The Anime Thread

[Monoriu]

I'm excited for new One punch man and attack on titan.
I hear the production of OPM has been troubled however. Very low animation quality, poor production . Fingers crossed it isn't so.

There is a change of studio from Madhouse to JC Staff.  Madhouse has a strong reputation.  JC Staff is a big studio, but the quality is less consistent than Madhouse.  Doesn't mean they can't produce good work, it is just that they don't nail it every time.  But given the status of One Punch Man as an international hit, I hope the powers that be will allocate an appropriate budget.

Watched two episodes.  So far they are good.  Animation quality is good, especially the first episode.  Almost approached movie quality in some scenes.  Second episode is less impressive but still good.  It is customary to focus resources on the first episode to attract first time viewers.

[Josquius]

New One Punch Man.
So....
It's not awful.
But.... It's not one punch man.
Feels like sloppy fan fiction. It's just missing its heart. It feels wrong. The way the plot is structured...
Gone are the ridiculous monsters of the week with eleborate back stories and swift defeats. Instead you've heroes outside of the ones we know going about doing their little things.
Animation quality is definitely low. Both in action and less actiony scenes. The lack of movement is stark. Even the bananas looked weird.

[Monoriu]

Monster of the week formula can only carry the show for a few episodes.  I am glad the show introduced so many other heroes to enrich it.  Disagree about animation quality.  It is above average. 

If you want animation quality, I suggest watching Kimetsu no Yaiba, made by ufotable, possibly one of the best TV animation studios now.  Ghibli doesn't count; it is in a league of its own and is on a totally different planet.  If you don't count Ghibli, the second best is either ufotable or Kyoto animation. 

[Josquius]

I've been watching Shield Hero.
Its surprisingly decent.
Though interestingly it seems to have a seriously toxic incel fandom on the western interwebs. I  wonder if its the same in asia.

[jimmy olsen]

Saga of Tanya the Evil.

It's like they're specifically targeting weebs.

Sounds more like they're targeting me.

I've also heard rave reviews, so it's going on the list of shows to watch.

[Monoriu]

Rise of the Shield Hero.  Yet another pulled to an alien fantasy world to play hero and save it show.  Four heroes are summoned to save a world that is troubled by "waves", or periodic inter-dimensional monster invasions.  Each of the four heroes is armed with a legendary weapon.  Yet the protagonist is armed only with a shield, and he is literally unable to pick up any weapon.  He can't get a worse start, as his shield is considered useless.  Even worse, he is wrongfully framed for rape, and he only gets away because he is a hero.  Widely despised and unable to go home, he has no choice but to figure out a way to defeat the waves with his shield. 

I have mixed feelings about it.  It is a bit addictive, and the setting is unique among the sea of "trapped in an alien world" animes.  The overall plot is effective, because it is obvious that the hatred of the shield hero has very deep cultural roots.  The protagonist not only has to deal with monsters and discrimination, but he also has to compete with the other three "normal" heroes who can wield weapons and enjoy state backing.  The world building is good.  The psychological aspect of being in a constant state of siege is explored.  Some of the consequences of playing hero are discussed in the show, like killing a dragon but failing to take care of the corpse, leading to diseases.  The protagonist, being unable to trust anyone anymore, ends up buying a slave girl to wield a sword for him.  This is actually one of the most discussed aspects of the show.  People looking for fanservice will be sorely disappointed.  The slave/master relationship is in name only. 

The show probably overdid the Shield Hero is the misunderstood good guy aspect.  It is one thing to show how it feels to be wrongfully persecuted.  It is another to say that he is the only sane and competent guy.  They wasted the other three heroes by showing them to be utterly incompetent and morally corrupt.  The show will be much more interesting if those other guys are more competent, giving the protagonist real competition for once.  Most "alien world" shows are about a protagonist with demi-god like powers.  This show attempts to break with the mold by initially showing genuine competition for the protagonist, only to end up nerfing the competition completely so that the protagonist is the only effective hero left. 

[viper37]

I'm trying one of the latest Cyborg cop thing that is popular... what was that name again? Ah, the Scarlet Johansson movie.  Anyway.  I don't really like it so far, it seems like all episodes are stand alone.  I'm at 4 or 5 of season 1.

[Josquius]

Well. I'm out of anime. All the good series are over and I've caught up on Re: Zero.
I guess there's that Tatami Galaxy follow up movie still. Otherwise.... Time to detox

[Monoriu]

These are the anime that I am watching for this season (July - September).



Vinland Saga.  This seems to be a historical show based on the Vikings and related tales.  I am not familiar with Nordic myths but so far it is a visually appealing show that is largely grounded in reality and deadly serious.  There is no magic, mechs or superpowers. 



Dr Stone.  The premise is very interesting.  One day, all humans on Earth are petrified by a mysterious light.  Some three thousand years later, two Japanese students finally wake up.  They must rebuild human civilization from scratch using the power of science.  The protagonist is a science freak and he starts by finding out ways to de-petrify others and figure out how to farm.  There are many intriguing moral choices along the way.  Who to save first?  Do they save the bad guys? 



The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II.  This is yet another spin-off of the super popular Fate series.  For those familiar with the Fate universe, Lord El-Melloi II is none other than Waver Velvet, one of the seven masters of Fate/Zero.  The story takes place 10 years after Fate/Zero but before Fate/Stay Night.  So far this seems to be stand-alone episodes of Waver solving individual mysteries.  It is very interesting to see what happens to him after Fate/Zero.  The detective style stories are ok, but not as interesting as they can be primarily because the "how did they do it question" is almost always answered by "some kind of convoluted magic", making it difficult for the audience to participate. 



Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Part II.  In this fantasy world, the greek gods decide that the mortal world is more fun.  They limit their powers, come to the human realm, and form "familias" of human adventurers to explore dungeons and kill monsters.  The story follows different familias and their interactions.



A Certain Scientific Accelerator.  This is the second spin-off of the very popular "A Certain Magical Index" series.  It follows the story of "Accelerator", originally one of the villain of the week of Index, but eventually became the second viewpoint character of the Index show.  He finally gets his own show.   

[jimmy olsen]

Vinland saga is great. Not about myths at all. It's about the invasion of England by the Norse.

Dr. Stone is also great.

Disclaimer, I have only read the manga of these two.

[Monoriu]

Kyoto Animation studio attacked, ten dead 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49027178

[Agelastus]

Kyoto Animation studio attacked, ten dead 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49027178

At least 23 now. 

[jimmy olsen]

33 Dead 

Seems like it was over a copyright dispute or something

[Valmy]

33 Dead 

Seems like it was over a copyright dispute or something

What? Was this some kind of organized crime deal?

[Monoriu]

33 Dead 

Seems like it was over a copyright dispute or something

What? Was this some kind of organized crime deal?

Not sure but all evidence points to a lone lunatic. 

This is a terrible loss of the anime industry.  Kyoto Animation is not just any animation studio.  It is one of the best.  It seems the dead includes some of the top directors and animators in the studio.