As of late, I’ve become a major proponent of properly purchasing anime and manga. During my crusading, I ran across a fellow fan that’s a member of an anime site called National Anime. It’s a site that hosts anime and manga for you to download. For five bucks a month, you have unlimited access.

Here’s the weird thing: they’re all fansubs (and presumably scanlations). National Anime is basically charging for content that was illegally acquired, translated, and rebroadcast. Why would anybody pay for such a thing? At least downloading for free can be considered a subtle communist rebellion in favour of the poor proletariat that can’t afford the bourgeoisie’s prices. This is more like renting a storage unit for a burglar to store his loot.

Okay, technically, they ask for “donations”. Donations at five dollars a month. Donations in exchange for improved service. To me, that sounds less like a “donation” and more “paying for a service”. Maybe that’s just me.

Maybe I’m just old-fashioned.

Growing up as a child in the 90s, it comes as no surprise that I consider the decade the Golden Age of Children’s Television. Granted, that’s mostly because it was; but, for now, let us assume it’s because nostalgia played a significant role.

Recently, Nickelodeon decided to pander to overgrown spermatozoa like myself and began reairing some of the classics from the Golden Age. Unfortunately, they decided to air them on a channel that nobody gets at an hour when nobody’s awake. I can’t let that stop me, though. This is nostalgia we’re talking about! After some browsing, I found that they are streaming a select few episodes on the official website. The time has finally come to reevaluate my memories of these shows with, well, the actual shows.

I wonder if I matured at all (lol, ya rite!)

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Kenan and Kel (Nostalgia rating: 5 / 5)
In the Line of Kenan

Short version: Not as good as I remember

Long version: Aww, here goes! I remember loving Kenan and Kel! I’m even a fan on Facebook. “I dropped the screw in the tuna!” “Kel… loves orange soda.” So many good, quotable lines. Sadly, it didn’t age well. The episode had its moments; but it suffers from being incredibly stupid. The dialogue sounds so forced it makes me wonder if they weren’t just ad-libbing everything. Maybe it was just a bad sampling. They should’ve aired the Sears tower episode. I seem to recall that one being my favourite.

Hey Arnold (Nostalgia rating: 3 / 5)
The List / Haunted Train

Short version: Somewhat better than expected

Long version: As a kid, I remember feeling “meh” about the show. I only watched it when nothing else was on. Coming back now, I realize that it was actually better than I thought. The voice-acting was decent and the plots were strangely profound. This episode was particularly entertaining in just how far they went out of their way to not use the word “Hell”.

Legends of the Hidden Temple (Nostalgia rating 1 / 5)

Short version: Just as bad as I remembered

Long version: Ugh… game shows. I remember watching this show. I also remember not liking a single one. Watching it again makes me realize just how right I was. It was boring and, from what I’ve seen, ridiculously unforgiving. Still, the “steps of knowledge” segment of the featured episode was pretty sweet with its questions on Ancient Babylon.

Rocko’s Modern Life (Nostalgia rating 5 / 5)
Sucker for the Suck-o-matic

Short version: Impossibly better than remembered

Long version: Out of my way, peons! Rocko’s Modern Life is on. Even at 24 years old, this cartoon is awesome. In fact, watching it again makes me realize just how grown-up it is. A joke about phone sex lines? How in the heavens did that pass the censors?

Doug (Nostalgia rating: 1 / 5)
Doug’s Dinner Date

Short version: Much, much worse than I remembered

Long version: Fuck Doug.

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Note: There were two other shows featured on the site, All That and Clarissa Explains It All. I didn’t watch them, however, because I honestly don’t have any memory of the shows, good or bad. Oh, I remember them existing. I just don’t remember watching them. For that reason, I chose not to give them a retrospective.

Now, I’m glad Nickelodeon is bringing some of these shows back. The only problem is the quantity. Only seven? I can think of a much longer list of shows I want to look back on. Here are some of them:

• Rugrats (Reptar on Ice!)
• Aahhh! Real Monsters
• KaBlam
• Angry Beavers
• Hey, Dude
• Pete & Pete
• Salute Your Shorts
• Secret World of Alex Mack (who wears a hat! How ’bout that?)
• Wild Thornberries
• Garfield and Friends (okay, not strictly Nickelodeon; but I want to see it again!)

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? To commemorate my triumphant, albeit brief, return, I shall post a bunch of pictures from Otakon 2011! This year was great because it was the first year I got to attend wherein I wasn’t dirt poor. I got to win some auction items and everything! It was oodles of fun. I finally got to watch The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya during its East Coast premiere. As expected, Yuki stole the show. Anyway, enough of that; lets look at pictures!

Day 1: The Panty Menace

Okay, this one doesn’t have much to do with Otakon. This is a billboard on the side of 95 that I thought was hilarious.

Hello, this is the part where I kill you!

His skin was so smooth…

That’s right… pony cosplayers

Jarate!
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