Anime Discussion Thread

Athena

The Cooler Danchou
Advanced Member
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RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

I... haven't started yet. Hubby and I have been watching GoT so we haven't started our shared shows yet. I transfered the first 5 eps of Tokyo Ghoul to my tablet to watch on the plane, but then I got trapped in the middle and forgot to remove my tablet from my carry-on luggage, so I didn't have to watch. Hopefully I will on my flight back. At least then I'll have an aisle seat. >.>
 

Drohn

Wild War Dance
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

My favourite anime is the ongoing Fairy Tail! It has a really nice group of main characters, it's funny, there's action, magic, and a lot of hardships for the main characters to overcome. There's a strong bond between the main characters, which is really nice to see. It can be very sad at times, but they always come out stronger.

I recently started watching Black Bullet. My younger sister recommended it to me and it's really nice so far. It reminds me a bit of Attack On Titan (I really love this anime too), since they have to fight a threat that endangers the human race.
 

Chaos Jackal

Legend of the Past
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

Having almost completed the current Naruto episodes, I'm aiming for Steins; Gate and Hunter x Hunter next. My bro has picked up Berserk, but I dunno... I find it a bit too focused on violence, although the idea is nice, albeit typical.
 

Seven is a Color

Spinda Doctors
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

Right now I'm watching Sword Art Online II, Sailor Moon Crystal, and the second season of Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya.
 

Drohn

Wild War Dance
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

What is Fate/Kaleid like? I watched Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night, but that anime looks completely different from the cover and description. I did read it's a spin-off.

@Chaos Jackal: Steins;Gate is amazing. Definitely worth watching!
 

Seven is a Color

Spinda Doctors
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

Drohn said:
What is Fate/Kaleid like? I watched Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night, but that anime looks completely different from the cover and description. I did read it's a spin-off.
Yeah, it is a spin-off. It's a lot brighter and happier than other Fate series, which can have dark themes sometimes. Basically, Illya is the main character and she's a magical girl along with her friend Miyu. A lot of characters from Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero appear, and there are some new ones too. In the first season, they had to retrieve Class Cards, which were based off the Servant classes, by defeating the heroic spirits they contained. I'm not too far into the second season (I plan to catch up this weekend).
 

Athena

The Cooler Danchou
Advanced Member
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RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

Since I've actually dived into my shows now...

Resonance of Terror (eps 1-7)
I'm really enjoying this one so far, despite its problems. The style and themes are very reminiscent of Eden of the East, which I enjoyed, and I can definitely see the hand of Shinichiro Watanabe in it, too. It suffers mostly from believability issues

Seriously, there's absolutely no way that the Japanese government/police would allow an FBI agent to put a powerful bomb on a passenger plane and drive it into the airport. I mean, seriously.

that serve to strain the bonds of credibility, but the story is an amusing and entertaining one. My big fear is that the show will peter out without answering the bajillion unanswered questions that it tosses at us (most importantly, motive), especially since it only has 4 episodes left.


Tokyo Ghoul (eps 1-3)
I didn't start this anime expecting it to be a masterpiece and I haven't been disappointed. My only real complaint is that this seems to be confusing "horror" for "gore". I've yet to see anything actually scary (or even attempting to be scary), but certainly lots of blood and guts and injuries and body parts flying around. I don't have a problem with gore, but I was hoping for more actual horror. There doesn't really seem to be much of a plot so far, but the world setup is interesting enough for me to keep going.

Barakamon (eps 0-0)
Haven't actually started yet. I plan on starting this when I'm caught up with Tokyo Ghoul.

Sailor Moon Crystal (eps 1-4)
15 years ago you could have put a crescent moon tiara on a turd and called it Sailor Moon and I would have loved it and bought all the merchandise, but I'd like to think my tastes (and my fangirlishness) have matured since then. I actually wrote what I consider to be a pretty good analysis of my initial feelings of Crystal and how I feel it will resonate within the anime world currently in the other thread here, and that opinion is largely unchanged. But from the point of view of an existing Sailor Moon fan, I still love what they're doing with the show, the changes they're making, and how they're remaining true to the spirit of the story and its characters.

Pokémon XY (eps 1-35)
For a Pokémon show, it's actually pretty good, and much better than the few episodes of Best Wishes that I've seen. I enjoy watching the Pokémon anime mostly to see the Pokémon in action, but the plot of the show has never been particularly strong; certainly no stronger than the plots of the video games, and we all know how "amazing" those are. I mostly watched XY as a labour of love back when I was still smodding for the anime forum, but I'll probably continue on at least for the end of this season.
 

Trainerhan1

Chooses to not abandon his wagon.
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

Who here ready for UBW by Ufotable?
 

Athena

The Cooler Danchou
Advanced Member
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

I've finished the two series I'm watching that have completed this season, so I may as well dust this thread off and share my thoughts:

Tokyo Ghoul
Score: 83%
Pros: Intriguing world scenario and setup, colourful characters, amazing finale
Cons: Weak plot that leaves many questions unanswered

Review:

I'll admit, I wasn't really expecting to get much out of Tokyo Ghoul, but this show managed surprise me in a very good way. It quickly and easily sets you up into the overarching story of its world, a world much like our own that just happens to host a population of "ghouls", human-like creatures that survive off of human flesh. We're introduced to Ghouls and their society through Kaneki, a hapless human who manages to become part-ghoul after an accident and the following operation that splices ghoul body parts into his own. Through Kaneki, we learn that not all ghouls are the obsessively violent mass murderers that are depicted in human news, and the story settles down to letting you observe the world through Kaneki's eyes.

Most of the early stages of the show deal with this world setup, including introducing the human antagonists that are part of an anti-ghoul government force. There are small stories and bits of plot elements here and there, but the show handles them smoothly, treating this time as if these episodes were the opening of of a 50+ episode series, not a quick 11-episode show. The show probably could have served just as well continuing in this slice-of-life manner if it had the time, but at some point it realizes that it only has a few episodes left to end, and the plot picks up dramatically, introducing a new group of antagonists and turning up the heat in ways the earlier episodes could only have dreamed of. While I was skeptical of the sudden plot-based turn, it led to one amazing finale that was beautiful in its simplicity and really brings the forefront of Kaneki's main thoughts and feelings through the rest of the show: what it really means to be a human.

Unfortunately, that finale cost the show what little hope it had of resolving all of those newly-introduced characters and plot points. So much happens in those last few episodes, and almost all questions are still left unanswered at the end of the show. Characterizations that were poured into the early episodes of the show are left out to dry, the humans and ghouls still left in the middle of an unfinished story. In this respect, Tokyo Ghoul reminds me a lot of Attack on Titan: an awesome premise that answers a single questions then leaves all the other remaining plot threads untangled. In both cases, there is also a long-running manga behind the anime. The good news is that some sources are already reporting that a second series of Tokyo Ghoul is in the works and preparing to run in January, so running to read the manga won't be the only solution for fans.


Terror in Resonance
Score:71%
Pros: Unique concept, beautiful aesthetics, engaging first few episodes
Cons: Series progressively gets worse over time, lack of believability, ham-handed with its themes and critiques of society

Review:

When a series opens up with a couple teenage boys stealing from a nuclear plant and blowing up a skyscraper in Tokyo, you know you're in for a wild ride. The biggest problem with with Terror in Resonance is that the story almost gets too wild, leaving you to wince and shake your head at the characters' actions and motivations, or lack thereof. The story certainly sets itself up well, two very intelligent boys, Nine and Twelve, who are alone in the world except for each other that have a message to share with the world, and they do it by calling themselves Sphinx, exploding a building, and then calling attention to their actions over Youtube and encouraging detectives to solve riddles to stop further explosions. The boys' motivations are hinted at being related to some terrible event in their past, and you learn the story along with Shibazaki, the detective that seems to be best able to understand them.

Believability starts to falter as Shibazaki makes Holmes-like deductions to solve riddles (matters are not helped by the fact that he's apparently the only one in the entire Tokyo police department who has the slightest knowledge about Greek mythology), but doesn't actually shatter until the introduction of Five, an American agent that seems to know Nine and Twelve from childhood. Completely outrageous situations abound while Shibazaki follows a quest to learn about the Sphinx's past that pounds the themes of the show into viewers' heads with a sledgehammer. The message is very clear that the makers of Terror in Resonance are strongly opposed to current trends of Japanese nationalist politics, but it overplays its hand making America into an almost-comically violent bully that is leading Japan to paths of destruction. The message is a good one, but the ridiculousness does neither the show, nor its message, any favours. Instead, the themes of the show overpower its characters and their plot. Nine and Twelve's motives are briefly touched upon but ultimately lost. Five's side-story ends in a confused whimper. None of the characters really get any kind of characterization or closure, leaving them only as instruments, and the entire plot wraps up too quickly and simply.

On the bright side, the show is really pretty! And Yoko Kanno did an awesome job with the music, as always; the opening theme in particular really stands out and has earned a spot on my playlist.





Aside from that, anyone have any plans for the coming autumn season? I'll probably be picking up Parasyte, Terra Formars, and Unlimited Blade Works, and hopefully will catch up with Barakamon. I might just do a binge watch of that once it's complete.
 

Chaos Jackal

Legend of the Past
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

I plan on picking up Tokyo Ghoul and Barakamon after I finish Hunter x Hunter. Tokyo Ghoul seems interesting, and Barakamon has been a staple in top reviews.
 

Athena

The Cooler Danchou
Advanced Member
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

I do recommend Tokyo Ghoul, so long as you don't mind watching a cool, but definitely unfinished anime. At least there's hopes of a sequel, and there's always the manga, which is reportedly ending next month.
 

Familiar

Make 7up Yours!!!!!!
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

http://news.yahoo.com/scarlett-johansson-courted-ghost-shell-113724848.html said:
Scarlett Johansson courted for 'Ghost in the Shell'


DreamWorks has reached out to the star about a role in its adaptation of the famous Japanese manga, Deadline reports. The American actress is said to have inherited the role from Margot Robbie, who had been attached since September.

After "Lucy," Scarlett Johansson could be headed for another sci-fi blockbuster. The actress, who recently became a mother, was reportedly offered the role of the beautiful cyborg Motoko Kusanagi, the star of "Ghost in the Shell."

The offer comes after negotiations reportedly fell through between DreamWorks and Margot Robbie. The Australian actress who broke through in "The Wolf of Wall Street" is likely to have opted instead for a role in "Suicide Squad," a feature on the DC Comics supervillains.

In its upcoming Hollywood adaptation, "Ghost in the Shell" is due to be a thriller filmed in 3D and with live actors, marking a break with the animated features released by filmmaker Mamoru Oshii in 1995 and 2004.

The plot is expected to be based on Masamune Shirow's original manga in two volumes, which was published between 1989 and 1991. "Ghost in the Shell" follows Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg and member of the counter-cyberterrorist organization Public Security Section 9, as she investigates a cyber-criminal known as the Puppeteer.

Rupert Sanders, the British director of "Snow White and the Huntsman," will helm the adaptation.
 

Haunted Water

DEFT Lunar
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime?

Current favorite anime?
I'd have to say a tie between Highschool DxD and Zoids Fuzors.
 

lovandra

not an ordinary cat
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime? Why?

I've not watch anime for a long time...

Newest anime that I've checked and like: HxH 2011 (Is it end??), Silver Spoon 2nd Season, Free Eternal Summer, and Kuroshitshuji Circus Arc.
 

Chaos Jackal

Legend of the Past
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime? Why?

Yes, HunterXHunter 2011 is over.
 

Card Slinger J

Aspiring Trainer
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime? Why?

I just finished watching Hunter x Hunter 1999 (English Dub) a few days ago while I'm disappointed that Viz Media has no intention of releasing an English Dub of the first OVA's following the Yorknew City Arc and the Greed Island Arc. I'm thinking about checking out Fist of the North Star or Ranma 1/2 next depending If I have time to watch it after I get done watching YouTube LP's for Bayonetta 2 and Assassin's Creed: Unity.
 

Athena

The Cooler Danchou
Advanced Member
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RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime? Why?

Fist of the North Star is pretty "meh" in my opinion, but that's not really my kind of genre anyway. If you're into the whole watching dudes beat each other up in dated animation thing, go for it.

Ranma 1/2 on the other hand is amazing and I love it. A lot of newer generation anime fans find it to be very cliched, which is true from a certain perspective, but mostly because Ranma was the show that made many of those cliches popular in the first place. It's not as good as some of Takahashi's other 80s/90s works (Maison Ikkoku and Urusei Yatsura hold that top tier spot pretty strongly), but it's a lot of silly fun with likeable characters and easy to pick up and go.
 

Card Slinger J

Aspiring Trainer
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime? Why?

I've heard people say that Ranma 1/2 is better than Tenchi Muyo when it comes to harem anime which makes me a bit surprised as to why the English Dub for it was never aired on CN's Toonami block back in the early 2000's. Aside from that my only other experience with Ranma 1/2 was the Super NES fighting game I rented back when I was a kid in the late 80's and early 90's.
 

Chaos Jackal

Legend of the Past
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime? Why?

Been watching Shingeki no Kyojin recently, and I have to admit I am slightly disappointed. The story is cool, and characters aren't bad, but the animation has really let me down, and the pacing of the show is just so slow. Also, the way the anime abruptly ends and with the next season being scheduled for 2016, I got a sudden urge to shoot something. All in all, I can see where all the hype for it was and is coming from, but I can in no way justify it.
 

Athena

The Cooler Danchou
Advanced Member
Member
RE: Anime Discussion Thread - Current topic: Your Favourite Anime? Why?

You can't say I didn't warn you about that ending. :p But, yeah, that's the main reason I ended up starting the manga after finishing the show. The pacing of the manga is much better as well.

As far as Tenchi Muyo vs. Ranma 1/2 goes... it's kind of an apples and oranges situation. Both shows are very different; hell, I wouldn't even consider Ranma to be a Harem show (plenty of both genders, after all). I enjoy both shows a lot,but for very different reasons. I'm not really surprised it wasn't picked up for Toonami, though. There's a lot of sexual humor that would be hard to censor, and it's also pretty long and older, so more expensive to license.
 
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