Do you like anime? Write for The Escapist!

[Osherai]

Wait you watched a horror series when you were 13? Oh did you ever manage to read Violence Jack (Spiritual Successor to Devilman)

Hell yeah I've got Violence Jack Some of the best anime's I've seen are uncompleted however
Violence Jack for one (should have been more)/Ninja Resurrection/Devilman OVA

Oh and btw for anyone living in the UK have you heard of the ban on anime?? >=[

 

[Susan Arendt]

Folks, this is not meant to be an anime discussion thread. This is for people to ask questions regarding the anime reviewing position. It's obvious you folks know a lot on the subject, but I'd encourage you to take that part of the discussion to a thread of its own.

 

[John Funk]

Yes. Reviewing an anime release means reviewing the quality of both original and dub voice acting.

Works for me. I watch anime both ways anyways.

Question: I actually submitted my review samples while I was still a lurker with no account. Do I need to send a follow-up to tie those samples to this account name now?

Please do. Please indicate that you already sent something in the body of your email so that we don't think "hmmm, this looks awfully familiar."

Just a thought Funk but the reviews you've asked for wouldn't really reflect the work we'd be doing for the Escapist. 750 words is perfect for a single volume of anime or manga but for a full series it's very tight, especially for something like Full Metal Alchemist which runs to about 54 episodes if I remember correctly.

And yet, sticking to a word count is an important skill for any reviewer. It's possible, trust me.

I might give it a shot though I suck at writing anything long (I'm 18 so don't worry)

I have the entire FMA series (+movie) on my computer, but I only have two eps of NGE but I remember some of the episodes.

Can we use wordpad?

Yes, you can.

If you're doing the latest titles, try not picking ones that have been available in English for 10 or more years.

Hence why these are writing *samples*.

But yes, as Susan said, please take the discussion somewhere else. I like my mecha as much as the next guy (Susan can vouch for me here on this), but this is not the place.

 

[Meta Like That]

How important are aspect ratios and sound options?

Edit: Or reviewing those, rather. As in, how much detail would you want?

 

[zebrin]

I don't know if it's exactly difficult to buy the stuff on european websites and arrange the shipping like that... unless You guys get the stuff for free

Funk and Susan did not adequately communicate the amount of anime that we receive. Here's a sneak peek into our office: (cellphone pic, sorry about the quality)

[image src=http://static.escapistmagazine.com/media/global/images/galleries/display/55/55654.jpg]

Those top shelves are two layers deep, all anime (third shelf is manga). There is enough there that the shelves are bowing under the weight. There is also more anime on other shelves elsewhere in the office. And more arriving regularly.

So we'd probably be sending it out from here, and not buying more

Oh dear goddess. I want!

Before I send in a review I would like a little bit more information.

First how often would we be reviewing a new Anime? (I am talking once a month, all the way up to tri-weekly.)
once a month, hah, even twice a month I could easily write up a good review on an Anime. Any more then that and I would probably start having to use my medic skills on myself due to my eyes and hands bleeding.
Second, Would we be able to choose the anime in question if we supplied the materials ourselves(Or requested it from you due to that lovely stock of shelf bending goodness you have there)
Third, just anime? Or manga too? Could we even do a dissonance article on the differences between the manga and anime?
fourth, is this just a review position, or is it an article position?
Thanks for any information you can give us.

 

[EveryNameTaken]

I have a couple of questions. I had heard that ya'll were looking for applicants from another forum. I joined this forum soley to apply for the position, but I want to know if members who were already active in your community get some special preference. Also, I've been a reviewer for an anime website for the past two years. Will linking that, and maybe a couple of reviews I feel show my best work, help my application?

 

[RollForInitiative]

Question: I actually submitted my review samples while I was still a lurker with no account. Do I need to send a follow-up to tie those samples to this account name now?

Please do. Please indicate that you already sent something in the body of your email so that we don't think "hmmm, this looks awfully familiar."

Understood. I'll re-send the lot of it once I'm out of the office. Thanks for the fast response!

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

Wicked!

 

[Rabid Toilet]

You must be 18 or older to apply.

Curses! Foiled again!

Being 17 sucks, you're always just too young for anything awesome.

Ah well, maybe if you're looking again next year I'll apply.

 

[John Funk]

How important are aspect ratios and sound options?

Edit: Or reviewing those, rather. As in, how much detail would you want?

Only worth mentioning if there's something noteworthy. For instance, if said aspect ratio was horribly askew.

I have a couple of questions. I had heard that ya'll were looking for applicants from another forum. I joined this forum soley to apply for the position, but I want to know if members who were already active in your community get some special preference. Also, I've been a reviewer for an anime website for the past two years. Will linking that, and maybe a couple of reviews I feel show my best work, help my application?

Length of time spent as a member of The Escapist community has no effect on this whatsoever It couldn't hurt, but your application will be primarily judged on the sample reviews.

I don't know if it's exactly difficult to buy the stuff on european websites and arrange the shipping like that... unless You guys get the stuff for free

Funk and Susan did not adequately communicate the amount of anime that we receive. Here's a sneak peek into our office: (cellphone pic, sorry about the quality)

[image src=http://static.escapistmagazine.com/media/global/images/galleries/display/55/55654.jpg]

Those top shelves are two layers deep, all anime (third shelf is manga). There is enough there that the shelves are bowing under the weight. There is also more anime on other shelves elsewhere in the office. And more arriving regularly.

So we'd probably be sending it out from here, and not buying more

Oh dear goddess. I want!

Before I send in a review I would like a little bit more information.

First how often would we be reviewing a new Anime? (I am talking once a month, all the way up to tri-weekly.)
once a month, hah, even twice a month I could easily write up a good review on an Anime. Any more then that and I would probably start having to use my medic skills on myself due to my eyes and hands bleeding.
Second, Would we be able to choose the anime in question if we supplied the materials ourselves(Or requested it from you due to that lovely stock of shelf bending goodness you have there)
Third, just anime? Or manga too? Could we even do a dissonance article on the differences between the manga and anime?
fourth, is this just a review position, or is it an article position?
Thanks for any information you can give us.

No more than once a month.

When it comes to the things that we send out, it is ultimately at our discretion. Again, once we have a stable of reviewers we may be able to arrange a balance depending on interest, but it is largely up to us.

This will just be anime, and this is a review position - assuming by article position you mean someone who writes for our weekly issue.

 

[robinkom]

So you were into Anime back when they used to mangle it horribly during the dubbing? Those were your Glory days... Nobody else seeing the Irony* here?

*= It's probably NOT irony but I couldn't care less what it really is I just use words because I think it makes me look smart.

Well, you actually sound smug about it, attempting to single me out as some sort of outcast from an overly-stuck up clique of "Bleach & Trigun fan-tards." I was simply sharing a passive, general observation of myself.

What does it matter what the quality of voice acting or writing was back then if I was ultimately entertained by the end result? At the time, Anime wasn't as mainstream as it is now and many things would be subbed or dubbed on shoe-string budgets to be distributed to an incredibly niche market.

I actually find that Anime I don't like (Gundam SEED Desti... Okay everything in the Cosmic Era not called Astray, Naruto) Tend to have... well... Shit Writers. With C.E. having more problems than there are STDs, and Naruto... being written by a complete moron.

I did watch about 2 and a half episodes of Naruto and, yes, I thought it was complete rubbish; Rubbish given to the American market to appeal to 10 year olds that run around their backyard playing "Ninja."

 

[Ancientgamer]

ALSO, having just checked with legal, apologies - you must be 18 years of age or older in order to apply for the position. I am updating the initial post.

Shit, :/ Well, at least I don't have to finish typing my evangelion review. Maybe I'll just turn it into an essay for writing analysis.

 

[John Funk]

So you were into Anime back when they used to mangle it horribly during the dubbing? Those were your Glory days... Nobody else seeing the Irony* here?

*= It's probably NOT irony but I couldn't care less what it really is I just use words because I think it makes me look smart.

Well, you actually sound smug about it, attempting to single me out as some sort of outcast from an overly-stuck up clique of "Bleach & Trigun fan-tards." I was simply sharing a passive, general observation of myself.

What does it matter what the quality of voice acting or writing was back then if I was ultimately entertained by the end result? At the time, Anime wasn't as mainstream as it is now and many things would be subbed or dubbed on shoe-string budgets to be distributed to an incredibly niche market.

I actually find that Anime I don't like (Gundam SEED Desti... Okay everything in the Cosmic Era not called Astray, Naruto) Tend to have... well... Shit Writers. With C.E. having more problems than there are STDs, and Naruto... being written by a complete moron.

I did watch about 2 and a half episodes of Naruto and, yes, I thought it was complete rubbish; Rubbish given to the American market to appeal to 10 year olds that run around their backyard playing "Ninja."

So you were into Anime back when they used to mangle it horribly during the dubbing? Those were your Glory days... Nobody else seeing the Irony* here?

*= It's probably NOT irony but I couldn't care less what it really is I just use words because I think it makes me look smart.

Well, you actually sound smug about it, attempting to single me out as some sort of outcast from an overly-stuck up clique of "Bleach & Trigun fan-tards." I was simply sharing a passive, general observation of myself.

What does it matter what the quality of voice acting or writing was back then if I was ultimately entertained by the end result? At the time, Anime wasn't as mainstream as it is now and many things would be subbed or dubbed on shoe-string budgets to be distributed to an incredibly niche market.

I wasn't attempting to sound smug, I was just pointing out the ironic (or whatever) situation it is that your glory days of dubbing were when Macekres and bowdlerizations were in full swing, including the butchering of Macross, Megazone 23 Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross, and Mospeada into a single show (and movie).

It was meant to be funny, haha, a joke.

Take the discussion somewhere else, guys.

I'm not going to say it again.

 

[Susan Arendt]

*looks at the news section* nothing about how Japan is building a 1:1 RX-78-2 for the 30th Anniversary? For shame...

You mean this?: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.96796

 

[likalaruku]

If you're doing the latest titles, try not picking ones that have been available in English for 10 or more years.

Neon Genesis Evangelion - Sucked hard. First anime I've ever hated with a passion. I wanted everyone to die horribly. The only good character died the episode he was introduced in.

Cowboy Bebop - Too short. After Cartoon Network played the 13 episodes repeatedly for 3 years, it got old. Good voices & very funny. Best watched back to back with that pussy Vash from Trigun.

Spirited Away - You've seen one Studeo Ghibli film, you've seen em all (except Castle of Cagliosto). They have a pattern they follow that I like to call "Alice in Wonderland Syndrome", or would if it didn't refur to a motion disorder. They're all great though.

Fullmetal Alchemist - Bad character designs, everyone is fat, bad choice for voice actors, angst-angst, everyone dies, the end. This title is on my "noob magnet" list, because only noobs seem to find "Hagaren" interesting. It's like when I was in hightschool & yaoi girls clung to the ambuguity of Gundam Wing because it was all they had.

Cowboy Bebop has 26 episodes, only Kaworu died in the episode he was introduced, I hardly believe you stucvk with a series you hated with a passion for 24 episodes. Also it's Hagane, steel, Take THAT year playing SRW OG.

Christ man they said PEOPLE WHO KNOW ANIME not someone who couldn't tell his Gundam from his Godanner

We werel litteraly FORCED to watch Eva in Japanese language class. Hagaren is the Japanese slang name for Hagane no Renkinjutsushi. Take THAT.

& you probably couldn't tell a Transformer from a Golion.