Spike Lives! (Anime talk)

[Reply #600 on:]

I've been watching that too, it is rather fun 😀 Did some climbing when I was at college, mostly on rock.

[Reply #601 on:]

Neat! Like you, in college I did a bit of climbing as well, but it was unsanctioned...mostly utility poles, rooftops, and perhaps the odd larger boulder on a beach...depending on the current BAC^*

For whatever reasons, I couldn't recall the end of Nausicaä. It's my go-to movie for testing video playback fidelity, but in that role only the first few minutes are used, generally. Last night I watched the whole thing through again. It's gorgeous and immersive and intense and the empathy I felt for the land, the people of the Valley, and the forest was massive. Being someone whose mental immersion into flight sims and aerial scenes in movies is strong enough to dominate and override my vestibular system, watching the glider scenes had me "feeling" the dip of the wings and the acceleration in every turn she cut.

Given the occasional periods of both existential dread and dread for the near and medium future, lately, idk if it's the best time or the worst time to watch the rest of the Miyazaki movies I have here, most never seen. Plus a Ghibli film I haven't watched, that I'm saving for afterward. Pardon my clumsy improvised spoiler (opens the spoiled pic in another window or tab)...



And if after watching, my virtual soul should wind up in an vast, unlit space darker than Vantablack?

I just want to know real sadness
A life spent soaked in the muddy river's not so bad
If it's over after one go-round
- Y. Iwasato


^* An ever-so-gentle tachybellishment, as the events took place about five years before I began college

[Reply #602 on:]

If you like sport climbing, you might enjoy Iwakakeru -Sport Climbing Girls-.  I'm not even interested in climbing, and I'm enjoying it so far.

I had noticed that one, but haven't gotten around to checking it out yet. Sounds like it might be worth a look.

On the subject of the Shinano: The High School Fleet movie is - let's just say "available" - and the Shinano takes part in some of the action alongside the Yamato and Musashi. In fact, it seems that each of the maritime schools has a Yamato-class battleship, which makes for some impressive action but rather dilutes the special status of the ships.

[Reply #603 on:]

I had noticed that one, but haven't gotten around to checking it out yet. Sounds like it might be worth a look.

It reminds me of both Cinderella Nine and Girls und Panzer, and I know that you liked both of those, so I thought that you might like this one too.

[Reply #604 on:]

On the subject of the Shinano...

That's really interesting...I'd no idea that the name Shinano held any significance for the large majority of Japanese, much less to the point where it would be incorporated into a movie for a general audience. Thanks for the info

[Reply #605 on:]

I haven't seen it, but is High School Fleet really aimed at a general audience?  I thought that these sort of shows were more for military otaku military history buffs.

[Reply #606 on:]

While I'm sure quite a few viewers of HSF also play World of Warships, it's less otaku-y than GuP by a significant margin. GuP had history and military vehicle references crammed in at every opportunity, whereas in HSF they are much fewer in number and in a way almost feel like Easter eggs. There are some significant differences between our reality and the one of the show which invalidate a lot of potential references. There is one in particular that explains why battleships were more prolific, so purists are going to have some big issues.

HSF has a strange dissonance between the seriousness of the situations the characters find themselves in, and their reactions. In some ways it almost reminds me of M*A*S*H* without the deeper elements, and I can't help wondering if that was an influence on the writers. It tends to be more comedic than GuP, and the jokes are generally accessible for a non-otaku audience.

[Reply #607 on:]

Oh, okay.  Like I said, I haven't seen that one, so I don't really know what the show is like.

*Goes back to watching Strike Witches: Road to Berlin.*

[Reply #608 on:]

Well, I've binged the first episodes of Sport Climbing Girls. I have watched several indoor climbing events on TV, so the lingo and competition formats were vaguely familiar.

Initial reaction: A variation on Cinderella Nine with added fanservice.

Going a bit deeper while trying to avoid spoilers:
I like the MC's arc: some aspects are believable, while others are a bit of a stretch. Some of the action is over-dramatised, but that's expected. The show does seem to be going out of its way to make certain characters appear creepy. At one point it felt like The Hunger Games were about to start, and then that Dr. Ver had escaped from Symphogear. Also, I think the phrase "Restraining Order" is going to feature heavily in a certain competitor's adult life. One aspect that I'm starting to accept as being almost compulsory in anime is the inclusion of one or more child prodigies. In this case it is more credible than some other instances, given who her father is.

I'll continue watching to see where the show goes, but at the moment it gets a rating of Average. There's still time for it to swing either way.

[Reply #609 on:]

I guess I've been watching too much anime, because I didn't even notice that this show had fanservice.

Kiku-chan's climbing abilities seemed plausible to me.  She's been climbing with her dad practically since birth.  She's such a minor character that it hardly matters anyway.

I must have gotten lucky with Cinderella Nine; none of my other recommendations seem to have hit it out of the park for you.

[Reply #610 on:]

I think I'm more forgiving of Fantasy and Sci-Fi shows: perhaps I expect 'normal' shows to be too normal. As for the fanservice issue, that may come from practicing photography. When you have to think about composing an image with a physical camera, you tend to pick up on how a virtual camera has been used. A relatively small difference in viewing angle can make a significant difference to how the image is perceived. Eh, maybe I'm over analysing or I've become too conservative in filtering images.

[Reply #611 on:]

I could recommend more fantasy and sci-fi shows, I suppose.

I thought that Sport Climbing Girls was the sort of show that might appeal to people who don't watch a lot of anime.  It's also one of the few shows I'm watching this season that isn't the third season of a show whose first two seasons you probably haven't seen, or a sequel to a twenty-year-old show you also probably haven't seen, or a yuri romance, or a surreal comedy about a girl and her pet dinosaur, or an isekai where the heroine's powers derive from wearing a silly-looking bear costume, or...  Well, you get the idea.

Oh, and I'm sure that you're right about the fanservice.  Just because I don't notice it, that doesn't mean that it isn't there.

[Reply #612 on:]

Okay, I think Sport Climbing Girls redeemed itself to a significant degree in the later episodes. They dropped that spider stuff, and the Games Maker - sorry, Route Setter - calmed down and reverted to sort-of normal. The MC overcoming her weakness thanks to the help of another gamer was a nice touch. The ending was a bit abrupt, but I can live with it. I would probably give another season a chance if it materialised.


I have watched something slightly different since: Isekai Shokudou/Restaurant to Another World. A restaurant in Japan which specialises in Western food appears to be closed on Saturdays, but in fact it is open to a special type of customer. Magical doors appear in remote locations in a D&D style world, and visitors from that realm can enter the restaurant and experience the food of our world. The MC is a destitute young demon who stumbles upon the restaurant and gets hired as the Saturday waitress.

The show isn't big budget, there are continuity errors and rather basic animation at times, and it takes a while for any character development to occur, but it is very mellow. There's not a lot of action or depth, but it is a warm, feel-good type of show, and in the later episodes they draw together some of the separate strands of character stories that were introduced earlier. Many may find it slow and superficial, but it tends to leave a warm glow. May also make you feel hungry.

[Reply #613 on:]

I didn't watch Restaurant to Another World back when it premiered, despite the fact that I like both fantasy shows and cooking shows.  I should probably give it a watch sometime.  The funny thing is, no matter how many shows I watch, the list of shows that I want to watch never seems to get any shorter.

I was going to post a review of Strike Witches: Road to Berlin, but I probably shouldn't bother.  I wouldn't actually recommend watching it to anyone who hasn't already seen the first two seasons and the movie, and anyone who has already seen the first two seasons and the movie probably doesn't need me to recommend it.

[Reply #614 on:]

Strike Witches: Road to Berlin; was definitely worth watching if you liked the first two seasons (I've yet to see the film). I noticed that the fan service was toned down a lot; just a couple of scenes that were censored in the version shown on Crunchyroll... not a bad thing as I thought it would be a series suitable for children if there wasn't so much nudity!

[Reply #615 on:]

They definitely toned down the fanservice this season.  It was more like watching the movie or Brave Witches than like watching the first two seasons.

Strike Witches is a pretty wholesome show, aside from the nudity.

[Reply #616 on:]

We're back in lockdown again, so I may give the franchise a try at some point. I did watch Symphogear, so... And there's a limit to how many times I can run through the GuP film DVD.

I've noticed a few recurring elements in anime, although it could just be the ones I've chosen. I've already mentioned the child prodigy trend. Natto seems to appear quite often, and I get the impression it's the Japanese equivalent of Marmite: you either love it or hate it, and it's good for pranking foreigners. There were other things I noticed but can't recall at the moment.

I don't know how important it was, but I did read that GuP-related tourism helped Oarai recover after being affected by an earthquake(?). They certainly seem to have embraced the franchise in a way that other Japanese towns maybe haven't, though I wouldn't really know. There is a video of a couple of fans visiting the town, which shows some of the landmarks from the show and the degree to which it has permeated the area. I'll link it here for anyone that's interested, but I realise I'm sounding like a rabid fanboy now, so no obligation to view.

[Reply #617 on:]

Apparently it's not uncommon for anime set in real world locations to cause an increase in tourism to those locations.  There are even some anime, like Yatogame-chan, that are made specifically to promote tourism.

Although I do have to wonder if A Place Further Than the Universe actually encouraged more people to visit Antarctica.

[Reply #618 on:]

The Finnish Tank Museum reportedly saw an uptick in visitor numbers after GuP: der Film was released. There is at least one video on YouTube showing someone cosplaying Mika and playing a certain polka in front of the last remaining example of a BT-42.

Now I remember another thing that struck me with anime was the link to video games. Several of the shows I've encountered have spawned new games and/or mods for existing ones. I wouldn't mind having a go at the GuP spin-off Dream Tank Match, but working through the largely narrative section that recreates the film in order to unlock all the tanks and characters would be a bit of a slog. Getting to the customisable missions and playing as Mika to steal Pravda's KV-2 does have a certain appeal though.

Then there's the YouTube AMV phenomenon. I accept that this is probably greater for the shows I focus on, but all of the military themed shows seem to inspire AMV creation. I can't help wondering how Sabaton feel about being associated with the anime medium to such a significant degree. And of course there are the "Abridged" and "On Crack" parody videos. Most are crass or lame, but there are some gems hidden in the dross. I hate myself for this, but I actually like the "Discordgear" Symphogear parody. It's wrong on so many levels and the characters are so messed-up that it actually loops all the way back round to being good.

[Reply #619 on:]

Now I remember another thing that struck me with anime was the link to video games. Several of the shows I've encountered have spawned new games and/or mods for existing ones.

There are a lot of video games based on anime.  There are also a lot of anime based on video games, visual novels in particular.

Then there's the YouTube AMV phenomenon. I accept that this is probably greater for the shows I focus on, but all of the military themed shows seem to inspire AMV creation.

There are AMVs for all sorts of anime shows.  I haven't actually watched many, because they're usually set to music by bands that I've never heard of.  (I stopped listening to popular music back in the 1990s.)  I have seen a few AMVs that used music from the same anime as the visuals.  I thought that those were pretty good.

And of course there are the "Abridged" and "On Crack" parody videos.

Yeah, there are a lot of those as well.  Being so horrifically awful that they go all the way back around to funny seems to be the style of humor that most of these are aiming for.  I'd rather spend my time actually watching actual anime, but to each his own.

[Reply #620 on:]

And of course there are the "Abridged" and "On Crack" parody videos.

Yeah, there are a lot of those as well.

I think it works because the show lends itself to that kind of treatment. Not sure about later seasons, because characters like Dr. Ver and Garie are already in parody territory. The show even pokes fun at itself in the short OVAs.

[Reply #621 on:]

it shames me that i only saw Cowboy Beebop recently and now finally understood the meaning of this threat title


I enjoyed a lot it btw.. and i couldnt stop at the insanelly gorgeous details in the classic animation.. after that seeing some suposedly "high profile" animes with so plain and blank animation and detailing hurts

[Reply #622 on:]

it shames me that i only saw Cowboy Beebop recently and now finally understood the meaning of this threat title

Great!  Now go watch Trigun and you'll also be able to understand the poll.

[Reply #623 on:]

...the insanelly gorgeous details in the classic animation..

Watching on a large screen, up close, the views from the cockpit in the aerial combat scenes are incredible. The viscerally smooth aerobatics...the detail in the lagtime and trajectory of the cannon rounds as they miss, arc down, then stitch across the desert, far below.

And as discussed in detail up-thread, the soundtrack is beyond good. I was listening to all 4+ hours of it as I was working today.

[Reply #624 on:]

I'm getting back to lifting weights again, so thought I'd check out How heavy are the dumbbells you lift? Given the subject matter, fanservice was inevitable. Apparently the manga it's based on is very lewd, and the anime has been toned down significantly, but it still has its moments. The show acknowledges that fact, with one of the characters remarking "Why are these demonstrations so erotic?!" on several occasions. Overall the show is an odd mix of comedy, fanservice, and edutainment. The plot is paper-thin, but I have picked up a couple of new exercises to add to a workout, so there is some genuinely useful information mixed in with the ridiculousness.

[Reply #625 on:]

It's a legitimately educational show that also has comedy and fanservice (and comedic fanservice).

Plus, how can you not love a show that has appearances by Barnold Shortsinator and Jason Sgatham?

[Reply #626 on:]

Sadly, I'm too ancient and decrepit to lift weights. But I do have a routine where I go through the motions of some upper body weight/workout exercises, using isometric resistance rather than free weights or machines. Butterflies, curls, and I don't know what the other two are called.

And now I'm intrigued...so what the hell, I just put the first ep up on the big screen...subtitled, of course, to experience the emotions portrayed by the original voice actors. Having inherited gluttonous genes (seriously), I'm smiling at the first full line: "Nothing beats an after-school grub crawl", lol.

Wish me luck!

*  edit  *

That was actually very educational, and subtly motivating. I dunno if I'll watch more, but if it eventually covers proper form for the routines I do, it might be worth it just for that.

And yes, the humor is cute.

//imaginary spoiler tag

*  edit  *

Nope. I started watching Ep 2 and it's just too gratuitous. It does bring a touch of nostalgia, though, having lived in Japan for a while.

[Reply #627 on:]

Yes, it's the most genuinely educational show I've watched so far. You can nit-pick some of the forms and info, but it does provide the basic knowledge required to get into strength training. Despite the goofy style it also includes safety advice and warnings. One of the issues I had with Sport Climbing Girls was the lax safety at the beginning. There was a total newbie on the wall, and the person on the safety rope wasn't giving the climber their full attention or keeping a firm footing at all times. If the climber slipped and they lost control of the rope there could be serious consequences. I spotted for a new lifter in high school, and not paying full attention to the bar would get you in serious trouble from the teacher. It's just a pity that there are a few genuinely inappropriate moments that are included in Dumbbell, because anime.

Again, I noticed a few common themes that I've encountered in other shows. There is a "Barnold" character in Symphogear - though he doesn't last long - and Tsubasa totals motorbikes as fast as Machio gets through tracksuits. And of course there's a Hibiki who loves her food, but ultimately commits to serious training, in both shows. Then there's a teacher with a secret, as in K-On!

Finally, the obligatory GuP fanboy moment: this is my new fave YouTube vid (spoilers for der Film and das Finale.)

[Reply #628 on:]

My favorite part of the show was Nao Toyama voicing the funny foreigner character who learned Japanese by watching anime.  Aside from the obvious humor (Hey, foreign anime fans, this character is you!), there's also a bit of a casting gag if you've seen a couple of other shows where she voices characters who manage to mangle both the Japanese and English languages.

[Reply #629 on:]

That GuP clip is pretty hectic. And it reminds me of a friend's wedding back in the early '80s, where everyone was toasted, and when one song came on, all the women spontaneously lined up and began doing the drunken can-can...to the B-52's Rock Lobster, and it's not really possible to adequately describe the scene


The other night I somehow found the motivation to dive into my movie queue. And watched My Neighbor Totoro. I wasn't sure what to expect and it really drew me in. The scenes of the countryside reminded me of the handful of times I took some really old train lines on a shortcut from Atsugi to Yakota when I lived in Japan, and at times we rode on a single track, using a train-whistle signalling protocol when coming to the entrance of a tunnel. I wish I'd taken a few photos.

Very sweet story. A

[Reply #630 on:]

That GuP clip is pretty hectic.

I like AMVs that put some thought into matching the images to the music, and that one does a pretty decent job on that front. This is more sedate, and it concentrates mainly on the non-tank activity in the show. I'm hoping that the Anteater band will feature in the main body of das Finale, but I fear it's probably just a gag for the OP.

[Reply #631 on:]

It's been thirty years, but this is still my favorite anime music video.

[Reply #632 on:]

Me being a huge space battles nerd and out of not many choices began recently to watch "Banner of the Stars"

didnt hoped for much , specially seeing the aesthetics ...but im quite nicelly surprised.. while ships are in my personal opinion not specially appealling .. it more than made it with a surprisingly good, well writed and intense space combat.. This is not space battleship Yamato with ships just firing at each other .. here they take time to develop tactics ..from squadrons, formations, big groups to small squadrons fending off against others.. That reminded me to a point of "Legend of their Galactic Heroes" and its massive strategic formations and battles...

And while im still in first season and dont know if it might not be like this for the other 2 seasons.. its refreshing that the main characters are not in a big invincible plot shielded super battleship.. but in a small destroyer in a 6 ship squadron (of of severals ..the smallest units of the fleet) .. also that they are surrounded by quite a number of other ships with their crews and their ranking officers having screen time and so far all or nearly all are very competent instead of the classic redshirt army or the "pedantic incompetent" superiors to make the protoganists look better.. not just that but even:

Show spoiler

So far the main characters ship is getting their asses handed to them in their first battles

as said dont know if this will keep up the rest of the series.. and im not a fan of the aesthetics ..but glad to be surprised for good for a chance.

Too bad i allready found out its incomplete.. this anime is based as many in a series of books... aparently 6 books ..with each season adapting one book..but they only did 3 seasons plus one prequel.. so they have not adopted the final 3 books..and the last season was released 16 years ago..   Again like soo many animes based on mangas/novels they left the adaptation at half.. posible because like so many others in Japan theese adaptations are seen more like a booster to introduce viewers to the history and make them buy the books/mangas rather than the other way arround... is very annoying as i cant count how many incomplete animes i have seen with this issue.. its actually easier to count the ones that were fully adapted

[Reply #633 on:]

I watched Crest of the Stars back when they were showing anime on TechTV (back when TechTV was still a channel).  I never did get around to watching Banner of the Stars, although I do own one of the manga volumes.

The space battles were interesting, but to be honest I watched the show just for the relationship between the two main characters.  Jinto and Lafiel are still one of my favorite anime couples.

[Reply #634 on:]

The space battles were interesting, but to be honest I watched the show just for the relationship between the two main characters.  Jinto and Lafiel are still one of my favorite anime couples.

Aparently i screwed up ... i began wataching Banner of the Stars 1 .. and missed Crest of the Stars.. wich i began watching now that finished BotS 1 .. reminds me when i watched Empire Strikes Back first.. then Return of the Jedi..and much later Star Wars (back when we had no VCR and Star Wars for some reason never aired on public TV, but TESB did)

[Reply #635 on:]

Oof.  I can't imagine watching Banner of the Stars without first having seen Crest of the Stars to introduce you to the two leads.

I can't imagine watching the Star Wars films that way either, but then, I saw the second and third ones in the theater when they first came out, and I had already seen the first one before that, so it was never a possibility for me.

[Reply #636 on:]

Someone has made videogame skins for the ANM aircraft in Girly Air Force. Here is Gripen (Barbie Zero One): Not 100% accurate, but opaque cockpit canopies are probably not allowed.

[Reply #637 on:]

I've watched the first episode of In/Spectre. Not sure if I'll continue yet: It sort of makes me think of Sapphire and Steel, but that's based on one ep so could be way off. The shock scene didn't really land for me as exactly the same thing happened in Symphogear G, so I almost expected it. Might be interesting to see where the show goes though.

Edit: Didn't go any further with I/S. There seemed to be a lot of interest in Made in Abyss, so I took a look at that instead. The art style is deceptive: The show gets really dark as it progresses. The brutality is comparable to Symphogear, but more impactful due to the better writing. I finished the series but haven't watched Dawn of the Deep Soul yet: From what I've read it gets even darker, and I'm not sure that I'm ready for that at this point. This may be the most well-written anime I've seen so far, but some of it is hard to watch.

[Reply #638 on:]

I haven't seen Made in Abyss (and I probably won't as long as Sentai keeps it locked behind a paywall), but I kind of want to just because Miyu Tomita voices the main character.  I'd probably enjoy listening to her reading the dictionary or a phone book.

In other news, Restaurant to Another World is apparently getting a second season.  I should probably get around to actually watching the first season before the new one starts, so that I can watch it as it airs.

[Reply #639 on:]

What do you guys know about the anime Yu Yu Hakusho?

Earlier today I had a pleasant encounter with a cashier. She recognized the fairly subtle Cowboy Bebop shirt and mask I was wearing, and kept looking from my ID to my t-shirt and back...perhaps she was was expecting a particular age range for someone who’d wear an anime shirt, which was at odds with the age of 134 listed on the ID...





Anyway, there was no one behind me and she started chatting about Bebop and anime and I explained that I was a newbie but Bebop caught my eye on Adult Swim or wherever, and that it drew me in and I binged the series and I was idly wondering what anime to explore next. She mentioned that she'd been watching Hakusho and asked whether I'd seen it, and when I replied in the negative she sorta smiled with her eyes and said that I should check it out.

*  edit  *

Just watched the first ep of Yu Yu Hakusho...with English subtitles, of course   I'd read a one-sentence synopsis of the show while looking for episodes so I knew the basic concept, but nothing beyond that. The end of Ep1 was touching. I think I'll watch a couple more.