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Spring Anime 2015 |OT2| Euriphonium

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I'd hedge my bets and go 1-cour. Bandai Visual tends not to produce a lot of 2-cour series, so I'd assume 1-cour or possibly split rather than a straight 2-cour production.
Yeah that'd make sense, I ask because I can't remember the last time Ufotable put out a 1-cour only. I sorta like the format of 2-cours split with a Season break.

Shirou's been training in kendo for ten years. Gil doesn't know jack.
I found this to be good enough reason. Let's also not forget that he faced Archer, that even though is
himself from the future
, was still able to fight him as well. If he was able to fight an experienced "servant" that has seen a lot of first hand battle, with the extra mana boost by Rin and his Kendo training I think they were on pretty equal footing.
 

wonzo

Banned
JoJo '93 4-6 END
jojo933a.jpg
jojo933b.jpg

jojo934a.jpg
jojo934.jpg

Before I begin I just want to say the sacrifice at the very beginning of this OVA series was the perfect way to set the tone for the rest of the OVA run and I'm glad they cut it up (heh) for the "opening" of each installment.

Reading the JoJo's mangas has always been on my bucket list but I never really got around to it due to the (until recent) gaps in the series and (current) pisspoor quality control of the translations so it's been pretty fun watching some of the bits and pieces I've gathered from cultural osmosis fleshed out through the TV series. I'm glad that I put this OVA off until the end of Part 3 as it made me appreciate the sheer animation talent on display here (compared to the really inconsistent series) and the impeccable layouts and overall visual flair.

It also made me really appreciate the TV series and the things it did right. For example:

  • Jotaro being a far more stoic character (making the emotional payoff of the ending all the more evocative)
  • The casting in the TV series was utterly pitch-perfect and made some of the choices really stand out (not in a good way) in the OVA
  • The way ZA WARUDO was revealed was really, really smart and came across much better even though the OVA had better framing
  • Likewise with the quick cut to the blood drenched Senator's car, though I really appreciated the fucked up & meticulous (and brilliant) scene in the OVA (shoutouts to the tram bit in the latter too, goddamn)
  • And most importantly of all they stuck with the Steamroller!
I don't really know all that well how most of this compares to the source material (apart from steamroller!!) but I had a blast comparing and contrasting the two. I don't think I'll watch the 2000 OVA (unless there's some choice eps worth checking out) but man, the wait for Part 4 and beyond is gonna be absolutely unbearable. :(
 

Theonik

Member
2000 OVAs aren't as good as the 90s ones but still have some standout scenes and if you are looking to compare and contrast are worth it imo.
 

Baalzebup

Member
UBW 24
Not a fan of this episode tbh. Most of the dialogue was Shirou just explaining why he can fight a servant 1v1 and how that totally doesn't break the rules of the show which just leaves you looking at the stuff they didn't explain more closely to find holes. You can talk smack about Gil "not having mastered one sword" but when he is getting out-skilled and disarmed in a basic 1v1 sword fight by some random kid it definitely leaves you with a feeling that things are being pulled out of arses. The action was OK but due to the poor dialogue I was finding it very hard to gain any significance or meaning from the battle. It felt as if they were simply fighting to waste time. And then deus ex machina to save Shirou in the end.

Wasn't really a fan of UBW from the beginning so that probably clouded my thoughts but as a final battle it definitely lacked a sense of it being a showdown of the real against the fake that it was supposed to be billed as but felt more like a perfunctory exercise of bending the rules enough to let the main character win.
Shirou's been training in kendo for ten years. Gil doesn't know jack.
I found this to be good enough reason. Let's also not forget that he faced Archer, that even though is
himself from the future
, was still able to fight him as well. If he was able to fight an experienced "servant" that has seen a lot of first hand battle, with the extra mana boost by Rin and his Kendo training I think they were on pretty equal footing.

There are multiple factors to Shirou having such prowess. Having done Kendo for quite some time is one and having some quality sparring time with Saber is a second one, but the main thing was that Shirou was straight out leeching fighting experience and skill from Archer, not only memories. There is a kind of a resonance between them, which was demonstrated in the Archer vs Shirou fight. Shirou learned Archers fighting style in leaps and bounds thanks to that. Gilgamesh is pretty shit at actual fighting, he just wields an unparallelled armory of totally crazy powerful weapons.

I find the complaint about the "deus ex machina" save at the finale rather stale, considering that one can easily level that exact same complaint at Shirou running out of mana right at that moment, instead of, say, 10 seconds later after he had carved Dr. Gil with a couple more slashes. The end sequence was ruled by the rule of drama and it pissed on both parties equally. Even Gilgamesh admitted that Shirou won that one, even if it really was because his pride made him hesitate in drawing Ea again, which is perfectly fitting to the narrative and characterization thus far.
 

phaze

Member
BBB 11

Is she kill ?

The Big O 1

I lol'd at the rocket suitcase.

This has been on my to do list for quite a while, might as well try to finish two big robot shows in a row. So far it looks and feels like a Batman x Ergo Proxy x Big ass robots fusion. Outside of the iffy dialogue here and there, a pretty decent opening episode. Though from reading some reviews, the episodic nature and supposedly bullshit ending set off every possible red lamp in my brain. Say it ain't so Konaka !

I see there is even a petition for season 3 and a different ending. Is it that bad ?
 
So, besides the Monogatari series, are there any good anime based off light novels? I should preface some answers by telling you that I don't think highly of Haruhi or SNAFU.
 

wonzo

Banned
2000 OVAs aren't as good as the 90s ones but still have some standout scenes and if you are looking to compare and contrast are worth it imo.
cursory look at sakugabooru and it seems ohira did a cut for it. guess i'll check it out after all!
 
Ah yeh, Katanagatari was alright.

Haven't seen Log Horizon but the first season seems to be highly regarded.


Never heard about Boogiepop Phantom, though.
 

wonzo

Banned
So, besides the Monogatari series, are there any good anime based off light novels? I should preface some answers by telling you that I don't think highly of Haruhi or SNAFU.
spice & wolf
welcome to the nhk is a decent watch (but its really babbyfied compared to the source)
 

striferser

Huge Nickleback Fan
So, besides the Monogatari series, are there any good anime based off light novels? I should preface some answers by telling you that I don't think highly of Haruhi or SNAFU.

Kino no Tabi
Boogiepop phantom
Spice and Wolf
Fate/Zero
Baccano
Durarara
Humanity has declined
Log Horizon
The Devil Is a Part-Timer!
NHK ni youkoso
Toshokan Sensō
Katanagatari

At least that's the one i already watch and i consider it to be far better than most adapted LN
 
Well what type are you looking for?

Just generally good ones because too often I've found myself considering an anime terrible just to find out it was another LN adaptation. Not that there'd be any blame to put on the medium itself, I was just wondering how many good ones are out there...if any really.

But you know, now that I've been shown a bunch of examples, it looks like there's plenty good LNs (that also have been adapted).

Baccano is enjoyed quite a bit and Welcome to the NHK is tantastic.
 

Cornbread78

Member
Ah yeh, Katanagatari was alright.

Haven't seen Log Horizon but the first season seems to be highly regarded.


Never heard about Boogiepop Phantom, though.


First and second season are very good, bit it's going to be a long wait for S3 and they stopped S2 right in the middle of a new arc.
 

javac

Member
Holy shit! I watched the movie and I like it, especially the end.

Does this have both the first anime and the sequel?

I'm glad that you're interested in it :) I'm pretty sure that this is just the first TV series that ran from 1981 to 1983 and consisted of 64 episodes (1589 min runtime). The first series was directed by Takahata which is probably the reason this exists on Blu-ray hah. This does not include the Kazuyoshi Yokota directed 39 episode sequel.

The film which was also directed by Takahata is out soon too (July 17th)

Unfortunately neither of these include English subs so not very importer friendly.
 

Midonin

Member
Show By Rock!! 12

The anime that proved CGI can have a place in anime, and that Sanrio can be a surprisingly strong player in the late night market. Viewing it from here, the opening and closing scenes of the show make it clear. This was just as much about friendship and self confidence as it was "about music". A show is never entirely just about its premise, and the way everyone in Plasmagica - and in other bands - dealt with self-confidence and friendship kept the show interesting even when there wasn't action or a song performance going on. The world was crazy, but in a fun way, the characters were lovable. One of the most enjoyable shows of the season - Sunday overall was cute, but this started that off on the right foot. Good, good stuff.
 

Theonik

Member
cursory look at sakugabooru and it seems ohira did a cut for it. guess i'll check it out after all!
I think the main reason they are disliked is that they took an even more drab grimdark approach to the material than the 90s OVA. Not that it's the only thing that's wrong with them but that makes them even more interesting to compare.
 
I found this to be good enough reason. Let's also not forget that he faced Archer, that even though is
himself from the future
, was still able to fight him as well. If he was able to fight an experienced "servant" that has seen a lot of first hand battle, with the extra mana boost by Rin and his Kendo training I think they were on pretty equal footing.

he also asked for saber help for his sword skills at various points during season 1

So, besides the Monogatari series, are there any good anime based off light novels? I should preface some answers by telling you that I don't think highly of Haruhi or SNAFU.

Plenty:

12th kingdoms
Log horizon
Spice and wolf

This top 3 should keep you entertained enough for starters
 

wonzo

Banned
Should I read the LN instead of watching NHK?
I'd so so, yeah.

I think the main reason they are disliked is that they took an even more drab grimdark approach to the material than the 90s OVA. Not that it's the only thing that's wrong with them but that makes them even more interesting to compare.
Didn't really mind how brooding it was but it got pretty close at times.
 

Link Man

Banned
Show by Rock 12

The more I look at it, the more this resembles a fluffier,
happier Madoka Magica
. Fun show, very cute.
 

Phatmac

Member
UBW 24
Holy cow what a journey. To those who critique this show to hell and back let me tell you this, my opinion is my own and I thought it was excellent. And this episode? Good lord, Ufotable went all out on this one. Non-stop action with crazy visuals, this was quite the send off...

HUq6HM2l.jpg


So epilogue next week??
Yup the epilogue is next week!
 

Midonin

Member
High School DxD BorN 12

I get that this season rearranged a lot of things, but as someone who hasn't read the novels, I didn't really notice. The season continued a lot of things that are good about DxD - Issei is powerful, but not overpowered. Perverted, but not a sleazebag. And more than willing to make a fool of himself and fail in battle. That he's increasingly turning into Kamen Rider Wizard All Dragon helps. It feels the like the balance of action and eros has been going more and more towards action as the show goes on, with the eros mostly contained to the OVAs. That's not a bad thing, and I enjoyed this season too - finding out more about Koneko was appreciated, the the sheer amount of people in House Gremory just keeps growing.

There is a part of me that wants to see Irina's daily activities as an Ace Angel, but that may be the Mayayan bias speaking. If I had one regret from this season, it's that no character songs are being produced for it. At least not yet. I enjoyed it, and am curious if there's going to be a fourth season down the road.
 

Jarmel

Banned
Show By Rock-12
ccBPRcH.jpg

Dagger>>>Puck

Why does this show have a more threatening villain than most late night anime? Wait, I know why; effective color usage, shape morphing to give him a Lovecraftian feel, and solid VA work.
ThYJAKs.jpg

Dude had an awesome drumline intro.
Show provided a great ending with strong visuals. This episode was storyboarded much better than I expected even if it didn't have an insane sakuga moment. As such I feel like it generated the right emotions for a finale and it works to bookend the story and Cyan's character development. The concert at the end was handled really well as a
farewell between the characters but also as a celebration of their relationship
.
Say what you will about BONES but they know how to do climaxes.
 
Tari Tari 05 Really liking so far.
Kekkai Sensen 11 Well that was a very different episode.
Plastic Memories 12 Probably lose memories and she'll fall for him again? I don't really care at this point.
Grisaia no Rakuen 10 Yup, episode is too damn
hype
and dumb as hell. Overall I thought was pretty damn great, season 1 is still pretty terrible. Better continue riding Grisaia train Type-Moon style and adapt the true goat game.
Robo arm reveal
still funny.
Sound Euphonism - 01
I may be late on this yuri train but let's goooooo!
The Yuri baiting is so good.
 
F/SN UBW 20

JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE CORRECT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE RIGHT

1264091579_kirk_rofl.gif


I'm not exactly sure what resolution Shirou came to but at least it was entertaining in a dumb/pretty way to get there.
 

dimb

Bjergsen is the greatest midlane in the world
UBW 24
Not a fan of this episode tbh. Most of the dialogue was Shirou just explaining why he can fight a servant 1v1 and how that totally doesn't break the rules of the show which just leaves you looking at the stuff they didn't explain more closely to find holes. You can talk smack about Gil "not having mastered one sword" but when he is getting out-skilled and disarmed in a basic 1v1 sword fight by some random kid it definitely leaves you with a feeling that things are being pulled out of arses. The action was OK but due to the poor dialogue I was finding it very hard to gain any significance or meaning from the battle. It felt as if they were simply fighting to waste time. And then deus ex machina to save Shirou in the end.

Wasn't really a fan of UBW from the beginning so that probably clouded my thoughts but as a final battle it definitely lacked a sense of it being a showdown of the real against the fake that it was supposed to be billed as but felt more like a perfunctory exercise of bending the rules enough to let the main character win.
literally the entire story is about how shirou becomes
a heroic spirit.
 

javac

Member
Giant Robo 7

I see your problem with the ending with the Big Fire plot in-particular and hear it a lot so you're not alone with that sentiment, however to be honest I loved the way in which it ended. It really felt reminiscent of the Saturday-morning cartoon vibe it went for, as in, the world continues whether they want it to or not, and as the cogs turn, another threat arises and presses ahead. They're just cannon fodder in the end, and their story is small piece of the larger puzzle. Yes the series itself never delves into the larger picture, so it may seem pointless to ever bring it up in the first place, but I guess in the end its just world building, and again making the world feel bigger then they are, one that continues as if nothing ever happened when in actuality their own personal world crumbled before their eyes. It helps create that larger than life feeling that encapsulates Giant Robo. Giant Robo is without a doubt one of my favorite series of all time, I'm glad that you enjoyed it and that you've moved onto The Big O, another one I enjoyed. Weaker second half imo.
 
Yup the epilogue is next week!
Pretty interested in seeing what they show, how far in the future they go or if they just continue a few days later after episode 24. If they do go into the future
I'd be interested in seeing whether this timeline's Shirou falls into the same loop of events, or if his encounter with himself as Archer changed him a bit.
 
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