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[Jex]

The funny thing is that it was the music added to the videos the reason they took them down, because Murad mentioned Sony Music Entertainment Japan Inc., as the culprit. Toei Animation doesn't seem to care much about that.

That's even worse! At least they didn't leave it up and just remove the music, which is equally annoying.

The Italian Hulk 02:

Spoiler

He should've seen a doctor about those hands and chin sooner.

Wow, what's with the perspective in that shot? I know his hands are close to the camera, but damn!

 

[Thoraxes]

Memes in general are pretty pointless (unless they involve Puffins) and we're all aware that anime is neither saved nor dead because the next season will usually be completely different, regardless of how good or bad the current season is. For example, Summer looks to be a very unimpressive season.

This summer so far looks to be the "season of second halves of shows" with not-that-great new stuff.

 

[dimb]

Also, I think Zombie has taught me that the English word for tsundere is "dominatrix".

The end of the last season has kept this pretty low on my priority list. Guess I should shift it up higher.

 

[madp]

Haiyore! Nyaruko 01:

So, I was 9/10ths asleep when I watched this and 99/100ths asleep as I type so it might be affecting my judgment, but.........I'm just not feeling the moe. Three major problems that I have with Nyaruko:

• 1. She has perma-blush, and that bugs the shit out of me.
  
• 2. Something's unpleasant about the shade of her hair. Instead of silver, it's kind of a sickly gray, like the color of, I don't know, an old dog or something. She just looks diseased.
  
• 3. She shouts EVERYTHING that she says. Loud =! genki.

I was barely staying interested through the first half, but when

Spoiler

Nyaruko confessed to generic protagonist-kun

and the show hit the

Spoiler

high school life

shit, I knew I'd never be able to make it through the series.

So, somebody explain this to me. If Nyarlathotep and the other Lovecraftian monsters in the show

Spoiler

are actually aliens and not embodiments of madness and evil lurking deep in the earth or whatever

, then why

Spoiler

bother with the Lovecraft theme in the first place? The whole "galactic patrol protecting earth from evil aliens" thing would be the same with or without the Lovecraft stuff

.

I know that this is just another example of Japan moefying anything and everything, but it can still be done in a manner that satisfactorily preserves the nature of what's being moefied. Ikamusume was still pretty squiddy. Nyaruko is just the same old moe with some "omg a girl who likes otaku stuff fapfapfap" wish fulfillment and dash of

Spoiler

violence

in lieu of what I would expect to be more specifically Lovecraftian personality traits. Sorry, guys, but I'm just not going to be able to follow this one. Dropped.

 

[Jex]

If it wasn't for Apollon airing in a few hours, I might've offed myself after reading Envelope's Bebop impressions. Such blatant blasphemy.

That's kind of an extreme reaction, sire.

I agree.

 

[Crash Station]

Hayate no Gotoku 21

I never realized when I was watching this 5 years ago just how similar it is to Gintama. I mean it isn't as good and doesn't have a billion dirty jokes, but the structure is similar. Self-aware parody, serious action arcs, someone named Tama, and even an important character voiced by Rie.

 

[Jex]

Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna 2
However, they do go overboard with the shadowing way too much. It just seems distracting and obscures some of the action going on. There's a problem when I can't see half the shit that's on the screen.

Half the screen is covered by the shadows for what exact reason? To clearly segregate the pair in the middle as the center of attention? You already partly achieved that with the positioning of th characters. I just can't accept this artistic decision. Use shadowing with moderation and self restraint, please.

I agree, it looks about as bad as it did last episodes. Which is to say, at certain they use it properly and at others it just a weird distracting filter placed on top of the art.

 

[Branduil]

Haiyore! Nyaruko 01:

So, somebody explain this to me. If Nyarlathotep and the other Lovecraftian monsters in the show

Spoiler

are actually aliens and not embodiments of madness and evil lurking deep in the earth or whatever

, then why

Spoiler

bother with the Lovecraft theme in the first place? The whole "galactic patrol protecting earth from evil aliens" thing would be the same with or without the Lovecraft stuff

.

Because they hate everything that is right and good in the world.

 

[firehawk12]

Two observations about Eureka 7 AO

1) I'm glad they don't waste any time explaining what a

Spoiler

Scub Coral

is supposed to be. Everyone in the world knows, so there's no need for a five minute blahblahblah science fiction info dump.

2) This episode reminded me so much of Evangelion. From the actual set up of an

Spoiler

apathetic youth

, to the

Spoiler

destruction of the town

, to the appearance and presumed response to the

Spoiler

G-Monsters/"Angels"

, to the actual preview, where the

Spoiler

older woman in command narrates the preview and then says the episode title

. I thought my brain was melting when I was watching it, but for some reason I feel compelled to stick around to see if they keep it up given that the original E7 was supposedly compared so strongly to Evangelion as well.

Random sub point: I like the music.

The end of the last season has kept this pretty low on my priority list. Guess I should shift it up higher.

Well, if you want to watch a show where his harem both loves him and shits all over him, it's great!

 

[Lafiel]

Kids on the Slope 1 - The first episode was extremely well-executed as expected from Watanabe, I'm also digging the characters and premise, but I'm definitely not feeling as excited about it as I should be. The material is very standard "noitamina" imo, which isn't a bad thing at all, but at the same time, it feels dunno a tad to safe for a Watanabe show, even the direction felt to restrained compared to the likes of Cowboy bebop and Samurai champloo, I think AnimeGAF is definitely over-selling it, I mean it is good sure, but if it wasn't for the Watanabe name, I doubt people here would be treating it like the second coming of jesus.

Also I actually like the look of the series unlike my nakama pizzaroll, but I can definitely see how the style would be a turn-off, it has a weird extra-dimensional look that somewhat looks off at times, but I can see what they are aiming for with it, and I kinda like it.

 

[frostbyte]

Well I finished my 4-year as a composition major, and am currently at a pretty good conservatory now for my master's program. Both of them pretty much require/required piano as a minor, so i'm in it for the long run it seems. Also, it's good for the master's track because (surprisingly) decent piano skills will get you decent teaching jobs anywhere.

Wow. Well, hope you do well in your master's program.

Because I was curious (curiosity killed the cat), I checked if there were any real K-On London tours trying to capitalize on the movie. Apparently, the answer is YES. And its not some bootleg tour, no. This one is operated by JAL and the tour covers the exact places the girls go to. :lol

I should go visit Jex and Steroyd sometime.

Huh, I should be surprised but I really am not. Is this the only anime to have overseas tours?

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

Memes in general are pretty pointless (unless they involve Puffins) and we're all aware that anime is neither saved nor dead because the next season will usually be completely different, regardless of how good or bad the current season is. For example, Summer looks to be a very unimpressive season.

I don't know; it may not be as impressive as this season but what is? Moyashimon, Natsuyuki, Utakoi and Binbougami ga! have a lot of potential, plus some less-promising but still possibly entertaining shows such as Sword Art Online and Tari Tari. Looks pretty good to me.

 

[Crash Station]

Memes in general are pretty pointless (unless they involve Puffins) and we're all aware that anime is neither saved nor dead because the next season will usually be completely different, regardless of how good or bad the current season is. For example, Summer looks to be a very unimpressive season.

Next season has Binbo-gami ga! That alone makes it better than the fall and winter seasons combined. With 1 or 2 more shows of that quality, it would be better than this one.

 

[Jex]

I really enjoy this season so far. Seems surprisingly diverse. There's something for everyone, and quite a few above average shows.

Crazy as this may sound to some of you, I think Spring 2011 was really good for that as well. There were a wide variety of shows catering to fans of numerous genres and styles - but the shows that season weren't really up to the same level as shows this season. It was still a strong season though.

 

[Hellsing321]

Tsuritama 1

Well that was something alright. I'm not quite sure if I liked it or not. The visuals are striking with the vibrant colors but then it also gives everything a flat feeling which is probably what they were going for so mission accomplished, I guess. The characters didn't click with me yet and I found both of them to be kind of annoying. Sugita's guy looks like he could be awesome though so theres that. The music was great to and fit with the off kilter feeling of the show perfectly. And yes it certainly has the GILF of the season. I'll stick around for more. Also this show makes me wish for a Nakamura directed Cencoroll 2.

 

[Jex]

I don't know; it may not be as impressive as this season but what is? Moyashimon, Natsuyuki, Utakoi and Binbougami ga! have a lot of potential, plus some less-promising but still possibly entertaining shows such as Sword Art Online and Tari Tari. Looks pretty good to me.

I am mainly interested in Moyashimon and a couple of other shows. Three shows for a whole season isn't much, especially when I know that at least one of them will be disappointing.

 

[Regulus Tera]

Tsuritama 01

Started really slow, but things got going as soon as Haru met Yuki. The color design is really impressive and the water animation sumptuous. The amount of beautiful non-derivative anime airing this season is making me hopeful that maybe anime doesn't have be all trash moéshit.

Goddamn Haru is genki as fuck.

 

[Instro]

Kids on the Slope 1 - The first episode was extremely well-executed as expected from Watanabe, I'm also digging the characters and premise, but I'm definitely not feeling as excited about it as I should be. The material is very standard "noitamina" imo, which isn't a bad thing at all, but at the same time, it feels dunno a tad to safe for a Watanabe show, even the direction felt to restrained compared to the likes of Cowboy bebop and Samurai champloo, I think AnimeGAF is definitely over-selling it, I mean it is good sure, but if it wasn't for the Watanabe name, I doubt people here would be treating it like the second coming of jesus.

Also I actually like the look of the series unlike my nakama pizzaroll, but I can definitely see how the style would be a turn-off, it has a weird extra-dimensional look that somewhat looks off at times, but I can see what they are aiming for with it, and I kinda like it.

 

[frostbyte]

I agree, it looks about as bad as it did last episodes. Which is to say, at certain they use it properly and at others it just a weird distracting filter placed on top of the art.

I thought I was the only one who actually had a problem with this. And sure, they use it well in some situations but other times, it seems like plain scribbling on the sides of the scenes, just for the sake of it.

Kids on the Slope 1 - The first episode was extremely well-executed as expected from Watanabe, I'm also digging the characters and premise, but I'm definitely not feeling as excited about it as I should be. The material is very standard "noitamina" imo, which isn't a bad thing at all, but at the same time, it feels dunno a tad to safe for a Watanabe show, even the direction felt to restrained compared to the likes of Cowboy bebop and Samurai champloo, I think AnimeGAF is definitely over-selling it, I mean it is good sure, but if it wasn't for the Watanabe name, I doubt people here would be treating it like the second coming of jesus.

Also I actually like the look of the series unlike my nakama pizzaroll, but I can definitely see how the style would be a turn-off, it has a weird extra-dimensional look that somewhat looks off at times, but I can see what they are aiming for with it, and I kinda like it.

The standard definition of Noitamina has been dragged through the mud after crap like Guilty Crown, BRS TV and [C]. I'm hopeful for the return of Noitamina but I'm not counting on it.

 

[Branduil]

Kids on the Slope 1 - The first episode was extremely well-executed as expected from Watanabe, I'm also digging the characters and premise, but I'm definitely not feeling as excited about it as I should be. The material is very standard "noitamina" imo, which isn't a bad thing at all, but at the same time, it feels dunno a tad to safe for a Watanabe show, even the direction felt to restrained compared to the likes of Cowboy bebop and Samurai champloo, I think AnimeGAF is definitely over-selling it, I mean it is good sure, but if it wasn't for the Watanabe name, I doubt people here would be treating it like the second coming of jesus.

Also I actually like the look of the series unlike my nakama pizzaroll, but I can definitely see how the style would be a turn-off, it has a weird extra-dimensional look that somewhat looks off at times, but I can see what they are aiming for with it, and I kinda like it.

It's a very three-dimensional look for a hand-drawn anime, and it's mostly achieved without massive amounts of CGI. It's as though the series is staged and lit more like a CG cartoon, with attention focused on 3D spaces and objects. At the same time, most of the backgrounds, and the characters, are still hand-drawn.

It's sort of like the polar opposite of the kind of style you see in Ikuhara-influenced directors, where the screen is treated like a stage and all kinds of abstract and flat imagery can be used. Instead it's much more focused on building a real world that inhabits a real space.

 

[Femmeworth]

Because I was curious (curiosity killed the cat), I checked if there were any real K-On London tours trying to capitalize on the movie. Apparently, the answer is YES. And its not some bootleg tour, no. This one is operated by JAL and the tour covers the exact places the girls go to. :lol

I should go visit Jex and Steroyd sometime.

Jexhius is British? Well, that would make sense.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

I am mainly interested in Moyashimon and a couple of other shows. Three shows for a whole season isn't much, especially when I know that at least one of them will be disappointing.

Well, OK. We'll see how it turns out!

(I'm going to declare right now that Natsuyuki will be the best new show of the summer.)

 

[Jex]

I just wish Medaka didn't look like something out of a hentai or Queen's blade or something.

Medeka doesn't really look like Queen's Blade, because Queen's Blade has far better art and animation.

 

[Articalys]

Last week I decided to give Natsuiro Kiseki the benefit of the doubt and try it for one more episode. This week they failed to uphold that trust. The show is still terrible, even with magically enforced yuri shenanigans.

 

[zeroshiki]

Huh, I should be surprised but I really am not. Is this the only anime to have overseas tours?

Probably not since the Japanese are big on theme tours. I just find it strangely unsettling to be going on a tour that imaginary characters went on.

 

[Branduil]

Medeka doesn't really look like Queen's Blade, because Queen's Blade has far better art and animation.

It sounds like you know a lot about this.

 

[Risette]

It's a very three-dimensional look for a hand-drawn anime, and it's mostly achieved without massive amounts of CGI. It's as though the series is staged and lit more like a CG cartoon, with attention focused on 3D spaces and objects. At the same time, most of the backgrounds, and the characters, are still hand-drawn.

It would probably look better if the backgrounds were CG though. There is merit in well-done CG backgrounds. Currently, the way the animation moves and the way the backgrounds look don't gel at all. It looks like they are occurring on different planes of reality. Look at Innocence -- most of the backgrounds in that are all CG (and still look good!), because the animation is very three-dimensional, and it works.

It's sort of like the polar opposite of the kind of style you see in Ikuhara-influenced directors, where the screen is treated like a stage and all kinds of abstract and flat imagery can be used. Instead it's much more focused on building a real world that inhabits a real space.

Dezaki.

 

[Jex]

Kids on the Slope 1 - The first episode was extremely well-executed as expected from Watanabe, I'm also digging the characters and premise, but I'm definitely not feeling as excited about it as I should be. The material is very standard "noitamina" imo, which isn't a bad thing at all, but at the same time, it feels dunno a tad to safe for a Watanabe show, even the direction felt to restrained compared to the likes of Cowboy bebop and Samurai champloo, I think AnimeGAF is definitely over-selling it, I mean it is good sure, but if it wasn't for the Watanabe name, I doubt people here would be treating it like the second coming of jesus.

I don't really have a problem with anything you've written here apart from that. I feel like that's kind of a shitty argument because:

- it assumes people are only really excited for something if it's tied into a famous director,

and

- that if it's made by a famous director we will like it regardless of the quality

I feel like this has already been disproved. For example people, rightly, lambasted [C] for being a pretty poor work from a great director and haven't we all been singing the praises of Sankarea, which isn't attached to any famous names?

Moreover, it seems kind of insulting to suggest that our appreciation of a show is so easily manipulated that simply having a well-known director attached to it would make people praise it, regardless of what they actually saw with their eyes.

 

[firehawk12]

Tsuritama 01

Started really slow, but things got going as soon as Haru met Yuki. The color design is really impressive and the water animation sumptuous. The amount of beautiful non-derivative anime airing this season is making me hopeful that maybe anime doesn't have be all trash moéshit.

Goddamn Haru is genki as fuck.

If you like Haru, you should watch Kimi to Boku. Same voice actor (I think) playing essentially the same character.

 

[Risette]

I don't really have a problem with anything you've written here apart from that. I feel like that's kind of a shitty argument because:

- it assumes people are only really excited for something if it's tied into a famous director,

and

- that if it's made by a famous director we will all hype it up.

I feel like this has already been disproved. For example people, rightly, lambasted [C] for being a pretty poor work from a great director and haven't we all been singing the praises of Sankarea, which isn't attached to any famous names?

Moreover, it seems kind of insulting to suggest that are appreciation of a show is so easily manipulated that simple having a well-known director attached to it would make people praise it, regardless of what they actually saw with there eyes.

I don't think you're right. Most people hold Watanabe higher in regard than Nakamura pre-C, and would probably be more likely to silently forgive any flaws the show has.

Such as the shaky cam when something "exciting" happens in Apollon, like the fight and the drums. Comes off as really cheap and lazy. It's like it's telling the viewer to pay attention in a really heavy handed way.

 

[Lafiel]

I don't really have a problem with anything you've written here apart from that. I feel like that's kind of a shitty argument because:

- it assumes people are only really excited for something if it's tied into a famous director,

and

- that if it's made by a famous director we will like it regardless of the quality

Actually if Kids on the Slope was directed by a different director I'm pretty sure it would get praise here regardless, because AnimeGAF loves noitamina stuff, I just think people are overselling it due to the Watanabe name, heck I know a number of people who wouldn't even watch the show if it wasn't directed by Watanabe to begin with, so there's that too.

 

[Branduil]

It would probably look better if the backgrounds were CG though. There is merit in well-done CG backgrounds. Currently, the way the animation moves and the way the backgrounds look don't gel at all. It looks like they are occurring on different planes of reality. Look at Innocence -- most of the backgrounds in that are all CG (and still look good!), because the animation is very three-dimensional, and it works.

There's nothing wrong with CG backgrounds, but I don't see any problems with the backgrounds in KotS either(some of which are 3D or have 3D elements). Innocence is a movie, so it's not surprising it looks better.

 

[Risette]

There's nothing wrong with CG backgrounds, but I don't see any problems with the backgrounds in KotS either(some of which are 3D or have 3D elements). Innocence is a movie, so it's not surprising it looks better.

It's a movie that's almost 8 years old, though. CG tech and implementation has advanced! Plus I'm not expecting it to look that good, but it's an example of how CG backgrounds with 2D animation that moves very three-dimensionally looks when done right.

 

[dimb]

Guilty Crown 22
Welp. This was the ending Guilty Crown deserved at least. Anti-climactic, uneventful, and with very little actual resolution.

Spoiler

It's sort of like the show looked at its watch and went, "Oh jeez, look at the time," and then proceeded to kill off every villain all at the same time with minimal fanfare.

Somehow in spite of how utterly nonsensical everything in this show is it really bothered me that the robot had a happy ending in the epilogue by meeting a girl robot and having robot babies. That's not how it works Guilty Crown!

 

[trejo]

Escritorio Carro Zombi Coreano de los Muertos 2

Needs less stargazing and harem expansion and more Megalo fightan and overall dumb shit.

 

[zeroshiki]

I don't really have a problem with anything you've written here apart from that. I feel like that's kind of a shitty argument because:

- it assumes people are only really excited for something if it's tied into a famous director,

and

- that if it's made by a famous director we will like it regardless of the quality

I feel like this has already been disproved. For example people, rightly, lambasted [C] for being a pretty poor work from a great director and haven't we all been singing the praises of Sankarea, which isn't attached to any famous names?

Moreover, it seems kind of insulting to suggest that our appreciation of a show is so easily manipulated that simply having a well-known director attached to it would make people praise it, regardless of what they actually saw with their eyes.

Miyazaki is the sacredest of sacred cows and people insult Howl's all over this thread.

 

[Jex]

I don't think you're right. Most people hold Watanabe higher in regard than Nakamura pre-C, and would probably be more likely to silently forgive any flaws the show has.

That's some real bullshit. I guess that's why no-one complained about Howls Moving Castle?

That's a lot of deep introspection into the thoughts of other people that I find quite unfounded.
Such as the shaky cam when something "exciting" happens in Apollon, like the fight and the drums. Comes off as really cheap and lazy. It's like it's telling the viewer to pay attention in a really heavy handed way.

Problems for you do not = problems for everyone else.

 

[frostbyte]

Such as the shaky cam when something "exciting" happens in Apollon, like the fight and the drums. Comes off as really cheap and lazy. It's like it's telling the viewer to pay attention in a really heavy handed way.

How do you see the "shaky cam" as cheap and lazy? I thought it was trying to convey a sense of motion in the fight scene, making it seem more dynamic and three-dimensional. In the drum scene, it's quite subtle, and also kind of fits in with how Kaoru cringes from the ringing at first but soon lets go and listens. I can see how you might not like it but cheap and lazy?

 

[Jex]

Actually if Kids on the Slope was directed by a different director I'm pretty sure it would get praise here regardless, because AnimeGAF loves noitamina stuff, I just think people are overselling it due to the Watanabe name, heck I know a number of people who wouldn't even watch the show if it wasn't directed by Watanabe to begin with, so there's that too.

That's right, we're all sheep etc because you don't like a show as much as someone else. I don't buy it.

I've only seen the first episode of Kimi ni Todoke, and I liked it well enough, but I'm afraid to watch more because I've heard how things apparently never get resolved. I don't know if I could stand 30+ episodes of slowjo stalling.

Well, I really enjoyed the first season but I can't really get over the pacing in the second. I found it deeply frustrating, even though in reality both seasons are filled with stalling.

 

[Lafiel]

Miyazaki is the sacredest of sacred cows and people insult Howl's all over this thread.

Only AnimeGAF though, if you asked most casual ghibli fans, they'd probably admit to actually liking Howls moving castle!

 

[Risette]

That's some real bullshit. I guess that's why no-one complained about Howls Moving Castle?

Doesn't that sort of prove my point? People who complain about Howls are in the minority because the Miyazaki name tricks everyone else.

 

[frostbyte]

Only AnimeGAF though, if you asked most casual ghibli fans, they'd probably admit to actually liking Howls moving castle!

What about Ponyo? I don't think anyone can defend Ponyo.

 

[Branduil]

Only AnimeGAF though, if you asked most casual ghibli fans, they'd probably admit to actually liking Howls moving castle!

So what you're saying is, it's time to talk smack about animesuki again?

 

[zeroshiki]

Only AnimeGAF though, if you asked most casual ghibli fans, they'd probably admit to actually liking Howls moving castle!

That's not even true. You really think the same amount of people like Howl's as Totoro?

 

[dimb]

What about Ponyo? I don't think anyone can defend Ponyo.

If we're talking about critical praise: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ponyo/

 

[trejo]

Geez, Jex. Kinda odd to see you fall into their trap like that.

 

[Jintor]

Honestly, I liked Howls as an experience. Not necessarily as a great story.

 

[Jex]

Doesn't that sort of prove my point? People who complain about Howls are in the minority because the Miyazaki name tricks everyone else.

Not really, unless we work with a very loose definition of 'everyone else' - I know plenty of people who find Howl's disappointing outside of this thread. Not that this has anything to do with what's being discussed e.g. people are stupid and will automatically like a show because it's made by a famous director.

I just happen to find that argument (or any variation of it) acceptable - it's a lazy stand-in for a real argument about why you don't like a particular aspect of the show.

 

[Risette]

If we're talking about critical praise: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ponyo/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/howls_moving_castle/

Critics, 86%. Audience, 93%.

People sure do hate Howls!

 

[Branduil]

Well, I really enjoyed the first season but I can't really get over the pacing in the second. I found it deeply frustrating, even though in reality both seasons are filled with stalling.

Well there's a difference between stalling by focusing on other characters' relationships and stalling based on increasingly unbelievable misunderstandings.