General Anime Discussion: Area 11

[Fri]

I can't see the anime chart you linked, so I googled myself and got this one.

http://atxpieces.files.wordpress.com...-ver1-apr1.jpg

And lookie there. There's Pluto OVA! Is that true?

I not, can someone relink the chart linked before?

[kamikasei]

That looks trollish. This isn't the previously-linked version, but it's close.

[NeonBlack]

Yeah, no, too many things wrong in that other chart. I'm positive that Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya doesn't have a date yet, and most of the other "new" stuff (Planetarian movie? Denpateki na Kanojo 3? MLA series? A new Sora no Woto series? Mangaka-san to Assistant-san? Saint Young Men?!) just plain don't exist as far as I know, as awesome as most of them would be.

[kamikasei]

Oh man, I totally missed Saint Young Men. A bunch of them looked iffy, but the title they used for the Madoka movie and the presence of a My Balls OVA were the real clinchers.

...Sengoku Youko anime, though. Damned trolls. That's still a sore spot. ;_;

[Yora]

Has anyone here seen Cat Soup?

It poped up a few times in AMV Hell and it just looks really weird.
It's only 33 minutes, so I think I'll give it a try.

[mallorean_thug]

I have. "Really weird" is probably the only way to describe it entirely, though "arthouse", "pretentious", "there isn't any dialogue" also can go a pretty long way. I think I liked it, though as you said, you might as well watch it to find out yourself, as its a rather short time investment.

[AlterForm]

Can anyone (mallorean, looking at you) give me a rundown of the plot and tone of Jormungand? I'm trying to pick out a show from the last two seasons of anime that would be worth featuring all 11-13 episodes of at my school's anime club, and it looked promising based on the first episode and a quick skim of the twelfth; I just don't want to get blindsided by something excessively emotional (Sakamichi) or 'mature'* (Lupin: Fujiko Mine), since neither would go over especially well with this particular audience. For reference, we've previously featured Arakawa, OreImo, C: Power of Probability[etc.], and BRS.

*Read: Sexuality. We're an American audience, so while violence is okay I wouldn't be comfortable showing something like FM at an open-attendance meeting.

[mallorean_thug]

Jormungand is a primarily episodic show with no real overarching plot following Koko (our loco arms dealer) and her bodyguards/mercenaries/associates going about their business. Generally each episode or mini-arc boils down to 1) A country or warlord wanting to acquire weapons and Koko wanting to sell weapons, 2) People trying to kill Koko and company for various reasons, 3)Character backstory detailing why characters are with Koko. For reference, out of the 12 episodes, 4 are stand-alone, and the other 8 are paired into 4 two episode arcs.

The tone of the show is fairly dark, but with a lot of gallows humor lightheartedness thrown in. Several characters are prone to goofiness, others to bad jokes, and while at first this can give a bit of moodwhiplash, it does become apparent very quickly that this is on purpose, and a way for the characters to cope with the lives they're leading. Every episode features large amounts of violence, but very little gore. As far as sexual content, there is little to none. There's one or two scenes where Koko sleepily wanders around in what she was sleeping in, during one arc its repeatedly remarked that a character isn't wearing panties but the camera never lets the viewer confirm that for themselves, and there is a beach episode (I hope you like muscles, see spoiler)

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As far as other shows to watch, the only 11-13 episode shows from the last two seasons that fit your criteria and I enjoy would be Daily Lives of High School Boys and Tsuritama. If you open yourself up to two cour shows, you'd also be able to add Fate/Zero and Aquarion EVOL. Thats about it though. The year's been enjoyable so far, but really nothing truly excellent except for Tsuritama and Fate/Zero.

[Terraoblivion]

I'd say that the best show of the year has quite easily been Bodacious Space Pirates and that's only in part for the reasons Erica Friedman provides here. It's quite slow-moving and focused on fairly subtle character development, so it isn't for everyone, but really rewarding if you pay attention to how the characters develop.

On the other hand, even without touching on the long discussion we had earlier, I found Fate/Zero incredibly overrated. The pacing is all over the place and the direction of dramatic scenes is perhaps the worst I've seen in a show with an actual budget. The conclusion of a traumatic flashback should not trigger laughter, neither should the mental breakdown of a major character. Yet they did for me and quite a few other people I know. Also, the delivery of the exposition was rather clumsily handled. These problems apply much more to the second season than the first one, though. But, yeah, I don't get why so many people think of it as an exceptional show.

[mallorean_thug]

Eh, it had all the same things going for and against it as the rest of the Nasuverse. On the pro side: Really cool concept and setting, events that live up to the concept and setting, a couple exceptional characters. On the con side: Bad pacing, bad exposition, too much exposition, bad delivery (be it prose or direction), too much focus on the flashy stuff, over reliance on plot devices, . . . ect. I could probably go on for hours reaming Fate/Zero for all of the things it does wrong. I was also laughing during much of Kerry's backstory. However, I still found the show engaging and it was only 1 of 2 shows so far this year that I made sure to watch as soon as subs were available because I wanted to watch and discuss it ASAP (no points for guessing the other show). I guess it comes down to 1) Yes Fate/Zero is nothing but chuunibyo but 2) I had fun watching it. I'm not going to deny point 2 just because of point 1.

Bodacious Space Pirates on the other hand was a show I really tried to like. It had hard sci fi, It was character focused. It completely skipped all the stupid fanservice even as its mostly female cast floated around in zero G wearing skirts. Sure it started slow but then episode 5 was glorious payoff. I tirelessly defended it on /a/ deriding people who couldn't stand its slow pace. But then the next arc was just as laborous even without the setting exposition. And had no payoff. I watched up to episode 14 before I realized I was only keeping up with it half because of the sunk cost fallacy and half because I didn't want to be the kind of person who dropped Bodacious Space Pirates and half because Winter was so deviod of interesting shows. I kept downloading the latest episode all the way up to 21 before I decided that I really wasn't going to get around to catching back up. A couple weeks into Summer season, when I cleaned up my downloads folder of all of the remaining Winter and Spring shows, I just deleted it because I'll never get around to it.

[AlterForm]

Space Pirates and DLoHSB already got shown last semester (in fact, I liked DLoHSB so much it got 7 eps of showing time ), so they'd be out. Tsuritama was my second choice, actually; I watched it all and was pleasantly surprised at how much less niche it was than I expected.

Still, Jormungand sounds like a good fit. Thanks for the writeup, mallorean.

[Terraoblivion]

Really, Fate/Zero died due to three things for me. Bad direction killing the drama, Kiritsugu being so wooden and lacking in personality that Keanu Reaves playing a robot would have more personality without even trying and the rampant, ever-increasing misogyny. There was good stuff in there, I was really invested in Saber and Iri's interactions in the first season for example, but those three things set out to kill all of them. I could have lived with the bad pacing and several of the other characters being kinda bland had it not been for that.

Bodacious Space Pirates on the other hand I was basically constantly invested in from episode 5 onwards. I loved the characters, though Marika herself had to show just how much growth she had ahead of her at the beginning to grow on me, and whenever I took a bit of time to digest an episode I found new, interesting things in it I hadn't noticed while watching. Basically the show runs on strong, if low-key, characterization and once you're invested and start really paying close attention to what's going on with the character it blooms and becomes immensely rewarding. So I quite honestly think it's the best written show of the year so far, due to this subtlety and the strength of the characters. Although, I would lie if I said that Jenny and Lynn had no part of making me love it.

[MLai]

Finally managed to watch Read Or Die TV. Despite Terra saying the first half is slow (but worth it), I didn't find it slow at all. In fact I kind of found the 1st half more engaging than the 2nd half, which is where things got all crazy and typically anime-like with the overblown motivations/rationalizations etc. For that reason, the climax of the 1st half (flooding of a certain place) was much more compelling for me, compared to the series climax.

So when Terra says that Bodacious Space Pirates is good but slow... I just expect it to be only good, heh.

As for Fate/Zero... I agree that it depends on your past reaction to all the other Nasuverse animes. If they didn't drive you into a feminist rage (no negative connotation intended), then you should be alright with F/Z and be able to enjoy it for all the other things.

[Nerd-o-rama]

As for Fate/Zero... I agree that it depends on your past reaction to all the other Nasuverse animes. If they didn't drive you into a feminist rage (no negative connotation intended), then you should be alright with F/Z and be able to enjoy it for all the other things.

What if I couldn't stand F/SN anime for the plot being all over the place and the characters being cardboard cutouts and F/SN VN for being full of incredibly purple prose and about 4 times as long as it should have been?

[MLai]

Then I wonder why you watched F/Z in the first place.

My personal opinion of FSN is that it's the greatest story I've been exposed to in recent years. This was before I knew anything about it or Nasu, so there's no fanboy bias on my part.

Except for "characters being cardboard cutouts", I do agree with every other point you leveraged against the anime and the VN, respectively.

[Terraoblivion]

Actually, I personally quite prefer the first half of R.O.D. the TV. It's just that basically everyone else I've heard comment on it except for Erica Friedman comments on it being slow, so I figured that I better give fair warning. It seems like most people think it is, after all.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Then I wonder why you watched F/Z in the first place.

My personal opinion of FSN is that it's the greatest story I've been exposed to in recent years. This was before I knew anything about it or Nasu, so there's no fanboy bias on my part.

Except for "characters being cardboard cutouts", I do agree with every other point you leveraged against the anime and the VN, respectively.

More like characterization was rushed as hell and Shirou was everything the internet said he was.

As for why I'd watch F/Z, because I read a Let's Play of the VN and it was wonderful, and also pretty animation.

That's about it, though, honestly.

[Prime32]

More like characterization was rushed as hell and Shirou was everything the internet said he was.

As for why I'd watch F/Z, because I read a Let's Play of the VN and it was wonderful, and also pretty animation.

That's about it, though, honestly.

...you read a Let's Play of a novel?
(Fate/stay night is the VN, Fate/Zero is a book)

[Nerd-o-rama]

...you read a Let's Play of a novel?
(Fate/stay night is the VN, Fate/Zero is a book)

I said "the VN", to which the clear antecedent was "Fate/Stay Night" in the quoted text, seeing as that is the only VN in the franchise. Unless you count Fate/Extra for being an RPG/VN hybrid, or are being deliberately obtuse.

[Togath]

Just found a chart talking about some upcoming anime this fall, so far it look like a better season then the current one(looks like there will be a larger variety of anime then this summer's), there's also a lot of remakes, which seems unusual.
edit: nevermind, just realized the chart was already linked on this page, still, it does look like a better season then the summer's

[Merellis]

Anyone here ever read Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer? It was a manga I read a good while ago, the plot was amusing, I liked the characters and art as well as the jokes.

[Terraoblivion]

Quite a few of us have, actually. The guy who made it has a rather more ambitious ongoing manga called Sengoku Youko, which is similar in some regards but have its own feel. Also, it has a mountain fighting a castle at one point, which is worth reading for on its own.

[Tengu_temp]

L&BH? Nothing special, just possibly the best manga I've ever read. Seriously, that thing is the epitome of a little-known gem.

[tensai_oni]

The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer! Welcome, another person to discover its glory.

[kamikasei]

L&BH? Nothing special, just possibly the best manga I've ever read. Seriously, that thing is the epitome of a little-known gem.

You don't have to describe it.

[Merellis]

Thank the gods other people have read this series! I read a chapter on a whim while hitting the Random Manga button on a website, and then just could not stop. The characters drew me in immediately, the protagonists and their goals as well as the deadpan delivery of so many of the jokes. It was a glorious read and I hope to see it animated some day, just so I can see Mikazuki in action, the man was insane and possibly my favorite next to Yuuhi and Shimaki.

[Fri]

Stop making us all depressed by the lack of the anime man.

[bue52]

Has anyone seen Persona 4's true ending episode? I finally got the chance to watch it, what did you guys think of it?

[Kitten Champion]

Has anyone seen Persona 4's true ending episode? I finally got the chance to watch it, what did you guys think of it?

Ah, it was interesting how they integrated the true ending of the game and the Nintendo-hard boss fight with Margaret into Yu getting his own persona awakening epiphany experience. The direction of the anime used a variety of methods by playing with perspective and story-telling that gave it a unique feel at times.

Although there's only so many times you can watch "let's join our hearts together to create an impossible path to victory" in a row. I suppose it's pretty much the whole point of Persona since 3 though.

[Gamerlord]

So, uh, hello there Anime Thread, I have a question...
I recently finished watching the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood movie, and while I thought it was good-ish, I'm confused as to where it takes place in the continuity. Unless I missed something, Alphonse doesn't need to use transmutation circles in the movie. But around the point where he gained that ability, the Elric Brothers had already gotten themselves involved in quite the mess, I don't see any point where they could have visited some foreign country to look for an escaped prisoner. Anyone know if there is some Word of God that addresses at what point in the timeline the movie takes place in I am unaware of, or something in the movie I miss that indicates the time?
Also, *SPOILERS*

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Wouldn't Julia's actions in the movie make her a candidate for human sacrifice? Did the Homunculi never learn about her?