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[MikeHattsu]

Non Non Biyori has some great highs, but it feels like the director has grown more confident in his style and made a more consistent show in Tanaka-kun, without some of the more unpleasant aspects of Non Non Biyori. I've only seen S1 and not Repeat yet, though.

Well, Repeat got less of the unpleasant aspects.

 

[A Black Falcon]

Looking for any previous mentions in animegaf threads of BSP: Abyss of Hyperspace, I see a handful of people mentioning watching it in 2014 and 2015, mostly positive, though none say more than a sentence or two, or even mention that the movie's actually mostly focused on this random new guy and not Marika. So yeah, not much, before my review there.

Hey, a wild ABF appears!

I know, I have watched anime sometimes, but as you may remember some time back I switched over to mostly writing reviews of games since I like them more than anime. But for those movies I definitely had to write something. Maybe I'll do more, but much shorter than those, I don't know.

That said, best TV anime so far this season is, naturally, Kyoukai no Rinne, because Rumiko Takahashi is great. This is a show that should be getting a lot more attention than it does. Other than that, I also like Bakuon, Flying Witch, and Luluco. Hundred... is not terrible, but it's trying so hard to be the new IS that it just comes across as a second-rate clone. I've only watched a few episodes so far.

There's so little story that it hardly matters anyway.

They spend quite a bit of time telling that "so little story", though...

There's just this part:

My impression is that this is the reconciliation scene, with her mother actually stamping the form. I don't get why they never actually have a scene together though.

You think her mother stamped it? Her sister's wink suggested to me that she dealt with it without mother's involvement, unless she's playing both sides by having mother stamp it but then not telling Miho about that? But if so the movie certainly doesn't follow up on any of that, as beyond her attending the match the plot is dropped once the battle begins.

Although not much of one.

Slightly more than near-nonexistent is still bad.

They're not stills though... more like only slight movement and no (audible) dialogue. I suppose it should be criticised a bit, but given that the plot was stupid, I thought basically just ending with a easy "We won!" was fine.

I wanted actual closure in the plot with her family, since the movie takes some steps towards that then stops...

I know that there is also that followup OVA bonus that came with the film, and I did also watch it, but while maybe I'll write a little about that (there isn't much to say, it's basic comedy stuff), it does not continue the Miho's family plotline, just some more with Ooarai people and the rival girl.

Yeah the girls/cg mesh is noticable, but I think relative to the benefits of doing it this way it's fine. I love a good hand-drawn mecha/tank/whatever but imagining GuP done that way is also making me imagine, like, 3 dead studios worth of animators who all immolated themselves from overwork hand-drawing every scene in that movie.

Yeah, hand-drawing this movie would be an insane task... think Redline. The results would be cool, but you can't expect that kind of thing often, way too much work.

wouldn't mind a short in 2d quality though, that'd be fun.

That would be great, yeah.

 

[blurr]

I didn't enjoy Repeat as much as the first season/whatever but that's just me. It's something I should've watched at my own pace than religiously on a weekly basis.

 

[firehawk12]

More or less I agree. And the side characters are the reason I continued watching it. But I've already lost my interest on the series now.

Also, it's a bit weird that people seem to like the show a lot, and yet the main (only?) reason they praise the show is because it's "comfy af". Is this another word for dull or boring? I get that it's a SoL about countrylife, but this seems stuck on the premise, with zero development for its characters and literary nothing happening. The idea of the show is actually cool, but I don't think they've explored the world of magic enough, even for what they want to show, it feels like the characters do science experiments on their backyard. It doesn't even look good enough to satisfy me with something like its animation or its art.

That's just slice of life in a nutshell though. It's about the situations and how the characters react to those situations and not about any specific narrative arc and not much conflict. It's also world building through these experiences, so you know that witches can own cafes with ghost waitresses or that there are teleportation spells and whatnot without any real need to sit down and explain this stuff.

 

[jediyoshi]

Haifuri 9

It feels like some writing decision happened and Moeka's story got pushed back further than was originally planned. Can't imagine they intended for the cliffhanger of when she last appeared to go completely unaddressed for this many episodes in a row.

 

[firehawk12]

You think her mother stamped it? Her sister's wink suggested to me that she dealt with it without mother's involvement, unless she's playing both sides by having mother stamp it but then not telling Miho about that? But if so the movie certainly doesn't follow up on any of that, as beyond her attending the match the plot is dropped once the battle begins.

So I have no idea what that form is for, but I assumed it was a transfer form to get back to Maho's school since everyone was going to be sent their to different places.

But even without that assumption, it looks like the mother knew that Miho was there all along, but things were just awkward to the point where they couldn't or didn't want to see each other, so Maho was just the one smoothing things over between them.

The fact that the mother helps save Miho's school is a way for her to acknowledge that Miho's way of driving tanks is as effective as their own family tank tradition, so she wants to let her keep developing on her own without being forced to come back home against her will.

But yes, I still would have liked to see a scene with them in the same room at least. Even if it was in the credits. lol

 

[Jintor]

I'm of the mind that an S2 of GuP is inevitable so if they're going to have any closure with the family they'll put it there or in a second movie.

I don't really have anything to base this off other than that the movie was hella successful, but still.



---

On a side note, I don't know if I want to watch Eupho s2 week by week. The only KyoAni show I've done that for was Haruhi s2 and that was a special case. I much prefer marathoning KyoAni shows... (indeed, I much prefer marathoning shows in general), but I don't know if I'll be able to resist...

 

[firehawk12]

I'm of the mind that an S2 of GuP is inevitable so if they're going to have any closure with the family they'll put it there or in a second movie.

I don't really have anything to base this off other than that the movie was hella successful, but still.

I'm sure it's inevitable. Gotta milk that cow while it's still producing!

This time they have to save Maho's school from closing and Miho is the only one who can do it. lol

 

[Thoraxes]

Today's batch of arrivals!

 

[Jintor]

throx pm me your address. i'm outta here in two months and I don't think the kyoani shop is going to update with any more prints anytime soon, so I should send this one off to you asap

Flying Witch 9

What a delightfully relaxing episode. The long-term joke was great and Akane's eeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhs were amazing. Also, paper crane magic.

herd you were talking shit about slice of life son

 

[Theonik]

throx pm me your address. i'm outta here in two months and I don't think the kyoani shop is going to update with any more prints anytime soon, so I should send this one off to you asap

What does the KyoAni shop got anyway?

 

[MikeHattsu]

What does the KyoAni shop got anyway?

All kinds of goods from bookmarks, buttons and mugs to artbooks, (a few) figures and LNs.

 

[jordisok]

Flying Witch 9

What a delightfully relaxing episode. The long-term joke was great and Akane's eeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhs were amazing. Also, paper crane magic.

I'm glad someone made that gif so I didn't have to.

 

[Jintor]

What does the KyoAni shop got anyway?

Megas would know the current stocktake, he was in Uji last weekend. Last time I checked they had a bunch of random junk from a random assortment of their series (overly expensive USB drives, buttons, that kinda stuff), a decent but largely sold out poster selection, a bunch of artbooks/visual guides, some software thing I don't know what it was, and a few bits of exclusive stuff.

I think if you check their site that's the same inventory.

 

[Qurupeke]

That's just slice of life in a nutshell though. It's about the situations and how the characters react to those situations and not about any specific narrative arc and not much conflict. It's also world building through these experiences, so you know that witches can own cafes with ghost waitresses or that there are teleportation spells and whatnot without any real need to sit down and explain this stuff.

It's just that neither the reactions nor the situations are doing it. The main characters repeat a series of same reactions, like Chinatsu being easily afraid and then getting overly excited. And the most interesting of the situations are basically just meeting new characters. I don't ask for plot or explanations on magic, I think they're on the right track. It's just that like half of the episodes I've watched are boring and the rest aren't good enough to justify the show.

On a side note, I don't know if I want to watch Eupho s2 week by week. The only KyoAni show I've done that for was Haruhi s2 and that was a special case. I much prefer marathoning KyoAni shows... (indeed, I much prefer marathoning shows in general), but I don't know if I'll be able to resist...

Having marathoned Hyouka and Eupho S1, I certainly get what you say. But definitely watching it as it airs, I don't think I can resist.

 

[Jintor]

one might as well say yotsuba& has no character growth though.

opinions!

 

[firehawk12]

It's just that neither the reactions nor the situations are doing it. The main characters repeat a series of same reactions, like Chinatsu being easily afraid and then getting overly excited. And the most interesting of the situations are basically just meeting new characters. I don't ask for plot or explanations on magic, I think they're on the right track. It's just that like half of the episodes I've watched are boring and the rest aren't good enough to justify the show.

The American equivalent is the sitcom. Part of the enjoyment comes from seeing characters react to situations in the way that you expect them to react, so Chinatsu is like the Renge of the show and always acts with wonder to the next new thing she sees.

Having marathoned Hyouka and Eupho S1, I certainly get what you say. But definitely watching it as it airs, I don't think I can resist.

It's funny though, speaking of slice of life, because I basically got tired of Euphonium since it just felt like yet another standard all-girls-life-lessons show and never finished it.

 

[Mendrox]

Weekly Eupho is best Eupho.

 

[Thoraxes]

throx pm me your address. i'm outta here in two months and I don't think the kyoani shop is going to update with any more prints anytime soon, so I should send this one off to you asap

Annnnd done.

I saw the prices for 3 and 4 on amazon JP and maaan

 

[BGBW]

I expect character growth in all mediums I consume.

That's why I only play Mario games and read Alice in Wonderland.

 

[Jintor]

It's funny though, speaking of slice of life, because I basically got tired of Euphonium since it just felt like yet another standard all-girls-life-lessons show and never finished it.

wut

Annnnd done.

I saw the prices for 3 and 4 on amazon JP and maaan

4 is, like, fucking 7000y when every other one is 3k at most (and I bought them at the kyoshop for 2k)

 

[firehawk12]

wut

Was already tired of KyoAni post-Tamako Market, and Euphonium just wasn't all that interesting after 3 episodes. The only thing it had going for it was that it wasn't as bad as that Boundary show.

 

[Jintor]

Was already tired of KyoAni post-Tamako Market, and Euphonium just wasn't all that interesting after 3 episodes. The only thing it had going for it was that it wasn't as bad as that Boundary show.

firehawk pls ;___;

 

[blurr]

Euphonium was worth it for the Kakedasu Monaka OVA - that was amazing.

 

[firehawk12]

firehawk pls ;___;

Just waiting for K-On Kollege!!!! at this point or a Hyouka sequel. Not sure what else would bring me back to KyoAni if they keep making shows like that Phantom one last season.

Oh, I guess I'm back because Yamada and Yoshida are reuniting for that movie. But that's that's an exception.

 

[Jintor]

I mean, you gave it a chance and weren't feeling it, so I can't shout down at you or anything... but I honestly preferred Eupho to Hyouka. And I liked Hyouka a lot.

 

[Baalzebup]

There is also a tank from some Finnish-themed school. The girls crewing that last tank have a fair amount of air-time in the movie, but I don't remember their names ever being mentioned and I don't remember them from the show, which was kind of odd. They have this one girl who's constantly playing music on a koto, too, something which got quite old after a while.

Rightfully call it out as me being nationalistic about this, but that instrument was not a Koto. 'tis called Kantele, which is the most Finnish instrument one could possibly imagine. Our local folklore equivalent of Gandalf (well,it was actually Kalevala that influenced the creation of the Lord of the Rings but w/e) had one fashioned from the jawbones of giant pike. The BGM itself played during the mini-operation of taking out the Karl is an old, folksy Finnish song, Säkkijärven Polkka.

2 of the girls were casually namedropped during the action, but their names were actually male. Mika and Mikko are both 100% male Finnish names that reaaaaally don't work for females on any possible level, except ofc this is all still happening in Japan where both names are fully functional feminine names, go figure. Some Wiki-ing revealed the loader/gunner being named Aki, which makes her much the same with the other two.

The presence of the Finnic team in the movie seems to be a continued proof of the weird mutual cultural boner between Finns and Japanese, plus I guess they wanted to get the last of the Axis states included in the movie, despite the fact we got all our tanks from other countries. The BT-42 was a horrible scratch-built and welded compromise vehicle used as a desperate stopgap measure to help combat the overwhelming difference between the tank arsenal of Finland and the Soviets. A failed one at that, as the BT-42s didn't achieve shit, unlike in this movie

 

[firehawk12]

I mean, you gave it a chance and weren't feeling it, so I can't shout down at you or anything... but I honestly preferred Eupho to Hyouka. And I liked Hyouka a lot.

I think the band music thing didn't do anything for me, which didn't help. Like, these girls are going to learn to be stronger and become friends through music... which is fine, but at that point I just felt like I'd rather be watching K-On!!.

The BT-42 was a horrible scratch-built and welded compromise vehicle used as a desperate stopgap measure to help combat the overwhelming difference between the tank arsenal of Finland and the Soviets. A failed one at that, as the BT-42s didn't achieve shit, unlike in this movie

You mean they can't drive on one side after a tank destroys their tracks???? lol

 

[Jintor]

The presence of the Finnic team in the movie seems to be a continued proof of the weird mutual cultural boner between Finns and Japanese, plus I guess they wanted to get the last of the Axis states included in the movie, despite the fact we got all our tanks from other countries. The BT-42 was a horrible scratch-built and welded compromise vehicle used as a desperate stopgap measure to help combat the overwhelming difference between the tank arsenal of Finland and the Soviets. A failed one at that, as the BT-42s didn't achieve shit, unlike in this movie

This is actually noted in the movie itself - a split-second framegrab when looking at a news site reveals that the Finns stole a tank from Pravda! Also they are, like Oorai and Anzio, a legit povo school. They're probably the poorest actually because they just wear their tracksuits instead of having a proper shenshado uniform!

I think the band music thing didn't do anything for me, which didn't help. Like, these girls are going to learn to be stronger and become friends through music... which is fine, but at that point I just felt like I'd rather be watching K-On!!.

I'm surprised you didn't really pick up that your reading of the show was totally incorrect...

 

[Qurupeke]

Just waiting for K-On Kollege!!!! at this point or a Hyouka sequel. Not sure what else would bring me back to KyoAni if they keep making shows like that Phantom one last season.

Oh, I guess I'm back because Yamada and Yoshida are reuniting for that movie. But that's that's an exception.

And there's the Violet Evergarden anime, which seems promising, but we'll probably have to wait a few years for it.

You should give Euphonium another chance though.

 

[firehawk12]

I'm surprised you didn't really pick up that your reading of the show was totally incorrect...

Didn't seem that way from 3 episodes. And then all the LESBIANS stuff happened and I just didn't feel the need to watch it at all. lol

And there's the Violet Evergarden anime, which seems promising, but we'll probably have to wait a few years for it.

You should give Euphonium another chance though.

Maybe. I mean, I finished Free! after all so anything is possible.
(But at the time I found Free more interesting by virtue of just having a male cast and it was amusing to see what was essentially a gender swapped 4-girls anime)

 

[Jintor]

I guess if the band stuff does nothing for you it's difficult to invest as much in Eupho perhaps. But it seemed apparent to me right off the bat it was... not just a simple friends-through-music thing.

 

[striferser]

Flying Witch 9
Comfy, and Akane best girl. Not much to say other than Akane face was amusing.

Attack on train 8
Steambike was cool. Biba looks like Griffith, so of course he's evil.

 

[Baalzebup]

IYou mean they can't drive on one side after a tank destroys their tracks???? lol

Well, at least the part about being able to drive without the tracks in the first place was more or less correct, credits to the Christie suspension used in BT-7, the Soviet tank that forms the vehicle part of the BT-42. I guess the driving on one side was due to the mad rally skillz of Finns

They're probably the poorest actually because they just wear their tracksuits instead of having a proper shenshado uniform!

Which is again a reflection of the realities of Finland at war. During Winter War, there weren't nearly enough uniforms and other gear for all soldiers going to the field, so some were basically just handed a button insignia that they stuck to their own fur-hats, uniform pants and belt and a rifle. The rest of the gear could have been entirely civilian.

 

[blurr]

I think the band music thing didn't do anything for me, which didn't help. Like, these girls are going to learn to be stronger and become friends through music... which is fine, but at that point I just felt like I'd rather be watching K-On!!.

I kind of get where you're coming from since you saw the first half of it but no, that's not what the show was about. The later half is in contrast with K-On! by a good degree.

 

[Jintor]

K-On (s2 anyway) was about people who would've been friends even without the band conceit, and the music is basically a reflection of their friendship. Eupho is a lot more of a drama which, at least to me, asked: what price music? To what degree can you, should you, be a individual? What do you want?

 

[Jintor]

tanaka 9

in this episode we spend almost the entire episode at a wcdonalds for the most in-depth not-infringing-copyright i've ever seen. literally they got almost everything. the food wrapping. the paper thing on the tray. the soft serves. the toys. incredible.

they took way too long to get to the obvious reveal imho.

 

[Maximilian Kolbe]

Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars(summer 2016) PV2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1v2phIeYsA

Ummm...yuri+mecha?

Sisters Yui and Rena live a peaceful life in the kingdom of Enastoria, but they become involved in a vortex of destiny when a giant robot attacks Enastoria.

 

[Thoraxes]

Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars(summer 2016) PV2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1v2phIeYsA

Ummm...yuri+mecha?

Is that... 2D mecha?

Yes. Yessssss. YEESSSSSS

Maybe a worthy successor to Rinne no Lagrange has finally appeared.

 

[John Blade]

Today's batch of arrivals!

I didn't know and yet the town moves come out in Blu ray. Do anyone know the quality of the blue ray for this show or is it an upscale. Still, good show to watch.

 

[Lalalandia]

Hundred

Wow the MC is the Alpha and the Omega, all things are possible through him, nothing happens without him. Truly this is art.

Seriously though it's utter nonsense but breezy in a way that makes it a nice palette cleanser given that the two actually great shows I'm watching right now are in very serious end game mode.

 

[Maximilian Kolbe]

Is that... 2D mecha?

Yes. Yessssss. YEESSSSSS

Maybe a worthy successor to Rinne no Lagrange has finally appeared.

I wonder will Netflix get this too, since Kuromukuro and Regalia both under same production company(infinite).

 

[Maximilian Kolbe]

Wait how many mecha show coming this year?

Rebirth Storage(2016 June) trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2yJj-5VnuE

 

[nintendoman58]

Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars(summer 2016) PV2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1v2phIeYsA

Ummm...yuri+mecha?

If it means I'm getting 2D SUPER ROBOTS I'll gladly take the yuri part of this equation!

 

[Ascheroth]

Wait how many mecha show coming this year?

Rebirth Storage(2016 June) trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2yJj-5VnuE

Huh, I did not know this existed (Anichart doesn't list it for some reason), but it looks interesting.

 

[Aki-at]

Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars(summer 2016) PV2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1v2phIeYsA

Ummm...yuri+mecha?

2D mechas?

I'll bite, beggars can't be choosers.

 

[SliceSabre]

Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars(summer 2016) PV2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1v2phIeYsA

Ummm...yuri+mecha?

Cute girls piloting mecha? In.

Wait how many mecha show coming this year?

Rebirth Storage(2016 June) trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2yJj-5VnuE

...Mecha.


In.

 

[MakotoYuki]

Samurai Flamenco 19
Poor Gotou, that was really sad.
Looks like the last bad guy is going to the the most normal one.

 

[Lalalandia]

Samurai Flamenco 19
Poor Gotou, that was really sad.
Looks like the last bad guy is going to the the most normal one.

I think this is what impressed me most about SamFlam despite all of the super sentai show love it's spine is the believable and strong bond between the Gatou and Hazama. This next part is what really sealed the show as one of my all time favourites, poor Gatou.

 

[Qurupeke]

Samurai Flamenco 19
Poor Gotou, that was really sad.
Looks like the last bad guy is going to the the most normal one.

This is actually the best arc of the show.