What are you watching now?

[thadudette]

I'm not raving screaming giddy about it, but I'm enjoying the more thought-provoking parts (Recall I'm still a beginner to anime, okay? :3). I'm mostly watching it cuz it's short, easy to catch up on, and I have a bunch of friends who've seen it so it's discussable with someone. :3

[Deleted]

Sept 19, 2013 3:14:10 GMT thadudette said:

I'm not raving screaming giddy about it, but I'm enjoying the more thought-provoking parts (Recall I'm still a beginner to anime, okay? :3). I'm mostly watching it cuz it's short, easy to catch up on, and I have a bunch of friends who've seen it so it's discussable with someone. :3

That and it has good art, animation, character designs, and soundtrack, a competent story with lots of variety in terms of situations and setting and while the romance can be somewhat idealized there the show is not devoid of intelligent conversation.
Just about average, and a perfect starting point for any anime fan.
I'll also come straight out and say that I think it's actually a little better than this years equivalent, Attack on Titan, which I feel is slightly over hyped although like SAO it does have good animation, music and suspense (albeit with dull characters and character designs who die too quickly, a predictable story that cops out roughly a quarter of the way through and too few small moments to let any of the horror and despair sink in, whereas SAO had many huge and small moments.)

I'll actually have to watch the second half of the show before I can make a final judgement there, though.
The best anime this year is still going to be either DR, BB Alter memory or Kill La Kill.

[Rikuseroth]

Starting to watch an episode or two a day of toradora

[Stove]

Sept 19, 2013 17:17:28 GMT @alberenza said:

Sept 19, 2013 3:14:10 GMT thadudette said:

I'm not raving screaming giddy about it, but I'm enjoying the more thought-provoking parts (Recall I'm still a beginner to anime, okay? :3). I'm mostly watching it cuz it's short, easy to catch up on, and I have a bunch of friends who've seen it so it's discussable with someone. :3

That and it has good art, animation, character designs, and soundtrack, a competent story with lots of variety in terms of situations and setting and while the romance can be somewhat idealized there the show is not devoid of intelligent conversation.
Just about average, and a perfect starting point for any anime fan.
I'll also come straight out and say that I think it's actually a little better than this years equivalent, Attack on Titan, which I feel is slightly over hyped although like SAO it does have good animation, music and suspense (albeit with dull characters and character designs who die too quickly, a predictable story that cops out roughly a quarter of the way through and too few small moments to let any of the horror and despair sink in, whereas SAO had many huge and small moments.)

I'll actually have to watch the second half of the show before I can make a final judgement there, though.
The best anime this year is still going to be either DR, BB Alter memory or Kill La Kill.

I agree on that bolded point. Because something as crappy as SAO in terms of story means that your expectations are lowered, making stories like Death Note, Code Geass and DR even more amazing.
[biasbiasbias]

Also, I feel the way about SAO that you feel about Attack on Titan. Though I've never seen that so...yeah.

[Deleted]

Sept 19, 2013 20:52:50 GMT Stove said:

Sept 19, 2013 17:17:28 GMT @alberenza said:

That and it has good art, animation, character designs, and soundtrack, a competent story with lots of variety in terms of situations and setting and while the romance can be somewhat idealized there the show is not devoid of intelligent conversation.
Just about average, and a perfect starting point for any anime fan.
I'll also come straight out and say that I think it's actually a little better than this years equivalent, Attack on Titan, which I feel is slightly over hyped although like SAO it does have good animation, music and suspense (albeit with dull characters and character designs who die too quickly, a predictable story that cops out roughly a quarter of the way through and too few small moments to let any of the horror and despair sink in, whereas SAO had many huge and small moments.)

I'll actually have to watch the second half of the show before I can make a final judgement there, though.
The best anime this year is still going to be either DR, BB Alter memory or Kill La Kill.

I agree on that bolded point. Because something as crappy as SAO in terms of story means that your expectations are lowered, making stories like Death Note, Code Geass and DR even more amazing.
[biasbiasbias]

Also, I feel the way about SAO that you feel about Attack on Titan. Though I've never seen that so...yeah.

True. I'd give AoT a look anyway because of the animation and music. You'll basically see all it has to offer after an episode or 2.

The anime you mentioned are also really good starting points, too. I started my Dad on death note.
Of course most people's starting point is one of the big 3 shounens...

[Stove]

Sept 19, 2013 20:58:39 GMT @alberenza said:

Sept 19, 2013 20:52:50 GMT Stove said:

I agree on that bolded point. Because something as crappy as SAO in terms of story means that your expectations are lowered, making stories like Death Note, Code Geass and DR even more amazing.
[biasbiasbias]

Also, I feel the way about SAO that you feel about Attack on Titan. Though I've never seen that so...yeah.

True. I'd give AoT a look anyway because of the animation and music. You'll basically see all it has to offer after an episode or 2.

The anime you mentioned are also really good starting points, too. I started my Dad on death note.
Of course most people's starting point is one of the big 3 shounens...

I'd say DR is probably the best due to it's wildly increasing popularity and it's short length as opposed to Death note and Code Geass. That and It may actually be better.
Oh well, atleast you and I can say we got into DR before it was "cool."

3 Shounens? Uh...Naruto...Bleach...and...DBZ? I don't care about the "mainstream" animes so yeah.

[Deleted]

Sept 19, 2013 21:07:37 GMT Stove said:

Sept 19, 2013 20:58:39 GMT @alberenza said:

True. I'd give AoT a look anyway because of the animation and music. You'll basically see all it has to offer after an episode or 2.

The anime you mentioned are also really good starting points, too. I started my Dad on death note.
Of course most people's starting point is one of the big 3 shounens...

I'd say DR is probably the best due to it's wildly increasing popularity and it's short length as opposed to Death note and Code Geass. That and It may actually be better.
Oh well, atleast you and I can say we got into DR before it was "cool."

3 Shounens? Uh...Naruto...Bleach...and...DBZ? I don't care about the "mainstream" animes so yeah.

Yeah those are the big 3. I don't watch them but many people started out with them, DBZ especially.

Also I think we only barely managed to come into the 'before it was cool' phase for DR. The first LP was already finished when we found it after all.
That said DR may not be one of the best choices. I love the anime but I can't ignore how rushed it is. I need to discuss this more with my friends who are watching it for the first time in anime format.
But Junko's animation... I already prefer each of the expressions they've shown in that one minuet then to the game. Just godlike, and Yukari Takeba's voice actor is great as always.

[Indigo]

Actually, the big three are Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece. I saw some of the One Piece dub a very long time ago and was barely interested in it, and I watched Naruto till the end of the first real arc (Zabuza and Haku). I gotta say, it was actually pretty good. But it sucks what it turns into later on. But the best shonen is Busou Renkin.

[Rikuseroth]

^^ yea the big three are Onepiece Naruto and Bleach.

DBZ was more of a "I'm gonna watch DBZ cuz it's awesome and I saw as a kid" thing.

Regardless, since One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach are still going in atleast one format, they are indeed more popular.

[Stove]

Sept 19, 2013 22:33:14 GMT Indigo said:

Actually, the big three are Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece. I saw some of the One Piece dub a very long time ago and was barely interested in it, and I watched Naruto till the end of the first real arc (Zabuza and Haku). I gotta say, it was actually pretty good. But it sucks what it turns into later on. But the best shonen is Busou Renkin.

Naruto's first arc was decent, to be honest. I can't deny that.

[thadudette]

Sept 19, 2013 17:17:28 GMT @alberenza said:

Sept 19, 2013 3:14:10 GMT thadudette said:

I'm not raving screaming giddy about it, but I'm enjoying the more thought-provoking parts (Recall I'm still a beginner to anime, okay? :3). I'm mostly watching it cuz it's short, easy to catch up on, and I have a bunch of friends who've seen it so it's discussable with someone. :3

That and it has good art, animation, character designs, and soundtrack, a competent story with lots of variety in terms of situations and setting and while the romance can be somewhat idealized there the show is not devoid of intelligent conversation.
Just about average, and a perfect starting point for any anime fan.

Again, I wouldn't have known most of that since I'm a starter and have literally nothing to compare it to XD
We'll see what happens after I snail-pace my way through SAO's one season

[Indigo]

So... I'm not watching this, not right now anyway, but I stumbled across it. Wonder how I never heard of it till now. Mazinkaiser SKL:

This is rather interesting... It reeks of badawesome and heavy metal combat (pun intended). It's like, a traditional super robot anime that delved into despair, and basks in the deep depths of it while still being what it is. It's like Al Alberenzified my Mazinkaiser!

[thadudette]

So my friends have insisted that I MUST watch Avatar TLA ... now here I am 5 episodes into the 1st season and several hours sleep-deprived. (But hey, it was fun)

[Stove]

Sept 28, 2013 21:19:17 GMT thadudette said:

So my friends have insisted that I MUST watch Avatar TLA ... now here I am 5 episodes into the 1st season and several hours sleep-deprived. (But hey, it was fun)

The series is fantastic, you do need to watch it. However, the 1st season is actually by far the weakest of the series.

[Deleted]

EDIT: I saw the first episode of Golden time, apparently written by the same guy who did Toradora.
I enjoyed it a tad more than the first episode of Toradora at least.

Anyway.

Wow, Kill La Kill is more Gurren Lagann than Gurren Lagann if the first episode that just came out today is any indication.
Hope they have some small moments later on.

Besides that, IT WAS AWESOME!
They've got a good setup though I wonder why the city they're in needs to be an academy of all things. For the uniforms, (which oddly enough are this shows replacement for mechs) I guess.
When it slows down and starts really digging into the narrative, I see the potential for a really good show. Just hope it slows down for a few moments soon. The world and the characters are already incredibly striking, imaginative, and fun so they just need development, same goes for the world which is very visually dynamic and a little different to the wide open planes of Gurren Lagann, instead going for a much more boxed in and claustrophobic feel, at least when it isn't zooming out to show the scale of this massive tower like city.
In terms of themes the only thing that pops into my head is 1984 of all things. The student council president Satsuki has an almost Lelouch like iron grip over the school and the city below it, and her credence of 'fear is freedom, subjugation is liberation, contradiction is truth' reminds me a lot of 'War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength' and they're both used in a similar context. Still, the academy isn't exactly a hotbed of misery since everyone can keep quiet for a while. I do find it funny how the hyperactive sidekick character Mako is completely indifferent to the fact that students are occasionally hanged/crucified (seriously, at the same time) above the school gates.

Oh, and the sexualisation is through the rood with this one. Wasn't sure it would get much worse than Yoko. I do find it kind of awesome that Ryuko's uniform is sentient and actually serves as one of two 'magical aid' items (the other being a half scissor sword) both of which are well written trinkets in the story, but yeah the uniform itself would look cooler if it covered more skin. It's actually a comedic point.
I would complain like I usually do but I honestly don't mind since in the same fight she's fighting against a an unconventional male body build who's showing quite a lot of skin to. He has a lot of muscle but I wouldn't say it's attractive per say as he looks kind of young, but what I like about both this and Gurren Lagann is that both the men and the women are both stripped down. If sex is going to sell a product then at the very least you should just have fan service for everyone.
Even then in both Gurren Lagann and this the action so high energy and blood pumping that I don't really have time to be distracted by the assets on screen, whereas most fanservice shows would slow down in the middle to really show off the skin. As such I can't really call this a 'fanserive anime' it's more like character design that just happens to involve a lot of skin. Thankfully in non combat segments everyone seems to be reasonably clothed too, or at least in the case of one character edited so you don't see his body much. So in that respect it's BETTER than Gurren Lagann since Kamina/Simon and Yoko always where the same outfits in every situation.

I'm really looking forward to the rest of this show. Not seeing signs that it will be as transcendent as Gurren Lagann but so long as it's good it doesn't have to be the best anime ever.
Then again, Gurren Lagann didn't look like a show that was more than the sum of its parts at first glance either.

[njayhuang]

Kyoukai no Kanata ep 1.
RIP in piece bucket-san T_T

[Deleted]

Oct 5, 2013 5:05:01 GMT njayhuang said:

Kyoukai no Kanata ep 1.
RIP in piece bucket-san T_T

That show was also pretty good.
Lots of shows that I'm interested in this season.

[Deleted]

Blazblue: Alter Memory aired recently and it was AWESOME!
If you haven't played the games I highly recommend it.

[Deleted]

THE BEST GAME OF TENNIS EVER!

Kill La Kill is really fantastic. There's no doubt in my mind that it will be just as special as Gurren Lagann.
We also finally got to see the opening and ending themes and animations, and it really just adds and adds to the shows awesomeness. The ending especially was a nice surprise.

In both those sequences a reoccurring image was that of many blood red outlines of people in a hand holding link. Not sure what the name is for them, but it's like those things you make in school to promote friendship and stuff.
Except here it very clearly represents the identical looking one star students under Satsuki's control.
Add the fact that Senketsu actually feeds off of Ryuko's blood in order to power up, the tyrannical social class system; and this series, much like Gurren Lagann, is actually much darker than the way it presents itself suggests.
This show puts me in a state of absolute bliss. Exposition is done in nice dribs and drabs in order to keep the viewer wanting to know more whilst keeping to a very specific and fun structure so it doesn't drown you in exposition. There are implications that more is going on then we think... and I could list off all the questions, but that would take too long.
Two episodes and there's already so much to say! Whoever says that you have to turn off your brain to watch this is a liar.

My point from last week was also proved here, too. Ryuko finally meets her home room teacher in this episode who... for some reason decides to take off his clothes. It's a really funny visual gimmick with him, actually, he starts off looking somewhat dweeby but then as the scene goes on he slowly becomes Kamina level hansom, not helped by the flashy pink and sexy lighting. Hopefully that will give the female viewers something to enjoy.

EDIT: Oh and Mako is awesome. That's how you do a damsel in distress (seriously, she's been captured two episodes in a row now how can she still be so happy?). Her character design is rather bland but her animation is some of the most hyperactive and amazing stuff I've ever seen. She's like a loonytoon!

[Rikuseroth]

So, yeah Log Horizon and Infinite Stratos season 2