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[wonzo]

Whenever I see images from this, it never fails to amaze me just how miserable and haggard Japanese peasants are depicted, even in (presumably) lighthearted shows targeted at small children. I get the feeling that life must have been royally fucking rife with abject despair for people there before the modern age.

Feudal Japan truly must have been an absolutely horrifying place and time to live.

You know, if this show was like UtaKoi, I probably would have watched more than one episode. I imagine it's still as "pleasant"/safe as that first episode. lol

I was honestly going to drop it a few eps in as I found it rather boring but then it managed to cure a really bad headache I had so I've been watching it for just how relaxing it is ever since!

 

[Thoraxes]

Hayate no Gotoku! - 50

Shabu Shabu and a quiz show ~tima

 

[Extollere]

SAO 5

Asuna is best girl? hahah, so predictable, so boring...

So many girl characters, all better than Asuna, though I do like her outfit. Also the faces in this kinda look Sameda Koban, wonder if helped out, or if I'm just seeing things.

 

[Jintor]

Feudal Japan truly must have been an absolutely horrifying place and time to live.

Historically, pretty much everything before 'now' is pretty terrible. Even now is terrible depending on where you're born, yeah?

 

[Dresden]

Whenever I see images from this, it never fails to amaze me just how miserable and haggard Japanese peasants are depicted, even in (presumably) lighthearted shows targeted at small children. I get the feeling that life must have been royally fucking rife with abject despair for people there before the modern age.

Sounds like peasantry everywhere, really. Subject to the whims of the weather, the warlords, and that thing with the goat legs eating your babies at night.

Still, the Chinese/Russian Peasant Experience™ seems the most horrifying.

 

[kayos90]

SAO 5

Asuna is best girl? hahah, so predictable, so boring...

So many girl characters, all better than Asuna, though I do like her outfit. Also the faces in this kinda look Sameda Koban, wonder if helped out, or if I'm just seeing things.

Oh, you shall soon see.

 

[madp]

Feudal Japan truly must have been an absolutely horrifying place and time to live.

Between the ubiquity of monstrous youkai with a taste for human flesh and superpowered daimyo who can slaughter thousands of peons with the force of their manly spirit alone, I have no idea how the island didn't suffer total extinction.

Sounds like peasantry everywhere, really. Subject to the whims of the weather, the warlords, and that thing with the goat legs eating your babies at night.

Still, the Chinese/Russian Peasant Experience™ seems the most horrifying.

Of course, it's just that among all cultures Japan seems especially uninterested in romanticizing the drudgery of primitive life. There's at least the flimsy "life was simple and agrarian and communal etc etc." spin elsewhere! Here it's just the brutally honest "you hack at the ground with a hoe for thirty or forty odd years while wearing sackcloth until you die horribly".

 

[Narag]

For Gundam Z, do I watch all the episodes of the TV series or the trilogy of movies similar to what I'm doing with the original series?

From what I was told, Zeta movies have some retcons and changed events from the tv sereis. I'm sure someone can give you a better answer with more details as I keep putting those damn movies off.

 

[watervengeance]

Sword Art Online - decent episode. I'm surprised most of you guys are still watching, considering how much criticism this show gets. I think these episodes are a nice way to introduce some of the game mechanics. I mean, how else are we going to learn about SLEEPING-PK. This show also needs more Asuna.

 

[Nafe]

It suffered from the same issues that most of the anime in that genre have, felt super girly and slice of lifey at times.

Are you saying you don't like slice of life? I thought you did as AnoHana is one of your favorite shows. I'm not watching it but Kokoro Connect also seems to have slice of life type moments and you seem to be enjoying that show. Sorry, I just got a bit confused by this statement.

Really boring with dull uncompelling characters, and the main protagonists could have been designed significantly better with some sort of cool appeal, which they lacked. Couldnt connect with the characters at all.

Well,the girls are in the age group you like where they're younger so they have a chance to grow and become powerful characters and also in response to this I want to re-quote something you mentioned earlier...

I like that kind of down depressed attitude for main characters though. It makes them creative, realistic, and kind of someone to relate to. I imagine people have had or would have those sorts of feelings toward things. It a great setup for extensive character development and growth, and it always leads to scenes where this sort of unenthusiastic negative character just rises to the occasion and shocks everyone. Isnt that good?

To me Usagi(the main character) fits this quite well as she doesn't really want to get involved right away and is whiny and scared by having to face monsters,as many people in real life probably would be as you mention, but then grows to accept her responsibilities and her character grows by getting braver and stronger and confronting the monsters without question. As you mentioned there are scenes where she would rise to the occasion and shock her teammates with her resolve or skills that she's developed.

You're saying you didn't like the character but she seems to poses many things that you mentioned makes a good and relate-able character.

Some of her teammates even poses similar skills to that of, say, the characters from Saint Seiya Omega. Sailor Mars has "Fire Soul" which has the same effect as Soumas "Flame Desperado". She's often helping Usagi defeat the monsters and her spiritual powers are a very helpful asset where she can subdue characters that are more ghost or demon like. She even uses her fire powers outside of battle to say help melt ice that's blocking the characters path just like Souma tried to do.

A show could be made for an audience but still have appeal to people outside of it. I think I watched some anime made for kids and at least in those, because they were interesting, I dont think Ive made a complaint that they are just too kiddy for me, because they are pretty good and enjoyable.

Well, at least we can agree on this point that some viewers outside the intended original demographic may still find enjoyment out of a show.

 

[Extollere]

Oh, you shall soon see.

Have at ye, lover of inferior wine!

 

[Dresden]

Of course, it's just that among all cultures Japan seems especially uninterested in romanticizing the drudgery of primitive life. There's at least the flimsy "life was simple and agrarian and communal etc etc." spin elsewhere! Here it's just the brutally honest "you hack at the ground with a hoe for thirty or forty odd years while wearing sackcloth until you die horribly".

I think it might just be our western upbringing doing that to us, where we'd grown up listening to the stories of idle white people who had nothing better to do living in a cabin by a well-kept lake, extolling the virtues of an agrarian life while someone else fed and clothed him. Or perhaps it's frontier myth-making, manifest destiny, the red men driven out before the might of guns and smallpox. There are all these romanticized notions of living in such a fashion, or maybe it really was somewhat decent for some subset of Europeasants--I remember reading an account, anyways, of an 1700's Italian traveler remarking that Britain was the nicest place he'd ever visited, except for how the food sucked and the people only drank beer and the women were too big and ugly.

I'm just thinking back to my Korean Experience™, and all we heard when I was young was about the constant utter misery of it, peasants stripping bark off trees to stew for subsistence, eating grass, or getting raped by Japanese invaders.

 

[mAcOdIn]

Shaft Palutena was a godsend. I seriously have a hard time believing that's the last we have seen of it.

It'd be cool to get more but it wouldn't really be awesome tier until it got dubbed in English.

SHAFT should have ditched mahou shoujo for the new show and went mythological. A thinly-veiled Palutena ripoff would be fine too.

I second that.

I loved the Shaft Palutena shorts. I could be wrong but wasn't it announced that Shaft would be doing more shorts or even a full series?

Dunno.

Have you guys ever watched anime so bad it made you physically ill?

Glass Fucking Fleet. Worst shit I have ever seen. Ever.

 

[wonzo]

Historically, pretty much everything before 'now' is pretty terrible. Even now is terrible depending on where you're born, yeah?

Pretty much yeah. Any cursory glance at history would basically tell the same thing.

Between the ubiquity of monstrous youkai with a taste for human flesh and superpowered daimyo who can slaughter thousands of peons with the force of their manly spirit alone, I have no idea how the island didn't suffer total extinction.

Of course, it's just that among all cultures Japan seems especially uninterested in romanticizing the drudgery of primitive life. There's at least the flimsy "life was simple and agrarian and communal etc etc." spin elsewhere! Here it's just the brutally honest "you hack at the ground with a hoe for thirty or forty odd years while wearing sackcloth until you die horribly".

a true testament to the superiority of the glorious nippon® master-race©. baka gaijins like us just couldn't understand

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Are you saying you don't like slice of life? I thought you did as AnoHana is one of your favorite shows. I'm not watching it but Kokoro Connect also seems to have slice of life type moments and you seem to be enjoying that show. Sorry, I just got a bit confused by this statement.

Well Ive been slowly getting conditioned to embracing slice of life. However, I think in shows that are focused on action, slice of life moments just really have no place in them, just distracts from the main attraction, really.

You're saying you didn't like the character but she seems to poses many things that you mentioned makes a good and relate-able character.

Some of her teammates even poses similar skills to that of, say, the characters from Saint Seiya Omega. Sailor Mars has "Fire Soul" which has the same effect as Soumas "Flame Desperado". She's often helping Usagi defeat the monsters and her spiritual powers are a very helpful asset where she can subdue characters that are more ghost or demon like. She even uses her fire powers outside of battle to say help melt ice that's blocking the characters path just like Souma tried to do.

I dont see how I could really relate to her or to them, just design and apperance wise really hold them back from being embraceable. I dont get the same excitement and desire to want to see them succeed as I do when I look at Saint Seiya Omega. I can always rally behind Kouga or Souma, but not with those of SM.

 

[SDBurton]

Don't get too excited!

I'll do my best. *fans self*

 

[Jintor]

I think it might just be our western upbringing doing that to us, where we'd grown up listening to the stories of idle white people who had nothing better to do living in a cabin by a well-kept lake, extolling the virtues of an agrarian life while someone else fed and clothed him. Or perhaps it's frontier myth-making, manifest destiny, the red men driven out before the might of guns and smallpox. There are all these romanticized notions of living in such a fashion, or maybe it really was somewhat decent for some subset of Europeasants--I remember reading an account, anyways, of an 1700's Italian traveler remarking that Britain was the nicest place he'd ever visited, except for how the food sucked and the people only drank beer and the women were too big and ugly.

I'm just thinking back to my Korean Experience™, and all we heard when I was young was about the constant utter misery of it, peasants stripping bark off trees to stew for subsistence, eating grass, or getting raped by Japanese invaders.

Well, Asian cultures did get stuck in static for around 600 years or so during the Renaissance that was going on in the west. Western cultures tended towards being (slightly) more rights-based, at least during those time periods. Of course everywhere had their slavery/serfdom eras but it's probably closer in history for Asian countries.

 

[Narag]

Iczelion

Cajun recommended this me so I gave it a shot. Two episode OVA from 1995 about a young girl named Nagisa getting caught up in something larger as she's basically drafted to become a magical girl due to sudden consequence. The twist here is what gives her this power is a robotic battle armor from another world. There's multiple versions of these robots, each called Iczel, and more than one Iczelion as a result. The rest come to Nagisa's aid and a battle for for the fate of the Earth ensues. This is evidently the third in a series with the two preceding titles being Iczer-One and Iczer Reborn but seems rather standalone.

Sounds like an average anime story which is fitting as this is pretty average itself. It has some issues like abusing the concept of fighting in another dimension and events happening rather fast. The action was pretty fab though and given I think this OVA was just an excuse to have girls in armor beating ass, the OVA is mostly a success.

Kawaii Kawaii is a hell of a name too.

90s OVA? 90s OVA.

Tragedy strikes.

 

[watervengeance]

Kokoro Connect - Inaba's snicker at the end was hilarious. Damn, I wish they would translate the light novel faster.

 

[madp]

I think it might just be our western upbringing doing that to us, where we'd grown up listening to the stories of idle white people who had nothing better to do living in a cabin by a well-kept lake, extolling the virtues of an agrarian life while someone else fed and clothed him. Or perhaps it's frontier myth-making, manifest destiny, the red men driven out before the might of guns and smallpox.

I'm just thinking back to my Korean Experience™, and all we heard when I was young was about the constant utter misery of it, peasants stripping bark off trees to stew for subsistence, eating grass, or getting raped by Japanese invaders.

Sure, I don't buy any kind of romanticism of life in the distant past. The average person of the modern era lives more comfortably than even the kings and emperors of the primitive age did, and those that yearn for the "simplicity" of the past have never known the agony of perpetual physical labor, haven't lived in a world without medicine, science, and literacy, haven't been oppressed by tyranny or enslaved or ordered to march hundreds of miles on foot to die in war for a king or a god. It was shit, and society only exists today because man made himself believe that toil and suffering were still somehow preferable to death.

I'm of Irish descent and my parents would continually cite the Potato Famine when imploring me to be thankful for this or that, but otherwise I was instilled with the same laughably-rosy picture of the past that most Americans out of touch with their mother culture have.

 

[Dresden]

Well, Asian cultures did get stuck in static for around 600 years or so during the Renaissance that was going on in the west. Western cultures tended towards being (slightly) more rights-based, at least during those time periods. Of course everywhere had their slavery/serfdom eras but it's probably closer in history for Asian countries.

It's not something I've ever given much thought to (occupied as I am with the important task of twiddling my thumbs), but I wonder if the misery of the industrial revolution provided an impetus to conjure up a nostalgic view of the past.

Sure, I don't buy any kind of romanticism of life in the distant past. The average person of the modern era lives more comfortably than even the kings and emperors of the primitive age did, and those that yearn for the "simplicity" of the past have never known the agony of perpetual physical labor, haven't lived in a world without medicine, science, and literacy, haven't been oppressed by tyranny or enslaved or ordered to march hundreds of miles on foot to die in war for a king or a god. It was shit, and society only exists today because man made himself believe that toil and suffering were still somehow preferable to death.

I'm of Irish descent and my parents would continually cite the Potato Famine when imploring me to be thankful for this or that, but otherwise I was instilled with the same laughably-rosy picture of the past that most Americans out of touch with their mother culture have.

I'm just glad I can order pizza at almost any time of the night. Then I hold the power to tip, or not tip. Thrilling stuff.

 

[Theonik]

Personally my favorite transformation song Is that of the outer senshi.

This is one of my favorite songs in general. I like the Starlights transformation song as well but won't link any videos because the related ones seem to contain major series spoilers just in their titles.

The outer senshi transformation theme certainly is nice. I'm not sure if it's my favourite though. I guess the vocal themes for the other senshi edge ever so slightly if not only on the cheese factor they have. ("Saaaaaalah Viiiiiiinaaaass!" etc)

Yeah, I'm aware it's DTL but I was curious what his answer would be.
I've seen everything of K-On! but the movie. I'd like to watch that soon.

Well you got your answer in the end. And yes please do watch the K-ON! movie.

Someone had too much time and interest in this...At least they do mention that some of them aren't really panty shots as the girls are really wearing more leotard type outfits with little skirts over top. Basically the same thing for when the girls are figure skating.

You are underestimating the value of the collective effort of fans myself. I mean I posted a wiki dedicated to collecting bath/shower scenes in anime a few pages back. In comparison, the infamous Sailor Moon pantyshot pdf is nothing. And yeah a lot of them are related to a few specific outfits though a lot of them are indeed very dubious, not that they detract from the show either way as they are never quite "in your face"

 

[Train of Midnight]

So I'm watching the second Gundam movie and it struck me how much Ray and Charles are taken from Ramba Ral and his wife. Even some of the wording is the same.

What?

 

[watervengeance]

The Outer Senshi transformation theme is the best. It's so good that even some of my casual anime friends recognized it when I randomly played it once.

 

[madp]

I'm just glad I can order pizza at almost any time of the night. Then I hold the power to tip, or not tip. Thrilling stuff.

Could Genghis Khan or Julius Caesar or Napoleon do that? Nope. I'd rather be able to do that than command a hundred thousand men in battle.

Spoiler

AnimeGAF is nice because you can casually mention exercising the option not to tip, and you won't be called a kitten-raping cannibalistic war criminal.

 

[Jarmel]

What?

Yea the whole arc in E7 is obviously a homage to Gundam and is pretty damn identical all the way through.

Spoiler

Ramba's death line is almost word for word identical to Charles's death line. Ramba even tried a personnel invasion similar to Ray and Charles. Hamon tries a suicide attack and fails similar to Ray. Hamon looked at Amuro as a kind of faux-son(or atleast as a child) similar to Ray and Renton.

Hell there are a lot of mini references in E7 to Gundam such as the three orphans(both of which have the same physical characteristics). It's actually kinda cool seeing all these references.

Glass Fucking Fleet. Worst shit I have ever seen. Ever.

I saw the first episode and bailed. I knew where it was heading and got off that train early.

 

[KO Traveling Hobo]

Sword Art Online 5

This is a good way to undermine the drama surrounding the murder.

There aren't enough butts in my animes. I approve of this noble endeavor.

 

[Narag]

Yea the whole arc in E7 is obviously a homage to Gundam. Ramba's death line is almost word for word identical to Charles's death line. Hell there are a lot of mini references in E7 to Gundam such as the three orphans(both of which have the same physical characteristics). It's actually kinda cool seeing all these references.

Looks like I have something to look forward to when I get around to Eureka 7

There aren't enough butts in my animes. I approve of this noble endeavor.

Obviously you're watching the wrong animes!

 

[madp]

Yea the whole arc in E7 is obviously a homage to Gundam. Ramba's death line is almost word for word identical to Charles's death line. Hell there are a lot of mini references in E7 to Gundam such as the three orphans(both of which have the same physical characteristics). It's actually kinda cool seeing all these references.

Blew my mind when I (tried to) watch Mobile Suit Gundam for the first time.

 

[Jarmel]

Looks like I have something to look forward to when I get around to Eureka 7

It's executed much much better in Eureka 7 though. Ray and Charles are pretty amazing characters.

Blew my mind when I (tried to) watch Mobile Suit Gundam for the first time.

I hated the kids my first time through but I guess I have a better appreciation for them now.

 

[Crash Station]

Toriko 60stuff whatever episode we're on

Aw shit, it's an ancient Nitro going nuts! This should be fun.

 

[Train of Midnight]

Spoilers

SPOILERZ, BRAH

 

[firehawk12]

I'll do my best. *fans self*

BillieChu should take some notes.

I was honestly going to drop it a few eps in as I found it rather boring but then it managed to cure a really bad headache I had so I've been watching it for just how relaxing it is ever since!

Well, as good a reason as any I suppose. lol

-----

Space Battleship Yamato 2199 2-4

So wow, I think I really like this "show" (OVA? Movie? I have no idea) now. Pseudo-hard military science fiction with a long meta-arc and characters that I don't immediately hate? Sure, I'm in. It's too bad the wait between episodes is so long, because I'd definitely be interested in more. I almost wonder if it's worth tracking down the original.

I suppose the other question I have is why this seems to hit some magic SF nerve for me but I couldn't be bothered to finish the original Macross. They're similar enough, but I just stopped watching after 10 episodes and haven't really felt the urge to continue. Maybe Macross just wasn't hard SF enough for me to get invested in the universe. I dunno.

Anyhoo, the show also has a lot of wonzo specials, so he has to watch it at least:

It also has the crew looking like bosses:

Nakama fist-bumps:

And tsunderes:

(Speaking of Macross, for some reason Ranka is in it )

Maybe starship-based science fiction is back after all! Fuck you American TV!

 

[Jarmel]

I'm now wondering whether the abuse Renton gets on the Gekko is supposed to be a homage to Amuro getting slapped around.

 

[KO Traveling Hobo]

Obviously you're watching the wrong animes!

It can't be helped!

 

[mAcOdIn]

I saw the first episode and bailed. I knew where it was heading and got off that train early.

That's all I ever saw of Glass Fleet too! Then I came on and ranted about it and then these masochists here all picked it up and never stopped talking about it for six months.

 

[Narag]

Nunnally in Wonderland

Oh, this was so worth the wait. It's more akin to a picture drama as it's not all that animated and mostly music/speaking over still images. Regardless, it was funny as hell as did a great job of blending Geass tropes with the story. Admittedly,

Spoiler

the tropes took over and Wonderland took a back seat and a bit of the humor was derived from character flaws from Geass itself. Highlight was probably Lelouch raging over the idea of his sister ever getting married when she has a perfectly good brother too look after her.

It was still damn fun though. For some reason, I think they depicted most of the girls as bustier too. I don't remember

Spoiler

Euphie

being so endowed.

Thankfully there was no troll ending for me to be pissed off over like the birthday picture drama.

Team Kallen March Hare.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[wonzo]

Ro-Kyu-Bu! 11

It wouldn't be an episode with the completely unnecessary and detrimental pandering. Hopefully the last episode just focuses on the actual basketball match.

 

[ohlawd]

Shirley's ass.... oh man >_>

 

[Thoraxes]

Ro-Kyu-Bu! 11


It wouldn't be an episode with the completely unnecessary and detrimental pandering. Hopefully the last episode just focuses on the actual basketball match.

You took too long to finish this, letting your inner demons stir up.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Space Battleship Yamato 2199 2-4

So wow, I think I really like this "show" (OVA? Movie? I have no idea) now. Pseudo-hard military science fiction with a long meta-arc and characters that I don't immediately hate? Sure, I'm in. It's too bad the wait between episodes is so long, because I'd definitely be interested in more. I almost wonder if it's worth tracking down the original.

I suppose the other question I have is why this seems to hit some magic SF nerve for me but I couldn't be bothered to finish the original Macross. They're similar enough, but I just stopped watching after 10 episodes and haven't really felt the urge to continue. Maybe Macross just wasn't hard SF enough for me to get invested in the universe. I dunno.



Maybe starship-based science fiction is back after all! Fuck you American TV!

Ah someone else is finally watching it. Episode 3 was my favorite so far, so flashy and the glasses when the Wave Motion Cannon was fired! Cool.!

I think I just realized that Kodai seems to bevoiced by Top Gun, Yuuya Bridges (muv luv alternative) va so even better, hope he gets way more screentime in yamato.

 

[Narag]

You took too long to finish this, letting your inner demons stir up.

Yup, needed to be like ripping off an adhesive bandage.

 

[SDBurton]

BillieChu should take some notes.

Lol! Don't start!

Spoiler

*flips hair*

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

Space Battleship Yamato 2199 2-4

So wow, I think I really like this "show" (OVA? Movie? I have no idea) now. Pseudo-hard military science fiction with a long meta-arc and characters that I don't immediately hate? Sure, I'm in. It's too bad the wait between episodes is so long, because I'd definitely be interested in more. I almost wonder if it's worth tracking down the original.

The original Yamato TV show is only worthwhile if you want to see some good old mechanical animation; otherwise it hasn't aged well.

 

[Thoraxes]

Hayate no Gotoku! - 51

An episode dedicated to bad luck, item switching, and butler/graduation drama.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Perfectu Waifu Online 5:

At last, the Perfectu Waifu returns to the story. She's so cute when she's being tsun-tsun with Detective Gary Stu. Hnnnnnnngh. So they are splitting this side-story into two episodes. The planning for this show really doesn't make all that much sense, by re-arranging things into the chronological order instead of following the published order, they are really bogging things down before getting to the main story. It's the same problem that Boring Space Pirates actually had, cramming in stuff that wasn't in the original story chronology for no other reason than to pedantically follow the internal chronology. This shit is side-stories for a reason, A-1 Pictures! Ugh.

The only thing which keeps me going in this show is the descriptions and applications of the game's fictional mechanics. Just as in real MMOs, people have found ways to exploit the game to PK in areas which are supposed to be non-PvP areas. As a fictional MMO it's a really fascinating show to watch because people are applying game mechanics to situations which end in real world death if you are killed. It's not hard to see why people who don't play MMOs would be bored stiff by it though, because the actual story is at a level of cliche which easily veers into self-parody.

I'm just glad to see Perfectu Waifu again.

 

[Thoraxes]

Yup, needed to be like ripping off an adhesive bandage.

Just like I did in the start of this very thread!

 

[Hitokage]

Now and Then, Here and There - 08

Also, his plot armor is fucking ridiculous...

He's Agent Smith. Shu is Neo. Both are above the laws of physics and reason for that world and are insuated by thick plot armor while everyone else suffers and dies. Neo can counteract gravity and fall from any height without injury, while his wooden stick can smash through masonry smokestacks and defend against metal weapons

Spoiler

but you'll crack up at what finally breaks it.

Spoiler

There's even a Zion.

 

[Lafiel]

Space Battleship Yamato 2199 2-4
Maybe starship-based science fiction is back after all! Fuck you American TV!

*signaling firehawk12 to watch crest / banner and legend of galactic heroes*

 

[NomarTyme]

SAO 5... booty shots everywhere!