General Anime/Manga Discussion 14: Second Cour

[Rysto]

Uh, I did keep up with Re:Zero when it was airing. I was rewatching it. And if I'd kept up with both shows it actually wouldn't have helped: Konosuba S1 aired before Re:Zero.

[Spacewolf]

So what Manga are people reading currently? Or ones that are a fair way in so I don't run out to quickly.

[Fri]

Here's five of my "main" manga recently.

1. Hinamatsuri.

If people ask me what's my top 5 favourite movie, or game, or anime, I'd have hard time making a list. But if someone ask me what's my favourite manga of all time, I'd easily pick Hinamatsuri, hands down. It's my favourite manga of all time.

It's hard to explain, hard to link individual pages of, and starts slowly. But the basic premise is it's a slice of life comedy manga where a Yakuza (who is weirdly actually a nice guy) got a weird girl with psychic power appearing in his apartment, and she strongarm him to basically adopt her as her daughter. The manga is about their daily life and the cast of characters that appearing around them, the Yakuza's coworkers, the girl's school friends, the bartender who tend the bar he frequent, etc. It's hard to explain, but basically it's a snowballing comedy manga. Each chapter is a built up or preparation for another chapter, which will be foundation of another chapter, and so on. It starts really slowly (not helping that early art and scanlation is rather bad), but it rolls and keep building more setting and character interaction to set up for a punchline and heartwarming or tearjerking interaction ten chapter in the future. It's hard to link any individual page or chapter and point out why I'm laughing my ass off, because each chapter is basically built on every previous chapters. and since it's I think 12 volume up right now, it has a lot of foundation for punchlines. If any of you're interested, you should try to keep up for about one or two volume.

2. Dungeon Meshi

Eventhough this is a manga, this is the best "lighthearted dnd style" media I've ever encountered. You know what I mean by lighthearted dnd, there's fighter, dwarf, elf, rogue, magician, they delve dungeons. It's about a party who almost got TPK'd in a dungeon by a dragon, but the party's healer managed to did a heroic sacrifice to teleport the rest into the surface. The party then delve back into the dungeon to try to challenge the red dragon again and find the healer's remain so they can ressurect her before it's too late, but since they're out of money, they have to survive by eating the various monsters in the dungeon. But there are serious thing afoot in the background. It's dnd+nature documentary+cooking show. And it's amazingly good.

3. Golden Kamuy

This is basically AU Metal Gear set in 19th century japan. It's about a veteran of russo-japanese war known as "the immortal" because he keep surviving things that kills his comrade, and a young ainu (northern japan indegenous people) girl, travelling japan to find gold stash that was supposedly collected for ainu rebellion years ago. But they're not the only one trying to find the gold stash, besides them are a fanatical military company led by a crazy psychopath, and the remnant of the satsuma rebellion, the three sides trying to find the gold stash for their own purpose. It's a weird combination of visceral and sometimes gory fight scenes, ridiculously absurd comedic situation, historical lesson, and japanese wildlife and cooking documentary (since they survive by the land and the manga explains about the various indigenous animals and plants they use to survive). Why I call it metal gear AU? It's about soldiers being discarded after war trying to find their place, with lots of combat, weird philosophical musing about nature of war, psychopaths with captioned title (Solitary Wildcat Sniper!), and they basically heal up by eating.

4. Kimetsu no Yaiba.

The jump shonen fighting manga I follow recently. It's a shonen fighting manga, you know about it, but I just find the story and setting nice. The art is rather bad and webcomicy at the start, but the author improves steadily. It's about a boy who got all of his family eaten by demon, and got recruited into a secret demon hunter society in 19th century japan.

5. 81 Diver.

This is more personal follow, I don't think most people would be interested, but it's still one of the main manga I follow that brighten my day whenever I got new one. It's about over the top shogi, which start relatively low key, but slowly getting more and more over the top. But here's a background. There's gap between pro soccer player that plays in a league, and amateur soccer player, there's an obvious gap, where a bad pro soccer player is still better than a good amateur soccer player. Shogi is the sport where the gap between pro and amateur is the widest. This is partly because the system in professional shogi in japan. If you want to be pro shogi player, you have to take national exams that's done twice a year. If by certain age you still haven't reached certain dan, you're not allowed to continue in the system. Then if you pass, if by 21 year age you haven't managed to pass the pro shogi exam, you're not allowed to continue in the system, you can't be a pro shogi player and join the pro league. And if you manage to pass the exam and be a pro shogi player, if by certain age (30, I think) you hasn't managed to reach certain dan, you have to quit being pro shogi player.

The manga is about a guy who dedicated his youth to be a pro shogi player, but failed to be one in when he reached 21 years old, and lost his purpose in life. But then he's involved in underground amateur shogi, that get more and more over the top as it goes (yes, there will be attempt to conquer the world through amateur shogi very later on).

[Eldariel]

Here's hoping "Ballroom e Youkoso" delivers. I've been waiting for an anime on partner dance for god-knows-how-long and I'd hate for it to fall flat on its face.

[kamikasei]

Seconding Fri's recommendation of Dungeon Meshi. Although his description is somewhat misleading - really, it's a study in how much horror and despair a single elf face can express.

I'm reading a few of the mainstream titles - My Hero Academia is still great, UQ Holder and Attack on Titan... exist. Kiss Him Not Me seems to have exhausted its idea reserves but it's still in my queue out of inertia. Flying Witch is comfy and amusing when it updates. I'm a little behind in Arpeggio of Blue Steel, but it's still one of my surprise hits. Sweetness and Lightning is cute, of course.

A few of the new Jump Start titles from Weekly Shonen jump - which they're including in the digital English subscription - have been pleasant surprises. Dr Stone isn't great, but it's keeping me interested. The bit surprise has been Robot x Laserbeam. I would never have predicted that a sports manga about golf would be one of the titles I most look forward to each week, but there you are.

[Merellis]

Thirding the Dungeon Meshi recommendation.

Amazing world building throughout the series, great humor, and excellent characters~!

[BWR]

I'm reading an embarrassing amount of stuff, but for a small selection of the most notable:

Yotsubato. If you like Sweetness and Lightning, you should like this one. Ridiculously cute slice of life about a young girl's fascination with the world around her.

Seconding Flying Witch.
Akatsuki no Yona. because it's frickin' awesome. Go watch the anime if you haven't already.

Maou-jou de oyasumi. the demon king kidnaps the princess because that's what demon kings do. She just wants a good night's sleep. Hilarity ensues.

Tomo-chan wa onnanoko tomboy tries to get the attention of her dense as neutronium childhood friend.

[Spacewolf]

Yea Dungeon Meshi is one I'm already reading, it will be interesting if it keeps the humour up with recent developments.

[kamikasei]

Tomo-chan wa onnako tomboy tries to get the attention of her dense as neutronium childhood friend.

Can't believe I forgot to mention this one myself.

[DoctorFaust]

The longer running stuff I've been following recently has been Horimiya and Ancient Magus Bride. And I guess Kumo desu ga, Nani ka, but I don't think it's had quite as many chapters. Other notable stuff includes:

Somali to Mori no Kami-sama, which is about about a young human and their forest guardian...guardian, I guess, going on a journey in a world that hates humans to try to find more humans. Quite melancholy despite having, like, a 7 year old as one of the main characters, and there's some out and out horrific stuff in some of the character's backstories. There's definitely some light-hearted stuff in it as well, but I wouldn't say it's the majority.

Witch Hat Atelier, a sort of Harry Potter-ish series about a girl that gets pulled into the world of magicians after being sold a forbidden book of spells. I like the magic system, though it fortunately hasn't gone incredibly in depth about it. It's also got some freaking great art.

A Bride's Story, a historical romance series set in the late 19th century about a woman that's sent into an arranged marriage with a boy 8 years younger than she is. Which I'll admit sounds like a bit of a skeevy premise, but it's actually really good, both because the two are obviously in love with each other, and because the main woman is freaking badass. Also has fantastic art and some really fun side characters.

Kono Koi ni Mirai ga Nai and Our Lonely War both seem promising, but don't have much released yet. Kuutei Dragons was also really good for the six chapters that got scanlated, but since it's been dropped, I doubt there'll be much more of it released in English.

[BWR]

A Bride's Story, a historical romance series set in the late 19th century about a woman that's sent into an arranged marriage with a boy 8 years younger than she is. Which I'll admit sounds like a bit of a skeevy premise, but it's actually really good, both because the two are obviously in love with each other, and because the main woman is freaking badass. Also has fantastic art and some really fun side characters.

I can't believe I forgot to mention that one. It's really good.

[Alent]

I'll echo support for Somali no Mori no Kami-sama, Ancient Magus Bride, Dungeon Meshi, Bride's Story, and Akatsuki no Yona. Good stories, good art. Bride's Story is a long time favorite, as an artist- the woodcarving in chapter 2 or 3 is just... ~wow~.

My own suggestion would be Helck. It starts off as comedy and quickly becomes this amazing dramatic adventure to save the world full of feels and comedy as an out and out parody of JRPGs: Helck is a human that's attempting to fill the position of Maou so he can destroy all humans, and it only gets more incredible from there as things get revealed and tropes get deconstructed.

Shoukoku no Altair is also a good one. I've been following the Manga for that one for quite a while, the Anime is airing this season, but the art doesn't hold a candle to the original, which has some simply beautiful artwork.

I'm sure there's some others I'll be going "I can't believe I forgot ____!" about later, but right now all I'm getting is a head full of Isekai titles I really wouldn't recommend. (That subgenre amuses me far too much. I can't believe the Isekai x Foodporn genre is a thing now.)

[Fri]

My own suggestion would be Helck. It starts off as comedy and quickly becomes this amazing dramatic adventure to save the world full of feels and comedy as an out and out parody of JRPGs: Helck is a human that's attempting to fill the position of Maou so he can destroy all humans, and it only gets more incredible from there as things get revealed and tropes get deconstructed.

I forgot about Helck. I can't believe it. Sorry Helck, after all you've gone through, I also forgot about you ;_;

[Spacewolf]

I forgot about Helck. I can't believe it. Sorry Helck, after all you've gone through, I also forgot about you ;_;

So after seeing the recommendation for Helck tried it out and yea it was pretty good, seems I've started right before the climax of the current arc though.

Also of the Anime I'm watching this season From the Abyss seems the most interesting even though I haven't heard much about it

[BiblioRook]

Finally got around to watching 'Interviews with Monster Girls' when it hit me... wow, isn't calling them 'monster girls' super insensitive? I mean they even had an issue with being called demi-humans.

[kamikasei]

Finally got around to watching 'Interviews with Monster Girls' when it hit me... wow, isn't calling them 'monster girls' super insensitive? I mean they even had an issue with being called demi-humans.

That's EN marketing for you. The JP title uses "Demi-chan", as is the preferred nomenclature.

[BWR]

That's EN marketing for you. The JP title uses "Demi-chan", as is the preferred nomenclature.

Well, the manga uses 'ajin-chan' in the title while the anime uses 'demi-chan', so I suppose you can say the English translation is, if my virtually non-existent Japanese is right, is closer to the manga's title.

[kamikasei]

Well, the manga uses 'ajin-chan' in the title while the anime uses 'demi-chan', so I suppose you can say the English translation is, if my virtually non-existent Japanese is right, is closer to the manga's title.

Not exactly. As far as I can see, the manga is also Demi-chan. It just uses the kanji for "ajin", with "demi" as furigana.

[BWR]

Not exactly. As far as I can see, the manga is also Demi-chan. It just uses the kanji for "ajin", with "demi" as furigana.

Ah. I was going by the transliterated title listed on the comic which used 'ajin', since I know bugger all about kanji.

[Metahuman1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUpPzETJy7o&t=99s

1:36 to 1:39, does anyone happen to know what anime that is suppose to be?

[kamikasei]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUpPzETJy7o&t=99s

1:36 to 1:39, does anyone happen to know what anime that is suppose to be?

The giant photographic stockinged legs over the sketched-out cityscape? I think that's from Panty & Stocking.

[Calthropstu]

Hey guys, I have a question. Is the saga of tanya the evil the prequel to strike witches?
I remember the anime strike witches mentioning some world war in europa which led to the unleashing of the great enemy, and the mages in tanya work the same as in strike witches. Or am I just looking too far into things?

[HMS Invincible]

Hey guys, I have a question. Is the saga of tanya the evil the prequel to strike witches?
I remember the anime strike witches mentioning some world war in europa which led to the unleashing of the great enemy, and the mages in tanya work the same as in strike witches. Or am I just looking too far into things?

You're looking too deep. For one thing, no animal spirits, no panties fan service. And the characters are too old. Not to mention the much darker story telling.

I can't believe that fate anime isn't being picked up on crunchy roll.

[Pendulous]

I feel really limited because I only recently got into watching anime regularly, and I only watch dubs, so I'm stuck with what I find on Hulu and Funimation. But I really enjoyed New Game so far, so much so that I watched season 1 twice. My Hero Academia as well. Waiting for another season of Seven Deadly Sins as well, and I'm gonna try to catch up on some older stuff I missed. Also gonna check out Gamers since it seems to be highly rated, and looking for more stuff similar to New Game. As new as I am to anime in general, I'm even newer to that genre, but the show really grew on me.

[kamikasei]

I can't believe that fate anime isn't being picked up on crunchy roll.

Netflix nabbed it. You'll watch it once it's all done and all the discussion of it has passed you by, and you'll like it, by god.

(Annoyingly many shows lately are being picked up by channels like Netflix or Amazon which either don't make them available while they're airing or make watching them a huge pain in the ass, or strictly region-locked.)

[Chromascope3D]

They finally released the second cour of LWA on Netflix, although I couldn't find any official announcement advertising it anywhere, which I can't possibly figure out the reasoning behind.

[Lord Raziere]

I'm still wondering where I can watch pokemon all the time.....even if I know the outcome of every arc. Its not about Ash's inevitable defeat, its about seeing the episodes of how pokemon behave along the way.

[kamikasei]

They finally released the second cour of LWA on Netflix, although I couldn't find any official announcement advertising it anywhere, which I can't possibly figure out the reasoning behind.

I did get an email from Netflix about it, which may be as much announcement as they consider it to need.

[Pendulous]

I did get an email from Netflix about it, which may be as much announcement as they consider it to need.

Ditto. Got a new dub episode of New Game and the rest of Little Witch Academia. Making a very terrible week just a little better.

[VariSami]

I just caught up with the Made in Abyss manga... It is just so good! I am laughing so much at Digibro's assessment that the story might be a standard shounen arc based on the latest anime episode. His reasoning was flimsy at best to begin with (since even dark stories need lighter arcs to break the tension and make it felt again), but wow. Just wow. I think I will actually collect all the physical volumes of this once they start being published in English at the beginning of next year (at least Amazon will have Vol 1 then).

The author does have a strange obsession with naked lolis and peeing lolis, though. Some of the time, it works to give a sense of nonconformism to the characters and situations. At times, I think it is used as a joke. However, it is even acknowledged within the series that there are intended to be sexual connotations to it.