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Winter Anime 2016 |OT2| Bellariology, Puellology and Simulacrumology

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J

JCG

Member
Compared to Evangelion's massive worldwide influence, both inside and outside of all these anime circles, Rahxephon qualifies as more or less underappreciated in the grand scheme of things. It has little or no mainstream presence. The series wouldn't even exist without Evangelion, but I do agree that it ultimately develops an identity of its own and has a more immediately satisfying ending in terms of narrative and character arc resolution.

Then again, you could always argue the actual point of NGE wasn't to satisfy the audience in the first place. In fact, it does almost the opposite. The Eva series (including the EOE and, by extension, the Rebuild films) is less about the overarching narrative and more about expressing some of Hideaki Anno's thoughts, including his take on depression and the psychological exploration of several really messed up characters. It did all that with varying degrees of success, but the results were actually rather frustrating to watch at times (so the backlash against 3.0, all things considered, isn't entirely unexpected...thanks to Anno once again throwing the superficial story out, in exchange for whatever he wants to highlight this time).

javac said:
RahXephon was pretty weird, I liked it. Episode 19 :) Still not seen the film.
Click to expand...

The movie is basically an alternate version of the story. The new material is interesting enough, though I still prefer the TV series.
 
Cornbread78

Cornbread78

Member
peaceiscloser said:
It's sorta like a Scooby Doo and the gang story that takes place in a fantasy not-really-San Francisco Bay Area in the 1890's before the great earthquake. The whole monster of the week episodic setup.

Oh, it's for an RPG.
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What did sororities do back in the late 1800's? Maybe they have a brother fraternity that helps out from time to time.
 
J

javac

Member
Went to the gym and now my whole body is hurting, I can barely type. I don't know if I'll watch anything tonight. Why am I in so much pain lol send help.
 
L

Line_HTX

Member
javac said:
Went to the gym and now my whole body is hurting, I can barely type. I don't know if I'll watch anything tonight. Why am I in so much pain lol send help.
Click to expand...

Feel the pain. Push through it!

This makes me want to kick it up a notch in my routine.
 
J

javac

Member
Line_HTX said:
Feel the pain. Push through it!

This makes me want to kick it up a notch in my routine.
Click to expand...

I'm feeling it alright! Definitely not giving in, together we can build a better body. Harder, better, faster, stronger and tolerant of more types of anime than you could ever imagine. Conditioned to take all that Japan can throw at me, with muscles equivalent to a single katana that was forged out of glorious Nippon steel, folded over a thousand times, or something like that.

I'll probably watch a movie tonight or something.
 
N

NaDannMaGoGo

Member
Evangelion's biggest strength over RahXephon is that it's good while the latter is average at best. Snark aside, there's a some neat ideas, cool mecha design, a bunch of good moments and ep19 really was fantastic. But overarching narrative, character writing and direction are lacking. It takes Eva maybe 2-3 episodes to get me to care about Shinji more than I could ever muster up for whatsHisName (see!) from RahXephon.
 
J

JulianImp

Member
peaceiscloser said:
animegaf help me

I'm writing a story right now, and I realized that I've been watching too much anime --

all my main characters are girls. Not to say there's anything wrong with that, it's just that I don't really know where I'd add some dudes to the roster. There's 6 main characters, all girls, and they gel really well together. I literally cannot think of how to add male characters who are not total idiots. I do feel kinda weird in hindsight having made practically a girls club idol group subconciously.

It's taking place in this sort of blend of post-Gold Rush San Francisco, and while I'm not going to write characters out of the main lineup, I am having trouble thinking of legitimate reasons why 6 young adult girls are together. Am I just getting super derivative if I just put them in the school environment? Is there any other legit reason for 6 young adults to be in one place?
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My advice would be to simply think about the themes you want to convey, and to not add random stuff for the sake of gender/race parity or whatever. Like always, tropes are tools. Use them whenever they further your themes or help you explore them in interesting ways, but try to make some sense.

For example, I had been thinking about a murder mystery on a transcontinental train in the US around or before WW1, and when I was researching the sociopolitical situation I realized that train staff used to be 100% black people and had to struggle a whole lot to not be discriminated on by both passengers and higher-ups. My original concept of having an average decent white guy playing the role of a porter would've made absolutely no sense, and it also introduced the issue that the porters would be the obvious suspects and they'd have a really hard time defending themselves due to being on the bottom of the social scale.

Even if you want to go the easy way out with using tropes wholesale, you've got to consider whether they fit your story's themes and the setting the story takes place in. Do you need to add guys to tell your story? Would a group of girls in post Gold-Rush SF have any chance at doing anything in that time and age, or would they be discriminated against due to being women? Would a school environment in that time and age actually allow the group of girls to do what you want them to do, or would you need to consider a different organization that can afford them more freedom?
 
D

Dedication Through Light

Member
I just need Kamiwaza Wanda and Super Lovers streaming for spring.
tumblr_inline_o434cpB2Tg1ttrl6y_540.jpg
Click to expand...
 
B

BluWacky

Member
Dedication Through Light said:
I just need Kamiwaza Wanda and Super Lovers streaming for spring.
Click to expand...

What is it about the kids' toy shows that still appeals to you so much, DTL? You've been watching anime for a good few years now, and I assume that it's not the toys themselves that are the attraction as most of them aren't available in the West. I know you like narratives where friendship triumphs over everything or there's lots of gay subtext (or indeed text!) and I assume it's the former that keeps you watching these sorts of shows, but don't you start to find the characters and situations a bit repetitive or uninteresting after a while?

I mean, I'm old to be watching anime - not sure how much older than you, but significantly older than a toy show audience, so my viewpoint comes with a pinch of salt. Is there something significantly different, say, between Hero Bank and Dragon Collection, or any of the other toy shows you've watched in recent years?
 
John Blade

John Blade

Member
Qurupeke said:
RahXephon [END]

Haha. Oh my god. I take back my previous statement because in this show the best girl and the worst girl win.
Because they end up as the same person.
And someone got robbed twice but whatever.

Pretty exciting anime, and it's a shame that it seems only a handful of people have watched this or consider it as anything more than a NGE clone. Despite the similarities, which are undoubtedly there, to both NGE and EoE, it's still pretty different, so calling it a rip off is just so wrong. Comparing the two, I think I liked it more than NGE, though I ought to rewatch it some time and I don't think I'm the best person to judge it. RahXephon has a better cast, while NGE has better main characters. RahXephon had a better "religious" vibe and themes, while NGE had better mechas/angels. RahXephon had a better story(and ending), but NGE had better action. All of these are just my personal opinion, obviously.

The show is a bit slow for its first half, but then it gets more and more intense, as the story unfolds. And the ending, while it was pretty good, has left me with quite a few questions, kind of expected as the anime dealt with some weird plot elements. Overall though, it was pretty good. It greatly blends religious themes and concepts from classical music, it has decent action and nice characters moments and it has great music. I definitely prefer Eureka 7, the other Bones mecha show, but both of them are pretty different so it's not really fair to compare those two. I recommend it, especially to people that watched and loved NGE, and hopefully they'll like it too, and they won't deem it a rip off...

Lala/10
Click to expand...


Just finish the show beginning of this year but took me quite a while to get into the mood. It's an interesting show and in a way, I kinda like it even though they is certain thing I don't have a clue during the show. Here is my impression of the show if you want to read it (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=191054228&postcount=4715). I need to go watch the movie and finish it as I did start watching but stop near the beginning. Like in my impression, you need to be in the right mind set when watching it as it isn't a mecha fighting anime like Evangelion which people talk a bit. Still, an interesting show in my collection I own and will recommend to people if they have the time and patience to watch it.



Another big news for me, I am back into the mood of Great Teacher Onizuka watching. Just finish watching the Summer trip money scandal and man...how fast the incident go from bad to worst to epic to impossible to beating the odd based on Onizuka deal with the third year class is epic to watch. Now, I remember why I like this show. Going to try to finish the show this time as well as continue watching Gunslinger Girl. In Ep 03 for this show. Liking it so far.
 
H

hosannainexcelsis

Member
BluWacky said:
What is it about the kids' toy shows that still appeals to you so much, DTL? You've been watching anime for a good few years now, and I assume that it's not the toys themselves that are the attraction as most of them aren't available in the West. I know you like narratives where friendship triumphs over everything or there's lots of gay subtext (or indeed text!) and I assume it's the former that keeps you watching these sorts of shows, but don't you start to find the characters and situations a bit repetitive or uninteresting after a while?

I mean, I'm old to be watching anime - not sure how much older than you, but significantly older than a toy show audience, so my viewpoint comes with a pinch of salt. Is there something significantly different, say, between Hero Bank and Dragon Collection, or any of the other toy shows you've watched in recent years?
Click to expand...

I would assume the (real or imagined) gay subtext is the main reason DTL is interested in shows such as Yu-Gi-Oh and Cardfight Vanguard. I know Inazuma Eleven is a kids' show with a huge fujoshi fanbase.

Speaking for myself, there are definitely kids' shows which stand out upon the pack and are worth watching for anyone who isn't scared off by the concept. I recently finished watching Majin Bone, which is a 52-episode anime based on a mobile card game franchise by Bandai, but has better writing and planning than most non-kids anime. If you have staff who care about what they're making, an anime can be good no matter the reason it was funded or the intended audience.
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
Me watching Konosuba episode 10.

This episode is funny as usual. Konosuba is so great.

Wow they are really blowing their budget in this episode.

They are playing the OP song mid episode, don't they usually do that on the last episode?

Oh god why does this feel like it's the last episode of the season.

Oh god

god

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

*Season 2 is animating*

Okay I feel a little bit better but didn't know this was a 10 episode season!
 
P

pbayne

Member
Heroman 1

Well got the Stan Lee cameo out of the way? Might as stop now...

Show really nails that optimistic Saturday morning cartoon vibe like the anime Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot. Props for actually designing some pretty unique characters and love the simple but expressive design of Heroman. And its BONES so it looks damn good.

Holy that comic book ED though.
 
D

duckroll

Member
RahXephon is a fantastic show and one of my favorites. The comparisons to Evangelion are pretty superficial, and honestly it represents more of a specific subgenre of mecha (which Evangelion might have popularized but did not invent) than anything else. That's not to say RahXephon is original though, because it is essentially an unbranded remake of Raideen, and a way better one than the actual REIDEEN remake that IG shat out years later. :)
 
D

Dedication Through Light

Member
BluWacky said:
What is it about the kids' toy shows that still appeals to you so much, DTL? You've been watching anime for a good few years now, and I assume that it's not the toys themselves that are the attraction as most of them aren't available in the West. I know you like narratives where friendship triumphs over everything or there's lots of gay subtext (or indeed text!) and I assume it's the former that keeps you watching these sorts of shows, but don't you start to find the characters and situations a bit repetitive or uninteresting after a while?

I mean, I'm old to be watching anime - not sure how much older than you, but significantly older than a toy show audience, so my viewpoint comes with a pinch of salt. Is there something significantly different, say, between Hero Bank and Dragon Collection, or any of the other toy shows you've watched in recent years?
Click to expand...

Hero Bank is like in my top 10 anime ever, it is on its own level, they were litrally shipping Kaito and Nagare the whole time and then Sakuraba too, but beyond that the story itself was far away above and beyond many of the other entries. The premise of the money issue in the serious the at times comedic moments yet kind of serious and saddening things when you think about it (people being driven to debt by being money hungry (some nearly off'ing themselves), corporations taking advantage of people love of money, etc) and a few more things just made it feel like an honest and true story that tried to break through and cater to both kids and older people while teaching some moral lesson. And its oddly still memorable to this day to me (even some of the dumb kiddie poop jokes etc)

DraColle was really good for guts and being kind of goofy at times, even the antagonists. I like seeing when willpower and determination can let you succeed and thankfully shows like DraColle and Oreca Battle do just that. In an age in which shows are not doing that anymore it feels refreshing to come to these and still get what I want in storytelling in anime done here. And they actually looked and sounded good delivering full on all the fancy summoning and special effects I like.
tumblr_n7c37oIXyj1rmvwvvo2_500.gif


K.Wanda has good character design going for it and already seems as if it will bring new tools to the table to make it feel refreshing and unique.
 
D

Dedication Through Light

Member
Gakkougurashi! Episode 1 & 2

Only watching this cause of anime club but I have to say it is definitely at the bottom of the barrel for post zombie apocalypse stories. I didnt think anything involving an apocalypse could be bad but my eyes have now been opened. The culprit behind this is easily Yuki's character. I pray that somehow some of the students can just gobble her and that dog up and get them out of this story. If they do then everything would be alright, well except for the weird writing description about no main male cast members (how?). I just dont see why we need a younger character who is clueless and aloof about things and just has nothing to add apart from being really annoying. Her character could have been improved if they had gone with the strong silent type who is trying to cope with these things in a different manner and one who, for a better subplot, the other characters try to get to accept the events that happened. Everytime Yuki was on screen I just turned to do other things. She just ruins it.

I hope the cause of the event is shown and more events painting the school in the current aesthetic in style of the glitzy fancy school
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
I mentioned I watched an anime with the Persona 4 MC and Hermione Granger. Here is a gif I took.

P7vskj9.gif
 
Cornbread78

Cornbread78

Member
Trojita said:
Me watching Konosuba episode 10.
This episode is funny as usual. Konosuba is so great.
Wow they are really blowing their budget in this episode.
They are playing the OP song mid episode, don't they usually do that on the last episode?
Oh god why does this feel like it's the last episode of the season.
Oh god
god
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

*Season 2 is animating*

Okay I feel a little bit better but didn't know this was a 10 episode season!
Click to expand...


Yeah, the show has been a ton of fun to watch every week. Sucks it's done until the fall/winter probably. They do have an OVA scheduled for summer at least.
 
D

duckroll

Member
Snow White with the Red Hair - Episode 20

Took a break from the series, but it seems I took the break an episode too soon, since this episode was the real conclusion of the arc. It was really sweet, in the good ways that this series can be sweet when it wants to be without being overbearing. No real overblown shoujo overtones which gives the viewer diabetes, but sweet enough to be a comforting and refreshing taste in the morning. I like how the drama and relationships that develop never feel too awkward, and the tension isn't real enough to be of concern. I like it because it gives the series a very pleasant tone that I don't get much in other stuff. It's like being able to relax on a well worn pillow knowing that the bed isn't going to collapse.
 
D

Dedication Through Light

Member
Olga Breakchild and Lucifer got good cards, I hope the design in the anime is ever made as a card unless I missed it. Since it doesnt release here for a while I cant actually become a logicalist and get a deck :(
CeM0bPbUsAAUnJM.jpg
 
J

Jarmel

Banned
Is it just me or is the overall art direction for JoJo better? It's not just the character designs but colorization and backgrounds.
 
L

Lexxism

Member
Ace of Diamond S1 1-5

Ugh, dammit. I can't stop watching this anime. It has been a while since I got excited watching an anime. Sooo good
 
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