Mail Desk
Wow. I can’t believe that our final issue is finished and in the bag. Complete. Finito. It feels so odd, that this is the last Mail Desk. Ever.
This month’s edition is a mix of questions and goodbyes from readers as we sit back and reminisce, together for one last time.
Dear Animefringe,
I heard you guys were closing up shop. I have been an avid reader for a
couple of months now and I appreciate what you guys have done for anime and
bringing light to fans everywhere. I think if there were more people like
you the wave of anime readers and watchers would grow. However, even though
I am sad to see you go. I know you will still continue to be die-hard fans
in the various meanings of the phrase.
Thanks again and good luck in your future endeavors.
Thanks, Ian!
Pretty much all of the staff still have their fingers somewhere in the otaku pie, be it as a freelance journalist, an intern, a webmaster or as a manga creator and editor. Keep in touch with us through our own websites!
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
I could not believe that Animefringe will be not longer on Dec!
I had read your articles, and everything since one year ago! I
love that Anime Fringe! I was hope that your dept keep it
go....don't stop! Somebody make Editor Adam Arnold's change mind!
Why not we do the "Poll" for vote to keep Anime Fringe going on!
Your read fan,
Shannon P. (not Fay!)
Hi Shannon!
Thank you for your passionate support over the year that you’ve been reading us! It’s great to hear that someone, somewhere is reading the product of our creative labors! Unfortunately, all things must come to an end eventually. Keep on reading manga and watching anime!
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
I hear that you will be ending animefringe in Dec. I hope this isn't true. You are the only anime magazine that is still good that I read. Please don't go.
Hello Yosmille!
Sadly, this is the end, my friend. Thank you for reading!
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
Hi! I am a long-time fan of Aoi House, and have recently been introduced to the webzine. I know you won't have any more issues, but will all the ones that are written still be available? IE, will the website still work?
Pleaaassssseeeee!!!!!!
Howdy Maverick!
Since you’re a big-time fan of the Aoi House webcomic, I’ll turn the mic over to Adam, who can probably field this question better than me anyway:
"Yes, Animefringe will remain online for a very long time. Don't you worry!
I'm glad you were introduced to Animefringe through Aoi House. I always love
hearing that people actually read what I ramble on about in my blog."
-Janet
Hello there,
I am writing with a bit of a strange inquiry. I enjoy your site and I find
it to be very well designed. A friend and myself are entertaining the idea
of creating a webzine and one of the obstacles we have been discussing is
financial issues. I have noticed that you don't seem to have advertising on
your site. Do you simply fund it from your own pocket? I haven't visited the
forums, so perhaps I have missed something regarding donations, etc. I was
hoping you could provide me with some ideas. Thanks in advance for your time!
Nathan
Hi Nathan!
This is another question for Adam, as he’s the one who pays for the server:
"Yes, we buy server space and pay for our domain now out of our own pockets.
Our forum is hosted off-site by a group called XForums that hosts some
webcomic forums and such. They might ask for donations, but we don't.
Not to scare you away, but the financial issues are not that important. It's
rather how time consuming that producing your own website will become. It's easy
to start it up, but it is hard to keep it going."
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
Hey, my name's Winrich. I remember one late night during the summer of '02
that I was searching for some info on Utada (back when I used to be a fan X-D), and I happened to come across your website. I've checked back on Animefringe every month ever since. I'll admit that I don't read EVERY section of each issue, but I do take time to read some of your reviews. It was good to get a perspective not just on anime and manga; but also on movies, music, video games, etc.
When I found out that you are planning on publishing your last issue in
December, it reminded me of when a local anime store here in Orlando closed last October (on Halloween, no less), even though it was open for less than a year. It made me sad at first, but I understood that the owner wanted to move on to other things, wanting to be a firefighter in Georgia.
I'm glad that you've decided to keep the website active and still make it
available for us. I wish nothing but the best for all of you.
Winrich
Hello Winrich!
Thank you for continuing to read us over the years, and for the rather sad story of your local anime store. Yet even that tale has a happy ending, as we hope to have one as well, in moving on to other fandom-enriched pursuits. Thanks again for your good wishes.
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
No, I just thought it was scarey at first, I mean... The
beginning was a little like... Fatal Frame. -Shrugs- Maybe i'm
being all... childish, but i couldn't get to bed after
watching it. x.x;; it was really scarey.
Bonjour Anonymous!
Shannon was rather confused by your email, so I’ll try my best to intuit what you are talking about. I think it’s Kakurenbo, which was a really scary, but cool film. Unfortunately, I missed its Halloween run on Adult Swim. Good thing that we have the modern technology of DVDs.
I don’t think it’s childish to be scared to fall asleep after a good horror/suspense film. I mean, that’s how you know that it’s *really* good.
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
Hello. I have been a fan of Anime Fringe for about a year now... Now, I hear Anime Fringe will end soon. Is this true?
Hi Mike!
The short answer is yes.
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
Hello! I got an Ipod for a gift and would like to download some anime songs
onto it. The only problem is I can't seem to find a place to buy them. I
tried the Ipod website and also poked my nose around some Japanese website,
but no luck. Any suggestions? I know I can buy the soundtrack cds, but
usually I only want one or two songs off the cd.
Arigatoo!
Hiya Kristen!
Yes, iPods and legal anime music (note the key word "legal") are a hard combination to mix. I am willing to bet that you can purchase some J Rock and pop tracks through the Japanese iTunes store, although that does require a credit card. As I believe that they have lifted the requirement of a credit card from a Japanese bank, you shouldn’t have too much trouble.
The only other suggestion that I have, besides buying domestic soundtracks and adding them to your iPod (ten to fourteen dollars per CD isn’t that much when you’ve already gotten an iPod for free), is to perhaps swap CDs with fellow members of your local anime club. If you don’t have one, then perhaps now is the time to get to know your local, real life compatriots in anime. After all, one man’s Fruits Basket OST is another man’s Inu-Yasha.
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
hi, could you tell me what you think of the ninja scroll tv series, and
in your review of ninja scroll 10th aniversary edition, you mention a
sequel, was there ever one? regards shaun, samurai champloo fan.
Howdy Shaun!
Technically speaking, Ninja Scroll TV is the sequel to the original classic anime that we all love, Ninja Scroll. I’ve never gotten the chance to sit down and watch it myself, although it sounds like good bloody ninja and demon action.
There is another sequel, Ninja Scroll 2, which is still in pre-production. I’ve heard nothing else about it, save that Madhouse is involved in the production.
Some fans mistakenly believe that Ninja Resurrection is a Ninja Scroll sequel, mostly based on its complete title, Ninja Resurrection: The Return of Jubei. However, Ninja Resurrection is the sequel to Samurai Armageddon: Reborn from Hell, a live action NC-17 Japanese movie, and has no ties to Ninja Scroll at all.
Now that’s cleared up, it’s great to hear from another Samurai Champloo fan!
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
"While the English language dub is excellent, I'm sad to say that the
original voice actors from the movie and OVAs did not reprise their roles.
...
I would have easily given this disc a perfect score if it weren't for the
less than admirable English dub."
Reading that part of your review, I'm keen to know which cast you would have
chosen for this TV series. Leaving Inoue's goddess voice aside here, who
instead of Eileen Stevens would you like to be cast as Belldandy? Juliet
Cesario or Bridget Hoffman?
I'm a major Bridget Hoffman fan, so I'm totally biased in picking her, but I
also think Juliet would be more suited for the role as she's got the young
and less wise/down-to-earth voice like Bridget's.
Thus for me, I would've picked the movie cast.
What's your opinion?
Hi Pochykei!
Since Lesley is unavailable for comment, and the one reply from a fellow staff member was for the OVA dub cast absolutely, without any further explanation, I will try to channel the spirit of Lesley. Ummmmm... Ummmm... Chocolate... Ummm...
Juliet Cesario (the OVA actress) is the better voice actress of the two for Belldandy. You always prefer the voice that you hear first, and for me, it’s the OVA over the movie. Besides, Bridget Hoffman’s voice sounds a little too mature now for the bright and naïve character of Belldandy. I mean, Raquel from Scrapped Princess cannot have the same voice as Belldandy. It’s just wrong.
...Wow. I need to channel Lesley more often!
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
Osu! I always wanted to write to you and since the December issue will be the
last of Animefringe, I felt compelled to write one e-mail before you go!
I remember the day when I first encountered Animefringe, it was around this time
of the year in 2002, and I was a sophmore in college mindlessly surfing the Net.
I was shocked how much information about anime and other areas of Japanese life
Animefringe had, I never encounted a site like that before and I became an
instant fan! It's gonna be kinda hard now I don't have a web magazine like this
one every month starting 2006. But I'm glad of being a fan of this magazine for
the past three years. Good luck in all your new endeavors, Animefringe staff!
And since everyone is disbanding, what are everyone on the staff new goals?
PS- I always wanted to reply to that Fullmetal Alchemist Hype article by Maria
Lin in April 05 issue. I agree that Fullmetal Alchemist ended badly for a great
series but to say that no one learned anything or matured during the series is
not exactly correct. To tell you the truth, I enjoyed that no one really
drastically changed in the course of the show, it would be unrealistic since real
people don't change drastically naturally. Al and Ed knew that chasing after
Philosopher's Stone a second time would be seriously crazy to do, but they
learned that life is not like alchemy, not everything you worked for is going to
pay off the way you want it to. More so, they learned trying is better than never
doing it in the first place despite the consequences. However, the ending
could've been better though...
I just needed to get that off my chest. Saraba!
Hiya Sachuran01!
Why can’t Maria ever escape the wrath of Fullmetal Alchemist? I mean, you write one tiny opinion piece, and then the entire Internet is after you!
Seriously, thanks for writing in with your thoughts and the praise for our little online magazine. I can’t speak for everyone else’s goals precisely, but many of us desire to continue on in the journalism field, or more specially, the otaku journalism world, so look for us online and at the newsstand! Adam has Aoi House to tend to, along with his editorial work at Seven Seas Entertainment. (Look for the Boogiepop novels and manga series in 2006!) Tim, our picture man, is probably going to do some radio work of a sensitive otaku nature. Steve will continue on in his web projects. As for the rest, I know nothing for sure, but I wish everyone the best, along with you.
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
hi, I just received and finished listening to tsubasa chronicles original
soundtrack today. Well, i bought the soundtrack after reading your review and i am really
glad that i made the right choice. The soundtrack was beautiful and to date, the best
soundtrack i ever heard. I just want to mail you and thank you for writing such
a detailed and accurate review which gave me the strong urge to listen to the
soundtrack. Thanks alot! I believe there are many out there who agrees with what
you said in the review and enjoyed the soundtrack like both of us did =D
Hello Glimpse of Wind!
Lesley is very happy that you took her recommendation and picked up the soundtrack! Continue to spread the love!
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
why do Ran, her friends, and the other gals wear FAKE nails?
those could destroy their real nails. why couldn't they just
let their real nails grow as long as those FAKE ones? (and are
thick)? it's !possible! and the designs on some of their evil
FAKE nails can be nail polish textures designed by pros. it's !
possible! plz?
also, what are the english names of:
ran, miyu, aya, sayo, mami, harue, satsuki, rie, yamato,
masato, yuuya, tatsukichi, kasumi (whatever it's spelled like)
and the 3 black girls who bother ran?
thx for creating this awesome show if you're the creator or
something else! ^_-
Heya Anonymous!
No idea why the girls of Super GALS prefer Lee Press-On Nails over the real thing, but as a fellow female (albeit a non-animated one), I would guess that fake nails let you color coordinate with ease, and you don’t have the hassle of retouches or having to go to the salon weekly. However, these are trendy Gals that we’re talking about, so I doubt that the threat of ruining their nails has even entered their heads. You have to keep in mind the allure of the shiny, the new and instant gratification.
I’m not even going to touch the name question. Those ones always get me into trouble. Just accept that those are their names, just as Jennifer, Britney and Melissa are names.
Just for the record one last time, the collective staff of Animefringe does not make anime or manga, or even video games. Thank the actual creators and distributors by buying anime DVDs and manga volumes.
-Janet
Dear Animefringe,
In your article you don't mention video rentals. It's a great way to see a lot of
anime and determine which ones are worthy of putting a dent in your bank account.
For the price of a pizza, I've seen as many as 17 discs a month (but that's pushing
it). Purchasing a title that gets fabulous reviews, only to find that you don't
agree with all the enthusiasm is very disheartening on a tight budget; series that
don't grab my attention after renting a disc or two just won't be finished.
Some libraries are starting to carry a nice selection of graphic novels, usually in
the young adult section. Since it takes a lot to embarass me, I take full advantage
of what they have to offer, even though I'm constantly asked "is this for your son
or your daughter?". Once the librarians learn that an adult is reading manga, they
often ask me for suggestions for additional titles. I'm happy to comply. Some
libraries are starting to carry anime dvd's too.
You sound like someone who likes to collect, but maybe libraries and video rentals
could help out a bit, at least for now.
Carol
Hi Carol,
Since Patrick is the author in question, I’ll turn it over to him:
"You make some really good points, but yeah - I'm definitely too much of a collector.
Our libraries actually have a really respectable selection of anime and manga, and there are some really good rental deals nowadays.
I guess I figure one day I will buy the stuff that I like, and I have a huge backlog of stuff I own but haven't played/watched/read, so it's not too hard for me to just dip into my own supply if I run out of new things to watch.
Thanks for reminding me about those other options, however. It's also great to hear that you're helping others realize that anime and manga is not only for kids. Heck, in some cases, it really wasn't made for kids in the first place! I think with people like you and me buying items in stores, it can only help raise awareness of just how good all of this is."
-Janet
Once again, we’re at the end. Except this really is the end this time. Thank you for reading Animefringe, and for making us a part of your life. We hope that you’ve enjoyed this issue and all of our previous ones. To steal Jerry Springer’s immortal closing words, take care of yourself, and each other. Good night.