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Winter 2009 Anime Season of "too much loli - gonna go watch Vampire Bund"
- Thread starter rykomatsu
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I know what harem mangas are and how they work. I judge and view different shows in different ways. In the case of Honey and Clover, a show that seems to get a lot of praise around here and tries to be strongly gripped to reality, I judge it extra harshly I guess.Angry Grimace said:
Funny enough that's the exact expression I make after finishing a bland and crappy Honey and Clover episode only to see it get universal praise as one of the top episodes of the series.octopusman said:
Shouta
Member
shintoki said:
But that's more of a function of what type of stories are being done and what type of stuff grips the demographics. I mean really, boys really like kickass techniques and fighting. Girls? Oh, the boys of course. You can have both in either genre but of course it's just safer to appeal to the folks you're supposed to be targeting.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Shouta said:
Except then you have stuff like Marimite and Taishou Baseball Girls, which are about the relationships between the characters but without the angst found in something as safe as Kimi ni Todoke. Yeah, they both have wangst (especially Marimite, where I'm sure the voice actresses have perfected the art of fake-crying), but they're not about hooking up with the dreamy-dreamy guy at all.
That's not to say shounen can't do the same types of introspective stories - I would say that sports animes are probably more "shoujo" tonally than they are like Naruto. It just seems that there are more exceptions in shoujo than in shounen.
Shouta
Member
firehawk12 said:
No, (shounen) sports anime aren't more shoujo than Naruto is. The focus in sports series still is mostly on the goal and battles they have to overcome and is the primary focus more often than not while the character aspects are weaved in. Compare it to a shoujo sports series, where the goal/game/overall objective often takes a backseat to the character drama. See any baseball series (any of the classic or even newer ones) and compare it to something like say Princess Nine.
And Naruto has its own fair share of character related material in the pre-time skip. In fact, much of the show up until the end of the Chuunin exam was about the characters and less about the overall plot.
watervengeance
Member
Pandaman said:
StrikerS tried to accomplish too much by introducing way too many characters, so most of them didn't get fleshed out. Caro and Erio were pretty pointless. If anything, they were there to make sure there were some lolis left in the show. Also, Erio's back story came completely out of nowhere. Fate got an extremely limited role in the story, which is a big shame. The characters they did get right were Vita and Signum. They had good subplots and fights overall. StrikerS probably would've been a lot better if it was 13 episode season instead. I'd probably still place it behind the first season though.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Shouta said:
Well, I look at something like The Big Windup (can't remember the Japanese name), which yes, does focus on the actual games to the point of fetishization, but allows a lot of room for introspective character development as well.
I agree that it's less focused on character than Princess Nine or Taishou or Crimson High (or even Saki, for that matter), but I would say that it pitches more toward the main character's insecurities than toward the types of pitches that he can throw.
And I suppose I used Naruto as a short hand (ie, bald space marine). The last shounen fighter I've seriously watched was the original Dragon Ball Z, so perhaps things have changed a lot since then.
anotheriori
Member
Dunno much about Nanoha/Strike Witches so I get them confused, alot of the loli's fighting series anyways.Pandaman said:
Watching that School Days clip again I feel like there's more there than there really is;
Makoto's lifeless face seems like maybe he felt regret and Sekai was possibly in the state or rage but then the mail is definitely premeditated.
Verano said:
Open ending. I guess the possibilities are;
- Ends up alone (boy I wish)
- Friends/Lover with Yuki (she's that kind of dormat)
- One of the other random girls he hooked up with
I'm glad he never got it on with Mana, Rina and even Yuki
- Ends up alone (boy I wish)
- Friends/Lover with Yuki (she's that kind of dormat)
- One of the other random girls he hooked up with
I'm glad he never got it on with Mana, Rina and even Yuki
anotheriori
Member
it's better off just finding the ending synopsis, there is no payoff for finishing.Joule said:
FMA 41. Shit just got real.
Never read the Manga, but still seems like it's staying true-ish. From what I hear at least. Love idea of Al gettin' pushed from his body atm, and drawn into his own. Also, fuckin' awesome scene where Ed heals himself. Bones, you have my seal of approval.
Xisiqomelir
Member
Verano said:
Yo dude, thanks for this rec. I was sick at home and watched the whole thing in one shot today. What a crazy-ass ride. :lol
Vicetrailia
Banned
So I just looked at the pictures in the OP and became disappointed. I want mah Hajime no Ippou!!!
What can I watch that is either: A. Action Anime or B. Similar to Monster and C. No loli
Durarara sounds watchable and Vampire Bund....I dunno about that one.
What can I watch that is either: A. Action Anime or B. Similar to Monster and C. No loli
Durarara sounds watchable and Vampire Bund....I dunno about that one.
Byakuya769
Member
Durarara is great.
Jex
Member
There is always the 20th Century Boys Live-Action Movie - but don't watch it, it's not great.
I don't hear people suggesting Master Keaon. It may not be the genre tone as Monster - which is really a thriller type story, but it's also by Urasawa and is more detective-y. Kind of low on tension usually but I still find it to be fairly excellent. Not a long story though - it's purely episodic.
I don't hear people suggesting Master Keaon. It may not be the genre tone as Monster - which is really a thriller type story, but it's also by Urasawa and is more detective-y. Kind of low on tension usually but I still find it to be fairly excellent. Not a long story though - it's purely episodic.
A Black Falcon
Member
Sora no Woto eps 2-4 -- This show is good... really good. It is an interesting contrast, though -- the characters are drawn in a somewhat simple style, as is popular now and indeed very much like K-On, but the backgrounds are drawn in absolutely stunning detail. I think episode 4 has some of the most impressive clouds I've seen in an anime... but that contrast between characters and backgrounds is a little odd sometimes.
Similarly, in the plot, there's a serious plot here, but the plot and characters are very different in tone. That is, the underlying plot is deeply sad and melancholy, but so far the characters aren't, most of the time. Instead they fit much better into moe stereotypes. I can see why they did this, both to keep people watching who expect that kind of thing and to keep SOME happiness in this show that otherwise could be quite bleak in tone, but the contrast is stark at times. It would be nice to see less stereotyped characters in the show, really. That would probably be my main complaint, I think. I appreciate the part of it that lightens the tone -- it's not like anything bad has happened (yet) to the characters themselves -- but this anime could have more than just generic moe characters...
Don't get me wrong, the characters are well done and interesting, they just aren't original and each fits right into a stereotype.
But before I continue, I think I need to go into spoiler text... but really, for anyone who isn't watching this series, I'd definitely recommend it! It's really good. Remember, this is through episode 4.
So yeah, despite a few issues, it's a really good show. Don't expect it to be vapid happiness and light like K-On or Sora no Woto's quite deceiving (compared to the actual show) ED, though! It's not. I can definitely understand why people are comparing Sora no Woto to Haibane Renmei -- there are some clear similarities between the two. There are significant differences too, but there are clear similiarites. As Haibane Renmei is one of my favorite animes ever (number two on my list), that is a good thing... though maybe not a good sign for people who don't want it to get more depressing. We'll see, though, and either way, it shows how this show really is different. There's really nothing else out there quite like Haibane Renmei... even this isn't quite like it, the world is more explained, but so far it might be closer than just about anything else I know of, apart from the character designs and stereotypes of course; Haibane Renmei's characters weren't stereotype-free for sure, but they were a little less straight stereotypes I think. As I said I wouldn't be surprised if that was done for hopes of popularity. What will happen, though? I'll be watching, for sure. Oh, and I definitely hope that they keep doing more of that stunning detail work on the background and environments.
Similarly, in the plot, there's a serious plot here, but the plot and characters are very different in tone. That is, the underlying plot is deeply sad and melancholy, but so far the characters aren't, most of the time. Instead they fit much better into moe stereotypes. I can see why they did this, both to keep people watching who expect that kind of thing and to keep SOME happiness in this show that otherwise could be quite bleak in tone, but the contrast is stark at times. It would be nice to see less stereotyped characters in the show, really. That would probably be my main complaint, I think. I appreciate the part of it that lightens the tone -- it's not like anything bad has happened (yet) to the characters themselves -- but this anime could have more than just generic moe characters...
Don't get me wrong, the characters are well done and interesting, they just aren't original and each fits right into a stereotype.
But before I continue, I think I need to go into spoiler text... but really, for anyone who isn't watching this series, I'd definitely recommend it! It's really good. Remember, this is through episode 4.
What I mean by melancholy and sad:
We're learning more about the post-apocalyptic world of the show... evidently, there are no animals (mammals, I think they meant) in the sea anymore, in this world -- dolphins and such are gone. The fort the characters are based in used to be a Japanese-style school, a long time ago before the ancient disaster, whatever it was. We see ruined classrooms, blackboards, desks, and a part of a schoolbook in Japanese; the charactrs in the show do not recognize the language. That's one more element to add to the confusion of the Japan/France mix that is this world... how did it come to be this way? Is it truly just a random mix, or is there an explanation? I'll be interested to see where this goes. Anyway, we are also told that there used to be a lot more people on the planet then there are now, in the show. Now, only a small number of people can go to school, and those lucky few are mostly in the capital. The old school that is their fort is larger than any current school in their nation. The main character girl joined the military because the army is just about the only place you can learn to play music for free.
Learning about these elements of the plot is a central part of the sadness behind the show, and it is one experienced more by the audience than by the characters; they know their world and are not bitter and angry about their simpler post-apocalyptic lives, they know nothing else and only wonder sometimes about what used to be. It is the people watching who really notice these things.
Also, sometime recently I think, there had been a war between their country and another one. The war recently ended, finally, bringing peace. This town and fort are on the borderlands between their nation and uninhabited lands no one lives in, though we have not seen those lands yet as far as I know.
Also, as the first episode explained and the intro shows, there is an old legend in the town they are in. A long time ago, five maidens sacrificed themselves to save the town from a monster. They were set on fire by the monster and started burning, but the townspeople kept them alive while they were burning by continually pouring water on them. In this way they kept burning for a year, until finally the monster was defeated. What happened to the maidens wasn't stated, I think, but I'd say it's somewhat implied that they then died. The intro shows the five main characters in the roles of the five maidens, which is why people are questioning whether the show will go through with the straight comparison or not. My only complaint here is that they're being a bit blatant about the comparison between the legend and the characters, they just show the five characters in the priestess robes and then in the flames straight out in the intro. Whether or not they actually have something like that happen to them in the show, it seems like it'd have been better had the comparison been a little more abstract. Oh well.
This element of the plot hasn't really been referred to again since the first episode, but I'm sure it'll come up again at some point.
As for the characters, as I said above each fits straight into a stereotype, but they're well done, so despite that I've come to like the characters anyway. I guess I'm hoping that they don't all die, now, but we'll see.
Finally, in episode 4, thanks to the glassblower, our heroine finally learned how to play her instrument much better! That was another great scene... the kind of detail they put in the landscapes and environments in this show really is unique.
We're learning more about the post-apocalyptic world of the show... evidently, there are no animals (mammals, I think they meant) in the sea anymore, in this world -- dolphins and such are gone. The fort the characters are based in used to be a Japanese-style school, a long time ago before the ancient disaster, whatever it was. We see ruined classrooms, blackboards, desks, and a part of a schoolbook in Japanese; the charactrs in the show do not recognize the language. That's one more element to add to the confusion of the Japan/France mix that is this world... how did it come to be this way? Is it truly just a random mix, or is there an explanation? I'll be interested to see where this goes. Anyway, we are also told that there used to be a lot more people on the planet then there are now, in the show. Now, only a small number of people can go to school, and those lucky few are mostly in the capital. The old school that is their fort is larger than any current school in their nation. The main character girl joined the military because the army is just about the only place you can learn to play music for free.
Learning about these elements of the plot is a central part of the sadness behind the show, and it is one experienced more by the audience than by the characters; they know their world and are not bitter and angry about their simpler post-apocalyptic lives, they know nothing else and only wonder sometimes about what used to be. It is the people watching who really notice these things.
Also, sometime recently I think, there had been a war between their country and another one. The war recently ended, finally, bringing peace. This town and fort are on the borderlands between their nation and uninhabited lands no one lives in, though we have not seen those lands yet as far as I know.
Also, as the first episode explained and the intro shows, there is an old legend in the town they are in. A long time ago, five maidens sacrificed themselves to save the town from a monster. They were set on fire by the monster and started burning, but the townspeople kept them alive while they were burning by continually pouring water on them. In this way they kept burning for a year, until finally the monster was defeated. What happened to the maidens wasn't stated, I think, but I'd say it's somewhat implied that they then died. The intro shows the five main characters in the roles of the five maidens, which is why people are questioning whether the show will go through with the straight comparison or not. My only complaint here is that they're being a bit blatant about the comparison between the legend and the characters, they just show the five characters in the priestess robes and then in the flames straight out in the intro. Whether or not they actually have something like that happen to them in the show, it seems like it'd have been better had the comparison been a little more abstract. Oh well.
This element of the plot hasn't really been referred to again since the first episode, but I'm sure it'll come up again at some point.
As for the characters, as I said above each fits straight into a stereotype, but they're well done, so despite that I've come to like the characters anyway. I guess I'm hoping that they don't all die, now, but we'll see.
Finally, in episode 4, thanks to the glassblower, our heroine finally learned how to play her instrument much better! That was another great scene... the kind of detail they put in the landscapes and environments in this show really is unique.
So yeah, despite a few issues, it's a really good show. Don't expect it to be vapid happiness and light like K-On or Sora no Woto's quite deceiving (compared to the actual show) ED, though! It's not. I can definitely understand why people are comparing Sora no Woto to Haibane Renmei -- there are some clear similarities between the two. There are significant differences too, but there are clear similiarites. As Haibane Renmei is one of my favorite animes ever (number two on my list), that is a good thing... though maybe not a good sign for people who don't want it to get more depressing. We'll see, though, and either way, it shows how this show really is different. There's really nothing else out there quite like Haibane Renmei... even this isn't quite like it, the world is more explained, but so far it might be closer than just about anything else I know of, apart from the character designs and stereotypes of course; Haibane Renmei's characters weren't stereotype-free for sure, but they were a little less straight stereotypes I think. As I said I wouldn't be surprised if that was done for hopes of popularity. What will happen, though? I'll be watching, for sure. Oh, and I definitely hope that they keep doing more of that stunning detail work on the background and environments.
Shouta said:
Someone should translate the other 9 volumes of the manga *wink wink*.
I really need to see
that piece of shit of Rin's father die in English, as well as that bitch Misawo Yokoyama (her death wasn't painful enough, not as much as I liked anyways)
I'm always hoping someone will license the manga for the west.
Great Rumbler
Member
The first episode of Katanagatari is out now. I've only watched a little bit of it so far, but it looks like it's going to be pretty good.
NaughtyPrawn
Member
Not sure where to really ask for this but could anyone do me an avatar of chibi Luffy punching Lucci?
http://tiny.cc/C4C90
Its in the preview of ep 306 there at 1:15
http://tiny.cc/C4C90
Its in the preview of ep 306 there at 1:15
A Black Falcon
Member
So no one's watching Sora no Woto, huh? Too bad, go watch it... it's quite good.
No, it's just 12 episodes.
I started watching that series when it came out, but stopped after four or five episodes... the initial premise seemed good, but it just wasn't really holding my interest. Looking both at where the plot went and the lack of ending, that seems like the right decision...
Dracula said:
No, it's just 12 episodes.
I started watching that series when it came out, but stopped after four or five episodes... the initial premise seemed good, but it just wasn't really holding my interest. Looking both at where the plot went and the lack of ending, that seems like the right decision...
A Black Falcon
Member
7Th said:
I haven't watched Manabi Straight, so I can't say anything about that... is it any good?
I am. I think there's some foreshadowing going on that might lead to either some kick ass kickassery or not but either way I think they've got a good setup and it warrants watching.A Black Falcon said:
For instance in like the third episode the loud mouth private was bitching that they didn't get a pilot and the blonde CO/Captain whomever she is says she's a "perceptive girl" and "might have picked up on something" or something to that effect. What might she have picked up on? The shop keeper asked Noel if the Yui clone "knew what was happening" yet or some shit, what, what's happening, and they seem to be pretty keen on repairing that tank. Supposedly the last shipment is in a month, then what? There was also them showing us the "bat phone," and essentially reaffirming that the characters knew that they were indeed in the Army.
So I think by the end of the show they are going to fight something, I dunno if the Army plans on shutting down the unit because they think it's a waste but the old Dragons or whatever from the towns legend come back and the girls have to fight that, or if the Army plans on sending them somewhere in a month, or if the town is planning to leave the country and the girls will protect the town but something is going to happen in the show and I don't think it'll be that they leave the Army and join an official band in a school.
Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu.NomarTyme said:
Hmm, you could go for Baccano!, which is a 1930s-era gangster show, about 13 eps, with 3 bonus eps that came out later. It's like Quentin Tarantino meets Cowboy Bebop, has a complex storyline and is pretty serious, aside from two (awesome) bumbling thieves that serve as comedic relief. It's pretty highly regarded.Jay Sosa said:
What would actually fit your request perfectly is Monster, but that's 50+ episodes. It's fantastic, but long. (It's about a doctor who saves a young boy's life, who then grows up for be a serial killer.) Worth the investment if you can do it.
Not sure what else I can recommend off the top of my head.
A Black Falcon
Member
mAcOdIn said:
Yeah, there's definitely foreshadowing of SOMETHING there, for sure. What we don't know is for what... but it probably will be something sad, yes.
Oh yeah, and evidently this directly also directed Elfen Lied and Letter Bee, most notably.
But yeah, they could end up having to fight something for sure, there has been a lot of foreshadowing of that, maybe too much as I was saying -- if that is where it goes, the foreshadowing would perhaps have been a bit too obvious. Still, it's quite interesting. I'm definitely interested in learning more about the world, for one thing. Along with the episodes that are each focused on one other character, the fact that a big part of the show is learning about the world is definitely something the show has in common with Haibane Renmei. Yes, it's quite different (this one tells you more specifics of course, for starters) but it is a similarity of sorts. But anyway... some of the things you mention could be excused, such as wanting a pilot -- if they get the tank working, they'll need someone, right? -- but things such as 'the shipment', 'might have picked up on something', and that phone... yes, those are suspicious. Unless that monster literally does come back, which I'm not so sure will happen, I really don't know what's going to happen at this point, I think. There are just so many possibilities... you mention a few, but there are plenty more. Some other country or force could attack and they have to defend the town, finally getting the tank working could cause something they don't want to happen, etc...
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