General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

[BiblioRook]

Well I wasn't just thinking about the relationship between Kobayashi and Tohru but also the likes of Kobayashi and Kanna or even Takiya and Fafnir.

That being said, it's not as if the romantic relationship between Kobayashi and Tohru is one-sided I think, Kobayashi probably wouldn't have been so inclined to invite Tohru to live with her if she wasn't into her in the first place.

[Drascin]

Well I wasn't just thinking about the relationship between Kobayashi and Tohru but also the likes of Kobayashi and Kanna or even Takiya and Fafnir.

That being said, it's not as if the romantic relationship between Kobayashi and Tohru is one-sided I think, Kobayashi probably wouldn't have been so inclined to invite Tohru to live with her if she wasn't into her in the first place.

Exactly what I meant, yes. I had understood that you felt the main relationship was non-romantic and I was kind of "wait, what?" . Kobayashi and Tohru are clearly romantic on both sides, it's just not this loud blushing thing that most anime does because Kobayashi is a very muted person who has some intimacy issues, so she's taking it slowly.

[BWR]

I never picked up on any romance there. Tohru is infatuated with Kobayashi, which isn't the same as romance, and Kobayashi is learning to enjoy life outside of drinking and geekdom, perhaps especially as a parent.

Guess I'm just dense (maybe I should apply for the role of Protagonist-kun in a harem comedy).

[BiblioRook]

I mostly got it in the flashback when they first met, maybe it was just me but that wasn't pity I was getting from Kobayashi when she made the offer to Tohru.

[Spacewolf]

I mostly got it in the flashback when they first met, maybe it was just me but that wasn't pity I was getting from Kobayashi when she made the offer to Tohru.

Seemed more like drunken camaraderie at that time they have had a few moments later though.

[endoperez]

I was also surprised by how much I ended up liking Miss Kobayashi's Maid Dragon. I don't watch many anime shows, but it was my biggest favourite in years! Also, it's on sale for 4.42€, on Steam of all places, if you want to throw some money into it.

I also think the show is about relationships and/or couples and/or living together. It's about learning to accept the other person until both have changed to fit better together. And that's something that sounds like it should be a romantic story, except romance stories aren't actually about that; they tend to be more about awkward crushes and embarrassing almost-moments and so on.

Also, as much as I like the show as a whole, the Queztalcoatl / Shouta sexual harassment thing is just weirdbad.

[BiblioRook]

I also think the show is about relationships and/or couples and/or living together. It's about learning to accept the other person until both have changed to fit better together. And that's something that sounds like it should be a romantic story, except romance stories aren't actually about that; they tend to be more about awkward crushes and embarrassing almost-moments and so on.

Agreed. It's refreshing to have a show about romance and/or relationships that doesn't depend entirely on ackward humor or the will-they/won't-they. Those are always the worst part about romantic anime while also easily being the majority of what's out there.

Also, as much as I like the show as a whole, the Queztalcoatl / Shouta sexual harassment thing is just weirdbad.

Also agreed. I... try to ignore those parts honestly or at the very least try to see it in the context of Queztalcoatl know being entirely aware what she's doing, but it's still a pretty all-together regrettable part of an otherwise enjoyable series.

[BWR]

Eh, it's not the best part but it's enjoyable enough.
I can stomach quite a lot in the name of humor.

[JCarter426]

Well, Netflix finally released Little Witch Academia from its hoarding, behind-the-times grasp. Which is good, because I don't think there's a whole lot lined up for the next season. Owarimonogatari isn't even a full cour.

And Re:Creators' recap episode was without a doubt the greatest recap episode I've ever seen.

[BWR]

The girl and I just finished watching Revolutionary Girl Utena and I'm rather disappointed. A promising start and a few hilarious filler episodes aside, nothing much of interest - nothing much at all - happens for thirty-odd episodes until the last five. Utena shows no growth, no questioning what the hell is going on, no initiative, no protagonisting at all, nothing of note for the vast majority of the show, just showing up for duels because....reasons, and winning them because of plot device. The middle arc was entirely pointless and added nothing except timewaste. The show could also not quite decide what it wanted to do with its characters and most of them ended up being entirely irrelevant after having been built up. The entire show could easily have been cut down to ten or twelve episodes (down from 39) and would in all likelihood be better for it.

[HMS Invincible]

Well, Netflix finally released Little Witch Academia from its hoarding, behind-the-times grasp. Which is good, because I don't think there's a whole lot lined up for the next season. Owarimonogatari isn't even a full cour.

And Re:Creators' recap episode was without a doubt the greatest recap episode I've ever seen.

Meteora's take on events is hilarious. A planned recap was really ballsy. Anybody get evangelion vibes from the recap?

[Chromascope3D]

Well, Netflix finally released Little Witch Academia from its hoarding, behind-the-times grasp

I'd be laughing at this if I wasn't currently crying...

...Because they only released half of it.

[JCarter426]

Meteora's take on events is hilarious. A planned recap was really ballsy.

Well, we're in between seasons right now. The alternative would be to take the week off, as Boku no Hero Academia did the same day. Better to air something than nothing when you have something of substance to air, which they surprisingly did. And the entertainment value of the episode aside, I think it was appropriate considering how the whole show is a commentary of the anime industry. It wouldn't be complete if we didn't get chapter on recap episodes.

I'd be laughing at this if I wasn't currently crying...

...Because they only released half of it.

After six months, I'm just glad they released anything. I doubt they'll be able to keep getting away with this in the long term, though. I know they have their whole business model of trying to kill broadcast television, but if making people wait six months to watch something starts to hurt their business, and it will - that's why all these simulcast sites have sprung up in the first place - then they'll have to change their business model. Either they'll simulcast in English like everybody else does, and like they're simulcasting in Japanese, or they'll get out of the anime business. Either would be a welcome improvement from my point of view.

Of course, they just announced that Fate/Apocrypha will release in November. So it seems they haven't caught on just yet.

[HMS Invincible]

https://myanimelist.net/anime/season
Summer season is out, anybody find any gems yet? I haven't gotten around to anything, but I'm looking forward to more spinoffs and sequels like Fate Apocrypha and New Game!!.

[Fri]

Made in Abyss because it is what it is, and Kakegurui because I am what I am.

[BWR]

The ones I've tried so far.

Aho Girl from the creator of the Manga/ka and his Assisstants, this time with less panties and more bananas. Amusing enough if you enjoy utter braindead+straight man humor.

Yokai apartment no yuuga na nichijou. Seems a bit bland after one episode. There are several good takes on this basic theme: Magetsukan Kitan, Mononoke Sharing (from the author of everyone's favorite maid dragon), Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san, and a couple others whose names have escaped me at the moment, so why we were given this and not one of those is beyond me. Maybe it gets better.

Isekai Shokudou. Pretty nondescript and nothing much happening, and not in the good way like Aria or Amanchu. For some reason I can't really stomach cooking manga/anime (Sweetness and Lightning being the exception because the food isn't really that big a deal), and this seems to be too food-focused. I'll take my food porn in purer form. Maybe I'll give it another chance. Maybe not.

[cobaltstarfire]

I'd be laughing at this if I wasn't currently crying...

...Because they only released half of it.

T_T

We just started watching it tonight, the 2 episodes we've watched were really fun.

[BWR]

So I tried a few more shows.

Action Heroine Cheer Fruits
Let's put on a show; right here. When the country's most popular superhero show is canceled in a small town, the little kids are deeply disappointed. A couple older kids put on a show for the younger ones to try to lift their spirits. More promising than pretty much anything else I've seen so far.

Jikan no shihaisha
Shounen, monsters, time manipulation, annoying superpowered protagonists. Not gonna watch any more.

Battle Girl High School Project.
I had intended on giving this one a miss based on the description. Anything saying 'based on a game' is instantly suspect in my book (even though I've been pleasantly surprised a couple of times, so you'd think I'd be more open to them). Then I saw someone comment that it was basically Yuru Yuri with magical girls. It wasn't. What it was was a generic young girls fight aliens/demons/whatever with generic stereotyped personalities and stock dialogue, with little comedy and no yuri in sight. Seems my first instinct was right.

Centaur no Nayami
Slice of life with monster people. Not the naughty fun kind like in Monmusu or the innocent fun kind like in Interviews with Monster Girls, just everybody being human/other animal mishmashes and having a normal, boring school life. Not bad but I'm not sure I'll bother watching more.

Princess Principal
Easily the best so far. Alt.u steampunk London, cavorite, spies and very nice art and decent animation, and promising setting and story. The only objectionable bit is all the important people being young girls with the standard variety of made-to-appeal-to -guys personalities and extreme skills. And one with a kasa and a katana for some reason. Because Japan, I guess. Still, I'm going to keep watching this one.

[DoctorFaust]

I've seen Fate/Apocrypha and Princess Principal. Apocrypha seems fairly enjoyable, and the first two episodes make me hopeful that they'll be able to pull off the large cast at least decently. Really enjoying Miyuki Sawashiro's performance as Saber of Red.

Princess Principal I'm a little doubtful about, though that's to do more with the age of the cast than any real issues I had with the first episode. So I guess I'm more or less in agreement with BWR about it.

[mallorean_thug]

Warning:

Princess Principle is being written by Ichiro Okouchi

[BWR]

Warning:

Princess Principle is being written by Ichiro Okouchi

I had to look up the name, and realized I hadn't seen most of it. So worst case is we get Koutetsu no Kabaneri again: generally nice art and animation, good world building, completely unlikable and uninteresting characters that fall to all the shounen tropes so hard it cracks the iron wall.
Best case we get something generally enjoyable like Azumanga Daioh (though that was written by someone else so I don't know how much credit he can take for that).

I'll keep watching for a few more episodes to see what will happen, at any rate.


Also tried:

Knights and Magic
Yet another died and reincarnated in a fantasy world one. Dull and predictable once you've seen a couple. Of course, everything after Konosuba is bound to be a disappointment if you aren't terribly interested in the genre already.

Hajimete no Gal
I'm already reading the manga, so I'll be watching this, mostly out of lack of anything better to watch. Total loser nerd gets a gyaru girlfriend. Juvenile male-centric romantic comedy. A timewaster but not bad.

Tenshi no 3P
Loser nerd who makes music is scouter by three gradeschoolers to produce their band. Eh, I don't think it's for me.

[Prime32]

Knights and Magic
Yet another died and reincarnated in a fantasy world one. Dull and predictable once you've seen a couple. Of course, everything after Konosuba is bound to be a disappointment if you aren't terribly interested in the genre already.

It looks to be rushing and skipping over content at ridiculous speed. The first episode was equivalent to half the first book, or 9-10 chapters of the manga.

[JaneStop]

Great thread!

[mallorean_thug]

I had to look up the name, and realized I hadn't seen most of it. So worst case is we get Koutetsu no Kabaneri again: generally nice art and animation, good world building, completely unlikable and uninteresting characters that fall to all the shounen tropes so hard it cracks the iron wall.

You mean worst case we get Valvrave and the bad parts of Code Geass again. And yeah, generally when you're looking at writing credits for an anime original work, you should only look at previous anime original stuff, not scripts for adaptions.

[BWR]

You mean worst case we get Valvrave and the bad parts of Code Geass again.

Like I said, I haven't seen most of the stuff he's worked on.

[Rysto]

So the other day I decided to rewatch Re:Zero. It was all going well until Emilia showed up and suddenly I heard Megumin speaking (I hadn't seen Konosuba the when Re:Zero originally aired). I'm not sure I can take her seriously anymore...

[Fri]

Knights and Magic
Yet another died and reincarnated in a fantasy world one. Dull and predictable once you've seen a couple. Of course, everything after Konosuba is bound to be a disappointment if you aren't terribly interested in the genre already.

So the other day I decided to rewatch Re:Zero. It was all going well until Emilia showed up and suddenly I heard Megumin speaking (I hadn't seen Konosuba the when Re:Zero originally aired). I'm not sure I can take her seriously anymore...

Konosuba ruined the genre forever. Just like how Airplane! ruined disaster movies and Animal House ruined college movies

[BWR]

Hell Girl is back!
The first episode is another traditional JS story about bullying and lack of friends, a tragedy of errors that results in people going to hell. The old gang is back, plus the new ones that were introduced over the last seasons, and what is presumably this season's plot arc is already teased. Best show yet this season.
It really is odd that I should like this show as much as I do because I generally don't like the tragedies and people being real world horrible to each other. Were it not a supernatural show I would avoid it like the plague.

[Rysto]

Konosuba ruined the genre forever. Just like how Airplane! ruined disaster movies and Animal House ruined college movies

I was being literal there. Emilia and Megumin have the same voice actress, and Megumin was such a distinctive character that it really stands out to me. It's hard to take Emilia seriously when I keep expecting her to bust out an "EXPLOSION!".

[HMS Invincible]

I was being literal there. Emilia and Megumin have the same voice actress, and Megumin was such a distinctive character that it really stands out to me. It's hard to take Emilia seriously when I keep expecting her to bust out an "EXPLOSION!".

If you kept up, and watched as they aired, you wouldn't have this problem.