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Spring 2014 Anime |OT2| about as likely as a second season of Hyouka

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cnet128

Banned
A lot of people didnt like the exposition in this episode but I thought it was a perfect way to setup the hsow and get all the information out of the way, Keeping track of so many players in this game is not an easy feat to do and I think they did an admirable job so you know who is who and what their motives seem to be. Not everything is quite obvious at first and some hidden motives and ideals will be revealed later on but you have a solid idea of where this is all going. As for Rin, yes shes completely adorable and Cnet is going to love episode 10 so much.

I can see how people might find this episode overwhelming if they weren't already familiar with the Fate series. It's a lot of lore to take in all at once, and a ton of characters to keep track of.

But coming off Fate/stay night, already knowing about the Grail War and the three families and being to a greater or lesser extent already familiar with a number of the major players, it really felt like the perfect introduction. There was a really good balance between elements that were very familiar, elements that had only been lightly touched upon in FSN, and elements that were entirely new. It did a great job of building up a tantalising sense of anticipation for the main event.
 

foxuzamaki

Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
No Game No Life 9

Waitwaitwaitwait so let me get this straight.
Sora needs an elf to handle whatever game the animal girls force him to play, and the only elf he knows is Kurami's friend. Like hell she'd help him, of course. His entire rationale for betting the human race was to goad Kurami into challenging him, allowing him to set up this elaborate gambit using Othello wherein he begins to lose on purpose and willingly sacrifices his entire existence to her in an effort to give her his memories and eventually gain her trust, while at the same time providing an outlet for Shiro to participate and eventually win the game in his stead (since he'd be unable to give the fact that, well, he no longer exists) despite Sora not being around at all and her having no actual knowledge of the Othello match in progress. In the end he wins the game, gives back Kurami's existence/memories while letting them retain each other's memories, gains her trust as a result, and now has an elven ally to help against the animal girls, all without actually losing anything.

0miWRkz.gif


SoraShiro must win all the games.
All the games!
 

Narag

Member
Girls und Panzer 2

AgwEhzzl.png
dCerJSgl.jpg

Early candidate for best girl just ahead of Yukari when she goes off around tanks like Sei around gunpla.

Absurdness of the premise is so delightful between the hunt for tanks just laying around, the instructor being airdropped in, and that tank store.

Equally amusing is the different personalities the tank crews have. Volleyball team cracks me up with their sports shounenism.
 

cajunator

Banned
This reminds me: this is the first thing I've ever ordered from Rightstuf. Is their stuff usually delivered in a timely manner? Not like it matters but I'm just wondering.

They are one of the most reliable, In fact they often ship stuff up to a week ahead of actual release date because they give no fucks.
 

sonicmj1

Member
No Game No Life 11-12

That is not the game I'd have expected. I liked how the erotic elements in the game actually served a dual meaning to set up one of the big reversals in the game (
Though if there's a change in the player's heartbeat after a hit, as the outside Warbeast guy implies when Sora and Shiro get nailed, then why wasn't he able to tell that Shiro had never been hit earlier?
). Its ultimate conclusion could have been set up better, though, as it relies on a lot of factors about the game that aren't even mentioned beforehand.

No Game No Life turned out significantly better than my rock-bottom expectations for it at the start of the season, thanks to its sheer audacity and light-heartedness. It has the biggest, silliest grand plans that I've seen in some time. When the games are in motion, it's fun and unpredictable, and strong enough to carry the show through its weaker, more serious moments.

It's too bad it's loaded with fanservice that'll turn off anyone who isn't already very well-versed in a certain kind of anime.
 

Link Man

Banned
Clannad 6

Oh, Okazaki, picking all the bad choices. You're never gonna get the Nagisa's Mom end that way!

Okay, that was a pretty cool fantasy.

ivUhNe150WpUD.jpg


A Fuko fan club. Great.

And Okazaki earns the title of Onii-sama. Must resist Mahouka jokes.

Okazaki is dangerously genre-savvy.

Embarassing statement there, Nagisa.

Fuko has the strangest dreams.

Obligatory maid uniforms. Oh, and I didn't realize this show had achievements.

iFavWCTKzUoxm.jpg

Serious screencapping skills.

She receives a lot of gifts from girls.
:sdburton

Whoa.

I'm really starting to enjoy Okazaki as a protagonist. He's almost like a less whiny Kyon.
 
Chaika 12 / END

tumblr_n7qs5y1Zuw1so052bo5_500.gif


Fantastic season. So glad that
Frederica didnt die, but actually came out even cuter lol. It was extremely satisfying to watch her wreck all those..guard dog abominations. I hope Toru takes her offer of being her cavalier so he can be even stronger than he already is.

That also reminds me, they totally forgot to save all those girls. I assumed some of these women were alive but I guess not. They all went down with the ship.

Chaika + Toru seemed to be pairing up a lot sooner than I thought, but its still welcome. Vivi transforming into what might be Chaika was a total surprise too.

I'm very eager to see where the story goes from here and what the deal is with the multiple Chaikas.

Ugh, I cant believe we have to wait until fall for new episodes. I cant wait.
 

cajunator

Banned
Chaika 13 / END

tumblr_n7qs5y1Zuw1so052bo5_500.gif


Fantastic season. So glad that
Frederica didnt die, but actually came out even cuter lol. It was extremely satisfying to watch her wreck all those..guard dog abominations. I hope Toru takes her offer of being her cavalier so he can be even stronger than he already is.

That also reminds me, they totally forgot to save all those girls. I assumed some of these women were alive but I guess not. They all went down with the ship.

Chaika + Toru seemed to be pairing up a lot sooner than I thought, but its still welcome. Vivi transforming into what might be Chaika was a total surprise too.

I'm very eager to see where the story goes from here and what the deal is with the multiple Chaikas.

Ugh, I cant believe we have to wait until fall for new episodes. I cant wait.

You mean 12.
 

Midonin

Member
Crime Edge 10-13 + Final Thoughts

The Emily arc was an alright conclusion. Lots of elements in the final episode,
including that montage
that are deliberately teasing material I'd need to read the manga to find out more about. That doesn't bother me, since it's understandable why it's there, and the question answered by the final arc - "Is Grayland real?" - was resolved in as graphic a manner as this show could get. Yet the final episode also had a lot of lightheartedness too. Emily and Iwai bonding and creating some kind of sisterly affection was cute, and that scene with Witchy... she's got some killer goods, too. Let's go with that.

For my thoughts on the show overall, while it's clear that the story's just getting started, I was pleased with what I saw. Nothing too standout - aside from maybe the show's fixation on hair - but it had equal parts cuteness and murder, and therefore not quite as heavy an aura of despair compared to other survival game shows. I also watched it because of Kotori Koiwai. Iwai's a different sort of performance compared to Kigu (manic) or Utsutsu (the opposite of that.) Assessing her range is important to me... for some reason.

OP and both EDs were alright, the use of color filters was an artsy way to get around all the blood, it was entertaining. As long as I'm entertained, I'm good. The ending leaves a book to be desired, and should I get around to that, I know where to pick up from, roughly.



Switching gears from murder to world domination, Excel Saga is next in the backlog.
 

Nafe

Member
Girls und Panzer 2

Absurdness of the premise is so delightful between the hunt for tanks just laying around, the instructor being airdropped in, and that tank store.

Equally amusing is the different personalities the tank crews have. Volleyball team cracks me up with their sports shounenism.

Good to see you're having fun with the show. It seemed like one you would like.

This just reminds me of when it was initially airing and firehawk seemed really bothered like they were trying to make her some moe cosplaying version of Rommel.
duckroll or someone just said, She's not Rommel or trying to be portrayed as Rommel! Just let it go and have fun! haha.

A lot of people didnt like the exposition in this episode but I thought it was a perfect way to setup the hsow and get all the information out of the way, Keeping track of so many players in this game is not an easy feat to do and I think they did an admirable job so you know who is who and what their motives seem to be. Not everything is quite obvious at first and some hidden motives and ideals will be revealed later on but you have a solid idea of where this is all going. As for Rin, yes shes completely adorable and Cnet is going to love episode 10 so much.

In here it was a vast majority (not myself, mind you), I remember it well... poor duckroll!

Now if only Branduil posted again the DRAMATIC CIRCLING .GIF for old times' sake... :)

I'm in the minority in that I also like the first episode of Fate/Zero. It got me really interested in the show and I wanted to see what happens next. I just wish the home release was cheaper so I could actually buy it. :(
 

Narag

Member
This just reminds me of when it was initially airing and firehawk seemed really bothered like they were trying to make her some moe cosplaying version of Rommel.
duckroll or someone just said, She's not Rommel or trying to be portrayed as Rommel! Just let it go and have fun! haha.

I seem to recall firehawk and enron battling in irc about her identity. Shit was amusing lol
 

Defuser

Member
Hitsugi no Chaika S1 END
Shiiiiiiiet What a twist of
Vivi turning into a Chaika. What would happen to Gillette?

So Toru does like underage girls after all lol.
 

cajunator

Banned
I guess I should be fortunate to get free two-day shipping whenever I get a $49+ order, but I do still have to pay sales tax.

Lucky.
Its kind of odd that a big anime store would be located in Iowa of all places but being mostly online sales, I think it doesnt really matter where they put the building.

And tonight, the friends and I will be watching Earth Maiden Arjuna 3-6

EDIT: And my new crowning jewel! The figure I've been pining for over a year now

Congrats! I know the feeling of finally getting a figure.
 
Of course mahou sensou is an horrible mess.

WHAT ?


I sure hope this serie managed to take off so that we can get more

Mahouka folks chose the right scenes and did conversation in a way to make every moment of the anime something to really grip me and keep me focused, interested even knowing the events. Their timing of certain moments is excellent too always making things suspenseful or excellently intriguing. Cast develops greatly and leaves a memorable impression, while most of whats done in the NGNL anime makes them feel like carbon copies of the tropes their supposed to be and nothing more. They do key moments well but flounder in all the other moments and I think just going for some type of tone that many scenes didnt convey to me in the reading of the material. Music in the NGNL also feels forgettable cant remember nary a track, while in Mahouka can easy remember that piano song that plays when miyuki speaks , or those two actiony tracks that play during action moments and feel really edgy and modern. Mahouka Koukou is like the shiny example of how an LN adaptation ought to be.
 
Lucky.
Its kind of odd that a big anime store would be located in Iowa of all places but being mostly online sales, I think it doesnt really matter where they put the building.



Congrats! I know the feeling of finally getting a figure.

What if it was a figure of a character you don't like? Because that's the next one on the way!
 

Articalys

Member
I don't have a problem with that long talking scene in the first Fate/Zero episode because it's Show Hayami monologuing to Jouji Nakata.
 

jman2050

Member
No Game No Life 10-11

Not really feeling the whole Kurami thing, whole thing reeks of shoving in backstory as efficiently as possible cause they're running out of pages/episodes. Maybe season 2 will do things better in this regard. Also more obligatory bath scenes! It's weird, this show actually ended up being more gratuitously fanservicey than I was expecting and I guess that's a bad thing, but at the same time not really? Well when it doesn't involve 11-year old panty shots at least... that's firmly darkside/cnet's territory for sure.

So the Warbeast's game...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUKmq7UMJys

Call of Gal-Gun: Moe Warfare

Fun action and enjoyable "NOW I AM BEHIND YOU" moments but I don't know whether to be impressed by how SoreShiro managed to outwit Izuna at the very end or to hang my head in shame because damnit even I I have standards you know!
 

Clov

Member
Aniplex live show is on. They're saying they have two new announcements after they go over their Anime Expo info.
 

/XX/

Member
I'm in the minority in that I also like the first episode of Fate/Zero. It got me really interested in the show and I wanted to see what happens next. I just wish the home release was cheaper so I could actually buy it. :(
And to think that this box release was precisely what further cemented that successful business model for Aniplex USA, after the Kara no Kyōkai: The Garden of Sinners one. There is no going back, it seems... :-/

Is that the CG truck gif?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36179565&postcount=16567
 

sonicmj1

Member
Kino's Journey 11

Another sort of omnibus episode, this is Kino recounting the stories of the other people she encountered who were going on journeys, or went on journeys. Why do people travel? What's the point? Why did she tease me about the one thing I want to know?

irh4KglE2Zm66.jpg

GOD DAMMIT!

As Kino noted at the end, the important thing about traveling isn't necessarily the destination, but keeping an open mind on your way there. The unexpected encounters you have while traveling are usually the most special memories that you make.

Next episode looks really really dark.
 
Mahouka folks chose the right scenes and did conversation in a way to make every moment of the anime something to really grip me and keep me focused, interested even knowing the events. Their timing of certain moments is excellent too always making things suspenseful or excellently intriguing. Cast develops greatly and leaves a memorable impression, while most of whats done in the NGNL anime makes them feel like carbon copies of the tropes their supposed to be and nothing more. They do key moments well but flounder in all the other moments and I think just going for some type of tone that many scenes didnt convey to me in the reading of the material. Music in the NGNL also feels forgettable cant remember nary a track, while in Mahouka can easy remember that piano song that plays when miyuki speaks , or those two actiony tracks that play during action moments and feel really edgy and modern. Mahouka Koukou is like the shiny example of how an LN adaptation ought to be.

We have both read the books so while i'll agree that The mahouka anime does follow his content mostly well , it's certainly not without problems in term of pacing ..in particular thanks to the HUGE amount of backstory they have to adapt.

However most of the problems that many viewer that aren't obsessed with tatsuya are pointing every week is the fact that despite what seems to be a strong source matérial, it doesn't turn into something that is even.
For me mahouka , while good is far from being "the shiny example of how a LN adaptation ought to be" and i say this while acknowledging how difficult it is to adapt mahouka properly.
I can't belive you're accusing NGNL to miss everything other than the key moments when that's exactly what is the problem is mahouka current adaptation. exposition -> world building -> key moments. Ask anyone here that haven't read the mahouka books what they knows about the characters in mahouka that aren't tatsuya or miyuki ? And i say this after 12 eps that have already been aired.

Ps:
^That best adaptation award goes to LOG HORIZON^
 

Syrinx

Member
Kino's Journey 11

Another sort of omnibus episode, this is Kino recounting the stories of the other people she encountered who were going on journeys, or went on journeys. Why do people travel? What's the point? Why did she tease me about the one thing I want to know?



As Kino noted at the end, the important thing about traveling isn't necessarily the destination, but keeping an open mind on your way there. The unexpected encounters you have while traveling are usually the most special memories that you make.

Next episode looks really really dark.
You don't know the half of it.
 

Articalys

Member
First Aniplex announcement up is, naturally, the license for Aldnoah.Zero.

The second one, of course, is Persona 4 Golden.

So just the expected Aniplex summer shows.
 

Syrinx

Member
Baccano! 1

This OP is fucking dope. Hell, the whole OST from this episode was great.

I really like the setup and setting for this show. I feel like it's going to be difficult keeping up with all of the characters though. Kinda jumped right in without really giving any of them any introductions. Feels like Isaac and Miria will be the main focus, but with the first half of the episode between the newspaper editor and his assistant, maybe that feeling is presumptious.

I do know that the Gandor's seem like a pleasant bunch. And of course by pleasant I mean brutal.
 

Clov

Member
Aniplex just announced that they have Aldnoah Zero!

Edit: beaten ;-;

Edit 2: They have the new Persona 4 anime!
 
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