Cosplay Stuff and Black Cat

So we're going to this anime convention in February. I'm going to be cosplaying as Sven from Black Cat (since I already have the costume from last year), and probably also as Mitsuru from Persona 3, because I think she's fantastic.
I'm pretty excited for the convention. What I'm not entirely excited for is the shopping for all of Mitsuru's costume pieces, but oh well. It'll work out. I'm going to the thrift store for the first time tomorrow with some friends. Blergh
So anyway, what I'd like to talk about today is Black Cat, the manga by Kentaro Yabuki. Until I say I'm discussing the anime, I'm discussing the manga, because my perceptions of the two are almost entirely different.
The basic plot revolves around an awesome gunman with a dark past, a now-cheerful fellow named Train Heartnet (also known as the Black Cat, or number XIII). His skills with a gun are unmatched. He works as a sweeper, or someone who hunts down criminals for money, with a partner named Sven Vollfied. Sven is totally awesome. He's cool, he's a ladies' man, and he wears a freakin' fedora, for pete's sake. How much cooler can you get? It also helps that Sven is the techie of the group, frequently producing new types of ammunition for Train and new upgrades to his own personal weapon, his briefcase.
Sven and Train eventually meet up with the two major female characters: a little girl (who also happens to be deadly) named Eve, and a thief named Rinslet Walker. I like the fact that both of them are fairly strong characters (although Rinslet is far weaker than Eve). Though Eve is only a child (of about 11 or so), she develops and uses her powers well, and comes to almost equal Train.
One thing that I really adore about this series is the development of the characters. The pasts of all of the major characters are revealed, and the past stories properly explain the current state of the character. Eve grows throughout the series, and her powers develop. Even the minor characters are usually fairly well explained, and they make sense in the story.
The drawing style is very nice, clear, and easy to follow. There aren't many small details hidden in the panels, as there are in something like Ouran (which I may discuss later).
There's a bit of a lag in the first volume- it mostly just introduces the characters and their world. I would recommend reading it the first time you read the series, but you can probably skip it thereafter. After the first volume, the series moves relatively quickly, and quite a bit of time passes between the first and last (20th) volumes.
At times, the powers and actions of the characters can seem a bit too much, but this isn't too common throughout the series.
There's a lot of comedy involved- there's usually something amusing slipped in with every bit of seriousness. Train, though the main character, also acts as the comic relief a lot of the time. His huge appetite and cheerful disposition cause much hilarity.
Basically, I love this manga, and it is one of the ones I collect. I currently have vols 1-17 (after finally getting vol 14 last week! WOO!).
The anime, however, is a different story. There are so many things about it that completely and totally annoy me.
First off, it's set in a parallel universe or something. The anime never directly says this, but the timing is off. In the manga, when Train and Sven are working together, Train has been out of Chronos for years. In the anime, Train is still in Chronos when he meets and partners with Sven. This is irritating to me, because it throws everything off.
The voices are awful. Abysmal, even. (I'm talking about the English voices here). Sven sounds completely and utterly wrong. It's almost as bad as Kamina's English-dubbed voice, and that's pretty bad.
The art style of the anime is also kind of off. It's more round and cutesy than the manga is. Also, they completely overdo the comedic moments that were subtle in the manga.
Now, a disclaimer: all of my comments ont he anime are based on watching about 5 minutes of the first episode at home by myself (I got sick of it even before the first episode was over), and on half-watching an ep in Anime Club. So, I don't know if it gets better. I don't want to subject myself to the torture of finding out, though, so I won't. If you want to find out for yourself, feel free to do so, but I don't recommend it.
Blergh.
In conclusion: I love Black Cat the manga, and I really wish they had done a better job on the anime. I love Sven's hat, and I can't wait to be him at the convention. Whee!
~Pigeonmeister, from Computer Science

Get it? Train Heartnet? I have awesome Paint skills. XD