Click here for the current GBU. Please keep in mind that these are my opinions and you may not necessarily agree with them.

the good:
Anime taking off on DVD!! -
I was one of the early adopters of the new technology referred to in 1997 as Digital Video Disc. Now we know it as Digital Versatile Disc, or DVD. I originally embraced the new format for the convenience of having both audio tracks (Japanese and English) in one single, very easy to store disc (believe me, when you have 200+ VHS tapes, storage begins to be a problem!)

However, now my main attractions to anime on DVD are the goodies that are included on the discs (most of the time, anyway) as well as the superb quality of video and audio in a disc that, as long as it is well cared for, will last forever!! Now I don't even care if the disc doesn't have an English track (the viceversa situation, i.e. English-only, DOES NOT apply, though).

Also, if you have noticed, a lot of the commercial anime companies are beginning to drop the VHS format for their new releases, which tells of the power of the DVD format on the Anime community. If you're an anime fan and don't have a DVD player, get yourself one and see for yourself what you're missing!! The players are not even that expensive anymore (I paid $600 for my 2nd generation unit back in 1997 if you think 200 bucks is expensive!)

Anime's growing popularity -
Well, I'm pretty sure everybody has noticed that anime is getting more and more mainstream every day. Years ago, if you told somebody that you liked Japanese animation or Anime, any (or all) of the following were their reactions: 1) You were believed to watch animation that only involved young maidens being molested by all kinds of monsters and their extremeties, 2) You were believed to watch animation that only involved dozens of people getting killed, severed body parts, along with their corresponding gallons of blood, 3) "What the hell is anime?"

Nowadays, there's a 50/50 chance that the people you talk to will know what you're talking about. Some people still think that all anime is porno, ultra-violent or about collecting cute little monsters ¬_¬;; but, most people (except for the close-minded and xenophobic) are beginning to realize that not all anime is like that. That's the beauty of anime: the wide range of tastes that it appeals to.

Titles that range from cute, sweet stories like Cardcaptor Sakura and St. Tail, to super-powered shoujo heroines like Sailor Moon and Nurse Angel Ririka, to Science Fiction like Cowboy Bebop, Vandread and Evangelion, to Romance stories like Hana Yori Dango and Marmalade Boy, to Romantic Comedies like Love Hina, Mamotte Shugogetten and Ah! Megami-sama to Fantasy like Escaflowne and Record of Lodoss War, to ecchi shows like Amazing Nurse Nanako, Aika and Hand Maid May, to hardcore hentai like Urotsukidouji, La Blue Girl and Cool Devices. That's the beauty of anime: no matter what your tastes are like, you WILL find something that fits your viewing preferences!!

the bad:
Licensing: A double-edge sword with some companies -
First of all, don't get me wrong! I am FOR licensing of anime for commercial distribution in the U.S. What I do believe is that a dis-service is done of the anime fan community when a company licenses a title for release but, takes YEARS (yes, YEARS!!) to release it (**cough**) EVA movies (**cough**) Manga Entertainment (**cough**). Not only that, some companies not only do not distribute what the fans are asking for (believe me, there are many of us that are eager to exchange our hard-earned dollars for DVDs of several anime titles ^o^!), they don't want any fans to work on them and let other fans know about them via fansubs (**cough**) Excel Saga (**cough**) Slow as Hell Anime (**cough**) ADV (**cough**) and intimidate the subbers with threats of prosecution and website shutdowns, using sneaky tricks like posing as clueless newbies on Internet message boards.

My take is that if the companies are not willing (or able) to release a title w/in a year of licensing, they should allow fansubbers to subtitle without threatening them. Either that or don't get the license in the first place or release it so someone who will ACTUALLY crank DVDs out (**cough**) Pioneer (**cough**) Bandai (**cough**) Media Blasters (**cough**) can license it. Oh! But I forgot about one very important factor: CORPORATE GREED!!

On the abusing of fansubs - Yes, I know that fansubs ARE illegal (but tolerated to some extent) but it seems like as of lately some people are abusing them more than ever (specially with the advent of digital fansub distribution via the Internet). Yes, YOU know who YOU are!! People who call themselves "fans" but, their collections consist only of bootleg stuff, "buy" the fansub instead of the commercial release because "it's cheaper" and give us true fans a bad rep with the general public and commercial anime companies.

You might say: "Well you have fansubs but are bad-mouthing us that only get the fansubs!". Well, the thing is that I USE fansubs, not ABUSE them! I will always get the commercial release of something I own in fansub form: I have all of FY in fansub but still got both DVD boxsets. I have all of Escaflowne in fansubs but I'm still getting the DVDs as they're coming out. I have some fansubs of Cardcaptor Sakura and I'm getting the DVDs as fast as Pioneer puts them out. I'm saving to buy the Sailormoon and Monoke Hime movies. I'm planning to get the commercial versions of the You're Under Arrest, Cardcaptor Sakura, Evangelion, and X movies as well as the rest of the TV series and OVAs that have been licensed but are not yet released.

the ugly:
Anime on TV - Well, I think most of the people that know me will agree that I WAS for anime on TV but, with the recent attrocities committed on US airwaves (namely Escaflowne and Cardcaptor Sakura) I will no longer watch anime on TV, nor care about it. I've been hearing that Outlaw Star has been censored on Cartoon Network (gee, what a surprise for a title ... THAT'S NOT INTENDED FOR KIDS!!) and I know that they're gonna cut Megami Kouhosei (Candidate for Goddess) and The Big O when they get around to bastardize them as well.

And what's with the title change of "Candidate for Goddess" to "Pilot Candidate"? The word "Goddess" too tabboo for American audiences? [sarcasm]We wouldn't want to get in trouble with the conservatives that are constantly monitoring the airwaves for innappropriate content for our kiddies, now would we?[/sarcasm] So much for freedom of religious expression! Anyway, all I really care is for an appropriate DVD release for us fans to enjoy. They can do whatever they want on television >_< !!

Should store clerks replace good parenting!!?? -
Read this article http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/wews/20010205/lo/306205_1.html and see why I get pissed off at stupid people!

I'm only going to list what I think are the only worth-while sentences in that article:

• "Animated Videos Aren't Necessarily For Children" (no sh!t Sherlock!!)
• "Buying this material is just like buying beer and cigarettes. It's up to the clerk to check for identification before selling it to them" (and note that this is not the anime's fault but, the person who is enforcing age verification!)
• "Typically, the tapes are all mixed together on the same shelf. Those that would be considered X-rated are right next to the Pokemons ..." (which is why hentai stuff needs to be off-limits to minors)
• "... owner Joe Simon says that he strictly enforces age restrictions on rentals and sales, but also says that parents need to understand that anime is more than child's play." (wake up America! Animation is not only for kids!!)
• "It's not just like funny book cartoons. It's any subject … horror, science fiction, comedy and pornography" (therefore not only for children!)
• "'No doubt about it. That is X-rated material in cartoon form,' Michelle Yezerski, from Citizens for the Protection of Children in Medina, says" (no one denies it but, that's why parents need to be aware of what their "little innocent angels" are reading/viewing)
• "'You've gotta really pay attention as a parent to make sure what you're buying for your kid isn't questionable'" (what we fans have been saying all along!)

I think it's up to the parents to supervise what their children are doing. If parents want the TV, the government or store clerks to raise their children for them, this country is heading for a major disaster with a youth that is going to grow up really messed up!!