What anime are you watching?

[TheSubtleDoctor]

I watched Summer Wars. It was a good movie but not near the masterpiece that The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was

[That Dude]

I've been rewatching FMA: Brotherhood. Slowly making my way through Coyote Ragtime Show, and thinking about maybe picking up one more series to watch...

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

You only put that there because you have no friends.

Anyways, I've been watching a ton of stuff, so I'll finally post.

For starters, I had to drive up to my brother's apartment because he was graduating from college, so I watched four anime films on the way there and back. First was Ponyo, which I was pleasantly surprised by. I'd rank it at about the same as My Neighbor Totoro.

Second film was Steamboy, which I'd expected to dislike based on what I'd heard about it, but it ended up being pretty cool. Scarlett O'Hara is just as annoying as the character based on her and it wasn't spectacular or anything, but it had great production values and I thought the plot was okay.

Third film up is My Neighbors the Yamadas, which I'd expected to like the most out of all the films and ended up liking the least. It was amusing and the artwork was awesome but it ultimately went nowhere and felt like we were just being show these random snippets of their lives. Like, I was hoping the end would tie it all together into a nice conclusion but it just ends the same way every other snippet does.

I also rewatched Nausicaa because I thought I might be being a bit unfair to it and decided that it was better than I'd given it credit for.

I also watched lolVampire Knight because I'd already seen the first half years ago and decided to stick it out and finish it. This is a pretty terrible show and no one should watch it.

Finally, I also picked The Tatami Galaxy back up again and it's hypnotic.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

You only put that there because you have no friends.

...Your face...has...no...friends...

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Right now I'm trying to get caught up on Digimon Xros Wars... which is gonna take a WHILE.

[ich1990]

The Subtle Doctor's face has one friend.

Samurai Champloo episodes 1-7

Should get awards for "most easily enjoyable anime". I don't think I have seen an anime that is this simple, laid back, and easy to like since, well, Cowboy Bebop.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex episodes 1-11

I love sci-fi. I like anime. Ghost in the Shell is a very fine nexus between those two. Not perfect (even in 2050 or whatever I don't think cops will dress like strippers) but more than good enough. And that Yoko Kanno soundtrack can make up for a multiplicity of faults if necessary. So far it hasn't had to.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes episodes ??-37

More goodness.

[MasterDias]

*Mind blows* How's that even possible? That economic model shouldn't be able to be stretched not even a quarter of that length especially for a non popular-fanservicey niche series!

You're thinking in modern terms.
I believe Legend of the Galactic Heroes was quite popular (at least among Japanese sci-fi fans) back in the day. It's just the kind of thing that was a product of its time, and has virtually no chance of being imitated now.

[Agloval]

If I remember rightly, LoGH was produced over a period of eight or nine years, in four big chunks. I don't think they worked with the funding and sales necessary to just churn out 110 episodes in one run. (After the main series was made, they produced two blocks of prequel side-stories, each about 25ish episodes long, too.)

Oh, and I've heard the OVA has the largest voice cast for anything animated ever, though I wouldn't know how to check that.

-

I watched a recent full-CG one-shot called Koi Sento last night. It was a mildly satisfying whirlwind romance. Deer featured heavily.

[Nekomimi]

Just finished "Darker than Black" and am now getting into the fandom. My life, such as it was, is now over DDD

[ShiroiHikari]

Space Runaway Ideon & The Ideon: Be Invoked

So, this is also a pretty niche title: 80s Tomino, non-Gundam, robot show. Since the above is so long, I'll try to be brief. Tomino wanted to be a super robot show that broke with some of the established conventions of the genre. He was successful to a degree, but a lot of what annoys people is still present: monster of the week, stock footage, little character development, etc. What he did do was change the kind of thing the super robot is and its purpose relative to humanity.

Tomino was pretty depressed at this point in his life, so the series can be bleak. It is certainly darker than Zeta Gundam, for instance. At the beginning, the cast is entirely unlikeable, but by the final third of the series I started to warm up to a couple of them. It's obvious that SRI had a pretty big influence on Eva, especially the ending movie Be Invoked (it's obvious from the plot and imagery, and Anno and friends said as much). The structure of the episodes is quite similar to Mobile Suit Gundam TV: group of too-young-to-be-waging-war folks stays on the run from nigh-all-powerful militant group. In Gundam, I wasn't sure who the good guys were]bad guys[/I] are due to the aforementioned jerkiness of the cast.

I enjoyed the combat in the show as well as some of the successful "convention flipping." Tomino's idea of what the Ideon fundamentally is was quite brilliant and groundbreaking. However, the series probably isn't the sort of thing that would be kind to newer/younger anime fans. In addition to the genre tropes mentioned above and its generally depressing tone, SRI is repetitive in the middle and has oodles of pacing problems. It's not a series I'd recommend to anyone other than mecha fans, or those supremely interested in how it affected Eva

Hurraaaaay, you watched it. How bout dat ending?

Also I must stress that the only subbed version of this that's available is a pretty awful translation. Sometimes the translators just made crap up. It makes the characters seem worse than they really are and makes the show look dumber than it really is.

I agree about the pacing; it needed some work. But the ideas presented in the show were pretty awesome. I kind of wish it could get remade.

I'm not sure where you heard that because everyone I know that watched Full Metal Panic! likes TSR better.

Lemme put it like this. The first season was a pretty fun show, but at the same time, it was Gonzo doing it and it had this disconnect between the comedy and the action. Then KyoAni got their competent hands on it and made Fumoffu pure comedy, and TSR pure action/politics. So I'm guessing whoever watched TSR and didn't like it didn't like how grim it was for most of the show, but it is certainly the finest FMP! adaptation.

Agree 100%. TSR definitely doesn't have as much comedy as the first series, but if you want more lulz you can just watch Fumoffu, which is all lulz all the time.

I think doing one gag series and one serious one was a good move, since balancing the dumb stuff with the serious stuff is not always easy. TSR really did a lot of good for Chidori's character, making her more believable (and likable). Everyone elsewhere on the internet complains about "LOL EMO SOUSUKE" but I don't know what the hell they're on about.

Anyway, TSR made FMP worth watching for me.

Oh yeah, and I watched Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure. It was okay, I guess. It has a harem comedy thing going on and I HATE that crap, especially when the male character everyone's fawning over isn't all that great of a guy. I also don't like female characters who are like "I LIKE YOU SO I TREAT YOU LIKE CRAP" and then get all jealous when other women make eyes at the guy. You can't be jealous if you don't make any moves; you don't attract flies with vinegar. :I It wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen, but it is kinda sorta an Eva ripoff.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Hurraaaaay, you watched it. How bout dat ending?

How BOUT dat ending! It was absolutely crackers. At first, I was all: "WTH? Really? I hate this!" And literally minutes later, while the actual ending was still going on, I was like: "Well, OK. Hmm. I actually quite like this."

As a heads up, there are a LOT of naked people in that ending. A lot.

I should also mention that the movie looked gorgeous. Really awesome animation and those lighting effects were brilliant.

I didn't know that about the fansubbers. Yeah, they pretty much made everyone into jerks. I didn't think the show was dumb at all, and I totally agree that the ideas the show gets across are really cool.

The pacing of the film was much better, and I think that was b/c Tomino had a co-director. So far, his movies are better than his TV series in this particular area. Though, if you are watching MSG or SRI at a clip of one/two episodes every couple of days/week, then it's not so bad, and I think that is how his shows are created to be watched (tho, saying that, Zeta was easy to marathon).

[the_wolfs_howl]

Monster episode 17

FMA: Brotherhood episodes 17-24. Heee, the Gluttony part! This is an exciting arc ^_^

[Atria35]

Re-watched Only Yesterday, and finally have seen 5 Centimeters Per Second. The former I have enjoyed before, and the latter, even though I've seen countless AMVs with scenes from it and knew the whole story beforehand, still had an emotional whammy. Not as much as other anime- probably because I knew what was going to happen- but it was still bittersweet nonetheless.

EDIT: And have now gone through Origin: Spirits of the Past. If you liked Avatar: TLA, you'll probably enjoy this movie. I admit, it had some problems, but overall I found it to be interesting, engaging, and a good movie. I'd give it somewhere between an 8/10-9/10.

[Maokun]

Watched Code Geass R2 eps 19-25. Wow! It's seriously been a while since I last felt completely satisfied by the ending of a series. Surprising, but not uncalled for; touching but not unnecessarily melodramatic, it presented a believable and satisfactory end point for the character development and the conflicts presented throughout the series.

I'm now tempted to watch Planetes, which is by the same team of writer/director. I'm aware is a much slower and less epic affair, not to mention without the gorgeous CLAMP character design, but if it's going to have more of that delicious moral dilemma coupled to amazing character growth, it will definitely be worth it.

[R86]

I can definitely recommend Planetes. It's been a while since I saw it, but I remember liking it a lot, and it having both the elements you mention. Then again, I am usually a nut for space stuff.

Speaking of space stuff, I have "acquired" all I could find of Legend of Galactic Heroes. I will probably get into that after my weekend of travel, since I will need another long series to get into other than Bleach and Shippuuden, since Slam Dunk isn't working out for me.

I have since finished all available episodes of Kin'iro no Corda, which I'm embarrassed to say I liked at all, but I did. Granted I like that kind of character design, and also was impressed at some of the instrument playing animation being halfway decent, plus witnessed at least some growth and learning amongst the characters, though I could have done with less blushing. Also of note is that there is almost no fanservice, which was a pleasant surprise. If Nodame Cantabile is similar but with better dialogue, a better plot, and fewer outrageously colored mops of hair, all of which I strongly suspect is the case, I will definitely look for it.

Oh yes, and I marathoned Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika too. I fear I am too ignorant about anime direction and art to comment intelligently on it, but I thought from others' comments here that it was too important a show for me to miss. I am glad I watched it, even if it is a bit outside of my comfort zone in terms of what I usually like to watch. It certainly did mess with my mind, which is fine with me.

[FllMtl Novelist]

Watched Durarara episodes 11 and 12 today~ \^o^/

I'll continue to watch the series next time I'm at the library. ^^

[blkmage]

Speaking of Fumoffu and TSR, I just finished those and get to be a part of Team KyoAni Stop Adapting Four-panel Strips, Turn Right Around and Don't Come Back Without Another Season of FMP.

There was a pretty noticeable level up in the quality of production. The style and lighting looked really KyoAni-esque and I was surprised to find both shows looked better than Air. I thought Fumoffu was pretty good and that TSR had the kind of development that would have made the first season feel more complete. I also think that the serious part of FMP would work better with two cours, but that's largely pacing and stuff. FMP's not my favourite thing in the world, but it's pretty enjoyable and I'm sad that the chances of KyoAni doing any more are inversely proportional to that of a third season of K-ON.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

[quote="Maokun (post: 1480184)"]Watched Code Geass R2 eps 19-25. Wow! It's seriously been a while since I last felt completely satisfied by the ending of a series. Surprising, but not uncalled for]While I actually didn't like Code Geass, I have been watching and enjoying Gun X Sword, which is by the same director.

[Mouse2010]

. . . I have been watching and enjoying Gun X Sword, which is by the same director.

So tell us: are you at the part where it is really weird, the part where it is good, or the part where it is awesome?

Just kidding. This was one of the first animes I watched, and my reaction pretty much followed this progression: "This is really weird. I don't know if I like it. Why do these guys have prehensile mustaches? Is all anime this weird?" followed by "Well, this is kind of good. I really like the main characters" which was in turn followed by "Whoa! CANNOT STOP WATCHING! HOW WILL IT END???"

[minakichan]

STARTING MY SPRING 2011 BINGE

Hanasaku Iroha
It's quite good for what it is-- a quiet, real-life, coming-of-age drama with no frills or glamour. Ohana is actually relatively round-- she has pretty believable flaws and quirks, but still isn't normal to the point of being boring. It won't change any lives, but it's a nice series.

Tiger&Bunny
Fun and entertaining. Clichés? You bet! It feels pretty Saturday-morning cartoony with one exception-- the main character is probably around 35 years old, which is pretty refreshing (even if he's totally immature). Probably one of the better Japanese takes on American-ish superheroes I've seen. I looooove the excessive product placement.

Ao no Exorcist
Pretty standard shounen fare; dropped, but I kind of expected it.

Deadman Wonderland
I dropped the manga because I was getting tired of the pretty repetitive fights, but I want to know how the story ends so I'll try out the anime. So far, it does a nice job cutting out the boring parts of the anime. Still a lot of anger-inducing senseless death-- which the series would be nothing without.

[C]: Control: The Money and Soul of Possibility
I was excited about this anime because I was expecting a kind of BATTLE OF WITS, FINANCE SENSE AND OBSCURE ECONOMICS KNOWLEDGE where characters throw around millions of dollars to start fake businesses and rig the stock market and con opponents out of their money (in other words, Kurosagi meets Liar Game)... but that's totally not what this is. It's like Yu-Gi-Oh! with a couple mentions of money amounts here or there. VERYY DISAPPOINTING. I love the art and the design and the 3D cel shading though, so I guess I'll stick with it a little more...

GOSICK season 2
More GOSICK. Ho hum. Just trying to get this series finished...

Nichijou
Oh Nichijou...

Tono to Issho
It's a gag series and very childish and immature but that doesn't mean it's not hilarious.

Next targets: Moshidora, Denpa Onna, Anohana. I've been streaming everything lately, so downloading seems like it's going to be such a pain!!

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

So tell us: are you at the part where it is really weird, the part where it is good, or the part where it is awesome?

Just kidding. This was one of the first animes I watched, and my reaction pretty much followed this progression: "This is really weird. I don't know if I like it. Why do these guys have prehensile mustaches? Is all anime this weird?" followed by "Well, this is kind of good. I really like the main characters" which was in turn followed by "Whoa! CANNOT STOP WATCHING! HOW WILL IT END???"

I've been enjoying it from pretty much the beginning, but I think I've seen too many anime to consider villains who kill dudes with their mustache weird. Very solid show, though, to be sure.

Hanasaku Iroha
It's quite good for what it is-- a quiet, real-life, coming-of-age drama with no frills or glamour. Ohana is actually relatively round-- she has pretty believable flaws and quirks, but still isn't normal to the point of being boring. It won't change any lives, but it's a nice series.

Excellent to see another fan, some people here have been a little down on it.

[C]: Control: The Money and Soul of Possibility
I was excited about this anime because I was expecting a kind of BATTLE OF WITS, FINANCE SENSE AND OBSCURE ECONOMICS KNOWLEDGE where characters throw around millions of dollars to start fake businesses and rig the stock market and con opponents out of their money (in other words, Kurosagi meets Liar Game)... but that's totally not what this is. It's like Yu-Gi-Oh! with a couple mentions of money amounts here or there. VERYY DISAPPOINTING. I love the art and the design and the 3D cel shading though, so I guess I'll stick with it a little more...

The first episodes are pretty bad, but the last few have each been improvements, so stick with it at least until you watch episode four.

[minakichan]

The first episodes are pretty bad, but the last few have each been improvements, so stick with it at least until you watch episode four.

Oh, that's good, I watched up to episode 2 and I was just like WHAAAAAAAAAAAT IIIIIIIIIIS THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS so I guess I'll give it another chance.

[blkmage]

There's some plotting and scheming going on in C, but nothing like JUST AS PLANNED shenanigans. It's more like THE SECRET WORLD OF WALL STREET and the reason Apple stock is tumbling is because Steve Jobs lost a Pokemon battle. It kinda touches on the whole MONEY ISN'T REAL aspect of macroeconomic theory but doesn't get quite involved enough yet for it to be anything other than window dressing to make it look smarter than it actually is. It's definitely no Spice and Wolf.

Finished Tsukuyomi, which was interesting as it's another one of Shinbo's earlier shows. It's not quite the manic, random stuff of Pani Poni Dash and it seems like it did a pretty good job of keeping the comedy and serious parts balanced. But of course, Shinbo has to leave his weird mark on the show, so things are randomly wearing cat ears and pans are dropping on peoples' heads. Why? It is a mystery.

[minakichan]

So I watched ep 4 of C and man that is a cool twist. I'm pretty interested in learning more about the characters in this and what happens to them in their real lives, but there's so little of that in this show... I'm really having trouble getting past the shounen monster battles, it's just totally not interesting. (I guess I just watched 5 episodes for about 5-10 minutes of interest...) Aside from the interesting aesthetics and the pretty character designs this totally doesn't seem like a Noitamina show to me... like they don't know their audience.

One person buying up the national debt so the government can focus on economic growth is pretty BA though.

[blkmage]

It's directed by the Mononoke and Trapeze guy, so maybe they thought he was a shoo-in for the timeslot. It is kind of surprising how (relative to his other shows) grounded and not weird this show is, other than that clown guy.

[ABlipinTime]

Tried watching cowboy bebop (up past ep 4 now). Having some trouble seeing what people like about it. It's got a very good retro op, but hopefully more story develops, otherwise it'll feel like watching "It Takes a Thief" (an entertaining show no less, but purely episodic).

For comparison:
Bebop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6zDfxZ4NcE
Thief:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKT_hWv_fbQ
(warning: some content not really appropriate for young viewers. just sayin')

[MightiMidget]

Tried watching cowboy bebop (up past ep 4 now). Having some trouble seeing what people like about it. It's got a very good retro op, but hopefully more story develops, otherwise it'll feel like watching "It Takes a Thief" (an entertaining show no less, but purely episodic).

Um. No. Not really. The whole series is almost entirely episodic, except for some hints and things here and there. I had difficulty getting into it up through the end...personally, I like the movie better. Heehee.

It's interesting in setting though.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Fist of the North Star - Complete

In some ways, watching FotNS is like being in a marriage. Here are a few:

When you decide to take the plunge, you are pretty aware that you're making a long-term commitment. Many people will not understand why.
FotNS is 109 episodes. Its direct sequel TV series is 43 episodes. The winter 2008 season featured a 13 episode origin story of on of the characters. Around that time, a remake pentology (5 items: 3 OVAs and 2 films) was commissioned chronicling the TV series' seminal moments and covering more character backstory, all packed in in shiny, new animation. There is a summary movie, a spoof series featuring the characters in SD, a pre-apocalypse crime drama TV series prequel, and a boatload of manga (with new projects still being done). So, yeah. Should you decide FotNs is for you, you'll be giving away a pretty big chunk of your life to it. This is quite fine by me.

The most important thing isn't how your partner looks, but the content of their soul and that both of your souls agree on what is most important.
Inevitably, the first thing the modern fan thinks when they see FotNS is that it looks old and/or ugly. Well, it is old, it takes place after the apocalypse, and it does not feature pretty boy characters. Then why watch it, you might ask. Because it features countless exploding heads. The "art of assassination" that the lead character practices in called Hokuto Shinken (translated as Divine Fist of the North Star). The body has numerous hidden pressure points that, touched in just the right way, have specific effects on the body. Most often, these effects culminate in the explosion of the touchee's head. Again, when entering into a long-term commitment, it is vital that both parties agree on what is most highly valued. FotNS and I certainly are of one accord that martial arts fights and exploding heads are very, very important. We are manly, together.

However, if you think for one moment that this is a substance-less show, you would be wrong. See point four below.

It's not all going to be cherries and cream; your partner will undoubtedly do things that frustrate you and try your patience.
I will admit: there are time when FotNS is a chore to get through. It does a masterful job at building up its main antagonists and usually does a good job at getting you to care about the "mini-bosses" or secondary villains. But, dem mooks.

There are a couple of points in the five-part story (middle of part one, I am looking at you) that the main character fights hordes of cowardly underlings for what seems like reams of episodes. Sure, I like martial arts fights and exploding heads (see above). I also like potatoes; however, if a meal is just potatoes, then it feels a bit lacking. One needs the steak, or in this case, plot advancement, to be satisfied.

However, when it comes down to it...

In the end, both are incredibly rewarding.
FotNS is too old to claim that it follows the shounen fighting formula. I'm not sure such a formula, as we know it today, existed back then. However, it is a fact that pretty much any shounen fighting series (and many other sorts of shounen series) borrow some elements from FotNS.

This is not to say that FotNS invented the formula because I don't think that's quite right. If we took this so-called formula that later shows extrapolated from various elements of FotNS and applied it to FotNS itself, we would see that it transcends such a formula, especially the ending.

I think, in the end, the show is about the limits of human ambition, finding goodness in the midst of moral decay and wrong choices, what it means to be spiritually fulfilled and the positive power/effects of experiencing suffering. So, in addition to the splodin' noggins, there's something weighty to think on. And, there are loads of manly tears (in fact, FotNs is the genesis of the phrase itself).

Also: dat ending. I was not expecting this at all, but the ending of this show was incredibly moving. Very, very beautiful, artistic ending to the series. Christian existentialists will love it.

FotNS is a gloriously wonderful show. Definitely a top ten favorite for me.

[Falx]

Well if you like it so much why don't you just marr-... wait.

[AnimeGirl]

Watched the first episode of 07 Ghost. It seems rather interesting, and the animation is gorgeous! I think I'll continue with it.