New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 8 of 51 FirstFirst 12345678910111213141516171833 ... LastLast
Results 211 to 240 of 1507
  1. - Top - End - #211
    Barbarian in the Playground
    Join Date
    Oct 2009

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Quote Originally Posted by Closet_Skeleton View Post
    I'll probably check it out once I've gotten sick of Pretty Cure. Which could be quite soon if what I've heard about the later seasons is true.
    That's funny, because I was considering moving on to watching Pretty Cure after I get through the rest of Ojamajo Doremi.

    Though I was going to go with Heartcatch based on conversations I've read on the topic previously. In light of your ratings, maybe I'll reconsider? I'm not sure. I /really/ like Heartcatch's character designs, and .gifs I've seen of its fight sequences.

    You should totally add a "Likelihood of buying the toys after watching" category though. Or maybe a "Would make my niece/daughter watch" category.

  2. - Top - End - #212
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Prime32's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Ireland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Let's see...
    Spoiler: Precure
    Show
    • I've watched about half of Splash Star but couldn't really get invested in it. Maybe its age had something to do with it? A lot of people seem to like the enemy generals.
    • Heartcatch is the first series I watched all the way through. I liked it; the art style doesn't bother me. In regards to your comment on the fight scenes, I won't say it has the best in the franchise, but it's generally held as the most consistent.
    • Suite Precure is the tale of Hibiki and Kanade, who transform to fight monsters with the power of music. Gungnir is not involved, as far as I'm aware. Was long famous as "the most gay" Precure series, since the protagonists hate each other but have abilities powered by friendship and working together, causing them to come across as tsundere. IIRC it got an English dub somehow?
    • Dokidoki is the second series I watched all the way through - it's known for good pacing, but having a protagonist who's kind of a Mary Sue. Also for raising the yuri subtext even more than Suite, to the point where the team is practically a harem. I thought it handled the supporting characters fairly well.
    • From what I hear, Smile Precure is basically the opposite of Dokidoki - not much focus on an overarching plot, but a lot of silly and memorable episodes. It's commonly accused of not doing enough with its fairytale theme, treating the pink Cure like a joke, and pandering too hard to the otaku market with the yellow Cure.
    • Happiness Charge is a series I've never finished, but was clearly trying hard to be Heartcatch 2.0. While the pink Cure is still the hero, the blue Cure is the protagonist, and she's basically a combination of both the main characters from Heartcatch. Also most of the pink Cure's attacks are references to Mazinkaiser for some reason. Known as "the most straight" Precure series, with an unusual amount of focus on boyfriends and the like.
    • I watched one episode of Princess Precure out of curiosity and it was the most Disney thing I've ever seen, including Disney. Seriously, the villain is freaking Maleficent.

  3. - Top - End - #213
    Orc in the Playground
     
    VariSami's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Reading, UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    While this season seems to have a lot to offer in terms of new seasons in particular, I have mostly been watching Tiger & Bunny instead of the new shows. I must admit, the premise is really captivating. While this is not the RPG section of the forum, does someone more knowledgeable about superhero tabletop games have any hints which systems might be best for a campaign in that setting? I have some ideas for a simple homebrew system as well, but maybe there already exists something with a suitably low power level.
    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
    OH! MY! GOD!

  4. - Top - End - #214
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2009

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Quote Originally Posted by VariSami View Post
    While this season seems to have a lot to offer in terms of new seasons in particular, I have mostly been watching Tiger & Bunny instead of the new shows. I must admit, the premise is really captivating. While this is not the RPG section of the forum, does someone more knowledgeable about superhero tabletop games have any hints which systems might be best for a campaign in that setting? I have some ideas for a simple homebrew system as well, but maybe there already exists something with a suitably low power level.
    My main problem with Tiger & Bunny is mostly Tiger. He's pretty lame. Like his secret plan to solve everything...was to wear his old costume. WTF? There's hints that he's not actually that stupid, but they make him do dumb stuff a lot.

  5. - Top - End - #215
    Orc in the Playground
     
    VariSami's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Reading, UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Quote Originally Posted by HMS Invincible View Post
    My main problem with Tiger & Bunny is mostly Tiger. He's pretty lame. Like his secret plan to solve everything...was to wear his old costume. WTF? There's hints that he's not actually that stupid, but they make him do dumb stuff a lot.
    You do realize that is something of a spoiler? I just finished episode 16 myself, but luckily I am the type to read up on interesting characters on wikia pages beforehand so I knew about the thing you mentioned.

    As for Tiger's personality, admittedly he can be a pain at times. Not that Bunny is all that much better a lot of the time. He does get better, though - and Tiger has clearly been improving with time as well. I think you are right in that he has more to himself than he shows. I particularly enjoyed Bunny's analysis of Tiger's personality when they were training with Blue Rose. The character dynamics are what makes the show in general, not the relatively simple personalities themselves. Plus, of course, the whole premise.
    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
    OH! MY! GOD!

  6. - Top - End - #216
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Kato's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Germany
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    I loved Tiger & Bunny when it aired. Yeah, it didn't quite live up to what the premise could have delivered, but as VariSami says, while the characters could certainly have been done better, they shine when they interact. (Kind of like Steins;Gate) I actually do prefer Tiger over Bunny by a lot, though. Bunny is very straightly played wheat has probably become known as a Sasuke-type character, which gets kind of old. Tiger might be an idiot hero (a trope that is even older, I guess) but at least to me he is such an endearing idiot hero. Also, he is not as useless as he appears at times.
    "What's done is done."

    Pony Avatar thanks to Elemental

  7. - Top - End - #217
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    DoctorFaust's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Scotland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Does anybody know if Kowabon was picked up for streaming by anyone? MAL says that the first episode came out yesterday, but I haven't seen a legit stream of it yet.
    Main character-ish avatar by Oneris.
    Onyx 5: Volsung. May he live forever.

    I have a quote!
    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Vale View Post
    You are a sick and twisted man.
    I like you.

  8. - Top - End - #218
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    So the first episode of Iron Blooded Orphans has aired.

    It seems promising so far. Soundtrack is good, animation is what you'd expect from Sunrise, it sets up the core conflict of "these people aren't valued by anyone and are caught up in chaotic events", and it seems like it's going to be remeniscent of Dougram, which is super highly regarded but hasn't often been followed up thematically.

  9. - Top - End - #219
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Closet_Skeleton's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Ēast Seaxna rīc
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Tiger and Bunny never grabbed me. What I saw of the later episodes actually looked interesting but I couldn't get through the early ones.

    Quote Originally Posted by HMS Invincible View Post
    My main problem with Tiger & Bunny is mostly Tiger. He's pretty lame.
    Isn't that kind of the point?

    Quote Originally Posted by mallorean_thug View Post
    That's funny, because I was considering moving on to watching Pretty Cure after I get through the rest of Ojamajo Doremi.

    Though I was going to go with Heartcatch based on conversations I've read on the topic previously. In light of your ratings, maybe I'll reconsider? I'm not sure. I /really/ like Heartcatch's character designs, and .gifs I've seen of its fight sequences.
    Heartcatch's character designs are a LOT better in the show than in stills.

    There's no reason not to start with Heartcatch, but people who start with Heartcatch tend to have different opinions of the other series than people who don't start with Heartcatch. I originally planned on starting with Heartcatch and then decided to watch the first series instead and (and the third because it was in the same torrent) and then moved on to Heartcatch. From my experience of other people rating series, all the ones before and including Heartcatch are somebody's favourite, but the ones after Heartcatch are generally rated pretty badly, especially by Heartcatch fans. This paragraph has too much instances of Heartcatch so why not have one more?

    Oddly enough, my main complaint about the series is actually that the whole "magic exorcism psycho-therapy" thing it does was so much better in The World God Only Knows. So maybe I'm actually just comparing it to a non-magical girl series anyway.

    So the only real advice I can give is "if you just want to watch Heartcatch, watch it; if you want to watch multiple Pretty Cure series, start at the beginning".

    Quote Originally Posted by mallorean_thug View Post
    You should totally add a "Likelihood of buying the toys after watching" category though. Or maybe a "Would make my niece/daughter watch" category.
    I don't have the money for toys and if I did, I'd still be buying Gundams instead.

    I'm not likely to have a daughter any time soon and even less likely to have a niece. If I did have a daughter I'd probably be showing her Kurau Phantom Memory first instead.

    Quote Originally Posted by Prime32 View Post
    Let's see...
    [SPOILER=Precure][list][*]I've watched about half of Splash Star but couldn't really get invested in it. Maybe its age had something to do with it? A lot of people seem to like the enemy generals.
    Its younger than the first two Nanoha series, so its not that old. It is a different project lead to the later series though.

    If you don't like a general (I found the fourth/water one not very interesting and the third/earth one is only worth it because he shares an arc with the evil Twins) they die after 7 episodes. That's formulaic but its a big advantage over some of the later series.

    Kintolesky (Gold element and the last one) is the best general in any magical girl show. Sadly the format requiring him to run away at the end of every episode causes some character inconsistencies. The main villain is also one of the better antagonists, most Pretty Cure archvillians are very samey.

    I only watch this stuff when eating lunch, so if I get bored of a series I generally find myself bored and eating lunch a few weeks later and start watching it again. This is how I ended up taking three years to get through five seasons.

    Quote Originally Posted by Prime32 View Post
    [*]Heartcatch is the first series I watched all the way through. I liked it; the art style doesn't bother me. In regards to your comment on the fight scenes, I won't say it has the best in the franchise, but it's generally held as the most consistent.
    I find it hard to see how something that relies so heavily on animation bumps can be called 'consistent'. I found it really inconsistent but in a structured sort of way. When its good it is really good, otherwise it kind of passes the time. Second half of Futari wa Pretty Cure was the most consistent fight scene wise for me, but I also found it kind of repetitive but that might have been mostly due to a really annoying mascot.

    Most Pretty Cure series have rubbish finale episodes, Heartcatch has a good finale arc, this is in my opinion why it leads a strong lasting impression in a lot of people.

    Ironic how I always have the most to say about my least favourite things in franchises.
    Last edited by Closet_Skeleton; 2015-10-06 at 02:33 PM.
    "that nighted, penguin-fringed abyss" - At The Mountains of Madness, H.P. Lovecraft

    When a man decides another's future behind his back, it is a conspiracy. When a god does it, it's destiny.


  10. - Top - End - #220
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Prime32's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Ireland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Quote Originally Posted by Closet_Skeleton View Post
    I find it hard to see how something that relies so heavily on animation bumps can be called 'consistent'. I found it really inconsistent but in a structured sort of way. When its good it is really good, otherwise it kind of passes the time. Second half of Futari wa Pretty Cure was the most consistent fight scene wise for me, but I also found it kind of repetitive but that might have been mostly due to a really annoying mascot.
    Well in some seasons they seem to... fight like wizards, if that makes sense? They just get beat up for a while then go straight to the stock footage finisher. Heartcatch rarely skipped the hand-to-hand combat, and the characters had a number of special attacks that weren't finishers to keep things varied. Plus the monsters were played up as tragic figures, which helped the fights feel a bit more personal.
    Last edited by Prime32; 2015-10-06 at 02:44 PM.

  11. - Top - End - #221
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    DoctorFaust's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Scotland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Spoiler: Kekkai Sensen Episode 12
    Show
    no...

    it's raining
    Last edited by DoctorFaust; 2015-10-06 at 02:42 PM.
    Main character-ish avatar by Oneris.
    Onyx 5: Volsung. May he live forever.

    I have a quote!
    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Vale View Post
    You are a sick and twisted man.
    I like you.

  12. - Top - End - #222
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    cobaltstarfire's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Hanaymata is turning out to be pretty interesting pretty quickly.

    It's also strange to me that it has traits that I usually find irritating (crazy characters that shout all the time and glomp things and are just generally hyperactive and screechy). But they don't bother me in this case...maybe because the crazy character has been very sweet instead of abusive like most crazy characters like this are.

    It's also really really pretty, like everything is just so pretty and shiny and sparkly and cute.


    Yosakoi in general looks pretty interesting to me too, I don't really dance because I'm gangly and awkward, but I'd willingly try to learn yosakoi if given the opportunity it looks fun and like very good exercise.

  13. - Top - End - #223
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Closet_Skeleton's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Ēast Seaxna rīc
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Quote Originally Posted by Prime32 View Post
    Well in some seasons they seem to... fight like wizards, if that makes sense?
    We've only seen one season in common, so can't really relate here.

    Quote Originally Posted by Prime32 View Post
    Plus the monsters were played up as tragic figures, which helped the fights feel a bit more personal.
    That was a nice way of tying the slice of life into the action sequence (a disconnect in a lot of magical girl series) but the before complained about "magical exorcism psychotherapy" trivialised the character development. None of the 'problem characters of the week' actually works through their problems in an actually relatable and interesting way like in the previous seasons at their best, they just get possessed which is always ultimately a good thing in this series.

    Spoiler
    Show
    Dark Blossom and Itsuki's grandfather ended up standing out to be because they were almost the only side characters to actually get non-magical character development.


    While The World God Only Knows uses the same 'exorcism is psychotherapy' concept but makes it the actual focus by limiting action scenes, gives each character multiple episodes to properly have their psychology examined and uses it as a self aware deconstruction of the overly simplistic plots of romance stories.

    Spoiler
    Show
    The first girl from season 2 of also does the exact same "martial arts heir who hides her love of cute things" that Itsuki does. Which I found annoying and simplistic with Itsuki in a Shoujo role model context but didn't mind in a shonen series that makes a point of parodying simplistic female characters (TWGOK girl was also a busty long black haired martial girl and I'm weak to that)

    It might also just be that I can't relate to such characters at all so I like them more as love interests than as wish fulfilment heroes. Being a guy who collects stuffed animals I should be able to relate but I care so little about what other people think about me that I can't.

    Cure Sunshine also disappointed me because after her amazing showing in her introductory episode she rarely does any martial arts and is just a forcefield backup character.
    Last edited by Closet_Skeleton; 2015-10-07 at 09:43 AM.
    "that nighted, penguin-fringed abyss" - At The Mountains of Madness, H.P. Lovecraft

    When a man decides another's future behind his back, it is a conspiracy. When a god does it, it's destiny.


  14. - Top - End - #224
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Prime32's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Ireland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Quote Originally Posted by Closet_Skeleton View Post
    That was a nice way of tying the slice of life into the action sequence (a disconnect in a lot of magical girl series) but the before complained about "magical exorcism psychotherapy" trivialised the character development. None of the 'problem characters of the week' actually works through their problems in an actually relatable and interesting way like in the previous seasons at their best, they just get possessed which is always ultimately a good thing in this series.

    While The World God Only Knows uses the same 'exorcism is psychotherapy' concept but makes it the actual focus by limiting action scenes, gives each character multiple episodes to properly have their psychology examined and uses it as a self aware deconstruction of the overly simplistic plots of romance stories.
    Well yeah, but they were never going to make it the focus in the first place. There's usually only a few minutes to set things up in Precure's format, so it's unfair to compare it to a series that spends an entire arc on each character.

  15. - Top - End - #225
    Titan in the Playground
     
    CarpeGuitarrem's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2008

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Quote Originally Posted by cobaltstarfire View Post
    Hanaymata is turning out to be pretty interesting pretty quickly.

    It's also strange to me that it has traits that I usually find irritating (crazy characters that shout all the time and glomp things and are just generally hyperactive and screechy). But they don't bother me in this case...maybe because the crazy character has been very sweet instead of abusive like most crazy characters like this are.

    It's also really really pretty, like everything is just so pretty and shiny and sparkly and cute.


    Yosakoi in general looks pretty interesting to me too, I don't really dance because I'm gangly and awkward, but I'd willingly try to learn yosakoi if given the opportunity it looks fun and like very good exercise.
    It's because Hana is fantastic. And yeah, the yosakoi in the show is wonderful. The production values on the show are great, and it's really a show about being really really into a hobby or something, and how that can bring people together. It's really wonderful for that.
    Ludicrus Gaming: on games and story
    Quote Originally Posted by Saph
    Unless everyone's been lying to me and the next bunch of episodes are The Great Divide II, The Great Divide III, Return to the Great Divide, and Bride of the Great Divide, in which case I hate you all and I'm never touching Avatar again.

  16. - Top - End - #226
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Minnesota
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Okay, so I'm interested in Dragonball, but part of the reason the anime is so long is because it's slow. How long/well-paced is the manga?
    Last edited by Hiro Protagonest; 2015-10-07 at 08:57 PM.
    Avatar of George the Dragon Slayer, from the upcoming Indivisible!
    My Steam profile
    Warriors and Wuxia, Callos_DeTerran's ToB setting

  17. - Top - End - #227
    Firbolg in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    where the wind blows

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Good.

    Dragonball manga is actually quite reasonably well paced, and the infamous power level system is actually pretty interesting until freeza. It's a good way to make you feel "holy crap, the MCs are really outpowered here! like, really outpowered.

    It just went absurd after that because it's actually supposed to be broken by Super Saiyan (the first one).

    I still say dragonball manga is actually one of the better shonen fighting series out there, and it's not because of nostalgia.

    Except for one thing.

    If only Toriyama could make people from early series relevant in the series...
    Last edited by Fri; 2015-10-08 at 05:27 AM.
    You got Magic Mech in My Police Procedural!
    In this forum, Gaming is Serious Business, and Anyone Can Die. Not even your status as the Ensemble Darkhorse can guarantee your survival.

    Disciple of GITP Trope-Fu Temple And Captain of GITP Valkyrie Squadron.
    Spoiler
    Show


    The OTP in the playground.
    Awesome Elizabeth Shelley by Hollamer
    My Gallery/My Star Wolves 3 LP

  18. - Top - End - #228
    Orc in the Playground
     
    VariSami's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Reading, UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Just some more of my random random check-ins... (Partly ecause I really have no comments on the series being discussed right now.)

    I just watched this really nice series called Kuuchuu Buranko (Trapeze) over the last few days. I found it by looking for drama TV series ranked at least 8 in MAL, and since I had either seen or read most of them already, I decided to go with this one.

    What is the show about? A really annoying psychiatrist and his sadist nurse tormenting their customers until the latter realize either where their problems lie or how to make the best of their situation. The first few episodes were pretty eh but interesting enough to reel me in. However, the quality really climbs towards the end, although the final episode is just business as usual.

    Oh. And the psychiatrist has a flower-decorated bear theme. He comes in three varieties representing the ego, the super-ego and the id. At times the series is a bit confusing, partially because it plays around with the art style quite a bit.

    Has anyone else happened to see Trapeze? It seemed to be quite an obscure series, and I had never heard of it before for sure.
    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
    OH! MY! GOD!

  19. - Top - End - #229
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    DoctorFaust's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Scotland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    I started watching Tesagure! Bukatsumono recently, and I've really been enjoying it. Normally wouldn't be anything particularly special, since it's basically just a show about a bunch of high school girls discussing the tropes common in clubs shown in high school anime and manga with kinda mediocre 3D animation, but it stands out in that each episode (which are only about 11 minutes long, by the way) has a section of improv, essentially, from the voice actresses coming up with new twists on the clubs they talk about in that episode. For instance, in one episode, they talk about art clubs, and this happens.
    Main character-ish avatar by Oneris.
    Onyx 5: Volsung. May he live forever.

    I have a quote!
    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Vale View Post
    You are a sick and twisted man.
    I like you.

  20. - Top - End - #230
    Firbolg in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    where the wind blows

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Quote Originally Posted by VariSami View Post
    Just some more of my random random check-ins... (Partly ecause I really have no comments on the series being discussed right now.)

    I just watched this really nice series called Kuuchuu Buranko (Trapeze) over the last few days. I found it by looking for drama TV series ranked at least 8 in MAL, and since I had either seen or read most of them already, I decided to go with this one.

    What is the show about? A really annoying psychiatrist and his sadist nurse tormenting their customers until the latter realize either where their problems lie or how to make the best of their situation. The first few episodes were pretty eh but interesting enough to reel me in. However, the quality really climbs towards the end, although the final episode is just business as usual.

    Oh. And the psychiatrist has a flower-decorated bear theme. He comes in three varieties representing the ego, the super-ego and the id. At times the series is a bit confusing, partially because it plays around with the art style quite a bit.

    Has anyone else happened to see Trapeze? It seemed to be quite an obscure series, and I had never heard of it before for sure.
    Huh, just checked it, and sounds like something I'd like to watch. Pseudo philosophical gibberish never bother me as much as other people anyway. If people are allowed to like brainless action series, why can't we like mindless pseudophilosopichal series too!

    Anyway more stuff from this season.

    The thing I've been interested for a while, Concrete Revolutio, turned out to be pretty interesting as well.

    The artstyle is... the background is one of those stylish avant-garde anime thingamajig, but the character design is distincitively 80s-90s anime. Basically, got style, which is my catnip.

    The premise is about the world where various superhuman with wildly incompatible and differing ability, backstory, power source, mythology, etc, exist. If you're familiar with dreamwidth/livejournal rp you'll feel familiar... And the MC is part of some governmental agency that deal with superhuman. Basically in the MC's word, "The superhuman protect earth, but who will protect them? We care for them so they don't have to change boarding place and look for job often because they have to protect their identity." I think the premise's pretty cool.

    And also, at least in the first episode (and from next episode teaser I think later episodes too?) the story is somewhat non linear. I mean, in the first episode there's two stories, separated by 5 years. The "past" is colorful and tells story about the MC's work in said agency. The "future" is drab, for some reason people seems to dislike superhumans, and the MC seems to be called traitor by his colleagues from the past and chased by them.
    You got Magic Mech in My Police Procedural!
    In this forum, Gaming is Serious Business, and Anyone Can Die. Not even your status as the Ensemble Darkhorse can guarantee your survival.

    Disciple of GITP Trope-Fu Temple And Captain of GITP Valkyrie Squadron.
    Spoiler
    Show


    The OTP in the playground.
    Awesome Elizabeth Shelley by Hollamer
    My Gallery/My Star Wolves 3 LP

  21. - Top - End - #231
    Orc in the Playground
     
    VariSami's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Reading, UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Concrete Revolutio, you say? In turn, I must admit that sounds interesting. Particularly because I am drawing parallels to the last series with superhumans protecting the peace, Tiger & Bunny, although this seems very different, of course. But I do like eclectic mixtures of different mythologies when they are done well. (Too bad there are much too many ways to do them badly.)
    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
    OH! MY! GOD!

  22. - Top - End - #232
    Barbarian in the Playground
    Join Date
    Oct 2009

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Quote Originally Posted by VariSami View Post
    Has anyone else happened to see Trapeze? It seemed to be quite an obscure series, and I had never heard of it before for sure.
    I have! Trapeze is super good, and I'd definitely second your recommendation.

    I think that its not quite as obscure as you think it is though, because of who made it, and where it aired.

    First of all, it aired in the noitaminA timeslot, a late night slot that bills itself as dedicated to shows with appeal beyond the normal young male demographic. If you're looking for other interesting and weird tv shows, the list of shows that belong to that small club is a pretty good place to start. Though I would note that its average quality dropped precipitously starting in late 2011 when it started playing host to shows that stopped fufilling its alternative audiences mission like Guilty Crown, Black Rock Shooter, and Gallilei Donna. Not that it stopped having good shows (like Samurai Flamenco, and Ping Pong), just that I can't blanket recommend all of them like I can for pre-2011 noitaminA

    Thankfully, this season seems like a great return to form with Subete ga F ni Naru: The Perfect Insider. Of all of the non-sequel first episodes I've watched, that show has the most promise by quite a bit.

    Then, the other reason somebody might have heard of Trapeze is its fantastic director; Kenji Nakamura (Or obviously it can go the other way. You've now heard of him because of Trapeze). Here's a great summary of his career, but the short version would be that he wanted to be an animator, but had to stop due to wrist problems. After getting into directing, his breakout moment was the Bakeneko arc of Ayakashi Samurai Horror tales, which he managed to spin off into an entire tv series; Mononoke. His next show was Trapeze, and since then he's done [C], Tsuritama, Gatchaman Crowds, and Gatchaman Crowds Insight. I would unreservedly recommend all of his shows except for [C].

  23. - Top - End - #233
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Finland

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Oh, Crowds was his? Didn't realize, I might have to check that out after all. Mononoke is still one of my most fondly remembered series.

    I'm also rather optimistic about Subete ga F ni Naru. The dialogue was great, and I can see the characters growing on me. Still feels like it has the potential to go either way, but I'm hopeful.
    Wriggle avatar by memnarch.
    Spoiler
    Show
    Current characters:
    Faien
    Aya
    Sei

  24. - Top - End - #234
    Orc in the Playground
     
    VariSami's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Reading, UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    It seems I have yet another non-sequel show to watch this season. Also, Trapeze might not be obscure in an absolute sense. But I would reckon few people go all the way to search for shows to watch by digging up their directors and such. On average, if you happen to meet someone who 'watches anime', I would imagine they would not have heard of Trapeze.

    Also... [C] was not *that* bad. Sure, it had its glaring problems. But I still managed to enjoy the ride.
    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
    OH! MY! GOD!

  25. - Top - End - #235
    Firbolg in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    where the wind blows

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    I also enjoyed [c] for what its worth. Never realized it has the same director with those other anime.
    You got Magic Mech in My Police Procedural!
    In this forum, Gaming is Serious Business, and Anyone Can Die. Not even your status as the Ensemble Darkhorse can guarantee your survival.

    Disciple of GITP Trope-Fu Temple And Captain of GITP Valkyrie Squadron.
    Spoiler
    Show


    The OTP in the playground.
    Awesome Elizabeth Shelley by Hollamer
    My Gallery/My Star Wolves 3 LP

  26. - Top - End - #236
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Closet_Skeleton's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Ēast Seaxna rīc
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Concretto Revolutio is definitely the kind of show that I can't judge from the first episode but don't have much hope for ending up being memorable.

    Quote Originally Posted by mallorean_thug View Post
    I would unreservedly recommend all of his shows except for [C].
    (C) is the only one of those I liked that much. Couldn't finish Crowds and Tsuritama was only mildly amusing.
    "that nighted, penguin-fringed abyss" - At The Mountains of Madness, H.P. Lovecraft

    When a man decides another's future behind his back, it is a conspiracy. When a god does it, it's destiny.


  27. - Top - End - #237
    Barbarian in the Playground
    Join Date
    Oct 2009

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    First of all, I have the anime announcement of the century to share with you guys:

    http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...-yamada/.94031

    Koe no Kotachi is getting an anime adaption

    as a full length film

    produced by KyoAni

    and directed by Naoko Yamada

    Every subsequent line there basically doubles my hype for this. Something that really deserves an anime adaption is getting top of the class treatment by a company I can trust to do a fantastic job, and directed by one of my absolute favorite directors right now.

    I just recently got around to watching Tamako Love Story, and it was fantastic. Like, a lot of anime movies make me think "this couldn't be done as a tv show" but few make me think "This is cinema". Tamako Love Story is cinema. Its also probably the most sappy and adorable thing I've ever had the pleasure of watching. If you haven't watched it because you didn't really care for Tamako Market, you should give it a try anyways. It was written in a way that you don't need to have seen the series at all, and its way way better than the series anyways. Would highly recommend, especially if you're thinking "Why do I care about this Yamada person anyways?"

    Quote Originally Posted by Closet_Skeleton View Post
    (C) is the only one of those I liked that much. Couldn't finish Crowds and Tsuritama was only mildly amusing.
    Huh, I really strongly disagree with this. To me, his shows are something like:

    Mononoke >>> Tsuritama > Trapeze >> Insight > Crowds >>>>>>> [C]

    [C] had great visual direction, and an amazing soundtrack from Iwasaki, but the way it was presented I don't think it could really stand alone as an action show. Which means it was really dependant on its political messages and themes, which I thought were poorly done and dependent on attacking straw men (something that Crowds and Insight also suffer from to a certain degree). Like, I want to believe that anime can be used for thoughtful critiques of complicated topics like deficit spending, but [C] was not that. Maybe it was just the extensive report I had done on the topic the year before, but the way [C] presented its ideas just really pissed me off. And again, I don't really think it works as a show if you just try to ignore that stuff either.

    Tsuritama, on the other hand, is easily his most cohesive work, telling a very well done story about friendship, passion, and dreams in a wacky magical realism setting designed to accommodate it. As a kid, I never understood fishing at all, but this was a show that could make me care about something I thought completely uninteresting by showing it to me through the eyes of its very believable cast.

  28. - Top - End - #238
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    DoctorFaust's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Scotland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    So, ANN kinda makes it sound like Shizune bad end: the anime. How Far off is that impression?

    Out of everything I've watched so far, Sakurako-san is the one that's grabbed me the hardest. Really good animation, good sound, interesting characters,and what Inhope will be a very solid murder of the week story.
    Main character-ish avatar by Oneris.
    Onyx 5: Volsung. May he live forever.

    I have a quote!
    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Vale View Post
    You are a sick and twisted man.
    I like you.

  29. - Top - End - #239
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Closet_Skeleton's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Ēast Seaxna rīc
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Quote Originally Posted by mallorean_thug View Post
    [C] had great visual direction, and an amazing soundtrack from Iwasaki, but the way it was presented I don't think it could really stand alone as an action show.
    Most action anime have terrible animation and are just cool posturing. C is perfectly acceptable on that front and has some novelty value.

    Quote Originally Posted by mallorean_thug View Post
    Like, I want to believe that anime can be used for thoughtful critiques of complicated topics like deficit spending, but [C] was not that.
    There I suppose is your mistake. I basically just treated it like a smarter version of Pokemon.

    I think C is a much better economics anime if you're a guy who likes pretentious action and knows nothing about economics. Then it actually inspires you to learn more by yourself. If you're already a master of the dark arts then it doesn't have anything to add.

    Quote Originally Posted by mallorean_thug View Post
    Tsuritama, on the other hand, is easily his most cohesive work, telling a very well done story about friendship, passion, and dreams in a wacky magical realism setting designed to accommodate it.
    The main nakama were all dull. The Sikh guy was al-right but only in that he made no sense what so ever and that was kind of amusing. I can't even remember the two passive aggressive teenagers (were there two? I think there might have been two).
    "that nighted, penguin-fringed abyss" - At The Mountains of Madness, H.P. Lovecraft

    When a man decides another's future behind his back, it is a conspiracy. When a god does it, it's destiny.


  30. - Top - End - #240
    Orc in the Playground
     
    VariSami's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Reading, UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

    Funny how I had a very similar feeling form the first episode of Subete ga F ni Naru: The Perfect Insider as Closet_Skeleton had received from [C]. As in, if [C] takes some basic economics and plays around with then trying to sound special, the former seemed to just play around with pretty basic philosophy trying to sound really deep. This is more than most animated series can claim to their name, however, and luckily does not seem to constitute the whole point of the series. I still have hope.

    Concrete Revoltio, on the other hand, was a real disappointment. I am not sure if I have any interest in watching beyond episode 1, because I have tried reducing the amount of mediocre new series in my diet. Somehow the vibes I received reminded me of Punch Line. Ultimately pointless relatively light-hearted bouncing and bumbling around.
    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
    OH! MY! GOD!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •