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Autumn Anime 2016 |OT| The seasons change, but we're still Falling for Euri
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hosannainexcelsis
Member
Going by that comment, I assume he was talking about the Oshii films, which are not afraid to indulge in deliberate pacing and soak in a contemplative atmosphere. The first Ghost in the Shell film in particular is a landmark work, so I would encourage you to at least check it out. It's worth seeing, even if it ends up being not to your tastes.
It's Flip Flappers'.
SliceSabre
Banned
Valdfellgar
Banned
My wife also finds it stupidly catchy too.
Next "episode" is the last one.
I always liked gag manga, so I'll probably continue with where I left Gintama.
Tower defense is always good.
Kyaaah, Jexhius-senpai noticed me~
Cornbread78
Member
Twin Star Exorcists ep.29
So, I'm guessing next week is the last "filler" episode? There's no way underpantsman is
it just wouldn't make sense at this point in the story. Plus, it sounds like
. Hopefully, things start heating up.
So, I'm guessing next week is the last "filler" episode? There's no way underpantsman is
dead from that basara attack
Sae-chanwill have to go away into the giant tree where she came from
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
Flip Flapper is the best ED but To Be Hero's is the catchiest
Valdfellgar
Banned
oh is it for sure? Funimation has been claiming 24 episodes for the season and 85 specials (or 1/5ths of episodes) So I wasn't sure which was the correct end point. Well, that's a bit sad.
Ninja Girl and Samurai Master 1-4
Possibly the first show I have ever seen to make an actual joke out of the infamous "they're-talking-about-me-sneeze", and therefore it's the anime of the season.
I wouldn't say it's bad, but it's got issues.
My biggest problem with it is that it's the definition of pretentious. It wants to make some kind of grand statement alongside other classic tales of dystopian fiction, constantly namedropping better, more thoughtful works, but it's content to just be a pulpy mess about the Grand Eccentric Mastermind and the one Cop On The Edge who can match wits with him, fighting against a deeply silly Grand Conspiracy.
Intelligence is measured in how many philosophers you can quote from memory. Most of the cast winds up badly underdeveloped. The actual concerns about the appropriate boundary between individual freedom and collective submission, or individual discretion in applying broad, dogmatic law get ignored for the sake of shock value and "raising the stakes". In terms of being an actually thoughtful work of science fiction (compared to Ghost in the Shell, Time of Eve, Harmony, or even Gargantia) it falls deeply short.
Some of that is just my expectations going in (since they were aiming for Ghost in the Shell in their marketing of the series), because as pulpy cyberpunk it has its moments. It's fine. The whole helmet arc is pretty exciting, particularly. It just doesn't do justice to its premise.
It's still probably the show I feel the silliest for giving the benefit of the doubt in its early episodes.
Possibly the first show I have ever seen to make an actual joke out of the infamous "they're-talking-about-me-sneeze", and therefore it's the anime of the season.
I wouldn't say it's bad, but it's got issues.
My biggest problem with it is that it's the definition of pretentious. It wants to make some kind of grand statement alongside other classic tales of dystopian fiction, constantly namedropping better, more thoughtful works, but it's content to just be a pulpy mess about the Grand Eccentric Mastermind and the one Cop On The Edge who can match wits with him, fighting against a deeply silly Grand Conspiracy.
Intelligence is measured in how many philosophers you can quote from memory. Most of the cast winds up badly underdeveloped. The actual concerns about the appropriate boundary between individual freedom and collective submission, or individual discretion in applying broad, dogmatic law get ignored for the sake of shock value and "raising the stakes". In terms of being an actually thoughtful work of science fiction (compared to Ghost in the Shell, Time of Eve, Harmony, or even Gargantia) it falls deeply short.
Some of that is just my expectations going in (since they were aiming for Ghost in the Shell in their marketing of the series), because as pulpy cyberpunk it has its moments. It's fine. The whole helmet arc is pretty exciting, particularly. It just doesn't do justice to its premise.
It's still probably the show I feel the silliest for giving the benefit of the doubt in its early episodes.
My problem with Psycho Pass is that the first half of the show is really
It basically consist in watching the main characters walk in circles (Because we, the audience, know waay more than the main characters) and the author spends half of the time telling you how perfect and smart the villain he wrote is.
This would have been at least FINE if the show actually used these episodes somehow to develop the characters, or the episodes themselves were actually interesting (Think Darker than Black S1 or Cowboy Bepop), but at the end of episode 12 I didn't feel like I knew any of these guys.
That's why I don't hate S2, it's genuinely terrible but at least it's entertaining, which it's more than I can say than S1.
boring shit.
It basically consist in watching the main characters walk in circles (Because we, the audience, know waay more than the main characters) and the author spends half of the time telling you how perfect and smart the villain he wrote is.
This would have been at least FINE if the show actually used these episodes somehow to develop the characters, or the episodes themselves were actually interesting (Think Darker than Black S1 or Cowboy Bepop), but at the end of episode 12 I didn't feel like I knew any of these guys.
That's why I don't hate S2, it's genuinely terrible but at least it's entertaining, which it's more than I can say than S1.
Hyper Oats memes were p. funny tho'.
Cornbread78
Member
Mob Psycho ep.6
Looks like lil' bro
that classroom scene was mean also.. Oh well, definaty a set-up episode for next week
Looks like lil' bro
is getting some powers of his own now?
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
My biggest issue with Psycho Pass is that it's an awful, aimless show made by people who have no clue what they're trying to do and fail to understand even the most basic elements of what drives science fiction.
The show tries to sit on the shoulders of giants in terms of dystopias and speculative fiction, but it's immediately apparent that no one working on the show has put even a second's thoughts into what actually drives those types of stories. Instead of exploring the cultural and political ramifications of the society they created and using it to provide commentary on elements of modern society (you know, like literally every great piece of speculative fiction does), the show just basically sets up a world that the creators thought would look/sound cool. It's basically the Sad Puppy movement in anime form. No meaning or actual exploration of themes, just a bunch of stuff thrown at the wall.
The show tries to sit on the shoulders of giants in terms of dystopias and speculative fiction, but it's immediately apparent that no one working on the show has put even a second's thoughts into what actually drives those types of stories. Instead of exploring the cultural and political ramifications of the society they created and using it to provide commentary on elements of modern society (you know, like literally every great piece of speculative fiction does), the show just basically sets up a world that the creators thought would look/sound cool. It's basically the Sad Puppy movement in anime form. No meaning or actual exploration of themes, just a bunch of stuff thrown at the wall.
Admiral Woofington
Member
Most issues with psycho pass just seem to stem from folks expecting and hoping for more about a show with a girl with a shitty fucking bowl haircut.
It was an interesting enough dystopian edgy show. I didn't need it to be the second coming of bladerunner. I have bladerunner 2 for that
It was an interesting enough dystopian edgy show. I didn't need it to be the second coming of bladerunner. I have bladerunner 2 for that
Euphonium 1-3
Once you divorce yourself from the fandom, divorce yourself from the "yuri" this show is so goddamn enjoyable. Season 2 really steps it up in the character department; I find myself actually recognizing most of the named characters this time around, and dialogue feels a lot more natural. Oboe sticks out slightly with her over the top drama, but it's handled pretty well for the most part. Asuka in particular is really good this time around (she had perhaps a bit too many "i'm nutty!" moments in S1) and of course, Kumiko is still a top 5 anime protagonist.
Scorching Hot Ping Pong Girls 1-3
Literally the anime equivalent of downing an entire bucket of KFC chicken by yourself.
Once you divorce yourself from the fandom, divorce yourself from the "yuri" this show is so goddamn enjoyable. Season 2 really steps it up in the character department; I find myself actually recognizing most of the named characters this time around, and dialogue feels a lot more natural. Oboe sticks out slightly with her over the top drama, but it's handled pretty well for the most part. Asuka in particular is really good this time around (she had perhaps a bit too many "i'm nutty!" moments in S1) and of course, Kumiko is still a top 5 anime protagonist.
Scorching Hot Ping Pong Girls 1-3
Literally the anime equivalent of downing an entire bucket of KFC chicken by yourself.
No it wasn't? I mean, when the writer's previous magical girl show is a better edgy dystopian drama, I don't know what to say.
Admiral Woofington
Member
There isn't much to say. This is just a show you either like or you don't based on what you wanted out of it. It didn't do anything more offensive with its characters or plot than God knows how many shows I've enjoyed from Anime.
It wouldn't hold a candle to my white man's TV, but I hold Anime to a lower standard.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
You shouldn't.
names2hard4you
Member
I can actually relate to that. I too have super low standards when it comes to anime, but I'm so much harsher with american TV shows. Although as of late, my tolerance has dropped quite significantly with anime as well.
Valdfellgar
Banned
This is terribly fascinating to me. Before jumping into this community every other community it'd either lurked through or been an active participant of treated Psycho-Pass like it was the second coming of Christ. Heck the IGN Anime Club Facebook Group is doing a group watch of the series, which won the vote poll by a huge margin compared to Shirobako, Noragami, or Watamote and a few others I personally haven't seen. People were going crazy just to rewatch it/get in on the hype for the first time.
My personal issue with the series, for me, is its plausibility. I don't believe people would ever allow a system to dictate their place in life, so the show doesn't feel terribly poignant to me, not unless I look at it exclusively as a criticism of Japanese culture by itself. That said, I do also agree with some of the issues you listed (I highlighted which ones) which I all felt were problems, though not my underlying main issue.
All that said I did sort of enjoy it. I liked it enough to at least binge watch it over a few nights a couple years ago. But I don't have any desire to ever own it let alone watch it again.
Slightly confused. Do you mean episode 22 of the first series or was it initially chopped in two separate runs? Just trying to figure out if you mean Psycho-Pass 2 itself was terrible but entertaining or the last 10 episodes of the first were.
I sort of agree, although I always saw it as a criticism of modern Japanese society and where it might be headed. Then again I don't like it nearly enough to defend it with any degree of sincerity. Nor have I put a lot of thought into why I didn't think it was amazing.
Crazy. I feel like I'm in a mirror universe episode of Star Trek. Normally Woofington would be on the majority's side and everyone else on the other end. Truly fascinating. I can't wait to find out what other hugely successful and hyped shows this group goes against the grain on next.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
My standards are the same for anime as they are for live action.
And I will firmly place the best that anime has to offer equal to or higher than the best that live action television has to offer.
And I will firmly place the best that anime has to offer equal to or higher than the best that live action television has to offer.
Basileus777
Member
That's too harsh. At least Arise led to a good film.
Cornbread78
Member
I still haven't gotten to the poibt where many of you are at where I hate and drop almost everything that airs. I'm sure I'll be a jaded anime fan at sone point
hosannainexcelsis
Member
I wholeheartedly agree.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
I'll put Flowers of Evil on par with any television show ever made.
Basileus777
Member
What about G-Reco?
Of course we're getting into trying to compare works with different goals, artstyles, etc. but Flowers of Evil is no Wire.
Valdfellgar
Banned
I try and hold all my entertainment to one, simply standard: Does it entertain? I don't much care how deep a series is, how philosophical, how appropriate or inappropriate, just whether it keeps me engaged.
That doesn't mean I like everything, as I'm sure it sounds like an embarrassingly low standard, but rather I don't much care how it achieves it, just that it does. So something that can highly flawed, but as long as what it does right outweighs the missteps I'm satisfied.
That doesn't mean I like everything, as I'm sure it sounds like an embarrassingly low standard, but rather I don't much care how it achieves it, just that it does. So something that can highly flawed, but as long as what it does right outweighs the missteps I'm satisfied.
Admiral Woofington
Member
vallfeldgar
I think you misunderstood that post of mine. I love season 1 of psycho pass. Even own the special edition Blu ray which is slick as fuck. But I enjoy it with very specific standards of what I was expecting from both Anime and the show. Which is why when a show like Yamato 2199 comes around and it not only ranks highly in Anime but in Western science fiction for what I would rate it, it blows my mind and I pimp it out as much as I can.
Also as to your question of "society would never allow technology to dictate their place in life" watch the first (?) episode of the latest season of black mirror on Netflix. And then read the article of China considering it.
I think you misunderstood that post of mine. I love season 1 of psycho pass. Even own the special edition Blu ray which is slick as fuck. But I enjoy it with very specific standards of what I was expecting from both Anime and the show. Which is why when a show like Yamato 2199 comes around and it not only ranks highly in Anime but in Western science fiction for what I would rate it, it blows my mind and I pimp it out as much as I can.
Also as to your question of "society would never allow technology to dictate their place in life" watch the first (?) episode of the latest season of black mirror on Netflix. And then read the article of China considering it.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
The Wire is a great show, but visually it is mostly merely functional. So Flowers of Evil is certainly better when it comes to direction, atmosphere, art design, music, and all of those aesthetic qualities.
You'll get there eventually. It's part of your character arc.
Valdfellgar
Banned
??? I don't think I did. I got from it that you enjoy the series (or love as you describe here) which is, in other communities, what I found to be the majority.
And as for China, I mean, I haven't grown up there, so to clarify, my issue is that in the society I've grown up in I find it implausible that a system like that would ever be allowed to take hold.
Flowers of Evil isn't better than The Wire in direction/atmosphere. Yea I would strongly contest the atmosphere component. The Wire's soundtrack was also pretty stellar.
As for visuals that's more up for personal taste but I prefer the Wire in the visuals department as they were going for a realistic documentary style and largely nailed it. While I appreciate what Flowers of Evil was doing visually, it doesn't always come together.
That's how you know we're all bored.
Basileus777
Member
Atmosphere and art design? All aesthetic qualities? Couldn't disagree more here.
Admiral Woofington
Member
The thing about dystopian media is that it tends to be ridiculous enough yet plausible to work if you thought about it. To base your whole work off it no, and that's a fault of the show for sure though. I mean a society based around overpopulation and lack of resources creating a future most people eat the same mass produced shit and need a ticket to have a single child (where second children are banned) works for me as something that could happen.
Psycho pass system of everything leaning on you turning psycho though is a bit silly yes. But hey if they had convinced me that statistically in this world it's safer and cheaper then sure why not.
I mean if minority report can arrest you for crimes you haven't committed, I can shoot you with a destiny gun for flipping out over how much to tip
Psycho pass system of everything leaning on you turning psycho though is a bit silly yes. But hey if they had convinced me that statistically in this world it's safer and cheaper then sure why not.
I mean if minority report can arrest you for crimes you haven't committed, I can shoot you with a destiny gun for flipping out over how much to tip
The first season looks really good in HD. The second season was early 2000s so it's digital and SD, but at a least the BDs aren't completely awful like some of those blurry upscaled shows. The reused footage from S1 is in HD, too.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
All I can say is that I can't remember any particularly striking direction or cinematography from my viewing of The Wire. This isn't really a knock on the show - it's only more recently, with shows such as True Detective, where American TV shows in general have gotten more ambitious in the visual department. My favorite TV show in general is Babylon 5, but I would not say that series particularly excels in the visual department (though it certainly gets better after the first season!). The best earlier example I can think of is Twin Peaks, because David Lynch is a crazy genius.
Anyway, I simply don't believe that animation is some second-rate medium that can't measure up to live-action. If you were to collect all of Japanese animation and all of American live-action TV, I'm sure Japanese animation would have a higher proportion of trash, but that doesn't invalidate the achievements of standout works.
Admiral Woofington
Member
Why?
The problem with comparing TV anime with live action TV is that the format is very different and comparisons are hard to make. For example, I would say Yamato 2199 is one of the best serialized space opera TV shows. But the competition is weird. You have stuff like BSG and DS9 where it can be argued that some seasons might be as good or better, but on a whole the multi-season format hurts the shows in terms of average quality. On the other hand you also have something like Babylon 5 which is a rare show where the multi-season format works in its favor in a way Yamato can't hope to match because there aren't 5 seasons of Yamato (yet).
If you're comparing certain genres like scifi or fantasy, anime is definitely better than any of the existing counterparts in live action television because the live action television counterparts mostly suck ass or are heavily flawed (BSG). Westworld is good though.
It's when you start comparing more 'realistic' genres that anime doesn't keep up. For example gangster shows, espionage, societal stuff, detective shows and so on. Live action is better at things that require intimate/detailed character acting or emotions due to the use of actual people. I guess you could say something about how each medium has its strengths but that's a boring conclusion.
It's when you start comparing more 'realistic' genres that anime doesn't keep up. For example gangster shows, espionage, societal stuff, detective shows and so on. Live action is better at things that require intimate/detailed character acting or emotions due to the use of actual people. I guess you could say something about how each medium has its strengths but that's a boring conclusion.
Admiral Woofington
Member
Apparently I should watch Babylon 5
Yeah, basically.
Not getting into the specifics of how this played out. That's not really a knock on anime, though. The Wire is really exceptional.
That's not why I found the system implausible. If people don't have a choice (i.e. if the system can implement its will in a way sufficiently difficult to resist), they'll accept whatever they have to accept. There are plenty of totalitarian regimes, or more mildly, democratic countries in times of war, who can show that. It's not even that the actual mechanism through which the system functions seems like something nobody would ever implement at the center of an entire nation.
It's that it's not an internally consistent system. Like, in the first episode I thought that there was a logic behind the way the Inspector/Enforcer dichotomy was set up, that the discretion actually mattered, that the society at least paid lip service to the actual implications of dealing with that number for the sake of maintaining proper mental health. But the systems they show for addressing the stress are all horribly inadequate. I mean, for people with unhealthy levels, they "treat" them by locking them in a box, taking away their distractions, and blaring "Try to brighten your hue!" out of the speakers every other minute. If you're going to go that route, don't even bother pretending that rehabilitation is the main goal.
It's got its own issues, but if you want to see Psycho-Pass's "maintaining happiness as dystopia" handled properly (particularly needling Japanese norms of "politeness"), watch Harmony.
The sort of critique the first season seemed to actually aim for (I think) was more the way the system disenfranchised an enormous segment of society based on its arbitrary criteria, but those affected are so far all over the map that it doesn't stick to anything concrete.
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