General Anime Discussion: Area 11

[Prime32]

It felt 'so average its meh' to me. I enjoyed it a little but don't see a reason to see episode 2 unless every other comedy series this season turns out to be worse.

From what I've heard, Medaka Box turns into something completely different after a while. It's not a comedy series, it's an action one that uses the existence of Mary Sues as a plot element.

[AlterForm]

Stuff I've seen so far:

Medaka Box: "Glad" to see Gainax living up to its eponymous Gainaxing technique. I would have given it the three episode treatment on the simple virtue of the first episode being tolerable, and Prime's description above cements that course of action. Singular disappointment: they didn't play up the obvious Kamina expy nearly enough. Just who the hell do they think he is?

Natsu-iro Kiseki: Oh, look, a 4-girl SoL dramady with a brash one, a reserved one, a refined one, and an otaku one. How original. Oh, look, episode 1 twist ending. That's ... well, I dunno how original it is, but it's interesting at least. Despite being rather tepid on the characters (the show relied a little too hard on flashbacks in the first episode for me to care about the characters just yet), I'll be giving it three episodes to see where it goes with that twist.

Hiiro no Kakera: Basically what I expected, insofar as the show was billed as an adaptation of a female-centric visual novel. Not my style, but not bad.

Folktales of Japan: A fun little show reproducing Japanese folktales in a visual medium (bet you didn't guess that from the title). I enjoyed its carefree and whimsical style, so I'll probably be following it as a chill-out show.

Acchi Kocchi: Highschool Boys' memory needs to fade a bit before I'm ready for another sketch comedy; unfortunately for AK, it's just too soon to stack up favorably for me. Episode 1 was worth watching for the first PA skit and the Daigo/Justin SF reference at the arcade, but I don't think I'll be watching any more. Also, lol Konata

Sankarea: Okay, DEEN. I suppose you want to be known as the "Zombie Studio" this season. That's fine. Especially since this show seems to be worth more than 1 episode of my time (unlike Korean Zombie Death Car). Atypical male lead, interesting main pairing dynamic, mildly interesting plot hook so far, generic high school male shenanigans during filler scenes (). Well, 3/4's not bad. Gonna see where this one goes.

Fate/Zero: I didn't watch the first season, and my only other exposure to F/Sverse has been the UBW movie, so I had very little idea what was going on. That's okay, though. I didn't need to understand what was going on to appreciate a Noble Phantasm F-15, not-sure-if-DEEP death scene, and trollGamesh riding around on his golden UFO. Gonna be watching this every Saturday with friends.

Stuff I'll be checking out:
EVERYTHING. (I've inherited the title of Anime Club President, so I have to give almost* everything at least 1 or 3 episodes to know how to build up our schedule for next semester)

Stuff I'm actually looking forward to:
Sakamichi no Apollon (My body ears are ready)
Tsuritama (Love offbeat things. Love NoitaminA. Done deal)
Space Brothers (haven't gotten around to watching it yet)
Rider X Sentai: Super Hero Taisen (Kaizoku Sentai was a huge hit at the club, surprisingly)
Finishing Bakemonogatari (After enjoying Nisemonogatari, I was told to watch the first season. Currently on the Monkey arc, but gotten set aside for a bit)

*Stuff like Queen's Blade is automatically assumed to be terrible and saved for our Blacklist Nights

[Nerd-o-rama]

Hey Anime bros.

So, I enjoy anime from time to time and I've popped in here every now and again to ask about things. I don't actually watch all that much, but I've had a lot of free time and have been watching Neon Genesis Evangelion for the first time. On episode 14 and I'm really liking it. However, a friend of mine told me to not watch the last two episodes and watch the movie instead. Another told me to watch both the episodes and the movie. What do you guys think?

Watch both. They're two parts of the same story, really.

Well okay 25 is padding but 26 is actually important and a (emphasis on "a") good conclusion to the series. Also, set sail for what-the-**** for the last twelve episodes of the show from where you are.

Watch both and then go watch the Rebuild movies for a nice breath of fresh air and a less medicated director.

[Kato]

Watch both. They're two parts of the same story, really.

Well okay 25 is padding but 26 is actually important and a (emphasis on "a") good conclusion to the series. Also, set sail for what-the-**** for the last twelve episodes of the show from where you are.

Watch both and then go watch the Rebuild movies for a nice breath of fresh air and a less medicated director.

Precisely. Enjoy the whole franchise, if it's no trouble to you. Yeah, the last two episodes are... rather special but not that bad it should ruin anything.



On this season... I didn't get into much yet.
Folktales from Japan - What AF said. It's nice. I guess the art is a bit too cutesy but meh. I like folktales even if some are quite weird. (A horse fly, really?!)

Fate/Zero - Didn't start yet but I guess I loved the first half good enough to keep watching(?)

Kore wa Zobie Desuka? of the Dead - Now, this is ineresting. Usually if I don't know a first season because I missed it I'll just ignore it. This time I actually went back and watched the first season... and I had to hold back not to watch it all in one go. It's not really deep or anything but it's crazy comedy, someecchi and a little action in the mix. I really enjoyed it and I'll be dissappointed if the second season won't hold up.


btw, I'm the last idiot to still hope AGE will get better, am I not?

[banthesun]

Hey Anime bros.

So, I enjoy anime from time to time and I've popped in here every now and again to ask about things. I don't actually watch all that much, but I've had a lot of free time and have been watching Neon Genesis Evangelion for the first time. On episode 14 and I'm really liking it. However, a friend of mine told me to not watch the last two episodes and watch the movie instead. Another told me to watch both the episodes and the movie. What do you guys think?

The first half of EoE (well, a bit more than half) is a sequence proceding the events of the final two episodes that didn't get included in the series. It helps "explain" what happens next, but isn't strictly needed for your enjoyment of the series (explain in quotes because it's mostly just yelling as dramatically as they can, but it follows some sort of chronological sequence, which is about as good as you'll get). The last two episodes focuses on the characters more than that segment in the movie, and feels to me like a more complete examination of the themes. Both are good and you should watch both of them, but you'll have to decide on whether you prefer action and narrative over characterisation and concepts for deciding which one to watch first.

[Mercenary Pen]

btw, I'm the last idiot to still hope AGE will get better, am I not?

Not the last, though I'll be catching up with my weekly viewing once I have marathoned One Piece (and I have over 85% of the episodes currently aired still to watch).

[Arbitrarity]

Pretty sure this hasn't been posted yet (since last page's discussions go back to March).

Little Busters! anime has been announced (and confirmed as being worked on by J.C. Staff)

For those who haven't heard of it, Little Busters! is a Key VN (same company as Clannad, AIR, Kanon).

Little Busters!’ story revolves around the main protagonist Riki Naoe, a young male high school student. When Riki was a child, his parents died, leaving him hopeless and depressed. What saved him was a group of three young boys and one girl his age who referred to themselves as the Little Busters — a group dedicated to fighting evil and preserving justice. The leader of the Little Busters was Kyousuke Natsume who had a younger sister named Rin. The other two members of the Little Busters were Masato Inohara and Kengo Miyazawa, who are rivals despite being friends. They took Riki out and played together with him during his time of need, effectively making him the fifth member of the Little Busters. In time, Riki really enjoyed playing with them, and his grief over his parents gradually faded away. When the story begins, Riki and his friends are seemingly in their second year of the high school they attend, except for Kyousuke who is in his third year. They still hang out together, and enjoy their school life.

As per usual for Key, the story has some "magic", particularly in the form of a "secret of the world".

KyoAni did a great job with the other 3 major Key works. I'm hoping this doesn't get screwed up, since Little Busters is a great story.
Also wondering how they plan to do Riki's voice. He's voiced in parts of the VN, but it's by the same person who does Rin and Sasami. While this does make him sound appropriately young (Riki recieved the title "Official Shota!"), it would mean a lot of work for that person. Discussion suggests that's up in the air for now.
I expect about 24 episodes, based on the length of the VN. If they include the EX/ME routes, and some of the routes get stretched a bit, you might be able to justify 36-48.

Having played the VN, my other thoughts are in spoilers. Anything potentially spoiling the secret of the world or other major plot spoilers will be in nested spoilers with additional warnings. If you don't know what the spoiler is referring to, you probably shouldn't open it. It probably won't make much sense if you don't know what it's talking about though.

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I think it'll be interesting to see how an anime adaption handles some parts of the VN, especially the multiple-perspectives in Refrain, and its unique use of the VN format. Previous adaptions like Clannad dodged anything too continuity-breaking (i.e. Tomoyo), but still were sort of able to weave things together. Things like Kurugaya's route seem like they'd be... hard to integrate into an anime proper (though I guess you could skip that). Typical protagonist monomania as with other VN adaptions is to be expected, probably.
SPOILER for those who haven't at least started Refrain

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Since we need to do a timeline reset at LEAST for Refrain, they'll probably need to introduce the concept at some point. Perhaps Kurugaya route would set that up? Also wondering if they plan to include ME/EX extra routes. I somehow doubt it, since some (Sasami) explicitly take place post-Refrain. Saya would be great for introducing the timeline resets though. Kanata... I haven't played, but I'd need to check how it could interact with Haruka's route, because that could be weird.
Actually, according to the discussion about voice actors linked above, they seem to be skipping the ME/EX routes. Probably a smart move. Still, Saya appears in the trailer, and she only shows up in EX/ME.
ENDING SPOILER. DON'T OPEN UNLESS YOU'VE FINISHED THE EPILOGUE.

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Also, do we expect to see the good end, or the sad one? The good end kinda comes out of nowhere, with the hairband and everything else. Seems like it would be hard to integrate into the anime nicely, since it kinda spoils the tragedy set up by Refrain. It is incredibly heartwarming though. I suppose they can do something similar with Kyousuke foreshadowing it, and either skip the narcolepsy attack on first run, or just go with how the VN does it.

[AlterForm]

Time for some more first impressions!

Gakkatsu
Premise: In Generic Anime High School, a certain class is allowed to choose what they do during homeroom period. They choose to hold "debates," which basically amount to discussion of random and inane topics.
Opinion: This show is bursting with energy, right down to the animation; the characters are always vibrating slightly, even in their idle animations, and their mouths are animated more by jittering than by flapping. Pretty much just another run-of-the-mill shortform anime that's barely worth the time to watch it.

Space Bros
Premise: Brothers Mutta and Hibito were born of days of great Japanese disappointment and triumph, respectively. Despite being the older brother who should "be one step ahead of the younger," Mutta has failed to follow through on their promise to become astronauts after seeing a UFO one night.
Opinion: Oh man dat OP. Dat OP. Maybe I'm projecting a bit, but the big/little brother dynamic felt right to me. Not in the "big must lead" sense, but more in the way it actually played out on screen. The director also has a good sense of pacing -- I didn't feel it get too long at any given point, but also didn't feel like any given scene got shafted for screen time, right up to the end which cut off right when it felt like it should. The plot -- down-on-his-luck salaryworker Mu throws off the yoke of cubicle oppression to become an astronaut, hoping to overtake his brother's lead into Space -- is played out idealistically enough that I'm enjoying it so far. Definitely gets at least 3 eps, probably a follow.

Kuromajo-san
Premise: Occult fanatic [somethingsomething]-chan tries to summon cupid for her friends, but due to a stuffy nose she summons Gyupid, a black witch, instead. "Hilarity" ensues.
Opinion: Another shortform web animation. I need to find a better source for this; the sound on the one I used was pretty poorly encoded. Also has one of the most budget animation styles I've seen in a while. Don't bother with this.

Upotte!!
Premise: At a school where all the girls are actually assault rifles (don't think about it too hard), FNC (funko-chan) develops an affection for her class' new homeroom teacher. Trouble is, due to a clerical error, he's not a gun. (He's keeping the job anyway)
Opinion: Congratulations, Japan. You have taken the concept of "Gun Porn" to an entirely new level. And the main male has his serial numbers identity filed off, so ... this is that kind of show. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much better based on the description. Gonna have to see how bad this one gets by episode 3. (I will give the writers grudging/disgusted props for managing to equate a gun's hammer to ... something I don't think I can talk about on the forums)

Sengoku Collection
Premise: Somehow, great historical figures from the Sengoku (Warring States) period of Japanese history have fallen into modern times. Hilarity(?) ensues.
Opinion: Hapless MC-kun has to watch Oda Nobunaga take her clothes off in his apartment after she falls out of some sort of time portal. (Watches some more) Oh, MC-kun broke up with his girlfriend a while ago? And he's gonna use Nobunaga-chan to fill that hole in his heart? Wheeee. But wait, what about the other 7 girls featured in the OP? McGuffin carriers, naturally. I can only hope they don't wind up in a Historian's Harem. Nothing redeeming so far, but nothing damning either. I'm reminded of the feeling I got about Yumekui Merry: I should be enjoying this show somehow, but I'm not.

[NeonBlack]

Pretty sure this hasn't been posted yet (since last page's discussions go back to March).

Little Busters! anime has been announced (and confirmed as being worked on by J.C. Staff)

Ah, damn, I saw this somewhere a while ago but completely forgot to post it here. Yep, this could be good. I haven't read the VN (too much pending work on that department to take yet another title into consideration ), but most of what I've heard about it makes it sound like fun times. One for the (distant) future, I guess.

And J.C. Staff... I don't know. Their catalog is so huge and with so many highs and lows that anything could happen. As long as we don't get a repeat of that Tsukihime anime that doesn't seem to exist... But wait, if it doesn't exist then we can't get a repeat of it... Eh.

Talking about J.C. Staff, I'm currently watching To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, and I'm still wondering why it didn't just end around the time they changed the OP from Only my Railgun to, eh, whatever that other song's called...

[Mercenary Pen]

Talking about J.C. Staff, I'm currently watching To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, and I'm still wondering why it didn't just end around the time they changed the OP from Only my Railgun to, eh, whatever that other song's called...

I found that To Aru Kagaku no Railgun was worth watching through to the end, even if it did get a little bit slack in the middle

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Big clue, the plot arc you think is finished, isn't...

[Terraoblivion]

Oh my, oh my, oh my....


I'm watching Madoka for the first time. Oh my.

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I had heard about episode 3 being bad. I had, unfortunately, come across some motivational posters with a certain white face, a pair of button eyes and the caption "eldritch horror, now available in cute". I had seen the limp body of a girl, looking like she had hanged herself (.... not).

It was still a heartbreaking series with things I didn't except.

I just saw episode 10, with all its timetraveling glory. Oh my god Homura...

Wow. Still a few more to go...

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Oh, Homuhomu. If I hadn't already loved Homura, this would have sealed it and as it is, it did move her to very near my favorite character ever. Her mercy killing Madoka in the third timeline was especially brutal.

[Fri]

Watched the first episode of Zetman.

Well... it's fast forwarded indeed. The main difference for me is...Anyway, it's like this. The closest thing that I can compare about the Zetman manga is... if Naoki Urasawa's Pluto is about tokusatsu instead of Astro Boy. It's mysterious, drawn out, serious, noir-ish setting, there's only glimpses of the fights and the monsters for a long time. It's kinda more down to earth and mysterious, like it's a mystery series about monsters in real life setting. Here, it's shown from the beginning that this is a tokusatsu series. Maybe. To be honest, I haven't read the manga for a long time.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Watched the first episode of Zetman.

Well... it's fast forwarded indeed. The main difference for me is...Anyway, it's like this. The closest thing that I can compare about the Zetman manga is... if Naoki Urasawa's Pluto is about tokusatsu instead of Astro Boy. It's mysterious, drawn out, serious, noir-ish setting, there's only glimpses of the fights and the monsters for a long time. It's kinda more down to earth and mysterious, like it's a mystery series about monsters in real life setting. Here, it's shown from the beginning that this is a tokusatsu series. Maybe. To be honest, I haven't read the manga for a long time.

The Tokusatsu stuff is obviously there but I always thought of Zetman more as a Batman vs Superman pastiche/grimmification. The mangaka has made Batman references throughout his other works.

I remember reading a criticism of modern comics and 're-imaginings' complaining that if they released a 'Ultimate Batman' it would be issue 6 before you saw anything resembling a batman costume.

[Fri]

The Tokusatsu stuff is obviously there but I always thought of Zetman more as a Batman vs Superman pastiche/grimmification. The mangaka has made Batman references throughout his other works.

I remember reading a criticism of modern comics and 're-imaginings' complaining that if they released a 'Ultimate Batman' it would be issue 6 before you saw anything resembling a batman costume.

Yeah, I agree with what you said. Now I realized how the manga is also fitting with a 'modern gritty superhero reimagining' that took half dozen issues before we see the costume.

Anyway, it's a shame if Zetman is going to be a straight up tokusatsu series, especially with the low number of episodes, but eh, we'll see.

[Dispozition]

Oh hey, season 2 of Moyashimon. I am excite. Can't be bothered refinding sources, but it's confirmed, and the entire original voice cast are back for it. I am so excite.

[Lord Raziere]

On Episode 9 of Puella Magi Madoka Magica:

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so Kyoko takes herself out along with Post-Sayaka huh? This show always surprises me while still remaining true to my predictions.

Also, calling it now: Homura is Future Madoka, using magic or hair dye and contact lenses to change her appearance, and she undergone some traumatic or bad future that caused her to go back into the past and try and change things.

thats why she doesn't want Madoka being sad or whatever, and showed so much emotion 'round her….

oh and Madoka will make the wish at the exact moment that matches what she saw in the vision at the beginning, with the thing Homura was/will be battling, was the Wasplurginacht.

….and Kyubey is truly alien and an eldritch abomination….never guessed the sci-fi twist.

[Raistlin1040]

Finished the NGE series. I feel like something happened, but I have no idea what it was. I think I need to watch the movie now.

[Kato]

Finished the NGE series. I feel like something happened, but I have no idea what it was. I think I need to watch the movie now.

It's normal. Just letit settle for a while until your subconscious has sorted everything out in a week of strange, frightening dreams... then you will come realize what they were on when making it... I guess.


You know what bugs me (again) about Fate/Zero? It doesn't look like the 1980s but 1990s, if not recent times. I guess the changes shouldn't be that prominent but still.

[tensai_oni]

You know what bugs me (again) about Fate/Zero? It doesn't look like the 1980s but 1990s, if not recent times. I guess the changes shouldn't be that prominent but still.

But then, do you really want it to look like it's the 80s?

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[Terraoblivion]

I was sure a picture of Dancougar was coming. All disappointed now.

[tensai_oni]

I was sure a picture of Dancougar was coming. All disappointed now.

The picture was supposed to be discouraging. Dancougar would have the opposite effect.

The same for Macross. Or any other 80s anime.

You know what? I'm disappointed too, now. I want Fate/Zero to have an 80s artstyle and aesthetics, but with modern day quality.

[Nerd-o-rama]

It's normal. Just letit settle for a while until your subconscious has sorted everything out in a week of strange, frightening dreams... then you will come realize what they were on when making it... I guess.

Alternatively, do that, watch End of Evangelion, and then go read all the supplemental materials and fanwank summarized on Wikipedia and Evageeks. That's what I did.

You know what bugs me (again) about Fate/Zero? It doesn't look like the 1980s but 1990s, if not recent times. I guess the changes shouldn't be that prominent but still.

Fate/Zero is set in the 1990's. It's ten years prior to Fate/Stay Night, which was set in "the present day" in 2004.

Hm. If F/Z takes place in 1994 and some anime directors were hanging out in Fuyuki at the time, that explains a lot about mid-90's anime. In the same way that the Call of Cthulhu RPG posits that Mythos activity explains a lot about worldwide art, politics, and economics in the 1930's.

[Kato]

Fate/Zero is set in the 1990's. It's ten years prior to Fate/Stay Night, which was set in "the present day" in 2004.

Hu, I was relying on Wikipedia saying it takes place in the 1980s but searching for a real time line wasn't that useful.. I found some with a few events but didn't see the 4th war... but some of the dates suggest, e.g. ilya's birth that it did happen in the 1980s rather than 1990s... color me confused.

[Nerd-o-rama]

You know, I can't find a definite date for when Fate/Stay Night took place, although if I were to look at the in-game dates and what day of the week they fall on I could figure it out. F/Zero definitely takes place ten years earlier based on Shirou's backstory, and I don't think F/SN takes place in 1999 or earlier.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Fate Zero is in the 90s, Iskander decides President Clinton will make a formidable threat remember? That puts this at post January 1993 at the earliest.

[Kato]

Fate Zero is in the 90s, Iskander decides President Clinton will make a formidable threat remember? That puts this at post January 1993 at the earliest.

Oh my god, that means wikipedia was wrong! That jeopardizes any information I got from the internet... ever!

But yeah, guess it was then... Great, no I find the relevant entries in February 1994. link.
STill looks pretty modern to me but I guess 90s were pretty modern.

[littlebottom]

Me and a friend want to watch some anime together, (by which i mean we watch the same thing and chat about it as we go, not in the same room at the same time, irrelivant information but whatever) and were stumped as for what to watch, im open to virtually anything, he is too, were both quite excentric so even weird stuff is alright, we have no real preferences, but i personally am not a fan of much mecha, and i would like something a little obscure and different, but not bad.

i know, thats such a general ask for suggestions, but really just make a small list of things worth watching that will generate some interesting conversation and we will atleast check it out to see if we want to watch that one, cus we are stumped

[Soras Teva Gee]

Oh my god, that means wikipedia was wrong! That jeopardizes any information I got from the internet... ever!

But yeah, guess it was then... Great, no I find the relevant entries in February 1994. link.
STill looks pretty modern to me but I guess 90s were pretty modern.

The error has been deleted as it happens. Also given that this is a niche of a niche and a following who's source materials are all in another language its a wonder of modern tech that there's a wikipedia entry at all.

And now the question is there anything that looks too modern to you?

[AlterForm]

Me and a friend want to watch some anime together, (by which i mean we watch the same thing and chat about it as we go, not in the same room at the same time, irrelivant information but whatever) and were stumped as for what to watch, im open to virtually anything, he is too, were both quite excentric so even weird stuff is alright, we have no real preferences, but i personally am not a fan of much mecha, and i would like something a little obscure and different, but not bad.

i know, thats such a general ask for suggestions, but really just make a small list of things worth watching that will generate some interesting conversation and we will atleast check it out to see if we want to watch that one, cus we are stumped

See if anything noitaminA has aired strikes your fancy. I particularly liked The Tatami Galaxy for "weird and discussion worthy."

[littlebottom]

See if anything noitaminA has aired strikes your fancy. I particularly liked The Tatami Galaxy for "weird and discussion worthy."

been trying to take a look at the tatami galaxy, but "this video cannot be watched in your area" every where i go, USA rights only or something