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Spring 2011 Anime Thread of ZAWA ZAWA, Money, emo Cyclops, and fun^10xint^40=Ir2
- Thread starter InfiniteNine
- Start date
- Status
Well someone at Mania did a quick comparison:M_Night said:
1 - R1 DVD / BD
2 - R1 DVD / BD
3 - R1 DVD / BD
Definitely looks better to me. Less compression and better colors. Intentional digital grain isn't scrubbed like the first release was, nor are the lines smeared to shit that looks like it was drawn with a half-dead sharpie. Pretty clean looking upscale.
I'd say it's safe to buy.
Steins;Gate 6-7
It took a while but this show finally found its bearings. I'm really enjoying it now, if not so much for the story or pacing then certainly for the zany characters and their interactions with each other.
I'm looking forward to watching the next episode now and that's always a good thing.
It took a while but this show finally found its bearings. I'm really enjoying it now, if not so much for the story or pacing then certainly for the zany characters and their interactions with each other.
I'm looking forward to watching the next episode now and that's always a good thing.
Unknown Soldier
Member
Hanasaku Iroha 8:
Oh, blatantly having the opening of the door going to the credits like that. Fuck you, P.A. Works! Fuck you! In unrelated news, apparently in Japan a train is always leaving exactly when you need it to, which allows you to travel from the countryside to the center of a neighboring city in minutes! Japan is so sugoi!
Well, okay, other than Ohana's sudden burst of genki-girl energy, it looks like this episode is putting us back on track for the 2-episode arcs it was following before Tomoe's standalone last week. Ohana is taking charge of shit or something I guess due to a sudden burst of character development on her part, and meanwhileMaster Friendzone Kou-chan is busy doing I'm not sure what because of I don't know why other than there are only only 5 episodes left until the show reaches the end of cour 1 so now it's time for frantic plot developments leading to the gratuitous mid-season cliffhanger!
Oh, I'll need to make a new avatar now, plenty of Ohana avatar moments in that episode. :3
Real Edit: Oh, right, did anybody else laugh when Chef Ren-san said "Nya!"?
Oh, blatantly having the opening of the door going to the credits like that. Fuck you, P.A. Works! Fuck you! In unrelated news, apparently in Japan a train is always leaving exactly when you need it to, which allows you to travel from the countryside to the center of a neighboring city in minutes! Japan is so sugoi!
Well, okay, other than Ohana's sudden burst of genki-girl energy, it looks like this episode is putting us back on track for the 2-episode arcs it was following before Tomoe's standalone last week. Ohana is taking charge of shit or something I guess due to a sudden burst of character development on her part, and meanwhile
Oh, I'll need to make a new avatar now, plenty of Ohana avatar moments in that episode. :3
Real Edit: Oh, right, did anybody else laugh when Chef Ren-san said "Nya!"?
ISML Round 2-3 Exhibition
Enma Ai -- 3532
Miyazaki Nodoka -- 3156
I've never seen Jigoku Shoujo so I have no opinion on this.
I'm starting to suspect that China and Korea have some of the strongest voting power.
Enma Ai -- 3532
Miyazaki Nodoka -- 3156
I've never seen Jigoku Shoujo so I have no opinion on this.
I'm starting to suspect that China and Korea have some of the strongest voting power.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
Lovely Complex 1-8
Finally getting back to this series. I've reached the point where I quit going to the anime club that was showing this, and rewatching these episodes I am struck by how well the romantic relationship develops. A lot of romantic comedies hinge around keeping the central couple apart through pointless misunderstandings and a total lack of communication. In Lovely Complex, the feelings develop naturally and no one hesitates to talk to each other more than is expected for that awkward time when friendship grows into love. I'm excited to see where things go from here.
Finally getting back to this series. I've reached the point where I quit going to the anime club that was showing this, and rewatching these episodes I am struck by how well the romantic relationship develops. A lot of romantic comedies hinge around keeping the central couple apart through pointless misunderstandings and a total lack of communication. In Lovely Complex, the feelings develop naturally and no one hesitates to talk to each other more than is expected for that awkward time when friendship grows into love. I'm excited to see where things go from here.
Gintama 209
Hahaha oh Sunrise. If they wanted to make an episode with rehashed animation they could have just done a real recap episode, which would be potential useful for the people new to the series, but Sunrise is better than that. Instead this episode was just straight trolling made up of old redubbed animation. They even awkwardly rehashed the fake Shiroyasha Koutan bit they did at Jump Festa. The wonderful thing about Gintama is that they don't even pretend it's not trolling, they even mention Endless Eight. Best Shounen adaptation ever.
The Ginpachi Sensei segment was funny. "Takasugi doesn't need a Sharingan to improve his image. After all he already has plenty of emo kiddie tendencies."
Next week is the start of a serious business arc, looking forward to it.
Hahaha oh Sunrise. If they wanted to make an episode with rehashed animation they could have just done a real recap episode, which would be potential useful for the people new to the series, but Sunrise is better than that. Instead this episode was just straight trolling made up of old redubbed animation. They even awkwardly rehashed the fake Shiroyasha Koutan bit they did at Jump Festa. The wonderful thing about Gintama is that they don't even pretend it's not trolling, they even mention Endless Eight. Best Shounen adaptation ever.
The Ginpachi Sensei segment was funny. "Takasugi doesn't need a Sharingan to improve his image. After all he already has plenty of emo kiddie tendencies."
Next week is the start of a serious business arc, looking forward to it.
Infinite Justice
Member
Iroha 8
Ohana again with the "shounen passion".
Lets see if we get some misunderstandings again.
Ohana again with the "shounen passion".
Lets see if we get some misunderstandings again.
Unknown Soldier
Member
zeroshiki said:It will be delicious!
Bring on friendzone boy. I will be disappointed if I don't see Kou doing this:
Master Friendzone is going to be soooo sad when he sees Tohru riding back to the inn on his motorcycle with Ohana clinging tightly to his back while blushing during episode 9.
I'm predicting this is going to happen in episode 9. This is an official Ohanastradamus Prediction(tm)!!!
By the way, on the Tiger and Bunny character page, can someone translate what it says on the far right of each character's info box? I feel like it's their epithet or something, since it looks like Sky High's says "King of Heroes" and Tiger's has his "Crusher of Justice".
Incidentally, I love the whole American comics style font they have for the headers and titles on that site.
Incidentally, I love the whole American comics style font they have for the headers and titles on that site.
Hellsing321
Member
I want to see Minchi go at Ohana with a knife. Bring the blood!zeroshiki said:
Articalys said:
Some might be wrong since I don't watch Tiger & Bunny and don't have context for these.
Wild Tiger - Destroyer of Justice
Barnaby Brooks - Super Rookie
Blue Rose - Super Idol of the Hero World
Rock Bison - West Coast Rampaging Bull Tank (lol)
Sky High - King of Hero
Dragon Kid - Lightning Kungfu Master
Origami Cyclone - Abandon master (?)
Fire Emblem - Bourgeois Fire Roast
firehawk12
Subete no aware
TWGOK2 7: Maybe I'm tired or something, but I think this is the best anime episode I've seen from the current season. This episode doesn't quite live up to the fantastic library girl confession episode, but it felt like I was watching an arty indie romcom and not an average harem anime.
I mean, you had symbolism and framing and carefully considered shots... whoever directed this episode actually cared about what he was doing and made something that, if not "art", then very faithfully mimics what we would consider "art". Of course, maybe this was all in the manga and the mangaka should get all the credit... in which case, I should read the manga sometime.
Still, it's enough to get my disappointed by the fact that this show probably ends at the end of this series. It seems that whenever they bring their A-game (or whenever they hire good directors), the show actually shines in spite of its premise.
I have no doubt that it will turn banal and boring next week, but at the moment, my breath has literally been taken away. This is how you do romantic comedy in animu and I'm actually annoyed that most harem-shit shows don't aspire to be more than shit.
In all seriousness, I'd recommend people watch this episode - even out of context. It might be that good.
(Or, I'll wake up tomorrow and regret writing this post. :lol)
Edit:
Seriously, what harem-shit anime has any right to do something classy like that?
I mean, you had symbolism and framing and carefully considered shots... whoever directed this episode actually cared about what he was doing and made something that, if not "art", then very faithfully mimics what we would consider "art". Of course, maybe this was all in the manga and the mangaka should get all the credit... in which case, I should read the manga sometime.
Still, it's enough to get my disappointed by the fact that this show probably ends at the end of this series. It seems that whenever they bring their A-game (or whenever they hire good directors), the show actually shines in spite of its premise.
I have no doubt that it will turn banal and boring next week, but at the moment, my breath has literally been taken away. This is how you do romantic comedy in animu and I'm actually annoyed that most harem-shit shows don't aspire to be more than shit.
In all seriousness, I'd recommend people watch this episode - even out of context. It might be that good.
(Or, I'll wake up tomorrow and regret writing this post. :lol)
Edit:
Seriously, what harem-shit anime has any right to do something classy like that?
Crash Station
Member
Prince of Tennis 3
I actually don't mind Ryoma. I usually can't stand arrogant characters, but the dude's a total stoic. He just doesn't seem to give a shit about anything.
I hope they don't drag out the "never using mah full power" thing, but if what zeroshiki said is true, I might be waiting a while :/
I actually don't mind Ryoma. I usually can't stand arrogant characters, but the dude's a total stoic. He just doesn't seem to give a shit about anything.
I hope they don't drag out the "never using mah full power" thing, but if what zeroshiki said is true, I might be waiting a while :/
TWGOK II 7:
The anime's pacing might be complete shit*, but once in a while it just works out. Or someone gave a fuck for once.
There's some lovely moments here and there, as has sporadically been the case for the show (such as Haqua peering into the auditorium in episode three), and while it's nothing remarkable, it's still a competent episode and one that's actually enjoyable for once. I dunno, maybe the entire Chihiro arc was like this and I stopped watching when things were starting to get decent. I haven't been enjoying the new season at all and the utter boredom of Haqua's arc kinda killed it for me.
It's been a long time since I read Chihiro's section in the manga, but I think this is a case of the adaptation elevating the source material (or whatever). The author has never been a particularly creative artist, anyways; the art early on is especially workmanlike, and a lot of the shots in this episode didn't - and wouldn't - exist in the manga.
---
*really, what the fuck. The second season hasn't been as bad, but two or three episodes are sometimes just way too much for the kind of content they're adapting. These are basically weekly manga chapters that are sometimes dragged out to fit a chapter per episode, meaning that eighteen, nineteen pages at times get stretched out to fill out twenty minutes of airtime. As a result you get a lot of dead time in some of the episodes where nothing happens.
I mean, what the hell was Manglobe thinking? Were they expecting a huge hit? The decision to go ahead with the second season's production before the first season even began airing might be a sign of that, who knows. But I really wonder at just what they were thinking dragging out these three-chapter arcs from the manga into three-episode arcs in the show (I'm looking at you, Kanon), when later on the arcs balloon in size - what were they going to do for Yui's volume-long arc, take out almost an entire season's worth of episodes? Or God forbid, Hinoki's arc, which ran for almost two volumes?
None of this matters anymore since the project is dead in the water at this point, but still. They covered too little ground, and the show suffered for it.
The anime's pacing might be complete shit*, but once in a while it just works out. Or someone gave a fuck for once.
There's some lovely moments here and there, as has sporadically been the case for the show (such as Haqua peering into the auditorium in episode three), and while it's nothing remarkable, it's still a competent episode and one that's actually enjoyable for once. I dunno, maybe the entire Chihiro arc was like this and I stopped watching when things were starting to get decent. I haven't been enjoying the new season at all and the utter boredom of Haqua's arc kinda killed it for me.
It's been a long time since I read Chihiro's section in the manga, but I think this is a case of the adaptation elevating the source material (or whatever). The author has never been a particularly creative artist, anyways; the art early on is especially workmanlike, and a lot of the shots in this episode didn't - and wouldn't - exist in the manga.
---
*really, what the fuck. The second season hasn't been as bad, but two or three episodes are sometimes just way too much for the kind of content they're adapting. These are basically weekly manga chapters that are sometimes dragged out to fit a chapter per episode, meaning that eighteen, nineteen pages at times get stretched out to fill out twenty minutes of airtime. As a result you get a lot of dead time in some of the episodes where nothing happens.
I mean, what the hell was Manglobe thinking? Were they expecting a huge hit? The decision to go ahead with the second season's production before the first season even began airing might be a sign of that, who knows. But I really wonder at just what they were thinking dragging out these three-chapter arcs from the manga into three-episode arcs in the show (I'm looking at you, Kanon), when later on the arcs balloon in size - what were they going to do for Yui's volume-long arc, take out almost an entire season's worth of episodes? Or God forbid, Hinoki's arc, which ran for almost two volumes?
None of this matters anymore since the project is dead in the water at this point, but still. They covered too little ground, and the show suffered for it.
A Black Falcon
Member
I've been putting this off for a while, so it's longer because I have more stuff to cover... it'd have been easier if I'd just done these all as I actually watched the shows, instead of the whole huge thing now. Oh well. 
I still need to do Arjuna 4-6. I'll do that later (but I still like the show).
Yami, the Hat, and the Book Traveler 01-03 - I at least think this is show is decent. It's good, but not great. It does change tone regularly, but because of the concept, that makes sense -- this series is about people who can travel between worlds which they access within books. The series is based off of an eroge, but the male main character from the game doesn't exist in the anime, so like with Koihime Musou it's now yuri-centric -- all three major characters are female. Fine with me, probably makes it better.
As for the story, in episode 1 we meet the main character, Hazuki. She has a sister, 'Hatsumi', and she likes her a lot. Then, on Hatsumi's 16th birthday, she vanishes in a green flash, after leaving a letter saying goodbye (presumably, it doesn't tell us the contents). Hazuki doesn't take this well and cuts Hatsumi after getting the letter, with the letter opener. She does hate herself for it afterwards, though. Then a magical talking yellow bird appears, and it's going to follow Hatsumi. Hazuki demands to come along, she wants to be with her sister.
Episode two tells a completely different story, and indeed skips a bit into the future -- ep. 3 almost certainly happens before ep. 2. This episode is a spy story set on a train, and it's not bad -- this is easily the best of the first three episodes. Too bad for the good spies though, while it got the woman spy out of a very tough spot, her partner died in the fight... The episode has some good drama, decent sense of suspense. The twist (
is decently done and I didn't see it coming. I like the train travelling through snow setting, too. Also, this introduces the other major character, Lilith, the librarian of sorts of the book library. She's amusing. Her hat is awesome too, it reminds me of the Daimao blonde girl's hat.
Episode three has two parts. First, there is some about the library and Lilith's backstory. Apparently she's been the library guard for a very long time, and isn't human even though she looks human. Eve (aka Hatsuki) We also learn a bit about how things work. In the second part, we get a past story about Eve,'s travels in the books. In this story she's in a peaceful town, and is acquainted with two children, one a boy and one a girl. The boy wants to learn her magic, but he's violent -- he kills birds with his slingshot for fun -- and she doesn't want to teach him. She does show the girl some things, though, which makes him jealous. In the climax
I still need to do Arjuna 4-6. I'll do that later (but I still like the show).
Yami, the Hat, and the Book Traveler 01-03 - I at least think this is show is decent. It's good, but not great. It does change tone regularly, but because of the concept, that makes sense -- this series is about people who can travel between worlds which they access within books. The series is based off of an eroge, but the male main character from the game doesn't exist in the anime, so like with Koihime Musou it's now yuri-centric -- all three major characters are female. Fine with me, probably makes it better.
As for the story, in episode 1 we meet the main character, Hazuki. She has a sister, 'Hatsumi', and she likes her a lot. Then, on Hatsumi's 16th birthday, she vanishes in a green flash, after leaving a letter saying goodbye (presumably, it doesn't tell us the contents). Hazuki doesn't take this well and cuts Hatsumi after getting the letter, with the letter opener. She does hate herself for it afterwards, though. Then a magical talking yellow bird appears, and it's going to follow Hatsumi. Hazuki demands to come along, she wants to be with her sister.
Episode two tells a completely different story, and indeed skips a bit into the future -- ep. 3 almost certainly happens before ep. 2. This episode is a spy story set on a train, and it's not bad -- this is easily the best of the first three episodes. Too bad for the good spies though, while it got the woman spy out of a very tough spot, her partner died in the fight... The episode has some good drama, decent sense of suspense. The twist (
the betrayal
Episode three has two parts. First, there is some about the library and Lilith's backstory. Apparently she's been the library guard for a very long time, and isn't human even though she looks human. Eve (aka Hatsuki) We also learn a bit about how things work. In the second part, we get a past story about Eve,'s travels in the books. In this story she's in a peaceful town, and is acquainted with two children, one a boy and one a girl. The boy wants to learn her magic, but he's violent -- he kills birds with his slingshot for fun -- and she doesn't want to teach him. She does show the girl some things, though, which makes him jealous. In the climax
he confronts her, asking why she won't train him. Then the girl appears, and he loses it and decides to attack her with his knife. Eve gets in the way and she stabs her instead, and then she vanishes in that flash of green like ep. 1. Huh.
So far, episode 2 is definitely the best. Eps 1 and 3 aren't bad, but they don't quite have as good pacing as the second episode -- episode 3 has some pretty slow parts in the second half. Still though, overall it's a decent to good (not great, but decent to good) show so far, and I'll be watching more.
Nichijou 08 - Good stuff as always. I don't like spoiling this one because it'd ruin the humor, but as always, it's funny. The professor, robot, and cat part at the end was the funniest thing in the episode by far, that was pretty good stuff. The three main girls part was a bit repetitive, and also odd -- it starts with yet another 'the other two ignoring idiot girl as she tries to get their attention' scene. Then, next we see them they've skipped school (it never says why) and they're in a train instead. Then next they're stuck in an elevator. Again it doesn't say why they're there. The elevator scene is kind of amusing (their reactions to being stuck, as it goes on, are funny), but it'd be a bit better with some kind of context...
Still though, overall a good episode as always.
The Twelve Kingdoms 31-35 - The show is getting better. That's good, it is heading towards the climax. Overall, this is certainly a very good series -- The Twelve Kingdoms does a great job of building and creating its world. Most fantasy anime barely even tries to do that, while The Twelve Kingdoms has that as one of its major focuses. That, and examining and developing its characters, is what the series does best.
However, that's also about all it does, most of the time -- there's no real main plot here, just a series of character stories. The series does not have the structure I expect from this genre. Part of the problem is that the anime only covers about half of the content from the book series, certainly, but even in that half, there's no real main plot, just a bunch of interrelated character stories. It is annoying, I like fantasy a lot, but one thing I like about it is that there's usually a continuing plot. This doesn't really have it, and what it does have isn't the focus of the series. The characters' thoughts and opinions are far more important to the series than the plot is, really -- actions happen as much to give the characters something to think about, or be depressed about, as much as anything, it often feels. I like plot above characters, so I find this focus frustrating -- I want an overarching plot that matters on its own, while this has a very different approach.
In addition, TTK has a very slow pace. Things do not happen quickly in this series -- each arc has basically one central plot which takes a long time to happen, if it even finishes in that arc. Everything takes a long time to happen, and there are long delays in between actions. Some of this is because it's showing that yes, it does actually take a while to travel from place to place in a world like this (a good thing to show, it could have just glossed over it but it's more accurate this way), but the result is that the whole thing goes so, so slowly. Also, it helps with the impression that the whole series so far is just a beginning towards a greater story. Maybe it is in the books, because there is another half of the story, but that's not true in the anime; instead, it's just slow.
Still though, it's certainly a very good series, as I've said. It's important to say that so it doesn't sound like I think this is a bad show. I don't.
Even so, the sheer amount of depressing stuff that happens in this show does bother me. Seriously, so many pointless tragedies happen in this series. On that note, I kind of think that in Twelve Kingdoms they use a modified version of the usual "and the hero appears at the last moment to save the person in trouble" -- in this series, instead the hero appears a few moments too late, getting there just in time to cry over the dead body of the person they wanted to protect. This disc certainly has a lot of that. Occasionally the person actually gets there in time (the , but more often not.
And then, the series will replay that scene over and over in the following episodes as they struggle with the depression that losing someone they cared about, and feeling responsible for it, brings. Yeah, that's kind of episodes 31 through 35 of The Twelve Kingdoms. I like happier things better... this is a bit depressing.
As for the events, in these episodes Shoukei finally gets sane. It happens without much warning, in the middle of a conversation with Rakushun -- one minute she's repeating the same stupid "my father was right all along, people who do things that are bad must be punished!" idiocy she has been all along, and one flashback later for no apparent reason she makes a complete 180 and flips completely to realizing how bad he had been and admitting that everyone was happy to see him killed. It's pretty bizarre, how quickly she changes. I mean, it's good to see, and I certainly understand her being angry that her parents were killed, but why suddenly admit that you were indeed ignorant and wrong, after so much denial? I think that there should have been a better transition, it just isn't handled very well at all. Also, this admission seems to have completely cured her insanity somehow. Convenient.
Suzu, meanwhile, is wrestling with the fact that the blind boy died and she wasn't there to save him. Now she wants revenge on the evil lord who ran him over. She also wants revenge on the queen (Youko), if she was protecting the evil lord Shoukou. Of course she was just doing what her ministers told her, believing them, but because the ministers aren't exactly on the level, she sort of was in effect... it's not really her fault though, they conned her. Apparently the lord who earlier in this arc had been claimed to be leading a rebellion against Youko actually wasn't, and was just set up by the actual villains, Shoukou and his master. Also, Shoukou and co. were some of the first to support the pretender queen who Youko defeated in a war that the anime skipped over in a minute earlier on, while the one they set up was actually a good and loyal lord. Also these badguys are serial killers who like to murder their own citizens for fun. Huh. Whoops. My bad, says Youko.
... No, of course not. As I said earlier, instead we get lots of agonizing and some tragedy and depression, followed by more agonizing.
Oh yeah, as for Youko in specific, she's still certainly the best character. I don't want to give everything away (people should just watch the show!), but as I've suggested above, Youko has some troubles this time too, both about the boy that was with Suzu (Youko was there right after he was killed) and with her own tragedy when the place she was staying is attacked by the enemies. At least she's competent and a good person now through this whole arc. I like how she gradually learns more and more about the world as it progresses, this idea to go out into her kingdom and learn more about this place was a good one because not only has it revealed the true conspiracy and her real enemies, but also she's learning a lot about how this world works and what she should be doing as the kingdom's ruler.
Finally, in this arc the three characters meet, sort of, as they head towards a united front to crush the evil lords. Good luck, these guys are really evil.
Butt Attack Girl Gautaman R - OVA, sequel to the first one (non-R). This is a mid '90s fanservice-heavy series, and they really wanted to justify that 'OVA' label because there is quite a bit of nudity in this, as well of course to our heroine, who wears a fundoshi (and no skirt over it) for her fighting costume. She's shy about it though of course, because she's actually a normal schoolgirl at a very odd school. Her love interest is one of the main villains, but because both use costumes of course neither knows the other is their enemy. She also has a female friend who is her roommate; this friend is in love with our heroine too. I forget some about the first one (I watched it some time ago, last year some time I think), but she's Christian or something I think, and from a strict family, but Budda has recruited her to be Gautaman, his warrior against evil, anyway.
So yeah, fairly generic setup. Where the plot goes in the second half of this OVA, though... that really surprised me. I was not expecting that at all!
Overall, not exactly a good show. It's got some decent character design for its time and lots of fanservice, along with some surprises in the story, but I certainly wouldn't call it good. This is "bad but entertaining" or "guilty pleasure" level stuff.
So far, episode 2 is definitely the best. Eps 1 and 3 aren't bad, but they don't quite have as good pacing as the second episode -- episode 3 has some pretty slow parts in the second half. Still though, overall it's a decent to good (not great, but decent to good) show so far, and I'll be watching more.
Nichijou 08 - Good stuff as always. I don't like spoiling this one because it'd ruin the humor, but as always, it's funny. The professor, robot, and cat part at the end was the funniest thing in the episode by far, that was pretty good stuff. The three main girls part was a bit repetitive, and also odd -- it starts with yet another 'the other two ignoring idiot girl as she tries to get their attention' scene. Then, next we see them they've skipped school (it never says why) and they're in a train instead. Then next they're stuck in an elevator. Again it doesn't say why they're there. The elevator scene is kind of amusing (their reactions to being stuck, as it goes on, are funny), but it'd be a bit better with some kind of context...
Still though, overall a good episode as always.
The Twelve Kingdoms 31-35 - The show is getting better. That's good, it is heading towards the climax. Overall, this is certainly a very good series -- The Twelve Kingdoms does a great job of building and creating its world. Most fantasy anime barely even tries to do that, while The Twelve Kingdoms has that as one of its major focuses. That, and examining and developing its characters, is what the series does best.
However, that's also about all it does, most of the time -- there's no real main plot here, just a series of character stories. The series does not have the structure I expect from this genre. Part of the problem is that the anime only covers about half of the content from the book series, certainly, but even in that half, there's no real main plot, just a bunch of interrelated character stories. It is annoying, I like fantasy a lot, but one thing I like about it is that there's usually a continuing plot. This doesn't really have it, and what it does have isn't the focus of the series. The characters' thoughts and opinions are far more important to the series than the plot is, really -- actions happen as much to give the characters something to think about, or be depressed about, as much as anything, it often feels. I like plot above characters, so I find this focus frustrating -- I want an overarching plot that matters on its own, while this has a very different approach.
In addition, TTK has a very slow pace. Things do not happen quickly in this series -- each arc has basically one central plot which takes a long time to happen, if it even finishes in that arc. Everything takes a long time to happen, and there are long delays in between actions. Some of this is because it's showing that yes, it does actually take a while to travel from place to place in a world like this (a good thing to show, it could have just glossed over it but it's more accurate this way), but the result is that the whole thing goes so, so slowly. Also, it helps with the impression that the whole series so far is just a beginning towards a greater story. Maybe it is in the books, because there is another half of the story, but that's not true in the anime; instead, it's just slow.
Still though, it's certainly a very good series, as I've said. It's important to say that so it doesn't sound like I think this is a bad show. I don't.
Even so, the sheer amount of depressing stuff that happens in this show does bother me. Seriously, so many pointless tragedies happen in this series. On that note, I kind of think that in Twelve Kingdoms they use a modified version of the usual "and the hero appears at the last moment to save the person in trouble" -- in this series, instead the hero appears a few moments too late, getting there just in time to cry over the dead body of the person they wanted to protect. This disc certainly has a lot of that. Occasionally the person actually gets there in time (the , but more often not.
And then, the series will replay that scene over and over in the following episodes as they struggle with the depression that losing someone they cared about, and feeling responsible for it, brings. Yeah, that's kind of episodes 31 through 35 of The Twelve Kingdoms. I like happier things better... this is a bit depressing.
As for the events, in these episodes Shoukei finally gets sane. It happens without much warning, in the middle of a conversation with Rakushun -- one minute she's repeating the same stupid "my father was right all along, people who do things that are bad must be punished!" idiocy she has been all along, and one flashback later for no apparent reason she makes a complete 180 and flips completely to realizing how bad he had been and admitting that everyone was happy to see him killed. It's pretty bizarre, how quickly she changes. I mean, it's good to see, and I certainly understand her being angry that her parents were killed, but why suddenly admit that you were indeed ignorant and wrong, after so much denial? I think that there should have been a better transition, it just isn't handled very well at all. Also, this admission seems to have completely cured her insanity somehow. Convenient.
Suzu, meanwhile, is wrestling with the fact that the blind boy died and she wasn't there to save him. Now she wants revenge on the evil lord who ran him over. She also wants revenge on the queen (Youko), if she was protecting the evil lord Shoukou. Of course she was just doing what her ministers told her, believing them, but because the ministers aren't exactly on the level, she sort of was in effect... it's not really her fault though, they conned her. Apparently the lord who earlier in this arc had been claimed to be leading a rebellion against Youko actually wasn't, and was just set up by the actual villains, Shoukou and his master. Also, Shoukou and co. were some of the first to support the pretender queen who Youko defeated in a war that the anime skipped over in a minute earlier on, while the one they set up was actually a good and loyal lord. Also these badguys are serial killers who like to murder their own citizens for fun. Huh. Whoops. My bad, says Youko.
... No, of course not. As I said earlier, instead we get lots of agonizing and some tragedy and depression, followed by more agonizing.
Oh yeah, as for Youko in specific, she's still certainly the best character. I don't want to give everything away (people should just watch the show!), but as I've suggested above, Youko has some troubles this time too, both about the boy that was with Suzu (Youko was there right after he was killed) and with her own tragedy when the place she was staying is attacked by the enemies. At least she's competent and a good person now through this whole arc. I like how she gradually learns more and more about the world as it progresses, this idea to go out into her kingdom and learn more about this place was a good one because not only has it revealed the true conspiracy and her real enemies, but also she's learning a lot about how this world works and what she should be doing as the kingdom's ruler.
Finally, in this arc the three characters meet, sort of, as they head towards a united front to crush the evil lords. Good luck, these guys are really evil.
Butt Attack Girl Gautaman R - OVA, sequel to the first one (non-R). This is a mid '90s fanservice-heavy series, and they really wanted to justify that 'OVA' label because there is quite a bit of nudity in this, as well of course to our heroine, who wears a fundoshi (and no skirt over it) for her fighting costume. She's shy about it though of course, because she's actually a normal schoolgirl at a very odd school. Her love interest is one of the main villains, but because both use costumes of course neither knows the other is their enemy. She also has a female friend who is her roommate; this friend is in love with our heroine too. I forget some about the first one (I watched it some time ago, last year some time I think), but she's Christian or something I think, and from a strict family, but Budda has recruited her to be Gautaman, his warrior against evil, anyway.
So yeah, fairly generic setup. Where the plot goes in the second half of this OVA, though... that really surprised me. I was not expecting that at all!
First, our heroine and her love interest have a fight. He almost wins, but realizes who she is and stops for a moment. She gets in an attack and hits him. She then leaves, not realizing who he was. She never does realize who he was, actually, at least not in this movie.
Then there's a scene suggesting that he dies. It's not 100% certain -- he says "I'll meet you under the tree" but then collapses and never comes, and in the end all that's seen of him is an outline in the sky -- but it certainly suggests that she might actually have killed him.
Then, her father appears, says that he knows who she is, and says that if she becomes Gautaman again he'll transfer her to another school because it's indecent to be dressed like that in combat (he is after all strictly religious). Then, in the most surprising part, our heroine's (female) friend/roommate confesses her love to the main character -- and the MC decides to go with it and accept. Then they apparently have sex -- it stops before they do anything, but the last shot is of one reaching towards the other's underwear, with them in bed... huh. I wasn't expecting that.
Then, there's the final battle. The leader of the evil organization, who calls himself pope, attacks the school and Gautaman has to come out for another battle. She fights, and it's reavealed that the pope is... A ROBOT! Shock! Looks sort of like a Terminator. She beats the robot, and then has to leave the school because her father carries out her threat. Cue a sad and tear-filled separation between the two friends, the end.
Then, a scene suggesting that robot pope isn't actually dead... the end. But they never made a third part, so there's no closure on this, on whether her male love interest can get over being dead and come back, or whether she'll end up with her female friend instead. Kind of annoying, but oh well.
Then there's a scene suggesting that he dies. It's not 100% certain -- he says "I'll meet you under the tree" but then collapses and never comes, and in the end all that's seen of him is an outline in the sky -- but it certainly suggests that she might actually have killed him.
Then, her father appears, says that he knows who she is, and says that if she becomes Gautaman again he'll transfer her to another school because it's indecent to be dressed like that in combat (he is after all strictly religious). Then, in the most surprising part, our heroine's (female) friend/roommate confesses her love to the main character -- and the MC decides to go with it and accept. Then they apparently have sex -- it stops before they do anything, but the last shot is of one reaching towards the other's underwear, with them in bed... huh. I wasn't expecting that.
Then, there's the final battle. The leader of the evil organization, who calls himself pope, attacks the school and Gautaman has to come out for another battle. She fights, and it's reavealed that the pope is... A ROBOT! Shock! Looks sort of like a Terminator. She beats the robot, and then has to leave the school because her father carries out her threat. Cue a sad and tear-filled separation between the two friends, the end.
Then, a scene suggesting that robot pope isn't actually dead... the end. But they never made a third part, so there's no closure on this, on whether her male love interest can get over being dead and come back, or whether she'll end up with her female friend instead. Kind of annoying, but oh well.
Overall, not exactly a good show. It's got some decent character design for its time and lots of fanservice, along with some surprises in the story, but I certainly wouldn't call it good. This is "bad but entertaining" or "guilty pleasure" level stuff.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
There was never any way this show would make it that far anyways, regardless of how popular it was.Dresden said:
Even if it was popular, the quality of the manga itself really falls off (as I was mentioning in the manga thread) right around the middle which itself would take like 50+ episodes to reach at this pace, i.e. there's like three conquests or so which take place when the entire concept has gotten tiring, sandwiched around a single excellent Yui arc.
I can't fathom why they bothered to animate the stupid "Keima wants to play video games" episodes at all, either.
Spice and Wolf II 7-9
It took an almost inhuman amount of willpower to stop watching after that cliffhanger, but there's other stuff I need to do now (like sleep) and I can afford to finish the series tomorrow. As much as it pains me to have to do so.
Also I've decided: Mitsu no Yoake >= Tabi no Tochuu = Perfect World >> Ringo Hiyori.
It took an almost inhuman amount of willpower to stop watching after that cliffhanger, but there's other stuff I need to do now (like sleep) and I can afford to finish the series tomorrow. As much as it pains me to have to do so.
Also I've decided: Mitsu no Yoake >= Tabi no Tochuu = Perfect World >> Ringo Hiyori.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Watch it!Jexhius said:
Where have your fingers been?!Hitokage said:
perfectnight
Banned
Is there any way to look for one's past posts in a thread? I posted about an upcoming anime that looked like a typical cliched/fanservice show but had amazing looking action. I can't remember the name of it now.
Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito 6-11
If I had to put this show in words I'd have to say it's so bad it's good but then it loops back around to bad and then good again and then finally settles somewhere near the middle. And once you learn to let go you can just enjoy it all the way.
Also, trolls. Masterful trolls.
If I had to put this show in words I'd have to say it's so bad it's good but then it loops back around to bad and then good again and then finally settles somewhere near the middle. And once you learn to let go you can just enjoy it all the way.
Also, trolls. Masterful trolls.
Teehee.Jexhius said:
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
Hanasaku Iroha 06: Pretty fanservicey and stupid in general. Nice to see a hint of a love triangle coming up.
Hanasaku Iroha 07: Tomoe is the best character confirmed. Though the random introduction of LARPers was disturbing. I like the wacky one-off episodes like this one and 03. Hopefully they'll also devote some more time to the other side characters.
Nichijou has the best music this season.
Hanasaku Iroha 07: Tomoe is the best character confirmed. Though the random introduction of LARPers was disturbing. I like the wacky one-off episodes like this one and 03. Hopefully they'll also devote some more time to the other side characters.
Nichijou has the best music this season.
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