The Anime Thread

[Monoriu]

I watched the movies before the anime.
They were pretty good. They have a different plot too.

I think I'm going to use Death Note as my standard recommendation for first time anime watchers.  Puella Magi Madoka Magica is deliberately disguised as an otaku magical girl show.  Attack on Titan and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood are too shonen.  Neon Genesis Evangelion is incomprehensible (and a mech show).   Clannad feels like a harem and takes 30 episodes to get to the main plot.  Code Geass, Gundam and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann are mech shows.  Fate Zero starts with a 50-minute info dump introducing like 15+ main characters.  Suzumiya Haruhi and Angel Beats are school drama.  Death Note is probably the best bet for non-anime watchers. 

[jimmy olsen]

I usually show the Trust & Betrayal OVAs. It's a straight historical dramas so it's a good gateway. Cowboy Bebop is also high on the list.

[Monoriu]

I usually show the Trust & Betrayal OVAs. It's a straight historical dramas so it's a good gateway. Cowboy Bebop is also high on the list.

I'll get to these at some point. 

The Ghibli movies are also great for people who don't have the time to watch a TV series.  And for parents.  Family-friendly, the best animation quality in the industry, and winner of an Oscar to boot. 

[Monoriu]

Kantai Collection, or fleet girl collection.  Based on a very popular web browser game where the characters are moe anthropomorphisms of WWII warships depicted as cute girls.  Each girl represents a real Imperial Japanese Navy ship, with characteristics loosely based on their historical counterpart.  Say, Kongou, a battleship built in the UK, uses a lot of English words in her speech and enjoys tea.  I haven't played the game, so most of you probably know a lot more about this than me.  In the anime, the enemy is an alien like abyssal fleet which have blocked the world's sealanes, and the only weapon capable of stopping them is the fleet girls.  You just have to accept that, otherwise there is no point to go on. 

Now, I am a fan of both Girls und Panzer (where cute high school girls fight mock battles in WWII tanks as a sport), and Strike Witches (pretty much the same concept as Kantai Collection, except that the girls represent WWII fighter aircraft instead of ships).  So I have no problem with the whole setting.  My problem is that this anime is nowhere near as good as the other two.  Kantai collection feels very disjointed throughout.  It can't decide if it is a military show with a focus on interesting battles (like Girls und Panzer), a slice-of-life show with comedy, a character-driven show highlighting the camaraderie among the girls (like Strike Witches), or a serious drama showing the girls' sacrifice and the daily danger they face.  It tries to do all that, but ends up not doing anything well enough.  One episode talks about their trauma, the next episode features a curry cooking contest where the majority of the contestants activate their self-destruct sequences before their curry can be evaluated.  The battles.  Girls und Panzer has very interesting battles because they are fought between historical sides, and because the battles are designed from scratch.  The naval battles in Kantai collection features flat, lifeless enemies.  The battles start in a historical manner (they tried to do Coral sea and Midway).  But since this show takes the IJN viewpoint, they have to somehow win, and the way they get there feels forced.  Strike Witches has 11 well-developed main heroines.  Problem is the IJN had a lot more ships than that, and they tried to feature 30-40 fleet girls with mixed results. 

I am not saying that Kantai collection is a disaster.  It is okish, but only okish.  The production values are high, with good animation quality and many big name voice actresses.  Some of the characters are distinct and well done.  There are some memorable scenes that make an emotional impact.  A lot of attention has been paid to the details - I notice that the planes launched by the different IJN aircraft carriers seem to have different paint patterns, and that is probably historically accurate.  I am sure people who know a lot more about WWII naval matters will notice far more details than me. 

A sequel has been announced, and I am going to watch it.  Yes, I am a sucker for sequels.

[Monoriu]

Gundam Reconguista in g .  The latest "reboot" of the show that can be watched as a standalone.  Written and directed by Tomino, the creator of the original gundam anime in the 70s that redefined mecha shows.  This is his first anime show in like a decade.

In the distant future, human civilization on earth has regressed to a level where local energy production is impossible.  So earthlings rely on energy charity by mysterious ships that visit Earth's space elevator regularly.  The space elevator and energy distribution is done by a supposedly neutral religious order known as the Capital, which also imposes technological stasis on Earth's factions. 

I have seen my share of gundam shows.  Most are at least good.  Some are classics; some are average.  This is undoubtedly the worst gundam show that I have seen.  Reasons:

1. The plot is confusing and difficult to follow.  For a 26 episode series, I have counted at least 9 different factions and sub-factions, all with their own characters and mobile suits.  Very often, the factions fight against each other with no apparent motive.  Today it is a vs b.  The next episode is f allied with c vs a.  The third week is e plus c vs b.  The frequent alliances, changes of heart, betrayals, infightings, reconciliations etc are not well-explained.  They just fight for the sake of fighting.  Often there is a feeling that the story needs 50 episodes to unfold, but is somehow compressed into a very rushed schedule. 

2. This show seems to have no concept of friend and foe.  Prisoners of war walk freely on their captors' ship and are allowed to use their captors' best weapons.  The protagonists are welcomed as guests by almost every faction.  They just waltz in and meet the enemy's leaders, even though they just fought against each other a minute ago.  Betrayals are overlooked and easily forgiven.

3. The anime feels like a children's show.  The atmosphere is far too light-hearted for characters that are caught in a supposedly apocalyptic war.  Everybody smiles and laughs and treats the whole thing like a fun ride.  In typical Tomino fashion, people die, but since there are like 30-40 characters with speaking roles, the audience doesn't have much attachment to the ones who do die. 

The show does carry gundam's tradition of having very good animation and flashy fights.  But it is only suitable for those who have to watch every gundam show, or viewers who don't mind turning their brains off. 

[Eddie Teach]

The anime feels like a children's show.

Don't they all.

[Monoriu]

The anime feels like a children's show.

Don't they all.

It is very ironic, because a key reason Tomino's original gundam show became so popular is because it didn't feel like a children's show.  There was a time when the robot shows were all about good vs evil, and the robot relies on some supernatural power and is one-of-a-kind.  The first gundam featured "real robots".  Two warring factions with grey and grey morality fight it out, with mass-produced machines on each side. 

[Valmy]

A sequel has been announced, and I am going to watch it.  Yes, I am a sucker for sequels.

You are? No way!

[viper37]

I have seen my share of gundam shows.  Most are at least good.  Some are classics; some are average.  This is undoubtedly the worst gundam show that I have seen.  Reasons:

Saw bits and pieces on Youtube, and it seems I got the right vibe of it
I'll stick to Seed & Seed Destiny remastered, thanks

[viper37]

There was a time when the robot shows were all about good vs evil, and the robot relies on some supernatural power and is one-of-a-kind.

You asked for it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RfU68pzZXA
And the original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv1J9YOm5EY

Many adults of my age in Quebec have had fond memories of this show. Until we saw it as adults.

[Monoriu]

Akatsuki no Yona, or Yona of the Dawn.  Yona is a sheltered princess of a medieval kingdom.  One day, her father the king was assassinated by one of her closest friends, and she had to escape the palace to start a life as a drifter.  She began to gather a group of true companions and see what life was like outside the palace.

If most shonen shows are boys' fantasies, this is a girls' fantasy that caters to the female audience.  Yona is the only significant female character, and all her companions are pretty boys who care deeply about her – a reverse harem.  Yeah, even the one who killed her father is still kinda in love with her.  She is a sheltered princess, but not a spoiled one.  She is fundamentally nice and strong, and she needed the journey to bring out her inner strengths.  It is a nice change to see a female lead that does not abuse the males emotionally, dresses normally and conservatively, and able and willing to hold her own in battles without the aid of superpowers.  The show is also different in that unlike most anime shows, the stage is set in medieval Korea rather than Japan or Europe.  So the architecture and background music have a Korean/Chinese feel.

The show does feel a bit formulaic at times.  Sheltered princess being driven away from the palace.  Meets a mysterious fortune teller who advises her on her fate.  Starts a journey to gather four dragons who are fated to serve her.  None of this is ground-breaking but the execution is decent enough to keep the show going in an interesting fashion.  I also confess that I am a huge Chiwa Saito fan and she is the one who voices Yona, so yes I am biased. 

[Agelastus]

It may be aimed at girls but I must confess I enjoy the Manga myself. The series is on my own "may watch" list.

[Monoriu]

Aldnoah Zero, both seasons 1 and 2.  I have written about this before.  This is my final impressions of the anime, now that I have seen both seasons.  This is a mech show about a war between Mars and Earth.  Decades ago, humans found advanced alien technology on the moon and Mars.  The colonists founded the Mars Empire, and now they invade Earth with their superior technology.  Aldnoah is the name of the "alien power" that the Martians found.  The story starts when the Martian princess visits Earth on a diplomatic mission to achieve lasting peace. 

Aldnoah Zero is a controversial anime that attracts polarised opinions.  I love it.  I like it for the serious tone.  It is basically gundam minus gundams, new types, and falling in love with the enemy female new type pilot with a sob story.  I love it for the beautiful animation.  The director of famed Fate Zero returns and the fight sequences do not disappoint.  Above all, I love it for the rapid and bold plot developments and frequent plot twists.  They dare to take the characters in unexpected directions.  The ending is a giant middle finger to most shippers (fans who support specific relationships and hope that this pair gets a happy ending).  The journey that one of the two male viewpoint characters goes through is memorable to say the least.   

I do agree that Aldnoah Zero does not deserve anything close to classic status.  The fights are interesting but somewhat flawed.  Usually it is a lone Martian mech with super powers like invisibility, instant cloning, electric shock etc that overwhelms the numerically superior Earth forces.  Then it is up to the male protagonist, Inaho to figure out a way to beat it.  It is fun to watch but the problem is that it gets too repetitive after a while.  He seems to be the only person on the Earth side who knows how to deal with the Martians, and his abilities toward the end are almost superhuman and ridiculous.

Still, my favourite show of the Winter 2015 season. 

[Monoriu]

Maria the Virgin Witch.  Witches exist in this world, and Maria the Virgin Witch tried to stop the battles affecting her village during the Hundred Year's War.  She is opposed by Michael the Archangel, who thinks it is wrong to interfere in humanity's affairs with supernatural forces, as well as the Catholic Church.  The Archangel warned her that if she loses her virginity, she will lose her magic as well.  Essentially, she has to choose between having a family and saving the world. 

I have fairly mixed feelings about this show.  On one hand the setting and premise are refreshing, and the characters are likable.  The show does a good job of showing the horrors of medieval warfare and the use of mercenaries in war.  The side characters leave an impression.  Galfa the mercenary is ruthless but is a great and cunning fighter.  Viv and the other witches who initially confronted Maria over her unconventional activities have hidden depths. 

On the other hand, I cannot help but think there is simply not enough story to tell.  The first half of the show is really slow and episodic, and the main plot only gets going half-way through.  The overarching story is too predictable.  It is so okay, it is average.  Doesn't cross the line of being bad, but can't cross the line to being good and memorable either. 

[Monoriu]

Log Horizon Season 2.  Continues the story of people stuck in an online fantasy game world.  This season features four distinct stories – Shiroe the protagonist raiding a difficult dungeon; Akatsuki the female lead helping to defend their base city from a mysterious criminal who somehow isn't affected by the automated city guards; the young members of Log Horizon going on a journey on their own; and the protagonists finally trying to do something about going back to the real world. 

What Log Horizon does best is world building.  This feels like a huge world with complex and evolving mechanics, and tons and tons of characters.  The multi-party raid was very well done, showing the MMORPG tactics involved.  Fan-favourite Akatsuki finally gets deserved focus and her own arc. 

Despite being decent entertainment, the show does not seem to be going anywhere.  There are four interesting arcs and some fillers, but the over-arching story is missing.  The pace is somewhat slow.  As an example, one entire 20-minute episode consists of one person giving one speech.  It is not a bad speech, but still. 

I have said it before and I will say it again.  Log Horizon isn't bad, but Sword Art Online and No Game No Life are much better "stuck in a game world" shows.