General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

[BWR]

Too many of them are clearly geared towards drumming up interest in the source material rather than telling a proper story with a satisfying conclusion.

That's basically the point of most anime out there, I would argue, at least the adaptations. They can't change too much because people who like the original will complain and abandon the show and people who like the show and go to the source will complain about differences and not buy that. I know altered adaptations can be done competently at times, like Tasogare Otome x Amnesia (which actually managed to give a proper end to the story), but IME those are the exceptions rather than the rule.

No love for Youjo Senki? Sure the main character seems OP, but it's fun to watch.

I gave up after the first episode. I loved the not-WWI bit until the mages showed up, at which point I lost all interest.

I forgot about Little Witch Academia. It's been pretty damn predictable all the way through but amusing enough I have bothered to watch it.

[Hiro Protagonest]

That's basically the point of most anime out there, I would argue, at least the adaptations. They can't change too much because people who like the original will complain and abandon the show and people who like the show and go to the source will complain about differences and not buy that. I know altered adaptations can be done competently at times, like Tasogare Otome x Amnesia (which actually managed to give a proper end to the story), but IME those are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Um, not changing the source story isn't the same as the fact that, say, Grimgar of Fantasy & Ash only got one season, and will never get any more, and that if I actually want to see more of the story I have to rely on the LNs getting English translations (luckily they are) and buying them. Or Yona of the Dawn, where the manga is fan-translated.

And this is the norm, not the exception.

[JCarter426]

That's basically the point of most anime out there, I would argue, at least the adaptations. They can't change too much because people who like the original will complain and abandon the show and people who like the show and go to the source will complain about differences and not buy that. I know altered adaptations can be done competently at times, like Tasogare Otome x Amnesia (which actually managed to give a proper end to the story), but IME those are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Well, sure, that's how the industry works, but that doesn't mean w all have to like it. Like I said, I respect the decision to stick to the source material, but I think they could've gone about it in a better way.

My main issue with Masamune-kun was how anticlimactic the episode 12 was in comparison to episode 9. Episode 9 resolved Neko's story arc, answered all the questions surrounding her, and then introduced a new character and new story arc in the epilogue. I wouldn't necessarily end the season here either, but that is essentially what a season finale should do. It had some sense of conclusion. Then after that, we have the first three episodes of the new story arc, and then no more questions are really answered and we get nowhere. The last quarter of the story, which should be the climax, was more like a footnote. Instead of a third act, we have the first act of the next story.

Plenty of other adaptations run into this problem, and a few of them still manage to remain faithful to the source material overall. One way is to change the order of events slightly, so the episode that feels conclusive happens at episode 12 rather than 9. Again, I'm not familiar with the source material, but I imagine there must be some way to do this. Perhaps some later chapters could've been added, to push the Neko arc to the end of the season, or perhaps some episodes from earlier in the season could've been cut or trimmed (and possibly saved for next season, if there is one) so the Gasou business could've gone somewhere. It's likely to never go anywhere now, in animated form. So I really question the choice to introduce it at the last minute and interrupt it with karaoke.

[Fri]

No love for Youjo Senki? Sure the main character seems OP, but it's fun to watch.

Talking about differing adaptation, this one is too much difference for me. As I said, the LN/Manga are basically tongue-in-cheek comedy, styled similarly to Ciaphas Cain novels, where Tanya's thoughts as she do things are hillariously contrasted with how everyone else see it. There's that in the anime, but they turn the tongue-in-cheek premise into a more serious premise.

[Eldariel]

So, out of everything that began now, anyone find anything interesting? Well, Boku no Hero Academia & Shingeki no Kyojin Season 2 go without saying, but anything aside from that? Quick glance didn't reveal anything overtly enthralling, but I'll have to admit I wasn't very thorough.

[kamikasei]

There are a couple of things that look interesting, but that I'll probably wait to hear word of mouth on before picking up: for example, KADO, or Clockwork Planet. There's also The Eccentric Family 2, but while I enjoyed the first season well enough I'm not particularly pushed about a second. I have a bunch of anime and live-action from past seasons that I'd rather catch up on, I think.

[BWR]

Renai Bouken and Tsugumomo are given since I like the manga. Renai Bouken is the harem comedy of the lazy, BL-obsessed angel who creates couples with her KissNote, and has the only yandere character I actually like, possibly aside from whatsername in Criminale. Tsugumomo is wussy MC getting a supernatural intelligent magic item in the form of a obi/hot chick that helps him fight evil possessing spirits. A healthy dose of ecchi for those who like/can stomach it, and some actually well-handled character development...which mostly happens after where I think the anime will stop.

Saekano s2 for a well-written harem comedy.

Clockwork Planet seems to be a generic sci-fi-ish shounen-y thing with loli androids, only with gears glued on it. So far so bland, and I will probably not watch any more episodes.

Alice to Zouroku seems to be a generic evil company doing bad stuff to superpowered kids, and is getting more views from me entirely because of the titular old man, who is pretty much exactly what one of my favorite PCs would have been had he been a florist instead of a Crab clan warrior.

Hinako Note cute girls slice of life. Nothing particularly interesting or original about it. Probably going to drop.

Sekai no yami zukan seems interesting but I haven't gotten around to watching it yet.

That's it for now. I may possibly check out some other stuff but nothing else has piqued my interest so far.

[VariSami]

Let's see my plans again...

Attack on Titan S2: Yeah, definitely.

Hero Academia S2: Likewise.

Natsume's Book of Friends VI: It is solid and the commitment is real.

Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon S2: Popcorn but fun.

Clockwork Planet: First episode was a huge disappointment but we shall see.

Renai Boukun: Sounds like a fun ride but might be too much.

Berserk 2017: Despite likely being a trainwreck, it is still Berserk.

Sekai no Yami Zukan: If I feel like it while procrastinating.

Kabukibu!: After Rakugo Shinjuu, I am open to the idea. For now.

Sin: Nanatsu no Taizai: At first, I was sure Seven Deadly Sins was returning. This might fill in my guilty pleasure slot if the ecchi is over the top enough to be absurdly funny (see: High School DxD, Keijo!!!!!!!).

[Rysto]

At first, I was sure Seven Deadly Sins was returning.

Seven Deadly Sins did get season 2 approved. It might even come later this year, actually. But as you say, the show from this season is completely different.

[Prime32]

SaeKano was great, and it getting a second season was a pleasant surprise.

With Attack on Titan, on the other hand, I'm surprised that the second season took this long.

Speaking of major franchises, the first episode of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations was surprisingly fun.

Re:Creators is about a bunch of characters from in-universe books, anime, games, etc. being transported to the real world. General opinion is that it's going to be either amazing or terrible, and episode 1 looked decent.

The animation in Berserk seems slightly less hideous this time around. Like VariSami, I don't have high expectations but it's still nice to see this material get the anime treatment in some form.

Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho could be a fun fantasy story, even if it looks suspiciously like an attempt to get higher ratings by having people confuse it with Re:Zero.

I've read the manga of Eromanga-sensei and it was fun, but it comes from the same author as Oreimo and it shows. Take that as you will. How the anime turns out will depend heavily on the studio.

Will probably check out Tsugumono, Granblue Fantasy and Alice to Zouruku at some point.

[Eldariel]

Let's see my plans again...

Attack on Titan S2: Yeah, definitely.

Hero Academia S2: Likewise.

Natsume's Book of Friends VI: It is solid and the commitment is real.

Oh, Natsume Yuujinchou is getting another season? I didn't even notice - thanks! Must see.

I might check out Berserk too. I mean, underneath all that hideousness, it's still Berserk in all its gory glory. Probably not worth it, but I'll probably watch it anyways.

[Doorhandle]

I've been loving Nanbaka recently. So far they're managing the switch from comedy to drama and back again pretty well, but it remains to be seen if they can keep it up. A shame the dub is only 13 episodes long, it's one of the better ones. Might start reading the manga...

The end of KonoSuba Season 2 wasn't bad, it's just it didn't live up to the end of season one. Still a few good moments however... Like Kazuma making a defiant speech only to be digested mid-jump. He's basically the Kenny of the team now.
Most of the cast got a bit of backstory (if not quite devlopment) this season, which was refreshing. Darkness is still mostly a one-joke pony though. And the jokes are as good as ever.

Dragonball Super: for the current episodes: no fighting, didn't watch. (Very rude of me, but accurate) Plus Whis's solution to Bulma being pregnant was just weird.

Tiger Mask W: HAHA, yes! It's about time Tiger Mask lost a fight! And it's about time Tiger the Dark got more development! Quite satisfying to see: although I haven't watched the current episode yet...

Also, both Fukuwara Mask and Naito are total badasses despite looking very stupid, and damn do they prove it this episode.


Also, to Prime32:
Granblue Fantasy:It's based on a role-playing game, so I've been tracking the cliches as they appear...but I kinda like the show anyway. Is it going to get more than 2 episodes though? Or is anime-lab just being slack?

[Prime32]

Also, to Prime32:
Granblue Fantasy:It's based on a role-playing game, so I've been tracking the cliches as they appear...but I kinda like the show anyway. Is it going to get more than 2 episodes though? Or is anime-lab just being slack?

There were rumours it's getting 50.

[kamikasei]

Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon S2: Popcorn but fun.

Oh right, I overlooked this. I've heard good things from people who've read the spin-off manga, compared to the original, so I'm planning to give this a shot. Haven't seen details of its streaming yet, though.

[HMS Invincible]

Has anyone seen this one?
https://myanimelist.net/anime/33926/Quan_Zhi_Gao_Shou
It reminds me of SAO but more grounded. Also, it's really struck me that it was a chinese anime so the moonspeak threw me off a bit.

Defintely-not-WOW professional gamer gets booted off his team. So he gets a job at a netcafe and creates a new account for the love of the game. It's kinda hard to find right now, I think there's stuff only on Amazon strike or something.

[Spacewolf]

Looks like there's a new series of Bahamut as well, which was pretty decent last time around. Didn't even realise they where continuing the story.

[Doorhandle]

There were rumours it's getting 50.

Neat. Guess I better look for it elsewhere...

Also back to Tiger Mask W:

Spoiler: Mad spoilers yo!

Show

Another good episode; despite the fact that the two great twists (Tiger the Dark's defeat and The Third being Tiger the Great the Third weren't that surprising at this point. What WAS surprising is that the Tigers are finally known to each-other, and that it's partially Tiger's Mask fault that Tiger the dark may never walk again. This is pretty much the darkest hour for the two tigers at this point.

Plus, it was a pretty awesome fight too. Particularly seeing that counter The Dark pulled off.

[HandofShadows]

Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio or Arpeggio of Blue Steel
I am actually enjoy this a lot more than most of the "popular" series I read. It tends to toss common anime tropes under a bus or subvert them. (Really, this has the perfect set up for a harem series and it is VERY far from it) A fair amount of humor, but it tends to be visually based and some characters can be silly (and are doing it intentionally). The focus of the story shifts from character to character as needed and brings up some philisophical questions, but does not agonize over them. We have a mystery and damn few clues then we find out that a LOT of what we thought we knew is wrong. There is some cheescake and pron, but it's battleship pron and safe for work. I don't think we seen real "big bad" in the series. Almost all the characters are people who are doing what they think is best. Though sometimes they can be very ruthless doing it. (There are some clas A &*^%% in the Japanese Army though.) Anyone else following this one?

Note: I am talking about the manga, not the anime series.

[DoctorFaust]

I'm actually really enjoying Frame Arm Girls and Grimoire of Zero. They both seem like fun popcorn shows so far, and building gunpla has given me a lot of empathy for the stuff Ao went through when she was trying to build all of Gourai's equipment. Mercenary and Zero's relationship also looks like it could end up being interesting, so long as there's no real romance to it.

[kamikasei]

Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio or Arpeggio of Blue Steel
...Anyone else following this one?

This is one of my... not guilty pleasures, I'm not guilty about it, but it's a surprising thing for me to like as much as I do. A friend put me on to the series when it aired, which I enjoyed a lot but didn't particularly pay attention to after I'd finished it. It was actually the rise in popularity of Kancolle and other "WWII-era weapons plus/as cute girls" (e.g. Girls und Panzer, High School Fleet, Strike Witches) that made me revisit it and realize how much I liked it in comparison. Read the manga on Crunchyroll and found the anime had done a really solid job as an adaptation (compared to many that almost slavishly adapt a chunk of the source and end their run with no real conclusion or arc) but that the manga had a lot more complexity. It's one I'd enthusiastically recommend to anyone I think wouldn't be actively put off by its premise or aesthetics (or the unfortunate and unnecessary touches of fanservice in the anime. The OP makes it look like quite a different show...).

Also, Vampire best bote.

[HandofShadows]

Also, Vampire best bote.

Vampire is great.

Spoiler

Show

She also raises the question of the sentience level of ALL the Fog ships. She is just a destroyer but it's clear she has a full personality without a mental model. Something that we only though Heavy Cruisers and up had. Makes me wonder what the Fog Lt Cruiser sunk at the start of the series has been doing.

[VariSami]

I just watched the first episode of Grimoire of Zero. It was not mentioned in my listing above as I had originally intended to watch it but decided against it because of the seemingly unnecessary furry bait. I then shifted again after seeing a gif and yeah, at least the first episode was definitely quite promising.

Edit: Oh, and the first two episodes of Boruto. Which was surprisingly refreshing after I had lost hope with Naruto fillers. I suppose it must have been because some of the very last episodes of Shippuuden returned some memory of why I like these characters. Mostly Iruka and Hinata but also some others. Seeing them all grown up in Boruto and their kids is very nostalgic in a way you rarely really get in anime (or any media, really).

[Fri]

Read the manga on Crunchyroll and found the anime had done a really solid job as an adaptation (compared to many that almost slavishly adapt a chunk of the source and end their run with no real conclusion or arc) but that the manga had a lot more complexity.

Yes, the anime is the best way they could adapt a long manga into a 12 episodes anime. They simplify it a lot and cut some characters and plot, but they make it into an own thing with its own beginning and end but still have most the idea of the manga (up to the ending of the anime at least). Also they know the strength of adapting manga to anime (that is, baller action scenes).

The movie on the other hand, is pure ridiculous(ly awesome) insanity.

[Kato]

I guess I should check out some of the recent anime this season, too... But two manga related questions atm:

1) I watched the Deadly Sins anime as far as Netflix had it and enjoyed it well enough. So I was wondering about opinions on the manga.

2) not too long ago I found the first chapter of a story about boy who gives additional lessons to two sisters who are respectively science and arts geniuses but fail at the other. Now I can't find it again. Anyone an idea what I could be looking for?

[DoctorFaust]

I guess I should check out some of the recent anime this season, too... But two manga related questions atm:

2) not too long ago I found the first chapter of a story about boy who gives additional lessons to two sisters who are respectively science and arts geniuses but fail at the other. Now I can't find it again. Anyone an idea what I could be looking for?

I'm, like, 90% sure the series you mean is We Can't Study.

Also, if anyone here has read Koe no Katachi and liked it, I would totally recommend To You, The Immortal. The first ten or so chapters that I've read so far have been really good.

[Doorhandle]

Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio or Arpeggio of Blue Steel
I am actually enjoy this a lot more than most of the "popular" series I read. It tends to toss common anime tropes under a bus or subvert them. (Really, this has the perfect set up for a harem series and it is VERY far from it) A fair amount of humor, but it tends to be visually based and some characters can be silly (and are doing it intentionally). The focus of the story shifts from character to character as needed and brings up some philisophical questions, but does not agonize over them. We have a mystery and damn few clues then we find out that a LOT of what we thought we knew is wrong. There is some cheescake and pron, but it's battleship pron and safe for work. I don't think we seen real "big bad" in the series. Almost all the characters are people who are doing what they think is best. Though sometimes they can be very ruthless doing it. (There are some clas A &*^%% in the Japanese Army though.) Anyone else following this one?

Note: I am talking about the manga, not the anime series.

Ok, that's another one to put on my ever-increasing backlog.

[VariSami]

Yeah, so... The first episode of Sin: Nanatsu no Taizai gets a berth from me. I was blowing raspberries at the terrible cosmology and stupid characters as well as super over the top but fully censored fan service. It just is not fun to see stuff like that be done with a straight face and for no reasons of their own at all. This was not really a surprise but it was worse than expected since not once was it even remotely amusing or exciting.

Clockwork Planet continues to disappoint but not enough to be dropped.

[HMS Invincible]

Re Creators is pretty cool, but I have a soft spot whenever someone subverts tropes.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/ReCREATORS
"Characters from various form of media start to pop up in the "real world" and must come to terms that their entire lives are fictional"
I loved the magical girl vs the mecha pilot, though I find it weird how many people can fly.

[DoctorFaust]

I started watching Kemono Friends, and I'm sort of surprised by how much better it's getting after the first episode. It's still not great, but it does seem like the worst of the roughness is getting knocked off the edges. Or they might just be getting better at hiding it. Either way, it's a surprisingly fun, sincere little show, and I can see why it was basically the dark horse show of last season.

[HMS Invincible]

Is it just me or is Re Creators having issues with it's production? They're already resorting to every desperate animation savings save for a recap episode. =.= I was not expecting that out of a full season anime.