Spike Lives! (Anime talk)

[Reply #480 on:]

I prefer watching dubs but that's mainly cause watching with the original audio with subtitles is difficult for me as I have a hard time focusing on reading and watching the show. Also I can't focus on the type from too far away.

[Reply #481 on:]

So, I just finished Trigun for the first time. I had seen several episodes before and I knew I liked the series, but for some reason I hadn't had the dedication to sit down and watch it all the way through.
I loved it, just like I knew I would. Of course, this is yet another example of an anime where one of my favorite characters dies and I cry like a baby.

[Reply #482 on:]

Aria: The Animation

When I stumbled across this series I had no idea what to expect and now that I've seen it; it isn't that easy to describe. That is because very little actually happens; the story follows Akari, a girl who has moved to the planet Aqua to become a gondolier working for the Aria Company in the city of Neo-Venezia. Over the course of the thirteen episodes she makes friends with Aika and Alice who are training to be gondoliers for other companies. They frequently train together and sometimes do things together on their time off. There are hints at science fiction that go deeper than their presence on a Terra-formed planet; in one episode Akari crosses a bridge and finds herself in Aqua's past; while this isn't explained I thought it was the best episode.

While little of excitement occurs the series is pleasant enough to watch as the characters are likable and the backgrounds are stunning. There is some humour; largely provided by the company's president... a large white cat; it is a tradition for all of the companies to have a blue-eyed cat as president as they are considered lucky. I wouldn't consider this a must see series but it is good enough and contains nothing to offend even the most easily offended viewers. There are follow-on series, 'Aria the Natural' and 'Aria the Origination' which I'd watch if they were legally available... this series was available on YouTube but episodes were only available for a limited time.

7/10

Cowboy Bebop

'Cowboy Bebop' is probably one of the best known anime series; I know I'd heard of it long before I started watching anime. Given that it is surprising how long I took getting around to watching it but as it was out of print I had little choice. Once it was reissued I got it as soon as I could and enjoyed it from start to finish. Just in case you don't know the series follows bounty hunters Spike Spiegel, Jet black and their ship the Bebop as they chase their bounties across the solar system. Along the way they are joined by fellow bounty hunter, the sexy Faye Valentine, a girl called Edward who is a genius with computers and Ein the dog. Over the course of the series we learn more about the characters as we watch them going after a variety of bounties; many of them dangerous and all of them entertaining.

I had seen Cowboy Bebop: The Movie before watching the series and must say I prefer the series; it is more stylish with its jazz soundtrack and wide variety of stories. Being twenty six episodes long there is time to learn the characters back stories which makes them more likable. This series has one of the best casts of any I can think of; they are all cool in their own way. While it is primarily a drama there is also a fair bit to laugh at in many episodes without those laughs seeming forced. I watched the series in Japanese with English subtitles and thought it sounded good; I had heard that it also had a good English sound track so re-watched one episode dubbed and must say I was quite impressed.

10/10

[Reply #483 on:]

Who doesn't like Cowboy Bebop, honestly? Such a damn good show.

[Reply #484 on:]

While I remember~

Eden of the East

I heard that this anime was pretty good and wanted to see it, so it was pretty cool when my friend gave me the entire series for my birthday. Basically it's about some guy that can't remember who he is. Later on he finds out he is part of a group of people who have been given 10 billion dollars and need to use it to save Japan. But the catch is that they need to spend the money wisely, or they'll be killed by a member of the group called the 'Supporter'. Also, if they don't 'save Japan' they'll be killed anyway.

The series is mainly about the guy trying to remember what happened before he lost his memory. Remembering things that happen in the past is always fun.

Yes, this is kind of hard to explain, some of the events that happen in this series are kind of confusing, or at least until it's explained semi clearly in later episodes. Obviously there is more to the series than what I mentioned up there, but Eden of the East was actually really addicting. I didn't particularly find much of it boring, which is a good thing, I probably don't have the longest attention span when it comes to watching TV.

If you like Death Note, I would recommend this. It has the same kind of feel to it I think. I wasn't completely into Death Note, I got a bit bored through it and didn't finish it. I like Death Note, but Eden of the East is nicer as it has less episodes and gets to the point a lot faster.

However, I'm not sure whether this could be counted as a spoiler, but it has a cliffhanger ending. Apparently I need to buy and watch the movies to find out how it ends. Bah!

8/10

[Reply #485 on:]

Eden of the East is good; you are right about the ending though; you need to see the two movies to see how it ends. I've seen to first but am waiting for the price to drop before buying the second

[Reply #486 on:]

I'd be fine with getting a set that has both the movies, buying them separately seems like a waste of money. That's the thing about movies, the seasons with multiple discs are roughly the same price as the movie -.-

[Reply #487 on:]

Hilarious Nostalgia Critic review on Ponyo

[Reply #488 on:]

The best part was LK turning up 

[Reply #489 on:]

My favorite part was the baby scene.

[Reply #490 on:]

I began watching Space Battleship Yamato.. the very original series in japanese with subs...

im running out of space operas and this aparently is the genesis of big spaceship battles

[Reply #491 on:]

I like it.

[Reply #492 on:]

well.. finished season one of Yamato.. really like it.. it has plenty of corny and lame moments (and some huge deus ex machina at the end) but its overall quite enjoable and ironically fresh (since its diferent in its tone to even many modern sci-fi shows ... yet it was one of the very first)..  its quite touching but in a non depressing satisfacting way... lookin forward for the rest of the series..

Some folks recomended me Spice and Wolf... im not much into animes (i do watch them but usually in the areas im interested.. ie: Area88, InitialD, WanganMidnight, Stratos 4, 808 Airbats, Zipang, silent service.. etc) so this would be a first into animes per its own history rather than tematics ... should i go for it? ..i saw the plot and doesnt seem specially fascinating...but i could be wrong..

[Reply #493 on:]

Toonami's Back Bitches 5.26.12

[Reply #494 on:]

By the way, I live.

I'm watching Yuru Yuri because I've lost control of my life.  It's like, I know it's not really bad, but it's also not that good.  I watch it anyway because I gobble up moe in a depressing manner.  I'm rewatching Serial experiments lain to try to dignify the rest of my watching habits recently.

Edit: Back from watching Lain.  The first time I saw that series was over a decade ago.  It's impact and commentary on technology has not aged a day, in fact I think the series is more relevant now than it ever was.  The way Lain set forward the landscape of networking devices and the internet was nothing short of prophetic.  Just watch that show again and try to remind yourself that it was made during the era of dial-up.

Ugh.  By the way, have you watched Black Lagoon?  Go do that.  It's like what you would expect if Quentin Tarantino made an anime action series but left all the morality, message and tone up to William Butler Yeats.  Also, the dub is incredible, like, better than Bebop incredible.  Full reviews later on.

[Reply #495 on:]

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

As this series begins protagonist Madoka Kaname is having a strange dream featuring a mysterious black haired girl; the next day at school a new student transfers into her class; Homura Akemi... the girl in Madoka’s dream. Things get even stranger when Madoka and her friend Sayaka meet a strange cat-like creature called Kyubey; it makes each of them an offer; he will grant each of them any one wish in return for them becoming magical girls and fighting witches. These witches are unseen by ordinary people but their actions drive people to despair and suicide; only the chosen magical girls can defeat them.  Madoka and Sayaka learn more about magical girls when they meet Mami Tomoe, a girl who has already become a magical girl. As they get to know her and understand what it means to be a magical girl they try to think what their wishes will be... one person is determined that they won’t make a contract with Kyubey; Homura Akemi who is in fact a magical girl herself.

I had heard that this series was something special long before I watched it and feared the hype would be difficult to live up to; especially as I’m not particularly familiar with the magical girl genre. As it happened I was hooked from the start with the strange nightmare visuals in Madoka’s dream which turn out to be those of the witches’ dimension. I’m glad that I had followed the advice to avoid spoilers as the series evolves in a way that reveals much of what we have been told was misleading; this leads to a series of reveals as the true nature of the magical girls is revealed to us and them.

If you think the magical girl genre is just for young girls then think again as much of what happens in this series would give children nightmares; every day brings chances of death and despair; the cute art style just serves to amplify just how tragic things are at times. The story progressed nicely with the various reveals being spread through the series in a way that meant we’d just come to terms with what one meant for the girls when another was sprung on us. At only twelve episodes in length there is no time wasted on filler material. In case you haven’t guessed I thought this was a really great series that every anime fan should watch.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.


10/10

[Reply #496 on:]

There is an article in The Telegraph which talks of a new film from Hayao Miyazaki called 'The Wind Has Risen'

[Reply #497 on:]

Little Witch Academia (Click link to watch)

As a young child Akko Kagari idolised a witch named Shiny Chariot so much that she decided to become a witch herself. When she gets to Witch Academy she is horrified to discover that her schoolmates have a low opinion of Shiny Chariot; believing her to give witchcraft a bad name with her shows. Akko does not excel at school; unlike the other girls she doesn't come from a family of witches and she hasn't learnt basic things like flying but is too proud to admit it. When the class goes into the labyrinth as part of a treasure hunt Akko is keen to slay monsters and rushes ahead of her friends Sucy and Lotte. Meanwhile Diana; the top witch in the school accidentally releases a dragon from deep within the labyrinth and everything anybody does to stop it just seems to make it bigger… inevitably it is Akko who must save the day with the help of magic she saw Shiny Chariot when she was young.

This anime short is a lot of fun and packs a good little story into its short twenty six minute run time. Akko is a good protagonist; even though one can guess that she will eventually triumph she isn't too perfect… in fact she is far from perfect as she falls asleep in class, nearly kills herself trying to fly and races ahead in the labyrinth. Sucy and Lotte were fun sidekicks; especially Sucy; the results of her potions were quite hilarious. Diana made a good antagonist without being a bad person. The animation is very good with cute, distinctive character designs. There is nothing in the story to cause offence and even the scariest moments should be suitable for viewers of all ages. It is just a pity that this was a one off as I'd have loved to see more episodes.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

9/10

[Reply #498 on:]

Space porn... space porn!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azZKfrepGSU

[Reply #499 on:]

Flowers of Evil

On the surface to plot to this series is very simple; protagonist Takao Kasuga is a schoolboy with a crush on classmate Nanako Saeki; one day after school he steals her gym kit… he decides to return it but he is too late; everybody knows it has been stolen and they believe some pervert took it. Took make matters worse Sawa Nakamura, a girl with no friends and a propensity to cause trouble saw him take the clothes. From that moment on Takao’s world starts to change as Nakamura threatens to expose him if she doesn’t do as he says… she believes that he is a pervert and she intends to make him accept that fact and even rejoice in it.

This is one of the most distinctive anime series I’ve seen; the rotoscoped animation may not be to everybody’s taste but I felt it added to the sense of creepiness as did the unsettling music used in the series. Another thing that added to the suspense was the slow pace; at one point half an episode is taken by Takao just walking through the somewhat rundown town; this could have been incredibly boring but instead managed to raise the tension while we waited to discover the consequences of his actions in the previous episode.

The story was believable with characters that didn’t feel too exaggerated; even Nakamura, who is probable psychotic, didn’t become an over the top stereotype. There is no real violence but at times it feels as though there could be at any moment. Takao was an interesting protagonist; outwardly a good if somewhat quiet student but inwardly tormented by feeling he didn’t understand.

I would definitely recommend this to anybody looking for something rather different although it is definitely a ‘Marmite’ series… people will either love it or hate it! The final episode doesn’t wrap up the story but strongly hints of more to come; I certainly hope enough people enjoyed it to warrant another series as I was left wanting more.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

10/10

[Reply #500 on:]

I finished off Spice and Wolf II on Netflix. For a show about a guy who falls in love with a wolf deity, not a lot actually happens and not once this series did Holo even turn into her wolf form. I liked it cause it gave me the shippy-warm-fuzzies but I wish this show was more of an action fantasy than a show about...merchants.

[Reply #501 on:]

Evanjellyon 2.22 You Can (Not) Be Serious

Anno Hideaki continues to beat a dead horse in this second installment of his series of film remakes of the twenty-year-old TV show that still remains his sole claim to fame.  This film improves greatly upon the first one, by means of actually including Asuka.  (When I watched the first movie, I spent the entire time wondering, "Where's Asuka?" only to be disappointed when she never showed up.)  Unfortunately, many of her funnier scenes get left out of this version, such as meeting Shinji and his pals for the first time on the aircraft carrier, trying unsuccessfully to make friends with Rei, or the whole synchronizing with Shinji episode.  In this version Asuka is selected as the test pilot of Unit 03, which makes more sense, both in-universe, and as a dramatic device.  Sadly, this puts her out of commision for the rest of the movie.  New character Mari seems to serve no purpose other than to steal more screentime from Asuka.  I would have thought that adding a large-busted meganekko to the cast would have been an improvement to this (or any other) series, but apparently not.

Watching this made me wish that I was watching the original series instead, which seems to be the goal of most remakes, so in that respect at least, it was successful.

[Reply #502 on:]

I feel a deep, burning shame within me. I still have not seen Evangelion.

Has anyone been keeping up with the Dangan Ronpa series? It's yet another version of the increasingly common "high schoolers killing each other" plot, but there's a lot of interesting sleuthing. Also, the mastermind is a terrifying teddy bear.




It's very, VERY worth watching. Unfortunately, there aren't many episodes out yet...

[Reply #503 on:]

...I would have thought that adding a large-busted meganekko to the cast would have been an improvement to this (or any other) series, but apparently not...

I had to look up "meganekko", because "large-busted giant cat" didn't make sense to me in that context.

[Reply #504 on:]

cB I've heard of Dangan Ronpa but had no idea what it was about. Sounds interestibg I shall check it out. As for not see Evangelion, I honestly could not stand the show I watched two episodes ascend said fuck this shit.

[Reply #505 on:]

This friend of mine that I occasionally talk to speaks highly of the Animes "Brothers Conflict", "Devils and Realists", and "Free!".

Did any of you guys ever watch them? Are they any good? I'm thinking about starting with "Free!" tonight.

[Reply #506 on:]

Anybody caught Ghost in the Shell: Arise? The first OVA was released in June, apparently. I've yet to see it. I'm a dub-loving philistine. It's supposed to be yet another re-imagining rather than a continuation of SAC, which is disappointing. Plus the Japanese voice cast has changed - not sure if that means they'll use different English voice actors for the dub, though I hope not because I really liked the voices they used for SAC.

[Reply #507 on:]

Yeah, I'm waiting for the dub as well. I still kinda wish they'd made another season of SAC since the end of Solid State Society always leaves me wanting to see more, though.

[Reply #508 on:]

Dub???

[Reply #509 on:]

Because when I want to read, I read books.

Exception is live-action, because the lack of lip-synch is apparent enough to be annoying.
In anime it isn't noticeable.
The quality of the English language VAs has improved dramatically since the bad old days of the 80s and 90s where the intonations were all over the place, every female character screamed every line, etc. They actually sound like people now.

Also, I pre-empted any objection by calling myself a philistine, so shush.

[Reply #510 on:]

So, I started watching Princess Jellyfish today and there aren't nearly enough episodes and IT'S MAKING ME FEEL ALL WOMANLY AND WIGGLY INSIDE. Are these feels? I THINK SO.

SO. MANY. FEELS.

Also, why does every single anime character have a dead or otherwise tragically missing mother?

[Reply #511 on:]

I just recently watched Grave of the Fireflies.  For anyone who hasn't seen it, it's quite the experience!

Also, why does every single anime character have a dead or otherwise tragically missing mother?

No one knows.  Why must every JRPG character suffer from major memory loss?  

[Reply #512 on:]

Missing parents and amnesia are certainly common in anime.

Grave of the Fireflies is brilliant but not to be watched if you are feeling depressed!

[Reply #513 on:]

Oh my god, people talking about Dangan Ronpa,here?! what a good day! also is worth to watch ,even if the game is better and more detailed about the character's backstories.

Anyway right now,I'm not in that mood for see anime (or I don't have enough time) but yesterday I was seeing Kill la Kill, it's something that people would enjoy because has an interesting story also, I think guys would enjoy it because...

Show spoiler

Fanservice,fanservice everywhere 

[Reply #514 on:]

I've been watching Kill la Kill; it is rather fun

[Reply #515 on:]

I'm finally watching Cowboy Bebop.  It's really good so far, and I'm on episode 13.  Although I'm unsure of this whole sax guy/girl thing...

[Reply #516 on:]

I watched a handful, in random order.  Things clicked a bit when I finally saw the Ed origin episode

[Reply #517 on:]

Ok this is pretty impressive, doubt it would really work as a full feature but it is certainly better than some of the ideas that have been allegedly bouncing around Hollywood

[youtube]t1GO-93Nt3c[/youtube]

[Reply #518 on:]

I'm not sure if anyone could (or should) actually make a live action version of Akira, but that doesn't look bad.  They'd need to get JYB to play Kaneda for me to be interested though.

[Reply #519 on:]

So the past 4 or 5 months, I've been heavily getting into Berserk. I watched all episodes of the Anime and am on the 20th volume of the Manga.

In my opinion, I honestly think it's one of the best animes out there. It's too hard to put why it's so great into words without spoiling it. But what I can say, is that the characters, are all great. The behelit, the whole entire band of the hawk saga, the gods hand, fantasy parts of it including Zodd and the Eclipse is just out of this world amazing. I was never a big fan of any anime until I watched Berserk.

My friend got me into it, as he owns the whole entire box of war collection, and probably ever manga. I only own the 22nd and 23rd mangas (yet to ship to my house, of course, gonna read volumes  20 and 21 before they get here).

Mangas are way too expensive to collect. Which is why I'm only going to get the mangas with the biggest story-turning events. Not necessarily a smart idea, but it's the best decision financially.

Anybody else here watched Berserk and read the mangas? No? Okay then.