What anime are you watching?

[FllMtl Novelist]

Natsume is something that has grown on me as I've watched it, and I already thought the first season was pretty awesome.

Excellent.

Coincidentally, that's exactly what my thoughts were.

Heh. Does it get noticeably better when the second season starts?

Perhaps it was too good a film, and some people can't handle the greatest movie ever, I suppose.

I'm guessing it's a message or some spiritual thing, since that's just silly.

[Wolf-man]

Oh I have also been going through the Japanese version of Digimon Adventure Zero Two. It is kind of boring to be honest. I mean there are so many better shows out there. I actually have been skipping some episodes because I want to get through it and I don't feel like watching the whole thing. The original series was better and I am looking forward to watching Tamers in Japanese. Hopefully it won't disappoint me like this show did. Though, I have realized that Zero Two sucks dubbed or subbed. XD

[Vii]

Just finished The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya and it was really, really good. The animation and backgrounds were great and I loved the soundtrack. Oh yeah, and the story was good too. ^_^
I can see why it's been rated so highly. It's now one of my favorite anime movies of all time, along with 5 Centimeters Per Second and Princess Mononoke.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Heh. Does it get noticeably better when the second season starts?

I don't know, I haven't actually seen it yet due to the fact that Youtube blocks me from viewing TV-14 videos because I am not old enough.

[Wolf-man]

But...your 17 or is that a clever ruse?

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Clearly I've been lying to CAA this entire time but am unwilling to do so to Youtube.

[seaglass27]

I am currently watching Kaiba as well as Dennou Coil on the recommendation of Atria35. Thanks, Atria!

[Falx]

Dennou Coil is so good.

[Nozomi]

Completed:
The Vision of Escaflowne
Fruits Basket

Excellent series, both of them. Escaflowne started out a bit weird but had a good, steady storyline, and ended well. Fruits Basket had a... different pace, but that's the slice-of-life genre for ya.

Started:
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Samurai Champloo

Both look to be good series. I'm definitely going to enjoy the latter.

Also, keeping up with Fairy Tail. Good stuff on the Edolas arc.

Episode Count: 1,600

[Wolf-man]

I finished Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood last night.
I don't even know how to begin on how awesome this series is. It is the best anime I have ever watched. It was so amazing and I have no real complaints about the show. I am sad to see it go. It was an incredible journey filled with the best writing, acting, and artwork that I have ever witnessed in an anime series. If you haven't watched this show then do it, please. It is amazing all around.
[SPOILER]Yay! Ed and Winry finally together!!! This makes me very happy.[/SPOILER]

[FllMtl Novelist]

Just finished the first season of Spice and Wolf! ^o^

I don't know, I haven't actually seen it yet due to the fact that Youtube blocks me from viewing TV-14 videos because I am not old enough.

Why don't you watch it on Hulu or Funimation?

Clearly I've been lying to CAA this entire time but am unwilling to do so to Youtube.

XD

[ShiroiHikari]

Subtitles have begun appearing for a '81 mecha show called Braiger/Bryger. I've watched the first four episodes. It's about four mercenaries who pilot a car that turns into a spaceship that turns into a giant robot. So far they've been tangling with space organised crime, space conspirators, space corporations, space biker gangs &c, while trying to avoid the bumbling space police. Each of the four episodes I've seen has been pretty self-contained, and each little adventure is fairly light-hearted despite being fairly violent.

I suppose from the more modern things I've seen the closest comparison might be to Outlaw Star, although Bryger has been much more formulaic (and I don't mean that in an entirely negative way).

I don't expect it to turn out great, but it's reasonably entertaining.

My husband is currently watching Bryger raw (his Japanese is quite good). I didn't know it was getting subbed. I've watched a couple of episodes but without subs, I can only catch what's being said maybe half the time. Blaster Kid looks like a cool, cool guy though, and Isaac kinda looks like he stepped straight out of UC Gundam. And yeah, I noticed that large groups of random mooks tend to get mowed down a lot...

[KhakiBlueSocks]

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]I'm currently watching Funimation's Re-Release of "FLCL". Good job Funimation! This version looks even cleaner than the original release![/color][/SIZE][/font]

[Atria35]

Hanasaku Iroha 20-21- Minchi.... I want Minchi to get together with Tohru! It's just NOT FAIR!

Mars of Destruction- Brain. melted.

Maruwaru Penguindrum 6- Interesting....

Usagi Drop 6-7- Sweet stuff. It definitely makes my heart melt a little! Even if someone did spoil the ending of the manga for me....

No. 6 6-7- woah. Okay, BL here. They finally updated the genre on MAL, too. I'm going to stick with it anyway, since I'd still rate it a 7/10. I don't like Rat's annoying attitude, though. I want to slap him.

Steins Gate 20- AAAA! I have to wait 4 more weeks?! I'm dying to see the end!

[Juliannesan]

Hanasaku Iroha 20-21- Minchi.... I want Minchi to get together with Tohru! It's just NOT FAIR!

I knooow! I want Ohana & Ko-chan to be together!

[MangaRocks!]

Mawaru Penguindrum, episode 6: So, the story continues to get even more interesting...

(Full-spoiler thoughts in the show's "Let's Watch!" thread. )

[Wolf-man]

I finished Digimon Adventure Zero Two last night. The ending was actually good. I wish the rest of the series had been. It had so much potential for being as good as the first series but unfortunately the writers seemed to get lazy and just rehash the original series with new characters and make it less interesting. Though because the last few episodes really picked up the pace and made it enjoyable it gets a 7 from me.

I re-started Digimon Xros Wars. I had watched the first three episodes when it originally started but then just stopped. So I decided to re-watch those episodes and it is a good thing because I barely remember them from the first time. I am really liking this show. It is classic Digimon fun with some foreshadowing that should lead into an interesting plot with epic sounding villains. One thing that I'm not really sure if it is a positive or a negative is that I have noticed it is a lot more fast paced compared to the other series. I think it works for this series, I wouldn't want every series from now on to be like this but it is good for now. I know some people really don't like the combing mech digimon. Honestly I think it is cool and reflects exactly what Digimon is all about, experimentation. Each series tries to do something different from its predecessor.

I also started Digimon Tamers (yes I am in a Digimon mood XD) in its original Japanese language. I am looking forward to not only re-watching this great show but hearing the dialog and seeing the characters as they were meant to be with all stupid puns excluded. Many fans considered this to be the best series and though it is not my absolute favorite it runs at a close second. Especially coming off the incredibly awful Zero Two this was a breath of fresh air and reminded the fans why we love Digimon.

Also watched Ghost Hunt episodes 18 and 19. Some of the dialog in this episode and the great J-Horror atmosphere have really bumped up this show. It went from being something that was pretty good to really good.
[SPOILER]Mai's reaction to everyone finding out she was an orphan was awesome. That whole scene was really well written. Also Lin's adversity towards the Japanese because of his Chinese background is really interesting and something that is rarely touched on in media. Especially Japanese media.[/SPOILER]

[Crossfire]

Finished watching Eureka 7. It was... interesting to say the least. I prefered the first quarter of the show more than the rest, to be honest. The whole "sentient alien species" theme kinda ruined it for me.

[Maokun]

Several different obligations and personal issues (plus stumbling upon another time-devouring distraction -mspaintadventures) have kept me away from anime for a while, and as such, from this forum too, but I'm always back like so many prodigal sons!

I just watched the whole blu-ray version of Bakemonogatari. It was great to see all those scenes that went un-animated in the TV version, especially in "Nadeko Snake". Also I just learned that Kazumonogatari (the much teased prequel) will be made shortly!

[Juliannesan]

Finished School Rumble Season 1.
Interesting, but I have a funny feeling that by the time I finish all the seasons I still won't be pleased with the outcome.

Hanasaku Iroha: Episode 21. Minchi.... I actually teared up at the end of the episode. [spoiler]Takako & Enishi. So sweeet![/spoiler]

Ikoku Meiro no Croisee: Episode 8. So cuute. I love Yune. The French girls.... Not so much.

[Maokun]

Finished School Rumble Season 1.
Interesting, but I have a funny feeling that by the time I finish all the seasons I still won't be pleased with the outcome.

Quick! Take a piece of paper and write down the winners of the big sport events for the next 5 years! Better take advantage of that sudden accurate prophetic inspiration rush before it runs out.

[Juliannesan]

Quick! Take a piece of paper and write down the winners of the big sport events for the next 5 years! Better take advantage of that sudden accurate prophetic inspiration rush before it runs out.

Hahaha, very funny. We'll see.

[Vii]

I...I finished Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It was amazing. I'm speechless...

Man, I wish I could come up with a more epic summary...

[Juliannesan]

So I'm watching Tears to Tiara, anyone else see it? Is it worth finishing?

Anyway, I was going to watch Hakuouki, but after reading a couple reviews like this one, I have second thoughts, can anyone concur with this?

This is the beginning and the ending of a review by someone on animelist called "Magdalen." It made me laugh....

"Chizuru (the female protagonist) is the only reason (alongside the plot sometimes having holes big enough to drive a truck through) you might find this a little tiresome." --Beginning of review.

"All in all, you should watch for the fight scenes (guys), and the man candy (girls) and just the characters! I highly recommend it." -- Last line of review.

Bahahahahaha!

[Atria35]

^ I completely concur with that review. The girl only exists to be a plot device. She stands there and does nothing for the entire series. I'm not even that fond of the guys, to be honest. And the plot is just...*tears out hair*

[Juliannesan]

^ I completely concur with that review. The girl only exists to be a plot device. She stands there and does nothing for the entire series. I'm not even that fond of the guys, to be honest. And the plot is just...*tears out hair*

Yeeeah, I thought I saw something about that on your animelist review on it.
I just found that review rather funny, first she's saying how there are plot problems and the main character is annoying, and then she says she highly recommends it at the end. So contradictory! Hahaha.

Oh well, I'm definitely not going to mess with it.
It's a shame though, I really like good Samurai series, especially real historically accurate [or at least somewhat to pretty accurate] ones.

But I can't stand it when a main character is annoying, that complete turns me off to that.

[the_wolfs_howl]

I finally got around to watching episode 12 of D.Gray-man. Yay Lavi!!!! I've been excited to meet him for a long time. Of course, he only came in right at the end, so I don't really know anything about him yet. But it's nice to see a couple new characters join the show.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Brevity from TSD!

Only Yesterday

Takahada may be the "forgotten man" at Ghibli, but he has made one of the studio's most poignant works in Only Yesterday. I think this movie can be best appreciated by people who have had enough life experience to take stock of both their childhood and their early adulthood. This is a wonderful piece about both nostalgia and self-discovery.

DD Hokuto no Ken

As you may or may not know, the opening lines of Hokuto no Ken proclaim that in the year 199X the earth endured a nuclear apocalypse, reducing it to a Mad Max-esque wasteland full of biker punks. The opening of DD Hokuto no Ken, a recent set of shorts that parody the shounen fighting classic, states that in the year 199X, the world did not endure a nuclear apocalypse! Thus, The characters of HnK, their intense, grim, battle-ready personalities from the original series intact, must get along in the normal modern world. Hilarity ensues.

Perfect Blue

Kon's directorial debut is the most unsettling anime I have ever seen. PB is a disturbing story about the ripple effect that the otaku culture has upon its idols. Of course, it bears the Kon hallmarks of also being about the vagueness of the border that separates fantasy from reality. As in Millennium Actress, he uses movies as his prefered medium of fantasy; however, rather than MA's portrayal of the delight resulting from this blend, the blurring of the real and the ideal lead to panic, paranoia and madness, in Perfect Blue. I loved this movie.

[Juliannesan]

Brevity from TSD!

Only Yesterday

Takahada may be the "forgotten man" at Ghibli, but he has made one of the studio's most poignant works in Only Yesterday. I think this movie can be best appreciated by people who have had enough life experience to take stock of both their childhood and their early adulthood. This is a wonderful piece about both nostalgia and self-discovery.

That's good to know! I had been wanting to see "Only Yesterday." And I'm glad I chose it. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

BTW, on a random non-related note. I looked up your music playlist and you've got some good tunes on there.

[Blitzkrieg1701]

I just watched A.D. Police. One of the most forgettable shows I've seen in a while, and I am ASTOUNDINGLY forgiving towards that sort of early 90s Sci-Fi stuff.