I prefer the softer colour to the brighter blue. I'm still not sure about the text, maybe in a different font. Or perhaps in English and Kanji. I don't think a strong colour is the way to go, as it can be a bit harsh on the eyes.
Just wondering, is there a technical issue that is keeping this forum from moving to a 1024x768 format? Thomas posted in feb, 2003 that 43 % his users were on 800x600 but that number must have gone down quite a bit in the past 2.5 years. I would request the moderator/owner of this site to change this site's viewing format to 1024x768. More reading material in the same space. The rest all is quite fine, given that is is running vBulletin.
You can change the forum style at the bottom left of the screen or in your UserCp options. Some styles are in 100%, so work the same on any resolution.