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Summer Anime 2017 |OT| More streaming services than shows to watch

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dimb

Bjergsen is the greatest midlane in the world
Nisemonogatari 1-11
ploz4gx.jpg
Somehow this got put on the list of things to rewatch after reading the light novel. When I watched this as it was being released I remember having an extremely vitriolic reaction to most of what was going on, and having a broader view of Monogatari it's sort of easy to see why. Kizumonogatari is not only the origin point for the series, but I feel that the important information inside of it is a necessary bridge between Bake and Nise, and with the movie MIA we're stuck trudging forward. There's not some kind of complex story here that becomes incomprehensible as a result, but the the sudden directional shift of characters like Shinobu just raise a string of question marks without additional context.

Beyond that, Nisemonogatari is the first story in the series that really tries to juggle multiple characters and it winds up muddying the entire project. Even though the first arc is titled Karen Bee, Karen herself has a very limited presence in the story. The insight we get about her is framed around Araragi while he does a tour of duty to visit all the characters from the first series, and Senjougahara also steps in to take over the climax to little effect. Even the major themes feel like they just wander about without ever imprinting on the characters. The set up for what it means to grow up and the haziness around identity that shifts with perspective feel worthwhile but poorly executed on, so the back and forth between characters here never really builds to anything. It's not particularly "fun" either when the character traits we already know are revisited in a simplistic manner.
The impressive production work and fantastic character art don't really salvage the lacking aspects of how the anime adapted the source material either. The pace can feel wildly inconsistent, and at times there is this sense that bigger is always better, a possible side effect to Nisemonogatari being a follow up to one of the most commercially successful anime of the decade with a less experienced staff leading the project. Scene after scene feels like it's trying to push itself over the top but it doesn't really fit the almost flippant attitude the story takes with itself. There is definitely an aspect to watching this that earmarks an era of decay for Shaft as a studio here. The violent confrontation between Karen and Araragi in episode seven should be this intense peak of action, but instead it becomes this cloying and poorly constructed fight scene that feels like it misinterprets the body horror aspects of Araragi being beaten to a pulp. Being off the mark while exaggerating the scene to be grandiose makes it all that much more off-putting. There is a distinct lack of care to the spacial positioning of characters that shines blindingly in this episode, and this also reaches past the action scene to the ultimate confrontation with Kaiki. Shaft's penchant for oversized landscapes that it haphazardly tosses characters on to comes out especially strong here, lending to the radio play nature of Nisemonogatari as the voice actors are pushed to carry most of the material on their own. This standoff with Kaiki is written deliberately to be deflating (he is a fake after all), but his presence feels greatly diminished by these sweeping landscape shots that keep all parties involved distant from each other. The imposing nature prescribed to him fails to come out as a result.
Tsukihi Phoenix almost feels like a production causality afterwards. The light novel it adapts is slightly longer than Karen Bee, but Phoenix only gets four episodes of the run compared to the seven allotted to Bee. Generally speaking it seems pretty obvious that Nisemonogatari just feels lost when it isn't getting a back and forth between voice actors, and it is easy to feel the story here racing from one to the next. I like Karen and Tsukihi as characters more than I remember, but they feel sidelined in their own stories. There's not much else to say about this arc. The new characters are introduced halfheartedly, nothing feels very conclusive or revealing, and the climax here is pretty unemotional and lacking in physicality, although it is an improvement from what we got in Karen Bee. The dialogue between the characters is not as important here, so when that is all the production team is really willing to do things come up pretty short. Even the stronger qualities of the art just kind of dry up, and it kind of cements the legacy of Nisemonogatari as a particularly sour note for the series. Not that the art for Shaft's TV Monogatari work would ever recover to where it was early on in Nisemonogatari, but at least the story would be adapted with greater care.
 
Just bought these:
Utena

Metropolis

Anyone else here collect stuff like this?

I think I got a cell reproduction for a Dragon Ball Z episode years and years ago when I preordered the VHS release for the Ginyu Saga? Or something? I've always kinda been interested, but never been sure where to buy them, and I currently don't have the space to hang any as wall decorations.
 

javac

Member
I think I got a cell reproduction for a Dragon Ball Z episode years and years ago when I preordered the VHS release for the Ginyu Saga? Or something? I've always kinda been interested, but never been sure where to buy them, and I currently don't have the space to hang any as wall decorations.

Yeah they can be super expensive, I just saw a Dragon Ball Cel go for $28k, I can't justify spending that much...yet and of course mine are no where near as good as that one and others that go for similar prices but I can't complain, mine aren't too shabby I guess! I'm really into cels and other production materials for some reason, something cool about having a piece of a show or movie that you really like!
 

Cornbread78

Member
Fall, huh?
Look sWAAAAAY too busy for my liking when Destiny will be taking up all my free time!


3-gatsu no Lion 2nd Season
Himouto! Umaru-chan R
Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara
Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - The Animated Series
Boku no Kanojo ga Majimesugiru Sho-bitch na Ken
Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru: Yuusha no Shou
Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru: Washio Sumi no Shou
Imouto sae Ireba Ii. (we haven’t had enough siscon $hit lately)
Itsudatte Bokura no Koi wa 10 Centi Datta. (Well, it says “romance” so why not give it a shot. It surely won’t crash and burn like everything else the past two years not about two awkward and absurdly cute middle school kids)

Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte kara
Omiai Aite wa Oshiego, Tsuyokina, Mondaiji.
Sengoku Night Blood
 
Fall, huh?
Look sWAAAAAY too busy for my liking when Destiny will be taking up all my free time!


Boku no Kanojo ga Majimesugiru Sho-bitch na Ken
Imouto sae Ireba Ii. (we haven't had enough siscon $hit lately)
Itsudatte Bokura no Koi wa 10 Centi Datta. (Well, it says ”romance" so why not give it a shot. It surely won't crash and burn like everything else the past two years not about two awkward and absurdly cute middle school kids)

Osake wa Fuufu ni Natte kara
Omiai Aite wa Oshiego, Tsuyokina, Mondaiji.
Sengoku Night Blood

I'll probably watch these ones.
 
I don't think I've seen anything outside of Garo that's really caught my eye. But I try basically everything (outside of sequels to series I've never seen) so I'm sure I'll find some stuff in the end.
 

javac

Member
I've got a handful of G Gundam cels

and a lot of AIC cels, though I haven't picked up any new ones in a long time.

Since I'm told black lines can fade in sunlight, I keep them stored in a cool dark place for safe keeping.

Those are cool! Especially love the second one, cels that capture cute facial expressions are the best imo!
 
I did look at the chart, but not much popped out to me as "Watch this one."

I mean I suggest Kekkai Sensen and Magus Bride (well written source material).

Both these shows take place in different settings that are different than your usual anime. Kekkai Sensen takes place in a lively version of NYC while Magus Bride takes place in England and different locations in Europe.

Kekkai Sensen is your more chaotic lively episodic anime that's all about fun. It has a dynamic cast that bounce off each other.

Magus Bride takes inspiration of old European folklore. So it has a dark grimy take on fantasy with magic. It's more based on drama, world building, and character development with magic. It's more slow paced so don't expect much action.

I mean I don't know what else to suggest maybe that drinking anime lol.
 

javac

Member
I got a You're Under Arrest cel, a Hajime no Ippo one and a bunch of others I don't know where they're from :p
BliZ_ZjCYAA7Cx7.jpg

Those are pretty nice! Great, clear shots, you can sometimes be short changed with one that doesn't really fill in the whole celluloid but those are great. Some of those character designs look familiar, of course I recognise YUA in the middle there! :p That's Kumi in the bottom right from Ippo, the others look familiar, hmmm.
 
Those are pretty nice! Great, clear shots, you can sometimes be short changed with one that doesn't really fill in the whole celluloid but those are great. Some of those character designs look familiar, of course I recognise YUA in the middle there! :p That's Kumi in the bottom right from Ippo, the others look familiar, hmmm.

Random grab bag for 500 JPY for the lot! I saw the You're under arrest cel, in the front so that's why I got it ;P

Let me know if you want some when I go to Japan next month. Gotten tons of cels for madp, including Sailor Moon ones, and a few for theonik before.
 

Cornbread78

Member
Etotama

This is great, not so serious fun show that just make me feel happy. I need more show like this.

I feel so empty that now is ending :<


This guys gets it! Etotama was great mindless fun. Well, except that one scene with Cow girl......

9DpKSH9.gif
 
Random grab bag for 500 JPY for the lot! I saw the You're under arrest cel, in the front so that's why I got it ;P

Let me know if you want some when I go to Japan next month. Gotten tons of cels for madp, including Sailor Moon ones, and a few for theonik before.

I want some Belldandy cels.
 

javac

Member
Random grab bag for 500 JPY for the lot! I saw the You're under arrest cel, in the front so that's why I got it ;P

Let me know if you want some when I go to Japan next month. Gotten tons of cels for madp, including Sailor Moon ones, and a few for theonik before.
Damn that's so cheap! Importing can be a little expensive so thanks for the offer, I'll be sure to keep that in mind next time you go, I never want to be an inconvenience but if you're heading that way then I might have to take up your offer! :p

I remember Metropolis. That's a pretty cool film. Might need to watch it again.
Yeah it's a pretty good film, got the BD recently, might re-watch it!
 

Sterok

Member
Made in Abyss 10

That was disturbing. As in, I had to stop watching for a few minutes because I was starting to feel sick. Normally I can take this stuff okay, but that was beyond gruesome.
 
I want some Belldandy cels.

Those are expensive since there's only those OVAs and the movie. Saw one for like 50K JPY.


Damn that's so cheap! Importing can be a little expensive so thanks for the offer, I'll be sure to keep that in mind next time you go, I never want to be an inconvenience but if you're heading that way then I might have to take up your offer! :p

I post pics on Twitter when I'm at the cel store, so you should get a Twitter account ;P
 
its impossible to get the pokemon master quest collection dvd undamaged, ordered it twice, one from best buy and one from amazon, both arrived damaged in the same place making the case unusable
 

javac

Member
I have this from Eureka Seven. The below from Cowboy Bebop.

I have some really high end cels from Cowboy Bebop but I never actually took photos of them. lol

woah, I've seen quite a few bebop cels but they usually go for quite a bit and that's an amazing one to boot, nice get! You should take a picture of your others when you get a chance. I've seen some Eureka Seven genga from the OP but never really went for them, not familiar with the show, those look really nice however.
 
Made in Abyss - 10

Anime meets 127 Hours. Well, at least finally happened what's been long in coming. Riko gets regt (excuse that). I'm honestly not sure why going up was the only real option when Reg could've just as well escaped first horizontally and then downwards but I suppose that beast could've followed them better than just going upwards. Still, the direction didn't make me believe that option wasn't worth trying at least.

That aside, it's a good thing this show hasn't made me very empathetic to these characters so far, because if I truly cared for them the somewhat gratuitous&#8212;yet also appropriate considering the setting&#8212;aftermath might've been close to unwatchable. Was hard enough like this already and I did pause twice. I honestly don't feel like the writing so far deserves to pull out gore of this magnitude on small children and the direction doesn't quite manage to make it 'just work' for me either (compared to e.g. Now and then, here and there) but all in all, it was still handled decently. At least we weren't shown the slicing through the arm in close up.

I don't really like Mofu/furry characters, especially not in a show with this kind of tone, but maybe they'll fit it in well enough with the world building.

Speaking of which, I still find the abyss and its mysteries extremely interesting and we were shown yet another cool location and new creature (or two, if you include Mofu Mc Mofuface. edit: make that three with those unnamed jellyfish things). The last episode was good in that regard, too, but those aspects were simply overshadowed by the strong idiot plot.
 

Jarmel

Banned
I forgot I had some more images.

This one isn't mine but it's from the same sequence in the episode and pretty identical in quality. I only have a crappy photo of mine so thought using this was better.
woah, I've seen quite a few bebop cels but they usually go for quite a bit and that's an amazing one to boot, nice get! You should take a picture of your others when you get a chance. I've seen some Eureka Seven genga from the OP but never really went for them, not familiar with the show, those look really nice however.
Honestly that Bebop cel isn't particularly good. The characters are too far away from the frame. I might have taken some photos now that I think about it, but they probably got lost in the years gone by, due to all the image hosts that have crashed and burned. It's kind of frustrating.

Where do you get all of those?
Ebay, Yahoo Japan, and private sellers

I also got lucky in regards to timing.
 

Laiza

Member
Made in WTF IS THIS EPISODE
Can I just join you.
Because JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.
Made in Abyss 10

That was disturbing. As in, I had to stop watching for a few minutes because I was starting to feel sick. Normally I can take this stuff okay, but that was beyond gruesome.
Appropriate reactions.

I didn't look away or stop watching, but damn, I was reeling from this one. So much pain...
 

Chase17

Member
Made in Abyss 10

Well then. I think the part that startled me the most was
for whatever reason the massive swollen hand.

Finally get the character from the cover image.
 

blurr

Member
Re:Creators 14


Why would you write this scene with those dialogues? We had someone die right this season and no the world was not on the line...

I was beginning to feel it's a stretch to have multiple writers collaborate and work together without conflict in the world where anime and game characters come to life but thankfully, ReCreators wouldn't go that far. When you're frustrated over your peers, you're either filled with rage or succumb to your imposter syndrome.

I can understand the latter but the former actually could've been resolved fairly conveniently if it weren't for one party's eccentricity or the other party's inability to ask the right questions.
 
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