch. Even with terrible subtitles I can follow Inu Yasha fairly well with only a year of formal training in Japanese language.

I've watched a fair amount of Inu Yasha in English and the VA for Inu Yasha is "blah" and Kagome's VA is flat-out terrible. The straw that broke my back with her was how terrible her emotional expressions are compared the Japanese VA. Kagome has a very expressive tone of voice in the Japanese, and the English VA makes being cut up by a demon sound like being hit by a dodge ball in PE.

The other voice acting in English is high-quality stuff for the most part. It is a pity the two main characters ruin everyone else's performance.

There are also some language disconnects that really ruin the momentum of the series. Inu Yasha's claw-attacks sound foolish. "Sit boy!" doesn't have the right cadence either.

I prefer the subtitled anime. The translation in the Graphic Novels is higher quality since they don't have to mangle the translation to fit lip-flaps.

I have bilingual DVDs for both Trigun and Cowboy Bebop. I'd have to say that the English dub for both these series is better than the japanese voice acting. The settings are more Western, so the VA's seem better on the material. The only real flaw that sticks out is that Jet Black's VA isn't consistant through all the episodes, but he's generally passible when he's not being excellent, so it's not a big problem.

Kaioto - [kaioto@yahoo.com]
Boston, MA, USA
Friday, October 24, 2003 03:55:40 PM
IP: 208.204.155.241

[ I enjoyed the show even though it feels like it has been liberally edited and the dialogue is a tad pedestrian.]
The dialouge is a little toned down compared to what it is in Japanese, at least in Inuyasha's case. The translation is fair, but there actually have been very few true edits/cuts. It's the difference in the attitudes of the characters that I find the most difficult to adjust to when it comes to dubbing. Kagome, for example... she comes across as an airhead to me in English, but her Japanese counterpart is anything but.

I don't really watch the dub anymore, actually.

I would say that for the most part, the treatment of dubs has been steadily improving. I'm probably most critical about Inuyasha because I've been following the Japanese version for a while now, and I've adored it for a while now... ;)

As far as Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away),Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke), and even Shiro no Tenkuu Lapyuta (Castle in the Sky), Majou no Takkyubin (Kiki's Delivery Service), and Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro), those I've also seen in their native Japanese first, but somehow the treatment of the characters, in addition to the intergirty of the dialogue, seems to be more true to the original than most dubs I've seen. Totoro is by far the best, though.


Anyway, I can probably go off about this forever... :)

Though when it comes down to it, it's just my opinion and preference, after all. :D

Kiva
Honolulu, HI
Friday, October 24, 2003 04:10:32 AM
IP: 4.3.232.8

I've been trying to remember, wasn't there a story with a Brooklyn/Bluestone pairing posted on the Gargoyles Fan-Fiction Archive?
James Anatidae - [parshallNOSPAM@citcom.net]
Brevard, NC, USA
Friday, October 24, 2003 03:18:50 AM
IP: 207.144.234.199

Greif> I just love how Jackel is tackled by Goliath & Ang after he zaps 'em up several dozen years in age. He is so surprised. And I love Elisa's shock at the same thing.

Isn't it time Jackel got some action? I mena, it seems to me that he's always taken a backseat to Hyena (and the rest of the group at some point), and here he finally gets some sort of twisted revenge.

But this ep strengthens Greg point on how history cannot be changed.

It would have been neat to ahve a running gag about the Emir.

"Owen, tell the Emir to be here at 9. Oberon wants to battle at 10."

"Cancel my Emir appointment, Owen. Trouble is one the loose and it's time for... DAVID XANATOS! HERO!!!" (Rips off shirt and underneath are tights and a shiled with a big "X" on it.)

"Owen, tell the Emir that he can come to my party. It'll only be my father and my mother-in-law's family. How many people could THAT be?

Dinsney Adventures> I too read all the D.A. Gargoyles articles (I have them all) as well as the "non cannon" comics (I have all of them as well).

I remember something about "Gargoyles lay eggs in 20 years cylces and eggs take ten uears to hatch."

Also, I remember that they interviwed Greg and other creators... Greg got only one comment in the three page article. I think Michael Reeves (is that correct? I should know Greg's co-creators...) got he majority.

Oh well. Cool interviews.

In one of the comics Xanatos tries to expalin all the characteristic of the Gargoyles to Owen (Goliath, the leader; Lexington, the techo-wiz...)

And then that stupid comic about the Fealty Rose... (don't let me get myself started...)

There might be one more comic, I think.

That is all I will say.

Battle Beast
CanadaFriday, October 24, 2003 12:37:36 AM
IP: 142.59.145.149

I was always impressed by the ...... well.. um.. of Cowboy Beebop. Most dubbed anime seems flaky and disjointed, the plots seem less linear and sort of all over the place. Which of course inspires lots of bad Japanese sterotypes. But Cowboy Beebop was, well, not like that. It was the first anime I ever got into, because it made sense.
CKayote - [CKayote@worldnet.att.net]
Orlando, FL
Thursday, October 23, 2003 12:22:57 AM
IP: 132.170.34.10

Greg Bishansky: I have Gargoyles taped in Spanish. They used to air here in Puerto Rico and while they did, I taped every episode. It's a pity they never aired TGC, though.

Well, Goliath sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger, actually, but without the accent. His voice is sort of like a blend of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone but with a touch of the Beast from Beauty & the Beast. [giggle] Elisa sounds more like Angela and Demona sounds more like Elisa. Hudson, at first, sounded strong, but near the end of the second season he just sounded... old. They did the same thing to Renard. Thailog, at first, had a voice completely different from Goliath's (it was kind of like Coldstone's), then they must've realized their mistake and used the same voice actor for both of them in "Sanctuary." Xanatos sounds about the same and so does Owen. Same goes for Jackal and Hyena. Lexington sounds like a smurf on steroids... Heh heh heh! Broadway sounds the same, but Brooklyn sounds like he's been sucking on a helium balloon... And for some reason that I'll never comprehend, they completely switched the voices around in "The Reckoning," so Goliath and Thailog both sounded like Coldstone. It was terrible. What was their problem? Oh, and they could never make up their minds on the pronunciation of "Wyvern" and "Coldstone." They kept switching from "Coldstone" to "Piedra Fria" and, in some cases, they even said "Goldstone." Ugh...

There is one little scene in which Keith David's voice can be heard. When Xanatos kicks Goliath in the face in "Vows," you can hear Keith David grunting in pain instead of the translator. It's awesome.

I've also heard that there are several Spanish versions. I know that one of them is from Spain and they sound completely different from my Spanish episodes.

Has anybody else watched Gargoyles in a different language? I'd love to hear about those.

Demona Taina
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 10:19:25 PM
IP: 66.50.41.246

Thought you guys might like the link I put up. Click on my name.

Anyway: Yes, Sesshomaru's voice was very well done and I agree that Bebop has a very good dub. I've never seen teh japanese so I couldn't say whether or not it's better, but I have heard some dialogue that just sounded wierd in Bebop. It's still lightyears ahead of most anime, but there is room for improvement.

Jimmy
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 07:49:07 PM
IP: 199.74.79.167

Greg Weisman has mentioned writing an episode for the "Mummy" animated series on Kids WB. Does anybody here know which episode that was? I'd heard a rumor that it was the time travel one (which would be ironic if it was, since the episode had the villain succeed in - temporarily - changing history, in sharp contrast to the time travel rules of "Gargoyles"), but I don't know if that was true or not.
Todd Jensen
St. Louis, MO
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 07:23:09 PM
IP: 63.186.0.92

TODD> The very same. Though when I think of David Kaye, I tend to think of his work as Megatron on "Beast Wars". He's a lot like Jeff Bennet in that he has a lot of range. Neither his Megatron, his Xavier nor his Sesshoumaru sound alike.
Greg Bishansky
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 04:29:39 PM
IP: 216.179.4.242

Last night I was watching a video that I'd received from the History Channel Club about the beginning of the American Revolution (going all the way up to the Battle of Bunker Hill), which had various actors doing "voice-overs" in reading the remarks of the various people involved in the events. The voice-over for King George III sounded very familiar, so I carefully read the "cast list" at the end, and my suspicions were confirmed: it was David Warner (the voice of the Archmage), reading George III with the same hauteur and disdain that he'd given the Archmage. It's always kind of fun to come across a "Gargoyles" voice actor in another context.

GREG BISHANSKY - Is that the same David Kaye who does the voice of Professor Xavier in "X-Men: Evolution"? (It probably is.)

Todd Jensen
St. Louis, MO
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 06:41:58 AM
IP: 63.186.1.242

Inu Yasha's dub is okay. I really like David Kaye as Sesshoumaru, I think he plays the character quite well (I've enjoyed him in other roles before). The guy who does Naraku is pretty good as well.

But the best dub I've ever heard has to be the "Cowboy Bebop" dub. I think it surpasses the original Japanese by a wide margin.

But to bring this on topic, has anyone ever watched "Gargoyles" in another country, I'd be curious to know what they sounded like when the show was dubbed over there.

Greg Bishansky
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 02:26:24 AM
IP: 216.179.4.242

"INUYASHA on the other hand... don't get me started... hehehe. "
-What's wrong with Inuyasha? I enjoyed the show even though it feels like it has been liberally edited and the dialogue is a tad pedestrian. But compared to a lot of the other anime dubs I've seen it didn't seem that bad. Granted, the only Japanese words I know are "Konichiwa" and "Arigato," so I don't know much about anything Japanese.

Jimmy
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 02:06:19 AM
IP: 199.74.79.167

Grief... Though this wasn't necessarily one of my favorite episodes, I did none the less like it. I think pretty much all that could have been said of it has been said. Though I must say reading Greg's comments is always interesting. I thought it was neat how he mentioned feeling like he may actually be peering into the Gargoyle universe, as it were, with regards to how everything seemed to fall into place(Amir related).

On a slightly related matter...If anyone here is interested in learning more on Anubis/Yinepu, they can get ahold of me via the same name on AIM. I have info on both a personal level, as well as info on Egyptological related books on Him that are hard to find unless you know the titles, and even so, can still be hard to find. I also am collecting a wealth of information on Puck. Folklore journal is a good source for maters of European folklore, and I can give even more book info and links if anyone is interested. Just let me know, and I can post links here too if that is permitted.
Sahyinepu
Houston, TX
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 01:13:41 AM
IP: 64.221.11.73

Blaise: I too had read the Disney Adventures article before "Grief" was aired, and was very impressed with the way they integrated it into the show. I had figured that it was just either a factoid, or something to mentioned off-handedly in the show. Never thought it would be a major plot point!
CKayote - [CKayote@worldnet.att.net]
Orlando, FL
Tuesday, October 21, 2003 11:04:33 AM
IP: 132.170.34.10

BLAISE - The notion of a hidden temple beneath the Sphinx is a popular one in mystical circles; I remember reading that Edgar Cayce believed in it, for example - and may have originated the idea, for all that I know (although ancient Egyptian monuments have always appealed to the occultists).
Todd Jensen
St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, October 21, 2003 07:21:17 AM
IP: 63.186.0.64

Blaise- Just like in Greg's Captain Atom comic, we have Death's 3 faces. Nekron and Jackal-Anubis as gruesome death, Death of the Endless and Anubis-Emir as peaceful death and the Black Race and Anubis proper as unrelenting death. I wonder if the parallel was intentional or not or is it just a common motif.
Galvatron
Tuesday, October 21, 2003 04:33:01 AM
IP: 64.246.11.20

...
Anonymous
Tuesday, October 21, 2003 04:27:39 AM
IP: 64.246.11.20

****A lightning bolt arcs in through the skylight and strikes the floor in the very center of the Room. Where the lightning struck, there is...a darkened, still smoking spot. From an easy chair by the fire, Blaise calls out.**** Hey guys! We may want to close the skylight if that sort of thing keeps happening.

SPIRITED AWAY> Ahh, I loved that movie. I still like MONONOKE HIME better (just personal preference), but I was still glad I went to see SPIRITED AWAY in the theaters (now if I could just get the 2-disc DVD...).

GRIEF> Again, this is taken (mostly) from what I posted in ASK GREG.
like this episode mostly, I think, because of how it deals with death, and even the personification of that concept. Anubis' change when going through the three personae really does reflect the faces of death: it can be horrifying and gruesome (Jackal-avatar), or it can be a peaceful release (Emir-avatar), and finally, outside of those faces, it just exists as a constant part of life (Anubis).
I thought Anubis was well done (and I cannot describe how thrilled I was to hear Tony Jay's voice in GARGOYLES). Actually, Mr. Jay also played an incarnation of Death (the Grim Reaper, in this case) in an episode of DARKWING DUCK (a slightly less dignified portrayal, but a fun one). At any rate, I also thought it was cool that Anubis talked without a mouth or any outward expression. In fact, he strikes me as the type of being who really doesn't care what form/name he takes on. I could be wrong on that count, but he seems to take his office very seriously and place it above all other concerns. I, too, felt it was out of character for him when he laughed in THE GATHERING part 1.
I was VERY surprised to see the Emir actually appear. I had always figured (as I have said in earlier rambles) that Xanatos' dealings with the Emir would be something of a running gag, always in the background of the series. Instead, he turned out to be a person with a past and an agenda all his own. I don't condone his actions here, but I do understand, and even sympathize with him. I cannot fully know his pain, that of losing a child (and I pray I never find out), but I have lost family and friends over the years, and felt the wish to turn back the clock, if only for a little bit. Tony Shaloub did fantastic work here. I especially like his one line: "To hold [my son] again...I would move Heaven and Earth with my BARE HANDS!" Indeed, he seems to be doing that. I may be wrong in assuming the Emir is Islamic, but if he is then calling up a deity of the Egyptian pantheon shows just how desperate and determined he is to regain his son.
Okay, now let's back track and start at the beginning.
I was glad to see the Pack again, though a little disappointed that Dingo wasn't among them (I was starting to find him the most interesting), but then he always did seem to be the odd one out. Coyote's new design was cool, and I was glad the head was still there (though I was puzzled, since last I saw it was smashed--now I know it's an image). My eyes widened at Hyena's line to Coyote, "Wanna make sparks fly?" That had to be one of the most sexually tilted lines I had ever heard in the series. And then there's Jackal's look at the Anubis carving. I know Jackal liked Anubis for being jackal-headed, but I sometimes wonder if the connection to death might not have sweetened the idea.
The old "hidden temple in the Sphinx" concept. I know it was at least used in an old computer game before GARGOYLES came out, but is this an idea that dates even further back?
The travelers arrive, and Angela describes the Sphinx as the world's "biggest gargoyle" (and yes, I did expect that connection to be made!).
I looked at the scene where Goliath spys on Coyote and from what I can tell the face is in the bubble. Also, Coyote and Goliath seem to press the same carvings--maybe that got fixed in later airings?
Shortly thereafter a battle ensues. Jackal and Hyena, with their prediliction for blades, are still unnerving. I love the little "Uh-oh" Elisa says before Coyote knocks her out.
One more thing about Anubis, here. It always fascinates me how he refers to death as a "boon." Actually, his lines about death really got me the first time I saw this ep. It actually made me think about the nature of death and look at it in a slightly different way.
The Pack has some nice interplay with each other in this ep. Pity it's the last we'll see of it for a while--a fact I didn't really pick up on until the second or third viewing. The Pack had always been a group (except for HER BROTHER'S KEEPER, where it was Jackal and Hyena), and them splitting up was as unthinkable to me as the Manhattan clan splitting up. But I digress....
Jackal to Coyote: "You're not exactly Mr. subtlety." And the understatement of the year award goes to.... :-)
I agree that a great opportunity was missed by not having our heroes get blasted and survive. It would have really driven the magnitude of the situation home. However...even as I think of that, I can't help but wonder if their bodies could still be damaged, which may open up a whole other can of worms. Ah well, it's all moot now.
I knew Jackal would try to take the Emir's place as Anubis' avatar. I thought it was a great job with the character design and voice mixing--not only did I like having both Anubis and his "vessel" talking at the same time, I kind of expected it. It seemed right.
Jackal-avatar's attitude and use of power are indeed chilling. Heck, by the time he ages Elisa he's doing it just for fun (she wasn't even moving to attack him). The skeletonized crocodiles were pretty eerie, but that WHOLE TOWN (obviously inhabited) being wiped out was horrifying. I had wondered for years if Emir-avatar had been able to undo that damage. Now I know that he couldn't...and that makes the whole scene all the more disturbing.
I never picked up on Jackal using the promise of reuniting the Emir with his son as Jackal's way of keeping the Emir from stopping his fun--I always took it that Jackal would kill the Emir last of all. But now the Emir's refusal to act sooner makes more sense to me.
Goliath anashamedly refers to Angela as his daughter here. He doesn't do it to her face, but still....
The Emir-avatar's design is cool, too. I especially like the soft blue eyes (as opposed to Jackal-avatar's one ghost-white eye and Anubis' glowing red eyes).
Backing up, again, I like the "black light" energy that Jackal-avatar gave off. I had always wondered how something like that would be accomplished, and this was a pretty darn good way of showing how.
Emir-avatar destroys the temple, and I remember worrying (even on the second viewing) that the Sphinx would be destroyed as well. I was also thankful that it survived. (Like Todd, I saw that "X-Men Evolution" episode, and recalled cringing when I saw missles hitting the Sphinx in the face and back).
I already knew that gargoyles aged at half the speed of humans (again, that Disney Adventures article), but it was nice to actually hear it onscreen.
And I loved that final summation by Goliath. Very poignant.

I'll be back when my fingers are again just itching to type! Until then, farewell. ****Blaise gets up from the chair, walks to the center of the Room, and becomes a bolt of lightning, shooting upwards and out through the skylight.****

Blaise
Tuesday, October 21, 2003 01:24:19 AM
IP: 209.179.235.190

Spirited Away>> WARNING: I have never seen this film. :-(

I wonder if Disney doesn't push _Spirited_Away_ and other films by the same Japanese studio because Disney thinks they will only have a "cult" following over here. Disney may not believe that a foreign film in animé style would go over well with a general American audience. If for no other reason, the conventions and drawing styles of Japanese animé would repulse many. I personally know several such people.

However, with this theory I cannot explain TV shows such as _Speed_Racer_ and _Voltron_. Perhaps the thinking goes that Americans will accept such Japanese animation for free, but will balk at paying around 7 to 10 bucks to see Japanese animé films. To explain my point, I know _Spirited_Away_ looks lovely, but doesn't it have limited motion -- f.g. when people talk, nothing moves but their mouths (save for a few blinks)? IMHO, it is this limited-motion convention that makes Japanese animé look "cheap" and painful-to-view to many Americans, regardless of the beautiful backgrounds, character designs, plot,etc.

I hope I'm wrong about _Spirited_Away_, though. (The limited-motion part.)

JJ Gregarius
Orlando, FL
Monday, October 20, 2003 08:39:04 PM
IP: 65.244.170.168

Greg just did a ramble on "Grief" at "Ask Greg". And, yep, one of the things that he commented on was the goof that he made in not having the Pack "kill" Goliath and Co. while Anubis was imprisoned, only to discover that nobody could die.

(Some other neat things in it, including Greg having a somewhat uneasy attitude towards all the damage to archaeological artifacts that the gargs and the Pack were causing in their big fight in the Sphinx. It reminds me a bit of a moment of alarm that I felt in the most recent "X-Men: Evolution" episode where Apocalypse and the Sentinels are having their big showdown at the Sphinx and one of the Sentinels actually blasted a hole in the Sphinx's back.)

Todd Jensen
St. Louis, MO
Monday, October 20, 2003 07:37:55 PM
IP: 63.186.1.203

Actually, I think the Disney dubs are among some of the better dubs out there. For someone who understands Japanese at least passably, I watched the original, and when I saw the dub, I was still happy with the integrity of the dub.

Most of the dubs that make me crings come out of Cartoon Network, not Disney/Miramax... o.O

Anyway, sometimes it seems that people are unfairly cynical at dubs in general. Remember that ten years ago, animation like that barely made it out of Japan, and when it did, it certainly didn't get treated with the same respect as it does now. There ARE a lot of places for improvement, but I for one am just happy that people are being exposed to Japanese animation in such a way and, these days, the option of being able to see them with the original dialogue is much more of an option.

...Eek, okay. Offtopic, really. Sorry. ^_^


Shall I say, I love Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakuchi, as well! And I WOULD take the Japanese dialogue over the dub when given a choice. It's just that the dub is relatively good.

INUYASHA on the other hand... don't get me started... hehehe.

Kiva
Honolulu, HI
Monday, October 20, 2003 05:17:00 PM
IP: 4.3.232.8

YAY, Asian films! :D

Yep, Spiited Away IS fantastic! Nothing I've seen before! It#s by the director and team of "Princess Mononoke". And SA won the Oscar last year, havn't you seen it? I was REALLY happy that they gave it away to an Asian film... :D

It was in theaters! But Disney bought the rights, made a BAD (really bad) synchro and made almost no commercials, so, they hoped, their productions would get more money and the Oscar. Thought wrong... :D

Search ebay. They've got it often there. The german DVD is comming out soon, so if you life in Europe, good chance to get it.

The Coma-man
Berlin, Germany
Monday, October 20, 2003 11:40:29 AM
IP: 217.87.15.72

11 In the name of all the guys who were allways left while they almsot got it...
The Coma-man
Berlin, Germany
Monday, October 20, 2003 11:32:56 AM
IP: 217.87.15.72

10th! Yipeee! I'm back baby!
Graymonk
Monday, October 20, 2003 08:53:45 AM
IP: 198.164.140.103

9th works too...
matt
Monday, October 20, 2003 06:18:51 AM
IP: 207.230.48.49

8th in the name of those of us who don't sit around waiting for the room to clear... :)
matt
Monday, October 20, 2003 06:18:18 AM
IP: 207.230.48.49

........................8th, or 2 cubed. Almost ran out of top 10 spots.

Vin

castle0909
Monday, October 20, 2003 02:16:51 AM
IP: 152.163.252.100

Lucky number seven! [plants flag]
Demona Taina
Monday, October 20, 2003 01:52:27 AM
IP: 66.50.81.77

*pokes head back in* Alas, it seems I was 6th. A good number nontheless *returns to shadows*
Chameleongirl
Monday, October 20, 2003 01:14:14 AM
IP: 203.221.145.106

*fades in from background* Ah, a new week dawns. May I be fifth? *returns to her shadows*
Chameleongirl
Monday, October 20, 2003 01:09:12 AM
IP: 203.221.145.106

5!
CKayote - [CKayote@worldnet.att.net]
Orlando, FL
Monday, October 20, 2003 01:08:04 AM
IP: 132.170.34.10

Fourth.
Leo
Monday, October 20, 2003 12:20:31 AM
IP: 68.96.8.12

Thirds
Lynati
Monday, October 20, 2003 12:19:07 AM
IP: 66.142.59.252

<ENTER LORD SLOTH>

your Lord Sloth is acting more like some sort of "lurking fish" at the moment; but I'm still motivated enough to delurk and sing:

2ND! in the name of being second in all things i guess.

<EXIT LORD SLOTH>

Lord Sloth
Monday, October 20, 2003 12:04:52 AM
IP: 199.246.2.11

1 then.
JJ Gregarius
Orlando, FL
Monday, October 20, 2003 12:03:12 AM
IP: 65.244.170.168

1, 2, or 3?
JJ Gregarius
Orlando, FL
Monday, October 20, 2003 12:02:39 AM
IP: 65.244.170.168