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Rebecca Scoble, thank you for answering all these questions! I totally missed your Beginner’s Guide to Creating an Audio Drama when it was first released, it’s very interesting and thorough. What a fascinating process *__*
I’m looking forward to listening to the roundtable! =^__^=
Oh! So exciting! ^__^
I would love to hear any of these questions answered (but it’s totally okay if they won’t be, I’m sure there will be other interesting questions and things to discuss):
To all the actors: Was your role in Awake your first time acting? (If not, could you tell us something about your acting experience?) Have you ever appeared on any podcasts before? (If so, please, tell us what were they) What do you think is specific to voice acting in an audio drama as opposed to other types of acting? Are you a fan of Japanese audio dramas? If yes, what are your favorites? Do you have a favorite seiyū? Who are they?
To Rebecca Scoble: Were any of the sounds aside from the actors’ voices recorded (er… from real life sound sources, like hitting something against something else to get a hitting sound, etc.) or are all sound effects purely digital? What can you tell us about Persephone and her voice? And… I don’t know enough to ask the right questions, but I would love to hear anything else (what you didn’t tell in the Sparkler podcasts yet) about your experience working on Awake, the editing process and such. It’s all so fascinating… I also have some questions about the story: Awake was first pitched as a comic, right? Were there any major changes to the plot when it became an audio drama? What are the chances of there being any more Awake stories? (Side stories?/A continuation?/As audio dramas?/In comic book format?/As prose?)
Will the round tables be a part of the bonus material of November 2014 complete MP3 release?
Can you tell as anything about the epilogue? Any hints? Has it already been recorded? If not, when is it going to happen?
To Jae Jae Lopez: How was it, playing both Janelle and Jamilah? Which role did you like better?
To everyone: Who is your favorite Awake character? Do you ship someone from Awake? If yes, who? how? Your favorite chapter of Awake? Favorite scene? Favorite line? Favorite illustration for Awake? Which part did you like working on the most? What turned out to be the most surprising aspect of working on Awake, something you did not expect or could not imagine before starting the project? What was frustrating about working on Awake, if anything?
Currently, what is your favorite Sparkler Monthly title? character? most anticipated new release from Sparkler? (a new chapter of something?/an ebook/a paperback)So cool! Magical tree… *___*
Morgan seemed worried when Mr. McDonnel knocked her hat off and she caught it in her teeth before it fell and held it there throughout the scene – I wonder what would happen if she got separated from the hat, hmm…
Might Morgan be the skinwalker from Chapter 1 after all?Hopefully, I will make a more coherent comment later, but for now I’ll say that I really really liked this chapter! ♥~
That was a wonderful podcast! Thank you, Lillian Diaz-Przybyl, Rebecca Scoble and Jen Lee Quick, for recording it and saying all those fascinating things! And, wonder1440, thank you for asking interesting questions that made the discussion even more exiting!
It’s always so interesting and inspiring to learn some ‘behind the scenes’ details of creation of a beloved story, thank you for sharing them with us, Jen Lee Quick!
I must confess, I’m extremely grateful for the fact that Off*Beat ended the way it did and when it did, because if it had ended back then and without the epilogue, I’m not sure I would have been able to handle it…
I’m really exited about the possibility of Off*Beat short audio drama now, hope Sparkler Monthly has 500+ and many many more members soon. ♥
Lillian Diaz-Przybyl, if you ever write that fanfiction, I would love, love, love to read it *__*
Gatesmith “spoilers” were delightful! I’m so looking forward to the next chapter ^_^
SPOILER WARNING: 4th paragraph from the bottom probably contains a slight spoiler for Jen Lee Quick one shot Hungry (http://wulfmune.deviantart.com/gallery/38591645/Hungry)
So… it’s Sheep versus Cattle. The Sheep Wars with a mystical twist! *_* Cool.
When a staggering figure appeared in the background just as the Native American was speaking about how the skinwalkers “move stiffly”, I was about to get as terrified as Nate’s sons – the younger one is cute as hell, by the way! ♥ – thinking that the body count in this story was about to go way up (not that it is not high as it is with 8 bodies in the cold open/chapter 1 and a cow and who knows how many wolves and sheep dead in this chapter), but it turned out to be Morgan, who seems… benevolent.
So many things going on at the same time. So many questions. The hat Morgan is wearing seems very similar to the one that was “passed around” in the previous chapter (I really love the witty punny chapter titles in this story! ♥). At first I thought Morgan was looking for her hat from the last chapter and that the being wearing the hat, the one that walked away at the end of chapter 1, is the skinwalker they were talking about. But… we don`t really know yet just how the two chapters relate to each other in regards to time, did the events of chapter 1 happen before the events of chapter two? Maybe not. But assuming that they did… it really looks like it might be the same hat. Is Morgan actually the skinwalker from the previous chapter? 0_O Her eyes certainly could be described as unnatural…
And the wolves. The wolves are not just wolves, are they? And Nate seems to know it… (I suspect that the Native American is a werewolf. But I don`t think he and his tribesmen slayed the sheep. They died because of the “it” from the tear, the something Morgan was looking for…)
Anyway, all this is just me speculating out loud. There is still almost a whole month ahead before the next chapter to wonder and come up with crazy theories… I missed doing that since the end of Off*beat ^_^ So exciting!Mm… I really loved all the (almost) textless pages in the previous chapter and in this one too: when Morgan`s special vision was introduced and when we saw the tear… I like textless comic pages in general and these ones are particularly cool ^_^
Oh! But my favourite image in this whole chapter is Nate chewing the liver in the second panel of page 13! Really ^_^The way Morgan’s arms transform… it looks so unusual and bizarre… I love it! Remembering the one shot story “Hungry” (!)um? possible SPOILER WARNING?(!) I probably know some of future the transformations to expect, but I wonder what other kinds of transformations there will be in this story. They are so cool *___* I’m really looking forward to seeing more!
Have I mentioned that I really really love Morgan’s character design? When I saw Morgan in the preview illustration and on the cover I was not at all sure whether she was male or female. I really like the androgynous look. Her figure is quite boyish, flat-chested and angular. I wonder if she often gets mistaken for a man (Nate’s younger son has mistaken her for a boy, hasn’t he? Then I thought the older son did, too, but it turned out he was just skeptical about the applicability of the term “lady”, I giggled when I read that^^) . Not that that’s what I like about the way she looks the most (the part I like the most is probably the curls^^), I like everything put together.
About the end of the chapter: Mr. McDonnel (I assume that’s who he is) seems to think Morgan killed his sheep. I’m not really worried about him hurting her and vice versa. But what if Morgan can’t protect them from the something from the tear? What if they prevent her from closing the tear and it would be to late to… something something? That’s something I’m going to worry about for the next month, yes.
*reading Jen Lee Quick’s reply earlier* I didn’t know that about the word “dude”. Now I understand Nate’s comment better.
In short: I really really loved this story! It was amazing =^__^= Everybody who worked on it, you rock!
Elaborating (though, not very coherently, I’m afraid): I haven’t been listening to Awake before, but I`ve been curious and yesterday I decided to finally check it out and I started listening and just couldn’t tear myself away from it till I listened to all 10 chapters in one go, it was so engaging. I’m so glad that the final chapter was released today or I might have gone mad wondering what happens next. ^^
But I did have about a day’s time to wonder and think about it before chapter 11, so I saw the year transfer coming but I thought they would at least discuss it… The way Robbie (and Rosa) did it is like what they did to Jamilah all over again. It might be hypocritical if Hina complained about not being asked first, given what she did for her fiancé, but Robbie himself is upset that no one ever asked him if he wanted to go to Tau Ceti Prime so it’s not like he doesn’t understand that she probably would have liked for them to have asked for her opinion/consent. But it’s in character and understandable that they did not discuss it and, of course, this way it`s more interesting – with the intrigue kept until the very end – and more powerful an ending.
Anyway, I really loved Awake, loved all the characters, they are all so alive and real, really loved all the illustrations, the colors are amazing, everyone`s voice acting is really cool and all the sounds are great, loved all the suspense and how the plot lines eventually came together; and the ending is absolutely beautiful ♥
Thank you so much for creating this audio drama and bringing it to us!@wonder1440, It seemed to me that it was uncertain whether Colin went along with the project willingly or became a prisoner to it. I think Tory haven’t figured out which one it is yet. It’s possible that even Colin doesn’t really know. (Tory asked him once: “How can you not know what you`re thinking?!”, but it is not at all surprising when you are a teenager and so many things change and happen for the first time and are confusing.)
I would like to believe that Colin is genuinely interested in the project and wants it to succeed and that ultimately it was his decision to go into the next phase. It seems more likely to me, from the way he was speaking. (I also would like to believe that he could stop any time he wanted, that it is not the kind of process where there is no coming back once you have started. That hope comes from my belief that Dr. Garrets is a responsible adult and a decent person and cares about his ward (at least to some extent), and therefore would not let him get involved into the Project if it <em>had to be</em> a lifetime commitment.) (Because human experimentation is already controversial enough. But when the test subject is underage? Consent is a very tricky question. And so there has to be as many fail-safes as possible.)
If it`s like this, then Tory and Colin can work together on The Gaia Project and probably create something so revolutionary that it will change the human race forever *__*And if it’s not the case and Colin was somehow pressured by Dr. Garrets to join the Project or volunteered willingly but later regretted his decision and now is indeed trapped as a ‘lab rat’, then, now that Tory has finally found him, it’s only a matter of time before he figures out how to get Colin out. And they will surely succeed. Because Tory is smart and awesome like that.(Hopefully, the escape plan wouldn’t involve shooting Dr. Garrets dead like in a certain dream of Tory’s. Seriously, I can’t believe Dr. Garrets is really a bad person. If only for the fact that he is Jen Lee Quick`s character.^^)
So, whether it’s the latter or the former or something in-between, Colin and Tory are together again and that’s what truly matters. They will figure everything else out. That’s the way I see it.
Also
<blockquote>Maybe I am normal?</blockquote>
mm, I would say you`re offbeat, just like we all here =^__~=@liannesentar, why, thank you! =^__^= Colin from my icon comes from this picture: http://fav.me/d6gi75q
So, after rereading Chapter 18 part 2 & The Epilogue several times and having some time to reflect on the storm of emotions they cause, I feel like I can shape a few more impressions into words:
Even more than the kiss, I liked the hug they shared afterwards. *^_^* Such a beautiful heart-warming moment.
I absolutely loved the entirety of dialog between Colin and Tory in this chapter but my favourite part probably was: “Ha ha ha…”, “Heh, heh”, “hee hee hee” – “Okay. So what the hell was funny just then?” – “Nothing? Everything?“.
I really love the fact that it is not stated when exactly the Epilogue takes place so we don’t know how much time has passed.(I hope it’s not the year 2014! But then, Tory is really smart, it couldn’t not have been too long…)
And I can’t help but think that Tory and Colin`s separation mirrors Off*Beat’s hiatus. Which makes me feel all the more strongly about their reunion. Oh, which somehow reminds me –Happy Easter, everyone(who celebrates it)!
It. Was. Awesome.
Truly beautiful.
*happy sigh*
I loved it.
♥“The End…?”
Will most likely have more things to say once I take some time to take it all in and properly appreciate everything, but right now – having just read The Conclusion and Epilogue – there is something I want to share immediately.
I must confess I have been dreading the ending. While I was only really hyped and super-excited about the beginning of Volume 3, about Off*Beat continuing, Off*Beat concluding was something I could not think about without trepidation. Not only because the ending is such a crucial part of a story that some would even say defines it, not only because of worrying what will happen to the characters… but also just because it was going to end, period. You would think all this months (since the continuation) would be enough time to come to terms with this fact, but after all those years (since the beginning) of caring about this manga… Just thinking – ‘Whatever is going to happen will happen and it will be it. The end. The story concluded, the fate of the characters sealed’ – is it not the scariest thing?
So now that the end is finally here I am really really glad – indescribably so – that it is an open ending. Something I was secretly hoping for all this years and yet did not dare to-… (This is the paradoxical wish for the beloved story to reach a satisfying conclusion, to end and yet not to really end at the same time come true.) And I think it is the best thing that could have happened to the story!.. And, and!..And I got a little carried away here. But, yes. What I wanted to say is: I loved that it`s an open ending. I am infinitely grateful for that fact. I think that it fits the story perfectly.
*sigh*
Now that Off*Beat is finally concluded, I can say that it is my favorite manga/comic. Something I have not been able to honestly proclaim before knowing how it ends. Because I do believe that the ending (at least, in part, in a really important part) defines the story. And Off*Beat was always (since discovering it in 2008) one of my favorites, but anything could have happened before the end, at the end, in the end – and I feared there would be something that would not feel right, or something missing without which the whole would not feel right, and I wouldn’t be able to love the story as a whole because of it. But now that it is concluded, it is whole and in such a way that works perfectly for me. And so, Off*Beat is my *most* favorite manga.And I am incredibly happy.
Love, always.I would like to voice a theory before part 2 of Chapter 18 comes out: Colin left the zamioculcas zamiifolia (and the cats?) so that it (they?) would improve Tory`s attunement somehow. And the kiss is meant to test it. (among other things ^__~)
Oh, Paul. *Love for Paul.* He is a really good friend.
But I can`t help wondering, what exactly is he going to tell Ms. B?And yay! Colin and Tory finally meet again! Love, love, love their interaction! Oh, the twisted logic… In hindsight, I realize that Colin must have known about his permanent move for a long time now. (I think I can understand his motivations in the end of Volume 2 a little better now.) But to think that his reasons for concealing it would be so that Tory wouldn’t deem him unworthy of his continued “investigation”!..
Love how Tory is tactically blocking the door once they are in his room ^__^
And the cliffhanger is perfect! *___*I am enjoying the new chapters immensely *happy sigh* Haven’t commented in the discussion threads yet because I don`t have anything coherent to contribute, really, just ecstatic exclamations, etc. Need time to digest the awesomeness…
But here is something I want to share. Following Tory`s example, I Googled “zamioculcas zamiifolia” and when you start typing “zamio…”, Google suggests “zamioculcas zamiifolia cats” and the first thing that comes up in that search is that the ZZ plant is poisonous to cats.
Now my head is spinning with various possible implications of this…
Starting with wondering what that might mean for Colin`s message/riddle to Tory (the ZZ plant and cats are seemingly incompatible, yet there are ways for them to co-exist…)…
…and ending with crazy (and unlikely) ideas about how Dr. Garrets and Colin have been experimenting with the cats and succeeded in making them immune to ZZ`s toxins. Which really brings me back to all the crazy pre-Volume 3 ideas about the nature of the Gaia project. Back then I used to wonder whether the plants and the cats are some significant part of it.
Feeling nostalgic…=^__^=
Neila, for March`s MPC – maybe something to do with the coming of spring?
Looking forward to any prompt you decide on ^__^Lianne Sentar, thank you very much! =^__^=
I`m not sure if this two pictures are adequate to gauge my progress as an artist, since the 2009 one was a quick chibi doodle and the 2014 one was an attempt of something closer to Off*beat’s original art style. I posted them both because I like them both and am not really sure which one I prefer ^_^
‘Cute and feminine’ is what I have in mind when I think of Mandy. That`s what I was going for, yay! =^_^= Thank you! ♥Oh! Sner2000` s Valentine is just wow =*__*= All those hearts!
Animatorwannabe, I cannot emphasize how much I like the way you used Tory`s necklace enough =*_*=
IMHO, this was a wonderful MPC! =^__^=
Happy Valentine`s Day, everyone! =^__^=
Mandy decided to make Valentine Cards for Tory and Colin. So that it would be clear that this is not a romantic overture but a gesture of friendship she thought of a suitable image to place on the cards…
Will her true feelings reach them?..
(By the way, you can send it as a Valentine on Deviantart (or just hake a more detailed look): http://five-pm.deviantart.com/art/Offbeat-Valentine-434015676 )
Yes, here is Mandy shipping Colin and Tory again. But in a Valentine way now… So, I am repetitive.
And not only because this is so similar to my drawing for the previous MPC, but also because this is a remake of my 2009 Valentine picture. I hope you won`t mind if I post said picture here too:
