[Haggis]

Lots to say about different subjects but I'll try and pull my thoughts together to make some sense:

1) MPD Psycho, I liked the TV series because it was visually interesting, the green rain for example, I also found the censorship interesting because initially it annoyed me, but then I thought about why it annoyed me. Did I buy the series to see the gore, was it more important than the plot? What were my expectations, and would I be disappointed if they weren't met? Etc. etc.

2) Midori was one where I think it could have been censored a little more. I did watch it based on the recommendation so thanks for that, but even so I'm not sure whether I'd generally recommend it as it's so depressing. Cuts of a few seconds would have made it easier viewing certainly, but the fact that it wasn't easy viewing is maybe the point. When we are disturbed by events we like to think they serve a purpose, ie good will prevail over evil etc. but then if it doesn't we're kind of forced to come to terms with the fact that shit just happens and we're expected to deal with it.

3) Hmm... I feel I'm trying to get all philosophical here. That's probably because I've been watching Kino's Journey. Brilliant series. If you like anime that makes you think about it once the credits have rolled then this is one to get. I can't understand why people aren't really into it. Perhaps the lack of action and plot makes it a bit slow for most people?

4) I generally agree that Manga are better than the movie versions, such as in the case of Uzumaki, but I think the Ring is a manga that fails. The characters are far too cutesy for a horror manga, and the actual creepiness of the video tape itself cannot be portrayed without sound and moving images. It's a decent enough manga but perhaps it could have been a lot better if drawn by an artist such as Junji Ito, who just manages to draw everything in a more darker, creepier and realistic style.