General Anime/Manga Discussion 13.5: Recap Episode

[Winthur]

Stealing mobile suits on the other hand is super easy.

The first two episodes of Gundam Zeta feel like a GTA game gone bad right, to be honest.

It starts off with punching a guy for a slight, then getting a wanted level, escaping, stealing a car, crashing it somewhere by bad driving, and then waltzing into a military base and stealing a mobile suit, then heading to the big [QB] blink on the map and voila, Kamille is now a member of the mafia AEUG.

Pretty sure Bright's bitchslap was the way to tell Amuro "You're a busta, straight busta" all those years earlier.

Now, with all the Ubisoft open-world drivel GTA clones out there, why isn't there one such franchise with mechs?

Also, finished Trigun. It was a good anime, but felt a tad bit unfinished in places.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Also, finished Trigun. It was a good anime, but felt a tad bit unfinished in places.

Yeah, I'd agree with this assessment. In a few ways, it's rough around the edges but has good heart. (I definitely like the Trigun Maximum storyline, and have a futile hope that Trigun Maximum will one day be animated.)

[Duck999]

My rating on Irregular at Magic Highschool just went up. It is one of the animes that made me go:
Yes! YES! Oh my god! Yes! Finally! yay! Yes!

Edit: Though the squealing that followed did not sound nice.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

So I finally started checking out HaNaYaMaTa. Two episodes in; the first one hooked me, the second one double-hooked me. I'm in this one for the (12-episode) long haul.

Hana* gives me life.

Spoiler: Best Hana Line So Far (Episode 2)

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Hana, you weeaboo.

Also, the opening is already starting to earworm its way into my head.

*it's subtitled as "Hana", but it feels like, since she's American, it's probably "Hannah", and it sounds like they're saying "Hanna".

[Terraoblivion]

Hana and Yaya's interactions are quite glorious in general. Also, I look forward to hearing your thoughts after finishing it.

Also, Tami-oneesan is best girl. Everybody who says otherwise are objectively wrong.

More seriously, though, I love all five girls along with Sally-sensei.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Also, finished Trigun. It was a good anime, but felt a tad bit unfinished in places.

Oh yeah, that's something I still haven't watched. I was kinda stuck for something after finishing Accel World.

Also Samurai Champloo.

I'm playing Cave Story+ right now though, and anime demand that I look at the screen, but it'll be good between instances of getting teeth pulled attempting to get through Blood-Stained Sanctuary.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Also, Tami-oneesan is best girl. Everybody who says otherwise are objectively wrong.

In fairness, I've technically not really met her. (I like how they're gradually rolling the characters in. It's much easier to keep them straight. Double easy because the anime's title is an acronym/mnemonic, but.)

Spoiler: Watchthrough thoughts so far

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So, one thing I really like about Hana's character is that she's persistent but at the same time respectful. It went from playing her pursuit of Naru for laughs to her apologizing for being so pushy, which was what started overcoming Naru's reluctance. I thought that was pretty neat.

Hana's boundless (well, apparently so) enthusiasm and pouncing is wonderful. I loved her standing out in the middle of everything, with the sign for the yosakoi club. Also, SHE'S A FREERUNNER. That made me so happy and also explained how she was able to do ninja things in the episode. Also, I thought it was cool how she brought superheroes into it ("Superheroes all battle loneliness"--remarkably keen insight) and into her passion for yosakoi.

It was cool (and heartwarming) to see the second episode focusing on Yaya and Naru's relationship. Naru's just an absolute sweetheart. And yes, Yaya is a total tsundere.

The other thing I really liked was that they didn't get overly caught up in Naru's initial "I'm just a 100% average person" mindset. They mentioned it, but really didn't harp on it. I think that was just enough.

And it's wonderful to see a show about people (well, Hana, at least) who are devoting themselves to a passion. I love seeing people get excited about things that matter to them, and it makes me want to check out those things too.

Plus, COLORS EVERYWHERE. I love the color palette of this show.

EDIT: Just started Episode 3. Dying from the amazingness of that parody.

[Grinner]

I'm starting Paprika now.

'Prepare to enter the realm of fantasy and imagination - where reality and dreams collide in a kaleidoscopic mindscape of sheer visual genius. The magical tale centers on a revolutionary machine that allows scientists to enter and record a subject's dream. After it is stolen, a fearless detective and brilliant therapist join forces to recover the device before it falls into the hands of a "dream terrorist" in this gripping anime thriller from acclaimed director Satoshi Kon.'

This should be fun.

Edit:

Spoiler: Thoughts, Possible spoilers

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Is this reality, or are we still dreaming?

That's a great question. It's one I've spent the last hour trying to figure out.

Overall, I'd say it's a pretty good film. Not as great as the expectations I had developed for it, but I suppose that's a result of the film's plot. See, it loses a lot of coherency towards the end, when reality and dream meld together. It's actually very disorienting, since we see that dream-induced suicide is a favored method of assassination, giving rise to a continuous concern for the characters' physical well-being.

In spite of that, there's a very subtle humor throughout the movie. Explaining the jokes might ruin them, though. Essentially, the entire film seems like an exercise in dramatic irony and wordplay, made apparent only after the film's conclusion.

There's a strong theme of duality throughout the movie, too. It's kinda hard to explain, but it's typified by the relationships between many of the characters. There's a pattern there. It's most apparent in Chiba and Paprika, but it's definitely present in the Chairman and Osanai too. Those two pairings in and of themselves form another duality. There's more to it than that, though...It's kinda hard to put a finger on.

While they don't really share a whole lot in common, I'm reminded of Serial Experiments Lain, what with all the warped reality and everything. It's a superficial resemblance, though. Honestly, the movie seems a lot more like Akira. It begins fairly coherently, and by the end, you're left wondering what you just spent the last thirty minutes watching.

Also, we never find out what happens to the Chairman. Presumably, he's left comatose after his spat with Chiba/Paprika, but they don't spend any screen time on it. Guess it wasn't that important after all.

Never did find out where that parade was heading, either. Oblivion?

[mallorean_thug]

Also, Tami-oneesan is best girl. Everybody who says otherwise are objectively wrong.

Imo, Na>Ha>Ma>Ta>Ya.

[Sith_Happens]

Also, i am currently watching Irregular at Magic Highschool, which is good.

My rating on Irregular at Magic Highschool just went up. It is one of the animes that made me go:
Yes! YES! Oh my god! Yes! Finally! yay! Yes!

Edit: Though the squealing that followed did not sound nice.

Between this and the show's apparent popularity I have to ask: Do things ever actually start happening in it? Because watching the first five episodes at a convention is a strong contender for Most Boring Two Hours of My Life.

[mallorean_thug]

Between this and the show's apparent popularity I have to ask: Do things ever actually start happening in it? Because watching the first five episodes at a convention is a strong contender for Most Boring Two Hours of My Life.

I was just going to let those posts pass because I dropped the show several episodes in, people have different tastes, and I'd much rather talk about stuff I like than stuff I don't like . . but since you asked: NO.

[Ibrinar]

I was just going to let those posts pass because I dropped the show several episodes in, people have different tastes, and I'd much rather talk about stuff I like than stuff I don't like . . but since you asked: NO.

After the first anime episode I think I actually had hope that it might be entertaining. Then I read a bit ahead in the manga and dropped it a few episodes in. I mostly agree with the posts on thecartdriver.com

[Sallera]

I liked a lot of the side characters, but I cringed every time the two leads were alone on screen together. Even if the show suits your tastes, it probably won't rate much better than 'thoroughly mediocre.' Given its length, probably best avoided.

[Terraoblivion]

Imo, Na>Ha>Ma>Ta>Ya.

Mine goes Ta>Ma>Ya>Na>Ha, but I really love all of them, so it's really minor distinctions overall. And all of them are made greater from their interactions with the others.

[Sith_Happens]

I was just going to let those posts pass because I dropped the show several episodes in, people have different tastes, and I'd much rather talk about stuff I like than stuff I don't like . . but since you asked: NO.

Good to know. Seriously, the last 5-10 minutes of episode five was the school being attacked by terrorists, and the show still managed to make it boring. Mind-numbingly so. How do you even do that?

[Terraoblivion]

Good to know. Seriously, the last 5-10 minutes of episode five was the school being attacked by terrorists, and the show still managed to make it boring. Mind-numbingly so. How do you even do that?

Talking everything to death?

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Halfway through HaNaYaMaTa! So it's recap time! But first...

Spoiler: Yaya-chan has the BEST stink-eye

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Spoiler: Halfway there!

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This show just keeps bringing reasons for me to like it. Maybe I'm a born sap, but I loved the ending of Episode 6, where they performed their yosakoi routine for the class. To me, that's emblematic of the entire show, the fact that yosakoi (or any art, for that matter!) has something that stirs the human soul. I love that what sells each character on yosakoi is the performance itself. They want to do it because it's beautiful. That's so cool!

Oh, Hana. I had plenty of facepalms during YaYa and Hana's Afternoon Out. You really should try to be a little more sensitive. In general, I'm really enjoying how the characters are fleshing out: they're all showing foibles and strengths. Hana is probably the most obvious example, where she's...actually...very American. In good and in bad. (I do enjoy that aspect of the show, portraying an American in Japan.)

ANIKI IN A BUNNY COSTUME. That was the best. (And apparently "aniki" is also Yakuza slang, which is all sorts of funny given that Hana was calling him a gangster before.) I love that he's just an unabashed fanboy of yosakoi; he's like the girls, but all grown up. Oh, and the bit with the massive middle-school yosakoi group was really cool. I'm not seeing them quite set up as rivals, more as "this is you, if you keep working at it"...but I don't think it's story-irrelevant that they showed up. Also, what's a "sea monk"?

Tami-oneechan is great. First of all, her character-centric episode was really good. I also am happy that her father told her about the smaller yosakoi festival. I'm thinking that maybe he's either had a change of heart, or else Tami-oneechan is changing her own interests and hobbies according to her idea of what her father wants (which is not always something she's in touch with). That's just a suspicion, however, and there could be a change-of-heart arc for her father in store. Finally, I adore how caring she is, especially for Naru.

I'm really eager to see what's up with Machi. We've seen almost nothing so far, and it's halfway through! Clearly she's been fighting hard behind the scenes so that Naru doesn't make a contract to become a magical girl. She's close to Tami, and I liked how she laid things out clearly for Tami during her episode, but we don't know why she's friends with Tami yet...

Yaya-chan has amazing hair.

Total aside: does anyone have recommendations of other anime OPs that are as perfectly-choreographed as HaNaYaMaTa's? (As in, they actually weave the animation of the OP around the song, and even worked the music into it. Plus the fact that they're performing their dance in the OP.)

[Sallera]

All I can really think of off the top of my head is the first Hyouka OP (may or may not be quite what you're looking for, but I just rewatched it and I think it's pretty good in that regard; I especially like the bit around :56).

Oh, and Lucky Star, of course, but you probably know that one already.

[Terraoblivion]

Not sure about ops, but the first Free ending and at least the last two K-On endings do. Also, the K-On endings are just all around amazing and worth watching.

[Duck999]

I liked a lot of the side characters, but I cringed every time the two leads were alone on screen together. Even if the show suits your tastes, it probably won't rate much better than 'thoroughly mediocre.' Given its length, probably best avoided.

That is true. It's not the best anime, but it has its moments, depending on your taste.

[Ibrinar]

Tried the first two Hanayamata epis because someone here posted about it. I think I might watch it, seems nice. But the show really makes it easy to interpret everything from a shipping perspective.^^

[mallorean_thug]

Total aside: does anyone have recommendations of other anime OPs that are as perfectly-choreographed as HaNaYaMaTa's? (As in, they actually weave the animation of the OP around the song, and even worked the music into it. Plus the fact that they're performing their dance in the OP.)

So, are you looking for choreographed dance OP/EDs, character song OP/EDs (as in sung by members of the voice cast), or just really nicely animated OP/EDs? I think there are basically none of the first option, and too many to list of the last option, so maybe the second option is a good discussion topic?

When I think of character song OP/EDs, I pretty much immediately think of all of the *Monogatari openings. Other than that that's good . . . umm the Ano Hana ED I guess. Nana Mizuki stuff?

[Terraoblivion]

Lots of OP/EDs are sung by the major members of the show's cast. Often they have nothing to do with the show, but still. Bouken Desho Desho from Haruhi was sung by Aya Hirano, while Hare Hare Yukai was sung by her, Yuko Goto and Minori Chihara and that's the voices of Haruhi, Mikuru and Yuki respectively. In general, KyoAni loves making their female vocal staff supply OPs and EDs, K-On stands out in this regard as well. And, yes, anything that casts Nana Mizuki will use her for them since she's one of the most successful Japanese musicians and has been for something like a decade. Yukari Tamura, probably most known outside her musical career for voicing Nanoha Takamachi, is much the same, just not quite as successful as a musician.

But, really, there are a lot of these. These are just the examples that spring to mind.

Coordinated dance numbers or just visuals closely coordinated with the music are somewhat rare as it's very expensive to make, so most shows don't bother. Which suggests to me that you'd be most likely to find them looking to studios that tend to have all of the budget like KyoAni, MAPPA, later SHAFT or P. A. Works when they're not fooling around.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

So, are you looking for choreographed dance OP/EDs, character song OP/EDs (as in sung by members of the voice cast), or just really nicely animated OP/EDs? I think there are basically none of the first option, and too many to list of the last option, so maybe the second option is a good discussion topic?

Well, I'm mainly thinking of how the OP's visuals and the OP song go hand-in-hand. Like, the obvious moment is Tami's piano keystroke in the middle of the OP that syncs with the music, but everyone also moves perfectly to the beat of the song, and the fact that it's the dance from the show just makes the integration perfect. I see OPs where the music more or less matches the feel of the visuals, but I've seldom seen it put together that exactly.

[Terraoblivion]

I'd like to help more, but I have no sense of rhythm and I can't for the life of me tell what the beat is and whether or not something happens on it. I mean, most of the time I can guess based on what's going on, a dance number is likely to be choreographed for example, but I can't actually tell if it succeeds or not.

I do love Tami hitting the key, though. Even I can hear that it's perfectly timed to key off the music changing.

[Poison_Fish]

I liked some of the ideas in Mahouka, but it generally is not good.

[Alent]

I also liked Hanayamata. It was really a good mood brightener. I didn't really have a favorite, tho'. The whole cast had their moments. Hana was always amusing, and I can't tell you how amusing it was for me to watch Sally and Machi's plot unfold opposite opposite of the Death Gun unveil.

About "Sea monk" - I thought that was the Shop owner's name literally translated? That's how he's saved in sally's phone.

Good to know. Seriously, the last 5-10 minutes of episode five was the school being attacked by terrorists, and the show still managed to make it boring. Mind-numbingly so. How do you even do that?

There is a very nice plot to be had in the light novels, it had pacing problems and the author leaned too heavily on otaku tropes as crutches, but it was pretty interesting. The anime faithfully replicated all of the problems, somehow managed to throw out most of what made it good while actually being one of the most accurate adaptations I've seen, and then embellished the nauseating brocon and siscon show parts.

I can explain what was neat about it if you'd like, but it would get heavily into spoilers since you really don't get a chance to understand what the main character actually is until around book 8 or 9. (By pacing problems I mean "This was never meant to be anything less than a 500+ page full sized novel, and all the reveals are spaced accordingly")

[Winthur]

Good to know. Seriously, the last 5-10 minutes of episode five was the school being attacked by terrorists, and the show still managed to make it boring. Mind-numbingly so. How do you even do that?

This reminds me of my general impression with Attack on Titan. Trying to build tension and a foreboding atmosphere through cuts to shocked faces and prolonged internal dialogue doesn't work that well.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

About "Sea monk" - I thought that was the Shop owner's name literally translated? That's how he's saved in sally's phone.

No, I think it's her nickname for him. When she first sees him, she internally thinks that he looks like a "sea monk". Which...I'm not sure what that's alluding to.

[Closet_Skeleton]

No, I think it's her nickname for him. When she first sees him, she internally thinks that he looks like a "sea monk". Which...I'm not sure what that's alluding to.

Umibozu

Traditional folklore beastie.