The Anime Thread

[fromtia]

I wouldn't describe myself as an anime lover, but I am a life long lover of comic books, and there's quite a bit of cross over.

I love Miyazaki obviously, every one of the Ghibli movies. I particularly love his comic books and the fact that he was friends with Jean Giraud and that they influenced each other is sort of the best thing that's ever happened.

Tatsuyuki Tanaka is an artist that I am particularly smitten by. Famous for handling the transformation scene in Akira, his animation is bonkers good. I love his comics even more though.

This is one of his flip books. Yep a flip book. ffs.

http://imgur.com/gallery/nqc6tBF

[Josquius]

[quote author=Tyr link=topic=11163.msg988206#msg988206 date=146651
I've never actually watched it, but it seems popular and I need something light.
Fullmetal Alchemist.
So the original

Light in the sense of doesn't need 100% of my attention (thinking to watch in English here 😳)

Where is this halfway point? Watching to original on there then switching to brotherhood is wise ?

Thanks

[Monoriu]

[quote author=Tyr link=topic=11163.msg988206#msg988206 date=146651
I've never actually watched it, but it seems popular and I need something light.
Fullmetal Alchemist.
So the original

Light in the sense of doesn't need 100% of my attention (thinking to watch in English here 😳)

Where is this halfway point? Watching to original on there then switching to brotherhood is wise ?

Thanks

That definition of light still doesn't work for Full Metal Alchemist.  It is a fairly serious show that demands attention. 

The halfway point where they start to seriously diverge from the manga in the original 2003 version is episode 32, I think.  Nothing stops you from watching the first 31 episodes of the 2003 version, then switch to episode 15 in Brotherhood.  But I don't recommend it.  The story doesn't really make sense that way.  It is not designed to be watched like that.  The Japanese voice cast are mostly different (except for the two leads).  The tone and style is a bit different.  The 2003 version is actually darker.  In any case, I don't see any reason to do that. 

If you don't want to watch all 110+ episodes, suggest that you just go with Brotherhood. 

[Monoriu]

 

My Hero Academy.  Most people in this comic-book style world possess some kind of "quirk" or superpower.  The villains use them to commit crimes, and it is up to heroes to stop them.  Midoriya is one of the unfortunate few who are born without any quirks.  Despite his shortcoming, he is determined to join the most prestigious hero academy and become a hero.  A chance meeting with All Might, the most powerful hero in the world and "Symbol of the Peace", changed both men's fate forever.

This is widely considered one of the best shonen adventure/fight shows to appear in Japan in recent years, and is tipped as a worthy successor to Naruto, a ninja-themed mega international hit.  The story is a cliché storm.  From nobody to hero, determination and friendships are important, comic book heroes vs villains, a meek protagonist plus a kind-hearted, supportive girl and an arrogant, genius rival.  These setups have been in use all over the world for decades, and people have tried everything they can to do something different.  This show goes the other route by trying to do a story with the most overused tropes. 

It is living proof that as long as the execution is right, even the most boring tropes can produce wonderful results.  It isn't just because of a rich cast of colourful and distinct sidekicks, imaginative quirks, or beautiful animation.  I think what makes this special is that there is a deliberate attempt to include a dash of reality in an otherwise typical shonen show.  The students of the academy are smart, but the teachers and adults still do the bulk of the fighting.  Willpower is important, but battles are decided by strategy and teamwork.  The story takes place in a school, but the show focuses on the battles, not harem and classroom antics.  Determination doesn't mean screaming the loudest or having the most tragic backstories, but a willingness to step forward in the face of adversity.

Biggest problem with this show is that there are only 13 episodes, hopelessly insufficient for such a grand setting and huge cast.  Good thing that a second season has already been announced. 

[viper37]

Anyone watched Netflix new Voltron: Legendary defender?

[viper37]

I watched the first 3 episodes.  It is very childish so far.  Kinda disapointed.

[Monoriu]

I watched the first 3 episodes.  It is very childish so far.  Kinda disapointed.

Not sure if you have watched it, but I like Gundam Unicorn (7 mini-movies) if you want mecha shows.

[viper37]

I watched the first 3 episodes.  It is very childish so far.  Kinda disapointed.

Not sure if you have watched it, but I like Gundam Unicorn (7 mini-movies) if you want mecha shows.

yeah, they aren't dubbed IIRC.  There's a new deal signed last year concerning the dubbing of the Gundam Shows.  I'll have to wait a little more, I guess.

I don't understand Japanese and I hate subtitles.

[Josquius]

One Punch Man-  I've heard of this show a lot in recent times. It seems very popular. But the animation looked awful and the name and synopsis... it just didn't appeal at all. Where's the fun in such a powerful hero?
I saw a trailer for the soon to be launched English dub though...and it seemed kind of cool. The idea of it isn't about this overly powerful hero and his lame adventures but the depression issues he faces as a result.
At first...yes. It seems a pretty funny deconstruction of the genre. Some very nice jokes. Nice contrast of the mundainity of real life with the self-aware genre nonsense.
But as I watch further....it seems less and less of a piss take on anime super human stuff and seems to take itself a little seriously. Which puts it back into the domain of the crap I pre-judged it as.
Not sure if I'll watch further.
Maybe I've just grown out of anime?

[Monoriu]

One Punch Man-  I've heard of this show a lot in recent times. It seems very popular. But the animation looked awful and the name and synopsis... it just didn't appeal at all. Where's the fun in such a powerful hero?
I saw a trailer for the soon to be launched English dub though...and it seemed kind of cool. The idea of it isn't about this overly powerful hero and his lame adventures but the depression issues he faces as a result.
At first...yes. It seems a pretty funny deconstruction of the genre. Some very nice jokes. Nice contrast of the mundainity of real life with the self-aware genre nonsense.
But as I watch further....it seems less and less of a piss take on anime super human stuff and seems to take itself a little seriously. Which puts it back into the domain of the crap I pre-judged it as.
Not sure if I'll watch further.
Maybe I've just grown out of anime?

I think One Punch Man is pretty good, but it isn't the masterpiece that a lot of websites claim it is.  I give it 8/10 for a refreshing take on the shonen genre and pretty funny moments.  It is a bit hard to tell a story where the protagonist has story breaking powers. 

There is no point to argue over animation style.  Either you like it or you don't.  But compared with other anime that I have watched, One Punch Man is a big budget production with lots of care given to the fight scenes. 

[Monoriu]

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress.  This is the anime equivalent of say, James Cameron directing another big budget Hollywood action blockbuster with A-listed actors.  The story takes place in a Japan undergoing industrial revolution.  Man-eating zombies have appeared everywhere, forcing humanity to live in fortified cities.  The only form of travel available is armoured trains.  The protagonists are forced to flee in such a train when their city is attacked.  Or Attack on Titans with trains (yes, the same people did both shows)

Expectations for this show were sky high pre-season due to the impressive visuals and the big names in the production staff.  Sadly, I consider that the show has only met the expectations partially.  There is no question about the production qualities.  The animation quality probably breaks new records in TV anime, and puts a lot of movies to shame.  It is simply visually stunning.  The music is epic, the characters are well-designed, there is lots of action, I am glued to the screen every time I watch the show.  If you want a big budget, visually impressive action show, this is it. 

Yet, I couldn't help but feel that I watched someone playing an arcade game.  The heroes battled the villains, overcame obstacles, and rode off to the sunset.  There are no twists and turns.  I saw a new character appear.  He looked like a villain, and he turned out to be a villain.  This guy from the protagonist's party went over to the other side.  He looked like a mole, and he turned out to be a mole working for the heroes.  Oh, this guy fell off the cliff.  Don't worry, he would reappear.  And that's exactly what happened next.  There are no surprises in this show.  Everything turned out as expected. 

Another problem is that the first half is much better than the second half.  It started as a zombie apocalypse.  The atmosphere was great.  The protagonists were on the run and they were in survival mode.  Danger was lurking everywhere.  Somehow, the villain appeared about halfway, and it is as if the show abandoned the premise at that point.  The zombies became largely irrelevant, and the focus became stopping the villain.  This reminds me of Speilberg's War of the Worlds.  It started great, but got bogged down half-way through. 

I was entertained when I watched it.  But it doesn't have much of an emotional impact on me afterwards.  I watch it, I move on, I probably won't remember it a year from now.

[Monoriu]

I'm Sakamoto.  The show revolves around Sakamoto, a high school student.  Everything he does is cool.  He is a genius, he is good at everything, all the girls fall for him.  The boys hate him, and they do everything they can to try to embarrass him.  Key word being try, as he always foils their attempts.  What is not immediately apparent is that Sakamoto is also an all loving hero.  He always lend a helping hand to anybody in need, including his rivals. 

This is a very refreshing take on Japanese school drama, but it isn't something to be taken seriously.  Sakamoto's antics make or break the show.  When Sakamoto was able to turn mundane things into awesomeoness, the show was at its best.  Some of the stuff shown is totally wacky, like Sakamoto engaging in a sword fight with a bee. 

That's also the biggest problem with the show.  Sometimes his antics are so unrealistic and so crazy that they seem lame instead of cool.  I am fine with walking on a fence to appear cool.  Lots of anime characters do that.  But the show repeatedly tried to convince me that Sakamoto could create wind by walking in circles.  That's unbelievable, not cool.  A bunch of high school students, Sakamoto included, thinking of different ways of walking into the porn section of a video store without being noticed isn't cool.  What's really cool?  Walk right in. 

It is different from the usual stuff, but it isn't necessarily great because of that. 

[Monoriu]

My favourite show of the Spring 2016 season (April - June) depends on the definition.  If it is defined as the shows that ended in June, it is My Hero Academy. 

But if it is defined as the shows that were aired during the period April - June, then it would easily be Life in a Different World from Zero, a show that is scheduled to be completed in September.  I am extremely impressed by what I have seen so far.  But as always, I will write about it only after I have completed watching it. 

[Monoriu]

Planatarian.  In the future, Earth is devastated by war, and only a handful of humans survive.  A scavenger managed to fight his way into an empty pre-war city guarded by killer robots.  There, he encountered Yumemi, a female robot designed to guide customers through a planetarium in a department store.  She is unaware of the war and tries to enlist his help to fix the projector.  This is based on a visual novel by Key, the company known for producing such shows as Angel Beats, Clannad, Little Busters etc. 

It is a short and straightforward story.  There are only five episodes, and each is shorter than the average length.  The interaction between a jaded war veteran and an adorable AI is the only thing that sustains the show.  Nevertheless, it has made the most out of a setting with such a barebones scope.  Key is known for producing bittersweet stories and it has again hit the mark here.  The drama works, the ending is compelling and memorable.  She is probably the only being that still held out hope for humanity's future in the dystopia.  If there is an election for the saint of anime robots, Yumemi should be one of the candidates. 

There is supposed to be a follow-up movie.  No idea what that is all about. 

[Josquius]

I've been watching through dragonball kai for some reason.
Nice nostalgia fest.
And good to have all that filler removed. No longer does friezea pronounce every 30 minutes of a month long battle that the planet will explode in 5 minutes. The balance is a lot nicer and more dragonbally than original Z.
Though....
Episode titles
They announce exactly what will happen in the episode in a very overt way. Stuff along the lines of "Enemy isn't really dead! Hero finally finds something!" "Oh no. Hero 2 dies! Everyone cries!"