The Anime Thread

[Monoriu]

It is on my to-do list.  I fully intend to watch it, but there are like a hundred shows sitting on that list.  Its turn will come, just not any time soon 

Watch Game of Thrones already. 

Yeah, that one too 

[Monoriu]

One Punch Man.  This is a world where aliens, monsters and villains with superpowers appear out of nowhere and attack humans just for the sake of it.  Fear not, for the Heroes Association has a hierarchy of superheroes of equally awesome powers to counter the threat.  Everything about Saitama screams "average".  He is bald, poor, average-looking, doesn't have any special moves, lonely, wears a stupid costume, underappreciated...except that he is a hero capable of defeating anything and everything with a single punch. 

One Punch Man is one of a kind and is easily one of the most talked about shows in 2015.  Usually, in a typical action anime or shonen story like Dragonball, you have a protagonist training hard to gain power and fight villains.  He gathers allies, values friendship, and makes a name for himself.  One Punch Man parodies this genre by giving the main hero story-breaking powers before the start of the show.  He works alone.  The public thinks he is a cheater taking advantage of other heroes, and he encourages this line of thinking himself.  Every story ends with Saitama one-punching the arc villain to oblivion.  He is a hero with bad publicity, and is totally bored with life as there is no challenge left for him in the universe.  On the way to each inevitable story conclusion, there are jokes, a huge array of distinct side characters and villains, and a refreshing take on one of the most popular and predictable anime genres.

It isn't a dark deconstruction.  There are no complex personal relationships, moral messages to deliver, intricate plotlines or twists.  It is largely episodic, and the story arcs follow the "1 villain appears, 2 other heroes battle the arc villain with varying degrees of success and 3 Saitama one punches the villain" formula.  There are no "buts".  He really one punches everybody.  This is the joke.  Or one of the many jokes that work so well in the show.  It may or may not be the best anime of the year, but it certainly is a unique one.  Also, extremely well drawn and animated. 

[Eddie Teach]

Everything about Saitama screams "average".  He is bald, poor, average-looking, doesn't have any special moves, lonely, wears a stupid costume, underappreciated...

Can he kick a football, or will the holder inevitably pull it away from him at the last second?

[Monoriu]

Everything about Saitama screams "average".  He is bald, poor, average-looking, doesn't have any special moves, lonely, wears a stupid costume, underappreciated...

Can he kick a football, or will the holder inevitably pull it away from him at the last second?

I am sure there is a reference somewhere, but I have no idea what you are talking about 

[Eddie Teach]

Charlie Brown, one of America's best-loved comic characters. He also has a dog named Snoopy.

[Eddie Teach]

I like the show, but live action suits it better.

[Jaron]

Charlie Brown, one of America's best-loved comic characters. He also has a dog named Snoopy.

Which anime is this? Peanut ball Z ?

[Eddie Teach]

Zero Kicks Man.

[MadImmortalMan]

Making an anime about making fun of anime has become a staple for the people who only know how to make retread anime.

[Malthus]

Charlie Brown, one of America's best-loved comic characters. He also has a dog named Snoopy.

Then there is this ... http://www.whatisdeepfried.com/weaponbrown/

[Josquius]

3. The Town Where Only I am Missing.  The protagonist is a salaryman who has the ability to go back in time to fix things.  He went back in time to when he was in school to prevent his mother's death in the future.  When I first read the plot summary, I decided to skip this show without a second thought.  Until it was announced that my favourite composer, Yuki Kajiura, would do the soundtrack.  I immediately put this in the "must see" category.  Or rather, must listen 

Synopsis sounds interesting to me. I'll have to look it up

[Monoriu]

3. The Town Where Only I am Missing.  The protagonist is a salaryman who has the ability to go back in time to fix things.  He went back in time to when he was in school to prevent his mother's death in the future.  When I first read the plot summary, I decided to skip this show without a second thought.  Until it was announced that my favourite composer, Yuki Kajiura, would do the soundtrack.  I immediately put this in the "must see" category.  Or rather, must listen 

Synopsis sounds interesting to me. I'll have to look it up

Two episodes in, and I have to say The Town Where Only I am Missing has far exceeded my expectations.  Of all the shows that I am watching this season, it has the strongest opening.  Basically, the dude is sent back in time to fix things.  Say, if a child dies from a traffic accident, he is sent back in time to a few minutes before the accident, and he has to look for hints to prevent the accident.  One day, he and his mother prevented a kidnapping case from happening.  Somehow this led to the kidnapper murdering his mother, and he himself likely framed as the murderer.  A moment later, he found himself sent back 18 years in time to elementary school (grade 5), a time when a number of kidnapping cases haunted his town.  He retains all his memories, so he is a 29 year old stuck in the body of an 11 year old.  Very engaging story and detailed descriptions of the protagonist's psyche. 

[Monoriu]

Charlie Brown, one of America's best-loved comic characters. He also has a dog named Snoopy.

I know a lot of Snoopy fans in Hong Kong, but I just can't get into it.  I don't have the faintest idea what the comic is about. 

[Monoriu]

Attack on Titan: Junior High.  It is a spin-off and affectionate self-parody of Attack on Titan, done by the same production studio.  In this world, all characters from the source story are back, including the dead ones, and they are teachers and students in this junior high school.  They are all drawn in chibi forms, with cutesy appearances, and exaggerated heads.  The school is divided into two parts, with the titans studying in the separate section.  The source of the conflict is that they steal the lunch boxes of the tiny humans.  The 3D movement machines became tools to clean the wall that separate the two sections.  The survey corp became an underground resistance group to the titans. 

I have a feeling that the only purpose of the show is to keep the memory of Attack on Titan alive in viewers' minds between the seasons.  It is mildly amusing for die-hard Attack on Titan fans who must see absolutely every episode.  There are some jokes that work, and it is cool to see everybody back having fun together.  But otherwise there isn't much.  There is no real story or plot.  That didn't prevent similar shows like Carnival Phantasm from having a good time.  This one is downright boring at times.  I think it is a mistake to confine the show to a junior high setting, instead of going wild like Carnival Phantasm did.  Making fun of the character quirks, like someone always biting his tongue when speaking, can be funny the first time or two, but it gets repetitive if it is done in every episode. 

The show assumes knowledge of the first (and so far only) anime season.  So don't watch this if you don't want to be spoiled about the major plot points. 

[jimmy olsen]

Just finished the third season of RWBY...apparently coauthored by GRRM now. After two relatively happy go lucky seasons this went dark in the last half of the third.   
Heroes get framed, maimed and killed.