Anime?

[Hood]

This is a month of disappointments. 

 

Tried watching Dragon Ball (new series). Seriously disappointed. Left after 2 episodes.

 

Tried watching Gintama. Again disappointed. Now whenever, I hear about any 'x' series that is successful now, but was considered to be aired-off, I'll be cautious before watching it. Sometimes, the 10 point review on MAL, raise expectations too high.

[Ryan]

Gintama is really uneven quality-wise. The plot arcs are often incredible. The filler between can be okay but is usually cringeworthy. I quit watching around episode 200-something. Might pick it up later. Probably won't.

 

Speaking of disappointment, I'm having a hard time getting into DurararaX2. They have introduced a new cast of freshmen and villains, and I don't like any of them. Season 1's cast is still there...but the focus of the plot is off of them. The show has earned a certain amount of goodwill and trust from me with its masterful first season, so I'm willing to give it a bit of time for the plot to take shape, but still...ugh.

[WayneSpren]

Psych ain't no anime, but still awesome. 

[Left]

So I found a very nice little app that has a fair amount of anime on it(sub only) and I'm actually pretty sure it's not illegal, which is really nice cause there's so many sketchy sites and apps.

I started watching a show called Plastic Memory(ies?) on it, and dang! I love it!! It reminds me of Angel Beats in a lot of ways really, so I fully recommend it to other lovers of Angel Beats. I haven't had time to finish it yet, but it's only a twelve episoder so I should do so soon.

Since part of Fate/Stay Night got put on netflix I watched it. Not nearly as good as Fate/Zero. Nowhere close. The first couple episodes were the strongest, and while it is enjoyable I suppose, it just can't stand up to any comparison. The rest of the show is on the afore mentioned app, but I'm probably going to invest my time in a show or book with a better pay off. Maybe even a rewatch of Fate/Zero

[Amrynn]

Death Note is AWESOME! Rewatching it, I laugh, I cry, I eat a potato chip, and it's great. I'm also a fan of DBZ.

[Retsam]

I've started watching Madoka Magica with my girlfriend; I've seen it before and she hasn't.  We've watched the first three episodes so far.  It's a great show and I think she'll like it, but I think I'm going to enjoy this even more than she will.

[ThirdGen]

Bonus points to you if she's going into it totally cold.

[Retsam]

She's going into it about as cold as realistically possible.  Even the Netflix listing is a bit spoilerish; they assign two adjectives to each show, and they for Madoka they picked

"dark" and "ominous"

.  Plus, just the fact that I'm the one recommending it is probably a bit of a giveaway, as I have a fairly low cuteness tolerance, (other than from my cat).  

[ParadoxicalZen]

Started to watch Hunter x Hunter, not bad so far and i've been bingewatching on netflix. Recently watched Accel World dubbed which started off quite well but the dialogue bugged me a bit and it didn't really have an ending to it >.>

[Hood]

Started to watch Hunter x Hunter, not bad so far and i've been bingewatching on netflix. Recently watched Accel World dubbed which started off quite well but the dialogue bugged me a bit and it didn't really have an ending to it >.>

 

Now that's an anime, I want to watch. It's neither too long, nor too short. And reviewers, say that it is the next best thing after FMA:B. 

[Left]

Now that's an anime, I want to watch. It's neither too long, nor too short. And reviewers, say that it is the next best thing after FMA:B. 

It really is one of my favorite shows, and there's only one arc that I felt dragged. I would definitely recommend watching it, whenever you can devote the time to it.

[blakcat]

Tried watching Gintama. Again disappointed.

 

Ryan is correct.  Gintama has some great moments and some terrible moments.  For me, the annoying thing was having a million TL notes per episode, for which I had to pause and read so I could understand the jokes.

 

 

 

It really is one of my favorite shows, and there's only one arc that I felt dragged. I would definitely recommend watching it, whenever you can devote the time to it.

 

I really have to agree.  It was superb up until the Chimer-ant arc (which was just horrible), but it seems to be picking up now which is promising.

[PeterAhlstrom]

We've caught up on Baby Steps as of last night. This really is a great show. I think the second season has a slightly higher budget than the first; the production values seem a bit higher. The writing on the last few matches has been excellent, and the pacing continues to be very good.

 

I watched the first episode of Plastic Memories and it is probably going to be too depressing for my tastes, so I'll probably pass.

 

I've watched 16 episodes of Food Wars. I do love the story on this, but the nudity and jiggling would put it beyond my tolerance if I weren't such a fan of the manga. I mean really, for a show that is about cooking, why so much nudity and jiggling?

 

Watched an episode of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches. The manga for this is very good and I'm about halfway through. A certain amount of fanservice is part of the point of this series, so I hope it doesn't get too annoying in the anime. The writing is very clever, so I hope the anime holds up.

 

Watched the first episode of Akame ga Kill, and it's probably too bloody to continue.

 

Have watched 2 episodes of Sound! Euphonium and this is a cute show. Will continue, but not for binging.

 

Watched the 2 free episodes of Overlord on Funimation. Another Sword Art Online/Log Horizon setup, but with a dude playing an evil overlord skeleton character, may be trapped in this game all by himself. I may watch more of this someday, but I'm not super impressed with Funimation's simulcast lineup. Crunchyroll's is satisfying to me.

 

And Haikyuu is coming back in October!!

[ParadoxicalZen]

Started watching Blue Exorcist. It seems alright. Going to try Jitsu wa Watashi wa as well

Edited August 19, 2015 by ParadoxSpren

[Pestis the Spider]

I watch quite a few animes this season. If I don't count Arslan Senki (which started in spring), then I think that the best one I'm watching right now is Rokka no Yuusha  which is really great. I'm an absolute fan of Adlet, and I even read the available LN's because I couldnt' wait to learn what's going to happen. Also Durarara!! is really good. Better than the previous cour, I think. 

 

One thing that is annoying me currently is that there is still no final episode of Kekkai Sensen. It's been months now. It's such an amazing show, but this wait kills it. 

 

And I can't wait for October. The Fall season is going to be great, since we get new season of Noragami and K, which I both enjoyed a lot last time. Noragami manga is also absolutely amazing so I have really high hopes for the anime.

 

EDIT: I think I'm going to try watching Madoka Magica, seem everyone everywhere seems to reccomend it. Just the animation looks to be overly cute and pink style, so I'm a little worried, and that's why I haven't watch it before. Well, at least in the posters...

Edited August 19, 2015 by Pestis the Spider

[Retsam]

I've started watching GATE.  The premise is that a gate to a fantasy world of humans and elves and magic and dragons and (oddly) a Roman Empire doppleganger opens up in the middle of Tokyo, and a war begins between that world and ours.  

 

Being an anime, it naturally alternates between a fairly serious and somber story about a war with battles that kill tens of thousands of people... and a story with, for example, a gothic lolita wielding a giant war axe and the ingredients for a harem.  (The gothic lolita outfit being explained as "shrine vestments".  Riiight.)  I'm enjoying the former, and while, for me, the latter mostly induces eye-rolling, so it's a bit of a mixed bag.

 

It's interesting enough that I'll keep going, and it's definitely got the potential for greatness in my book... it'll just depend on whether the "somewhat serious war story" wins out over the more "anime" bits; I've seen only the first four episodes, I think the 8th one airs in a couple days, and then it'll be just keeping up with the weekly episodes.  

[ChocolateRob]

I'd not watched a great deal of anime until I signed on to Crunchyroll last November, the few I'd seen were mostly from the nineties - Gundam Wing, Legend of the four kings, a few other random bits here and there. I felt like checking out Attack on Titan and Sword Art Online then just kind of got stuck there and have done a whole lot of bingeing since then. So here are the ones I've been enjoying since Nov 2015 -

 

(PS they say you can't judge a book by its cover but I will bring up intro titles and music a lot)

 

 

Attack on Titan -

I'd heard it mentioned a few times so I thought I'd try it. I tend to avoid depressing tales (like a song of ice and fire) even if they may contain much awesomeness (I gave up on Brent Weeks Lightbringer) but despite knowing that AonT fits this category I watched it anyway. It is certainly unique enough to be interesting and as anyone who has seen it knows - it really has some seriously bombastic opening titles! (No seriously, just watch the titles even if you don't watch the series).

 

Sword Art Online -

OK so I actually started watching this one just because I saw Man at Arms forging Kirito's Elucidator on YouTube and thought it looked interesting (Man at Arms is a show where blacksmiths take requests to recreate iconic weaponry from anime, films and computer games). I enjoyed it overall for its premise and the action but the characters can be annoying at times and there is an over-reliance on Deus Ex Machinas. I'd have though the premise of the first arc could have lasted a lot longer too, the stakes just keep dropping with each arc. The best way to enjoy this would be to watch an episode then watch the abridged version of it, 'cause the abridged version is just plain awesome even if it's only 7 eps so far (it quickly managed to improve Kirito's character arc). Titles are pretty good and evolve as things unfold.

 

Hunter Hunter -

I heard the RWBY crew mention this a few times so gave it a go and was not disappointed, I was leery of starting any series with episodes in the hundreds but this one (148 eps) did not seem too high. Enjoyable all the way through, interesting magic system, fun intro song (though not after the first few dozen times) and while Gon is the youngest hero I’ve seen in a while he can be quite terrifying when he wants to be, I do like the ‘something awesome is happening’ music too.

That Chimera Ant arc really dragged on though.

 

One Piece –

Speaking of arcs that really drag on… I finally finished my epic One Piece binge a few weeks ago 700 episodes since Januaryish. So much to get through but it was made a lot easier by the fact that it repeats itself so much - if you skip the intro/titles/recap you can chop about seven minutes off some episodes, then the end titles and next episode preview and you’ve lost a third of the ep that was just wasted. Then there’s the eps randomly set in feudal japan and other fillers and you’ve cut out a few hundred episodes worth of wasted time. I had about 30 eps to go and thought ‘well that’s not enough to wrap up this story arc’, seriously guys cut some stuff.

One the other hand it is a great series, loads of fun.

 

Fairy Tail –

I thought it looked interesting but Crunchyroll only starts at season 2 so I had to look elsewhere for the first. Only to discover that season 2 actually start with episode 150ish. Titles range from good to bad as they change quite a bit but the main theme is always good. Interesting magic systems, imaginative world, goofy cast, all round fun.

 

Bleach –

I only got till the middle of season 4 before calling it a day, it’s good but I’ve watched too many long runners and had to call it quits somewhere. I have to say though that this world has the second worst afterlife since the Earthsea books. Season one ghosts were told that Soul Society was where they would be at peace with their families…

Nope, come season 2 and you see it’s actually a slum - a literal slum – and good luck finding your pre-deceased family members.

 

No Game No Life –

A very weird one but mercifully brief. I really liked the titles and all the game theory but the main characters are downright obnoxious. It’s the creepy Japanese over sexualised ecchiness (and not in a good way…) knocked into high gear, but other than that I quite liked it. I had to repeat the Janken negotiation a few times before I got it and the Shiratori game was interesting (if you ignore the juvenile pervyness laced throughout) to see translated.

I should mention that all anime I watch is subtitled rather than dubbed, dubbing never seems right. Only 1 season of 12 eps (so far).

If you don’t know it the basic premise is that two shut-in siblings are pulled into a fantasy world where all conflict is settled by games since Tet the God of games became the One True God. These two are champions of any game in our world but just don’t quite get real life, this new world is perfect for them so they want to stay and decide to game their way to the top of it.

 

Parasyte - The Maxim –

A gory one now, recently finished, 1 season 24 eps. A teenager gets his arm consumed by a shape shifting parasite, it was after his brain but did not get there in time and is now stuck as his arm. Not my usual type of thing but so well told, true masters of cliff hangers here. Really disliked the opening titles but the end titles are much more to my liking. Hero with eldritch abomination for an arm tries to battle evil but his arm is far more interested in self-preservation and keeping a low profile. Not a series that shies away from blood and gore, heartbreaking at times, great action but the environmental message seemed kinda random.

 

Yona of the Dawn –

A very pretty one now, recently finished its first season of 24 eps. Princess Yona has to flee her castle after the assassination of her father and embarks on a quest with her bodyguard to gather the descendants of the four dragon warriors of her country’s origin myth. Pampered princess learning to be strong and realising how badly her country has been run. Beautiful animation this one, the music is pretty good especially the end titles of the second half (worth seeing just on its own). Last Airbenderish aesthetic to the world.

 

Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? (The Familia Myth) –

I know I know, just try to ignore the stupid title. This one recently finished its first season (13 eps). It is set in a world where the gods have decided to give up their divine power and live as mortals with all that it encompasses, the only power they have is to bless their mortal followers (familia) the ability to… well basically level up RPG style. They explore the titular dungeon to defeat monsters and collect treasure and then their patron god updates their status via a power tattoo on their back. The main character is a new adventurer called Bell Cranel who believes (thanks to his recently deceased grandpa) that romance is saving a weaker adventurer in the dungeon who will then fall for you. Unfortunately he quickly gets into trouble and has his life saved by a girl who he then falls for. The story is about him trying to get stronger to catch up to her level. The story is fun, the titles are perky, the fights can be very impressive and the humour is great.

 

Gate –

Currently part way through its first season. A very interesting idea around this one – a portal to a medieval fantasy world opens up in the middle of modern day Japan and an army immediately charges through and starts slaughtering civilians. Said army has the tables turned quite rapidly when the Japanese army arrives with modern weaponry and wipes them out. After some debate the Japanese government sends the Special Defence Force through the gate to investigate the other world it leads to, the plot is basically how modern soldiers and a fantasy medieval world react to each other (here’s a hint, people on horseback should not pick a fight with people in tanks). The main character is a perfectly normal 33 year old, fully trained soldier (and geek) which is very refreshing as everyone else in this list is a teenager.

Great concept and very watchable but the violence has been toned down way, way too much from its source manga, the titles are fairly ‘meh’ too.

 

Rokka no Yuusha – Braves of the Six Flowers –

Also in the midst of its first (only?) season. Starts very generically in a very nicely designed Mayincatek style fantasy world but takes a sudden swerve a few episodes in with a genre switch. Demon King rises to destroy all humans every few centuries and six mighty warriors (Braves) are selected by the goddess of fate to destroy him first. This time when they gather there are seven instead, which one is an imposter/enemy? Starts with a standard epic fantasy quest but the focus suddenly becomes a paranoia fuelled locked room mystery in an enclosed area.

Beautiful animation, beautiful titles and interesting character designs.

Suggested drinking game – take a shot whenever the main character calls himself ‘the strongest man in the world’

 

 

So that’s my japanime selections for the last half year. I’d also like to mention The Legend of Korra, it had its ups and downs compared to the original but was mostly great never the less.

Also a special mention to RWBY from Roosterteeth, It was a terrible wrench to hear of creator Monty Oum’s death at the start of the year, we geeks have lost a lot of greats so far this year – Leonard Nimoy, Christopher Lee, Sir Pterry - but none quite so tragic as the loss of someone at only the beginnings of greatness.

[nicocoberru]

Wowkay.

I'm currently watching Charlotte right now. Its from the same studio that made Angel Beats and Clannad so I don't think I have to explain it anymore.

I just finished Noragami and the anime-only filler didn't sit to well with me. It was just meh. Thankfully the second season will seem to follow the manga, so I'm happy. Plus, there's Kazuma, who is totally not Okumura Yukio and is totally not voiced by Jun Fukuyama. And the soundtrack! Rectangle, rectangle, rectangle, rectangle. Ueah, IDK XD

Also watching Shokugeki no Soma. I can't believe its already Autumn Election. I can't wait to see the fight between Megumi and Kurokibara. Also, the general fanservice? Yeah, I tend to forget they exist hahahahaha. I'm more interested in the character and pure beauty of the art to actually notice them. And the food. Mmmm the food. Pro tip, don't watch this when you're hungry.

I will always love Durarara. I love how everyone has their own different story threads and you can see how their story tangle up with each other. What do you call that? Rashomon style? Plus, evil!Mikado. Need I say more? You have no idea how many times I've replayed the pen-stabbing scene. Also Shinra and Celty might be the weirdest couple I've ever liked.

I'm also watching Akagami no Shirayukihime, Akatsuki no Yona, and Ore Monogatari. These three are like the first pure shoujo I've watched in what, years? And I like them. Ore Monogatari is so sweet, as in rotting your teeth out sweet, but there's hardly any drama like there is in other shoujo. Shirayuki in Akagami no Shirayukihime might not be a sword-weilding badass, but she can handle herself just fine. And Soo-won makes me tear my hairs out in frustration. How could you?

I used to watch Tokyo Ghoul, but the moment Kaneki went to Aogiri? Yeah, I give up. I'm sticking to the manga. No offense, sorry.

Also tried watching uh, what was it called, AoharuxKikanjuu, bit eeeh. It isn't for me no thanks.

I also loved Owari no Seraph. A storm of cliches, yes and in desperate need of world building, because really, how do Vampires "reproduce" in this universe, will somebody answer me? But hey, I'm having fun with it, so I'll continue watching.

Oh, and anybody excited for October? Because that's the month Owari no Seraph, Noragami, Haikyuu, and K Project all comes back for a second season. (Plus two books: Shadows of Self and The Hollow Boy. October will kill me.)

I just can't wait to see Akaashi and the other owls animated.

Oh and if anyone knows an anime/manga that has the same feel as Kuroshitsuji, please tell me? And by same feel I mean supernatural-creatures-living-in-the-shadows-during-Victorian-Era feel. Gaslamp is my weakness.

Edited August 27, 2015 by nicocoberru

[Darkness Ascendant]

Pokemon and Full Metal Alchemist FTW

[Pestis the Spider]

Wowkay.

I'm currently watching Charlotte right now. Its from the same studio that made Angel Beats and Clannad so I don't think I have to explain it anymore.

Well, please explain it to me. I mean, I dow atch Charlotte right now, and I like it (but why is it called Charlotte, anyway?), but I simply can't watch Angel Beats. The furthest I got is second ep, and everytime I dropped it, because it was ridiculous. I mean, there is a high school in heaven, and there is this bunch of kids who try to kill some girl, and the main guy is like "Yep, I'll help you" and in general it's weird. Does it get any better later? 

 

And I suprisingly like AoharuxKikanjuu. At the beginning I though it was meh, but I actually started to enjoy it.

 

As for Owari no Seraph: Well, I read the manga and I liked it. Loads of cliches, true, but enjoyable. But anime was pretty bad. And I can't stand the art and animation is REALLY bad. 

 

And yeah. I'm excited for October, and I actually wrote that in my previous post here. It's going to be amaaaaazing.

Edited August 27, 2015 by Pestis the Spider

[nicocoberru]

I think it's mostly because Charlotte, Angel Beats, and Clannad all started out as seemingly fun, quirky, slice-of-life type of anime before suddenly getting serious and becoming real sad read quick. Or at least that's what they all say. I haven't actually watched Clannad yet.

Angel Beats is fine I guess? I'm not much fan of slice-of-life types of anime/manga so the first few parts of Angel Beats was just meeeh for me. The last are is nice and sad, though, that's like, what? The last four/five episodes? It does get better, but you have to slug through a whole lot of episodes before you get any action. Though, if there's one thing I really like about it, it's the characters and their backstory.

Uuugh. The animation for Owari no Seraph. It was actually really nice in the first episode but then suddenly went into a steep downhill after that. That battle scene with the Guren Squad vs Ferid's Group? Horrible. Thank god the soundtracks really nice.

[Vinea]

I suppose being a 90's anime fan, The Vision of Escaflowne, Rurouni Kenshin, Neon Genesis Evangelion, One Piece, and Detective Conan takes the top spot, though there's still a lot of those I could never possibly dislike, mainly due to the nostalgia it brings everytime.

 

Has anyone mentioned Pandora Hearts, though? The animation is a bit rusty compared to the current shows but the twists and turns and the characterization really brings this anime to my most beloved along with FMA:B. Not to mention the Alice in Wonderland-inspired chains and the manga's bittersweet ending had me feeling conflicted and restless for a week. It's a really good one, I swear it to the chasmfiend prowling somewhere.

 

I also recommend Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic. The art is really... cutesy, which was a downside for me, but a few episodes more and I found myself stuck with it for years. The history of the Magi world, along with its vast magic system and the White vs. Black concept, did it for me. The characters are so complex and gray that you will always find yourself either wanting to make a shrine for them or digging their own grave for them to jump in. Plus, the politics. Oh, heavens, the POLITICS. And the issues. And the humor. And everything, really. Magi is really great. Try it sometime, yeah?

 

But yeah, other than those, other favorites of mine include Hajime no Ippo, Chihayafuru, Hunter X Hunter, Gangsta, Saiyuki, Daiya no Ace, Fate/Zero, Bakuman (THIS IS DEFINITELY A MUST WATCH), D. Gray Man, Kuroshitsuji, Death Parade, Wolf's Rain, Tsubasa Chronicles, Digimon, and a lot more, I believe. I might start Berserk and Trigun some time soon since people keep on recommending it to me. Can I ask for more recommendations? Preferably something dark, since I like it dark and gloomy.

[Left]

There was one show I watched a long time ago, called Canaan. It's....insanely dark. I wouldn't be able to watch it again, and I don't remember if it was even actually entertaining.

There's Black Butler, the ending of which left me in a similar state as the one you described with Pandora Hearts.

The Eden of the East show and sequel movies are very good, and have a good mix of darkness and fun. This is the anime I'm actually going to recommend. I really liked it, and it was really pretty deep.

[ParadoxicalZen]

I've been getting a good laugh out of Monster Musume no Iru Nichijo. Not bad for  your typical run of the mill Harem anime but i find it qutie comical. Been meaning to try Wolf Rain + there's a few i want try on netflix

Edited September 10, 2015 by ParadoxSpren

[Pestis the Spider]

Has anyone mentioned Pandora Hearts, though? The animation is a bit rusty compared to the current shows but the twists and turns and the characterization really brings this anime to my most beloved along with FMA:B. Not to mention the Alice in Wonderland-inspired chains and the manga's bittersweet ending had me feeling conflicted and restless for a week. It's a really good one, I swear it to the chasmfiend prowling somewhere.

The manga has 15x better plot than the anime, seriously, and really is on par with FMA manga, which, in my opininion, is the greatest manga ever.  Pandora Hearts manga is in my top 3 (2nd or 3rd, can't decide) currently. But the Pandora Hearts anime... well, it's a little meh, and it completely fades in comparison. The most guilty are last 3 episodes, which were the ones to destroy the plot, and were also completely rushed... Read the manga, people, seriously.  Actually... skip watching the anime, it's not that great. Just read the manga. 

 

 

I also recommend Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic. The art is really... cutesy, which was a downside for me, but a few episodes more and I found myself stuck with it for years. The history of the Magi world, along with its vast magic system and the White vs. Black concept, did it for me. The characters are so complex and gray that you will always find yourself either wanting to make a shrine for them or digging their own grave for them to jump in. Plus, the politics. Oh, heavens, the POLITICS. And the issues. And the humor. And everything, really. Magi is really great. Try it sometime, yeah?

This is amaaaazing. I actually rewatched today the second season, because I really love this anime, even though the main character is just a kid, and usually that's not the type of anime that I would watch. Also it has really nice plot, which made me continue with Magi manga, even though the manga's art is not that good, and usually I don't watch anime or read manga with art that I don't enjoy. But the plot, the plot is really something in this series. I do enjoy it a lot.