I got the Nausicaa manga box set and an Eva DVD.

Just out of curiosity, I listened to the English language track on the DVD to see if the dubbing was any good. Holy Christ, it's freaking bad. No surprise. They shouldn't even have bothered - dubs are for people who can't read. Think of it this way: Listen to a dub with your eyes closed - if you can still tell that it's dubbed (or it sounds like total ass), then it's a typical dub - crap. The Spanish and French dubs on the disk, however, aren't quite as bad.

Sadly, the Japanese Asuka can't speak German for shit (and she's supposed to be fluent), but I already knew that.

Evangelion Platimum Edition DVDs boxed set.

Holy crap, the Platinum Edition of the Neon Genesis Evangelion DVDs (ADV's version of the digitally remastered Renewal discs) is down to $33.87. I can vouch for the quality of these discs. As someone who owns both the Platinum Edition and the older so-called "Perfect Edition," the Platinum version is vastly superior in every respect.

I would be okay with the upcoming Evangelion movies using this character design.

I am posting this Gainax splash page image because it is awesome.

I hope the artist (Kozaki Yusuke) has an Asuka for next week.

She may be weary.

Young girls they do get weary

Wearing that same old shabby dress.

And when she gets weary

Try a little tenderness.

It's not just sentimental.

She has her grief and care.

And a word that's soft and gentle

Makes it easier to bear.

This is really a picture of Asuka.

I sort of hope Miyamura Yuko has been working on her German in preparation for the new Evangelion movies.

There's a third Love Eva manga, Neon Genesis Evangelion Gakuen Datenroku (Neon Genesis Evangelion Academy: Records of Heaven’s Descent). At least I think it's the third one; I may have lost track. Like the first Love Eva manga, known as Iron Maiden 2nd, Girlfriend of Steel 2, and Angelic Days (among other monikers), Evangelion Academy runs in Monthly Asuka.

Turtle Paradise Scanlations is up to chapter five as of this entry. They're using scans from Monthly Asuka itself, and meeting the same challenges I faced with its pulpy paper when I was scanning Iron Maiden 2nd for Studio ADTRW. Scanning-type issues aside, Turtle Paradise is doing a fine job so far, although I see they've found yet another spelling variant for "Soryu."

As far as the manga itself...it seems all right. I like how Rei totes around the Lance of Longinus. One thing I don't care for is how it—like just about every other Eva revision—tries to make Shinji less despicable and whiny. While that may make him less annoying, it kind of makes it Not Eva anymore—might as well just take the basic idea of the revision and turn it into an original title. Making Shinji less of cretin seem as unnatural to me as transforming Asuka into The Virgin Mary. Oh, wait...

Sacrilicious.

Her hair is usually in the way, okay?

After all these years, I somehow never noticed this obvious detail: Asuka has a giant God damn 2 on the back of her plug suit. Perhaps I did notice it before, and simply forgot until this latest Evangelion Re-Watching Project, but either way it's inexcusable.

Can I get my membership card back if I suggest the macabre satisfaction in Asuka's voice when she utters (mispronounces, really) ERSTE after dismantling the first Eva Series flunky in End of Evangelion is likely related to her intense loathing for Rei? (Recall that Asuka usually refers to Rei as "First," rather than by name.) Dag.

Just so you know, the top three mecha pilots of all time are as follows:

1. Shinji's mom.
2. Kira Anime Jesus Yamato, Gundam SEED Destiny edition—as long as he isn't piloting Strike Rouge
3. Sagara Sousuke, assuming Bonta-kun qualifies as a mecha

Mecha, powered armor, odious fursuit...it's a fine line.

That is all.