7||0|1566|0|yes
0|0|0|||||Looking for a few opinions|O_M||00:56:32|11/28/2007|Now%2C since it%27s Eyrie what got me into this mess%2C I figure you could possibly help me come to a decision. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0ABasically%2C a friend of mine at work %28currently employed at the local Hastings%2C which is basically For Your Entertainment cross-bred with Borders%29 knows I%27m an anime fan%2C but that my tastes tend to be a little dated. So he was working a buyback and someone sold us back the Magic Knight Rayearth series boxset along with the series boxset of the sequel. He asked me if I%27d heard of it since he figured I might be interested%2C since it reminded him of Slayers from the coverart and he knew I was a big fan of that series. I said I%27d heard something of it%2C and he dropped the bit of info that%2C post-employee discount%2C I could probably score both for about 20 bucks.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow%2C for two full series boxsets%2C that%27s a pretty good deal. However%2C my entire experience with Rayearth comes from the Knights of the Fourth World arc of Symphony%2C so I%27m leery to buy it based on your guys%27 quality writing. %3A%29 While it wouldn%27t be a big dent of an impulse buy%2C I%27m wondering how good the quality is%2C and I figured %5Bi%5Dsomeone%5B%2Fi%5D here has a good chance of having seen it and can give me a better informed opinion than Amazon.com user reviews%28which I find disconcertingly erratic. The only thing that gets across the board negative reviews there are Chuck Austen X-Men TPBs%2C for heaven%27s sake %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A
1|1|0|||1||RE%3A Looking for a few opinions|Gryphon||01:17:25|11/28/2007|I haven%27t seen %5Bi%5DRayearth 2%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and the original series does tend to run on a bit %28monster-of-the-week show%2C there%27s quite a bit of padding before you get to the operative part%2C so to speak%29%2C but for 20 bucks%2C what the hell.  The first series is worth that on its own%2C IMO.%0D%0A%0D%0APut it this way%3A Somebody offered %5Bi%5Dme%5B%2Fi%5D that deal%2C I%27d take it.  The copy I watched back in the S2 research phase was Zoner%27s. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Admin%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0A
2|1|0|||1||RE%3A Looking for a few opinions|Mephron||10:22:17|11/28/2007|Rayearth has a very quirky art style in a lot of ways.  There%27s a lot of the SD Pop%3B there%27s Hikaru%27s spontaneous catgirling and it going away.%0D%0A%0D%0APlus the monster-of-the-week-ism.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat being said%2C once it gets up to steam%2C it%27s a tight story%2C even if in my opinion in needed the second series just to fix the horrifically depressing end of the first.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor that price%3F  You can%27t go wrong.%0D%0A%0D%0A--%0D%0AGeoff Depew - Darth Mephron%0D%0AHaberdasher to Androids%2C Dark Lord of Sith Tech Support.%0D%0A%22And Remember%21  Google is your Friend%21%21%22
3|1|0|||||RE%3A Looking for a few opinions|asuffield||10:54:24|11/28/2007|The manga version is some of CLAMP%27s best work. It lost something in the transition to anime%2C but it%27s still worth watching%2C and at that price it%27s a no-brainer.
4|1|0|||1||RE%3A Looking for a few opinions|laudre||19:34:22|11/28/2007|Due warning%3A the first series has a VERY depressing ending.  It%27s foreshadowed pretty heavily %28especially if you%27re familiar with CLAMP%27s storytelling tropes%29%2C but it%27s nonetheless rather at odds with the light feeling of the rest of the series.  The second series is much darker%2C but%2C at the same time%2C the second series%27 ending contrasts just as sharply with that series%27 feel as described above for the first series.  Again%2C it%27s also fairly well foreshadowed %28I guessed how the second series%27 primary conflict would be resolved by the end of the first episode%29%2C but%2C all the same%2C it is a satisfying ending%2C overall.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor %2420 and the time required to watch it %28even considering the filler%2Fmonster of the week%2Fchasing the next MacGuffin%2Fidiot plots%29%2C if you have it to spare%2C it%27s a pretty good deal.  %28Skip the OVAs%2C though -- they%27re just confusing and not very good at all%2C going by the first episode%2C which I didn%27t even finish.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A- Sean %0D%0A%22All tribal myths are true%2C for a given value of %27true.%27%22%0D%0A -- Terry Pratchett%2C from _The Last Continent_
5|1|0|||||RE%3A Looking for a few opinions|Rickdominated||21:33:12|11/28/2007|Twenty Bucks for that amount of stuff is definitely a good buy%0D%0AHell%2C I haven%27t seen a deal like that since I got DaiGuard for like%2C %2415 a while back%0D%0AAnd if they%27re still in good condition and you don%27t end up liking them%2C theres always eBay. You could definitely con someone out at least %2420 bucks for all that%0D%0Atl%3Bdr just do it
6|2|5|||||RE%3A Looking for a few opinions|Croaker||00:54:36|11/30/2007|%3ETwenty Bucks for that amount of stuff is definitely a good buy %0D%0A%3EHell%2C I haven%27t seen a deal like that since I got DaiGuard for like%2C %0D%0A%3E%2415 a while back %0D%0A%3EAnd if they%27re still in good condition and you don%27t end up liking %0D%0A%3Ethem%2C theres always eBay. You could definitely con someone out at %0D%0A%3Eleast %2420 bucks for all that %0D%0A%3Etl%3Bdr just do it %0D%0A%0D%0AYeah. I%27d definitely take it for that price.
7|1|0|||||RE%3A Looking for a few opinions|O_M||22:12:50|12/27/2007|Well%2C having finished this just recently%2C I figured I%27d toss this brief end result in.%0D%0A%0D%0ARayearth 1 was pretty much as described. Monster of the Week-ish%2C and with a very depressing ending. Interestingly%2C knowing the principal plot twist added a second layer to it when you watch scenes that the writers obviously knew where they were going with%2C and can catch the more subtle ways they avoided making Zagato outright say something %22Evil Overlord-ish%22. Also%2C the series was very good at making different villain deaths moving. Zagato and Inouva seem very%2C very tragic in hindsight.%0D%0A%0D%0AHowever%2C while I liked it%2C I didn%27t see it as anything especially good to someone who might get bored by the first three-quarters or so. I mainly enjoyed it because it gave me insight into that particular Symphony Arc.%0D%0A%0D%0AThen I watched Rayearth 2.%0D%0A%0D%0AWow. Simply...wow. I don%27t know if my standards were somewhat lax or something%2C expecting it to be on par with the previous one%2C but I was utterly blown away. The story was dark. The plot knew very well how badly they%27d screwed with the characters at the end of the last series. The new supporting characters were fleshed out and compelling. Even the music%2C with its distinct themes for the three nations and other moments%2C was great. %0D%0A%0D%0ABut the gem in the second series%27 crown is the ongoing Nova%2FHikaru arc. They plainly state who she is fairly early%28not in all particulars admittedly%29%2C but knowing that does nothing to wipe away how absolutely creepy she is. I remember joking about the opening with a friend about how she looked like %22Utena with elf ears and something of a perm%22%2C but seeing her in action...she%27s one part the stalker woman from the Stephen King story%2C one part Iczer 2%2C and pretty much completely insane. I%27ve heard it said %22great villains make great stories%22%2C and Debonair and Nova certainly did that.%0D%0A%0D%0AOverall%2C while the original series was certainly worth the cost I bought the two for%2C Rayearth 2 was an incredible bargain%2C and one of the best series I%27ve seen in a long time%28bizarre Presea side-plot and all%29. Much thanks to those who recommended them both.