September 13th, 2016
Comments about Macross and Votoms
Anime Relations: Macross, Soukou Kihei Votoms
This year I manged to finish three pretty long anime series which is pretty good for me. Two of the are 80s mech classics so it is hard not to compare.
One was Macross and the other was Votoms. I actually really liked them both a lot. I gave them both an 8 on MAL (which for me is a really good score). And despite them both being 80s mech series from the same time period they are very different.
Macross is pretty "anime" to just some it up. When people complain about Macross evolving into what Frontier was, I got to say "Did you even watch the original?" Cause that shit is the source. Like I can see where a lot of anime tropes have evolved from Macross. Still it was a fun ride. It was a show all about the melodrama though. Melodrama between the characters and the melodrama of war like to the nth degree. In a lot of ways that made the show really compelling. It also made a few of the characters really annoying. Minmay drove me up the wall (I like her movie counter part much better). And Kaifun, well fuck Kaifun. I see now why he was pretty much not in the movie (he was but barely).
Votoms on the other hand never gets that dramatic and at first I had a much harder time getting into it. As much as Macross is an anime story, Votoms just seems like a Sci-fi story. It just isn't very "anime." It doesn't quite live and breath in the tropes like other shows do. I think what really help keep be involved in the show was the slowing building mystery over the four story arcs. Like where this show begins and where this show ends are two very different places and it very much went somewhere I did not expect. Some of the story comes off a little stolen from western sci-fi (maybe what makes it feel less anime) the first story is a little Blade Runner, second story is pretty much the Vietnam War (with mechs), the fourth story totally had shades of Dune. Still it really managed to be it's own thing and it is a really cool series that if you get the chance to check out it is worth it.
Also of note Votoms is 52 episodes and Macross was only 36. But Macross felt like it took forever at points and I thought it had to be just as long until I looked it. Where Votoms only got more interesting as it went along.
One was Macross and the other was Votoms. I actually really liked them both a lot. I gave them both an 8 on MAL (which for me is a really good score). And despite them both being 80s mech series from the same time period they are very different.
Macross is pretty "anime" to just some it up. When people complain about Macross evolving into what Frontier was, I got to say "Did you even watch the original?" Cause that shit is the source. Like I can see where a lot of anime tropes have evolved from Macross. Still it was a fun ride. It was a show all about the melodrama though. Melodrama between the characters and the melodrama of war like to the nth degree. In a lot of ways that made the show really compelling. It also made a few of the characters really annoying. Minmay drove me up the wall (I like her movie counter part much better). And Kaifun, well fuck Kaifun. I see now why he was pretty much not in the movie (he was but barely).
Votoms on the other hand never gets that dramatic and at first I had a much harder time getting into it. As much as Macross is an anime story, Votoms just seems like a Sci-fi story. It just isn't very "anime." It doesn't quite live and breath in the tropes like other shows do. I think what really help keep be involved in the show was the slowing building mystery over the four story arcs. Like where this show begins and where this show ends are two very different places and it very much went somewhere I did not expect. Some of the story comes off a little stolen from western sci-fi (maybe what makes it feel less anime) the first story is a little Blade Runner, second story is pretty much the Vietnam War (with mechs), the fourth story totally had shades of Dune. Still it really managed to be it's own thing and it is a really cool series that if you get the chance to check out it is worth it.
Also of note Votoms is 52 episodes and Macross was only 36. But Macross felt like it took forever at points and I thought it had to be just as long until I looked it. Where Votoms only got more interesting as it went along.
Posted by Brand | Sep 13, 2016 9:11 PM | 0 comments
March 28th, 2016
Wrapping up the current season Winter 2016
Anime Relations: Durarara!!x2 Ketsu, Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen, Boku dake ga Inai Machi, Dimension W, Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo Returns 2nd Season, Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko: Everything Flows
Well, the season is wrapping up and I have a couple of shows to finish but here are most of them.
Dimension W
I think this could have worked better if it had been a two cour show (any maybe a slightly better director). There just wasn't a lot character development. Then near the end they introduce a bunch of characters that don't really matter. And the ones that do feel like they needed to fleshed out a bit more. Over all it was still pretty good and the end was decent.
Durarara!!x2 Ketsu
I really like Durarara I did feel the last couple of seasons were running of steam. Still good, just not at good as before. Overall I enjoyed it and it had a pretty satisfying ending so I am happy I watched it all.
Erased
Probably the best (maybe the second, have to see how Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju holds up) show this season. It was a fun thriller romp that I really enjoyed. The ending did feel rushed though and on one hand it is weirdly satisfying, yet not? I was going to give this show a 9 but I knocked it down to a 8. But an 8 is still a really good score from me. It is not perfect by any means but I give it high marks for having really good tension through most of the show. Which a lot of shows in general can't do.
Probably the best (maybe the second, have to see how Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju holds up) show this season. It was a fun thriller romp that I really enjoyed. The ending did feel rushed though and on one hand it is werild satisfying
File of Young Kindaichi Returns 2nd Season
This is a teenage detective show. I got what I wanted from a teenage detective show. Also, while it finished up the last case it doesn't really end. I am going to guess it will come back next year for another season. Though, man I really wish they would get rid of the main character's mullet. I know the manga started in the early 90s but they managed to update everything else as time has gone on. The goofy mullet is really distracting now.
She and Her Cat: Everything Flows
A short anime series based on a short anime... This was actually pretty sweet and maybe just the right length. And does an impressive amount of character building in it's short run time. This also had a really satisfying ending (though also sad). A great little character piece. I would recommend to anyone really but if you like cats this is a totally touching piece.
Utawarerumono: The False Faces
How did I watch two cours of this show? It was kind of awful. It started out well enough then devolved into silly high jinks for more that one third of it. The the ending tries to get super serious. Even worst everyone was like watch the original so I did, which is very much a superior show, and thus made watching this worse. Then this shows ending...OMFG! The worst ending this season. It just really rubbed salt into the wound that is this show.
Dimension W
I think this could have worked better if it had been a two cour show (any maybe a slightly better director). There just wasn't a lot character development. Then near the end they introduce a bunch of characters that don't really matter. And the ones that do feel like they needed to fleshed out a bit more. Over all it was still pretty good and the end was decent.
Durarara!!x2 Ketsu
I really like Durarara I did feel the last couple of seasons were running of steam. Still good, just not at good as before. Overall I enjoyed it and it had a pretty satisfying ending so I am happy I watched it all.
Erased
Probably the best (maybe the second, have to see how Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju holds up) show this season. It was a fun thriller romp that I really enjoyed. The ending did feel rushed though and on one hand it is weirdly satisfying, yet not? I was going to give this show a 9 but I knocked it down to a 8. But an 8 is still a really good score from me. It is not perfect by any means but I give it high marks for having really good tension through most of the show. Which a lot of shows in general can't do.
Probably the best (maybe the second, have to see how Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju holds up) show this season. It was a fun thriller romp that I really enjoyed. The ending did feel rushed though and on one hand it is werild satisfying
File of Young Kindaichi Returns 2nd Season
This is a teenage detective show. I got what I wanted from a teenage detective show. Also, while it finished up the last case it doesn't really end. I am going to guess it will come back next year for another season. Though, man I really wish they would get rid of the main character's mullet. I know the manga started in the early 90s but they managed to update everything else as time has gone on. The goofy mullet is really distracting now.
She and Her Cat: Everything Flows
A short anime series based on a short anime... This was actually pretty sweet and maybe just the right length. And does an impressive amount of character building in it's short run time. This also had a really satisfying ending (though also sad). A great little character piece. I would recommend to anyone really but if you like cats this is a totally touching piece.
Utawarerumono: The False Faces
How did I watch two cours of this show? It was kind of awful. It started out well enough then devolved into silly high jinks for more that one third of it. The the ending tries to get super serious. Even worst everyone was like watch the original so I did, which is very much a superior show, and thus made watching this worse. Then this shows ending...OMFG! The worst ending this season. It just really rubbed salt into the wound that is this show.
Posted by Brand | Mar 28, 2016 5:22 AM | 0 comments
March 17th, 2016
Anime Watching Challenge: Punch Line
Anime Relations: Punch Line
» Watch an anime that started airing the same year the user above/below you joined MAL: Punch Line (2015, Raspen0)
Finished another anime for the Anime Watching Challenge. I got to say Punch Line was one of the weirdest things I've seen, and I've watched a lot of weird shit. I think what extra weird is it is weird in not the "typical" weird way.
I don't want to say to much about the plot because it is a screwball supernatural mystery. There is no better way to put it. A large part of this anime is about not looking at panties (its important). But I have to say this anime has one of the better endings I've seen in a while. It was really fulling.
Opinions about this show seem pretty split but I totally fall on the side that this show is pretty damn good. The first half I was like "eh, I don't know about this. And then the second half I was like "yeah, this is pretty good." And by the end I was like "this gave me warm feels."
Finished another anime for the Anime Watching Challenge. I got to say Punch Line was one of the weirdest things I've seen, and I've watched a lot of weird shit. I think what extra weird is it is weird in not the "typical" weird way.
I don't want to say to much about the plot because it is a screwball supernatural mystery. There is no better way to put it. A large part of this anime is about not looking at panties (its important). But I have to say this anime has one of the better endings I've seen in a while. It was really fulling.
Opinions about this show seem pretty split but I totally fall on the side that this show is pretty damn good. The first half I was like "eh, I don't know about this. And then the second half I was like "yeah, this is pretty good." And by the end I was like "this gave me warm feels."
Posted by Brand | Mar 17, 2016 10:53 AM | 0 comments
February 19th, 2016
» Watch a Super Powers, Fantasy or Supernatural manga: The Seven Deadly Sins
Anime Relations: Nanatsu no Taizai
I read something like 20 volumes of the manga "The Seven Deadly Sins" in like the last 3 days. I'm now caught up to Crunchyroll's simupub. At first it was a bit frustrating because I had watched the anime already. But when I would check threads to see if I could just skip ahead, they would be all like no, no, no, you will miss all this important stuff. Which really I didn't feel like was the case (still don't). Maybe the few chapters that match the ended of the anime but the first 100 chapters and the anime are pretty close.
As I did read it, I did get super into again so I started blasting through it. I was excited though to finally get to new content. I have a bit of mixed feelings though. After the first 100 chapters they introduce numerical power levels (It's over 9000!). Which I get is easy shorthand to explain how powerful someone (thing) is but it is also one of those shounen manga tropes the series hand managed to stay away from. Then there is going to be another arena fight. The series already had one and it was pretty entertaining but this is also a dark hole in shounen manga tropes where a series can just sucked into so hopefully, it is short but sweet.
Still tons of fun. If anyone is looking for a light hearted fantasy anime where everyone has super powers this is a good choice.
As I did read it, I did get super into again so I started blasting through it. I was excited though to finally get to new content. I have a bit of mixed feelings though. After the first 100 chapters they introduce numerical power levels (It's over 9000!). Which I get is easy shorthand to explain how powerful someone (thing) is but it is also one of those shounen manga tropes the series hand managed to stay away from. Then there is going to be another arena fight. The series already had one and it was pretty entertaining but this is also a dark hole in shounen manga tropes where a series can just sucked into so hopefully, it is short but sweet.
Still tons of fun. If anyone is looking for a light hearted fantasy anime where everyone has super powers this is a good choice.
Posted by Brand | Feb 19, 2016 6:12 AM | 0 comments
January 12th, 2016
My Thoughts on the anime from my second round of the 2015 Anime Challenge
Anime Relations: Little Witch Academia
Second round:
»Watch a movie: Little Witch Academia
A really cute short movie. Pretty much anime Harry Potter, but I mean that in a good way. The designs are cute and nice. Story is simple but fast paced. I ended up watching the sequel also and it was very enjoyable also.
»Watch a short anime: Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories
A short episode length horror anime. I ended up watching both seasons. The first season is the superior season. Neat Japanese creepy pasta.
»Watch an ONA: Apartment!
I watched this pretty early on, so I don’t remember it that well. It was a fine short but kind of unremarkable.
»Watch an award-winning work: Arete Hime
If you are looking for a children’s fantasy movie more in the vain of “The Book of Kells” or “Song of the Sea” this is a good choice. Perhaps, could have been slightly shorter but overall was very enjoyable and pro-feminist.
»Watch an anime with a character voiced by one of your favorite seiyuu: Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV) 2nd Season (Jouji Nakata)
Fate is the most anime thing to ever exist in my mind. I enjoyed this though I did feel it went on way to long pontificating and not getting to the point. Still one of the most beautifully animated anime out there. But if I was going to recommend a Fate series to someone I would recommend Fate/Zero. It is better written and better paced and I think more interesting in general.
»Watch an anime by a director/composer/studio you like: Tsuritama (Kenji Nakamura)
This is an anime from the guy who directed Mononoke. I’ve been meaning to watch this series for a while. I wish I had watched it sooner. This is a super adorable series about being friends, fishing, and aliens. It doesn’t have a quite such distinctive style as some of his other works, though you can still see his direction marks all over it. This is one of the top titles I watched this round.
»Watch an early work of an established anime staff member (10+ roles): Belladonna of Sadness (Eiichi Yamamoto)
I wrote a lot about this when I watched it. It was a thing for sure. I watched it because Kunihiko Ikuhara mentioned as a big influence on his work. I can see that but it was also like of nigh unwatchable for me. It was the most 70s art house flick to ever 70s art house… (Well, maybe not ever but it has to be up there).
»Watch an anime that started the year you joined MAL or later: Box of Goblins (2008)
This was a pretty neat mystery/supernatural series based on a novel with some (reasonably restrained) designs from CLAMP. It is very different, yet in some ways similar enough to Higurashi that I would recommend it to fans of that if they are looking for a fix.
»Watch an anime that meets the ½(your age) + 7 rule: Lily C.A.T. (24 years or older)
This is a neat little OVA from the 80s. It felt way more like a Hollywood sci-fi movie of the era than anything anime. Has some good character designs from Yoshitaka Amano. If you like horror sci-fi, totally worth checking out.
»Watch an anime with a main cast (3+ characters) of only one gender: Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace
This had to be the most disappointing anime I watched this year. I was excited to see an adaptation of the works of Edogawa Rampo but this show was a mess. And the mcguffin at the end made no sense and they just kept talking, and talking about it. WUT? I don’t even know...
»Watch an anime that focuses on non-romantic relationships: Durarara!!x2 Ten
I wasn’t as crazy for this season of Durarara as other season, but I am hoping the payoff will be worth it in the last season.
»Watch an anime with children in it: Pupipo!
This is a pretty cute series about a girl who can see ghosts and one day she finds a super cute pink ghost who helps her out. It is a bit whacky but has a pretty sweet ending. Not sure why this one isn’t rated higher on MAL.
»Watch an anime with a non-human main character: Dance with Devils
I won’t say this series was good, because it really wasn’t. But it was really highly entertaining. A gothic, reverse harem, where all the guys are demons, at a prestigious school. Oh, and it is a musical… A musical at one point where the chorus is sung by pomeranians. Worth watching for that alone.
»Watch an anime about food, music OR art: Macross: Do You Remember Love
Make them kiss! Deculture! Yep, this was pretty enjoyable if highly melodramatic. It certainly was about music. It is a good starting point if you want to dip your toes into Macross. I’ll probably end up watching the original series now. (Note, I have started the original series and it also is damned good).
»Watch a historical OR military anime: Arslen Senki
Glad this is getting a second season, otherwise it kind just leaves off in a weird place. I enjoyed the show despite it having weird pacing issues. If you like a Game of Thrones type settings, low magic, lots of strategy, but with way less rape this is a good show to check out.
»Watch a slice of life OR comedy anime: Tonari no Seki-kun
This is a cute short series about a dude who does tons of goofy stuff goofing off in class.
»Watch a horror, sci-fi OR fantasy anime: Utawarerumono
I started watching this because I randomly decided to watch the sequel series (mainly for giant pigeon) . I kind of regret it now because this is sooooooooooo much better than the sequel. Like I don’t know why this series isn’t more talked about, it was really good. It doesn’t escape harem entirely, but certainly manages to move past its eroge source material. Like all the females character are interesting on their own and are wearing pretty reasonable clothes. There is some fan service but nothing distracting. Unlike the sequel where like half the show is in a bath house.
»Watch an anime that is tagged with a genre you dislike: Ghost in the Shell Arise - Border:1 Ghost Pain (Police)
This is a hard one, there isn’t a lot of tags that I really dislike. Police and cars are the closest I can think of. But even then, there are some great anime tagged with those. I’ve seen the original Gits and weirdly Gits: Sac Solid State Society. Over all I like these Arise movies the best. Original Gits spends too much time pontificating and being “full of deep meaning” (pretty much the problem I have with pretty much all Mamoru Oshii movies). I felt a little lost with Solid State Society. So, these Arise movies are a good places to start with Ghost in the Shell stuff.
»Watch an anime that does not take place primarily in Japan, but is still within our universe: Gunsmith Cats
Do you like guns, cars, and America!? Then this is a short OVA series is totally worth checking out. The designs still hold up pretty well and the animation is really nice. A fun action series.
»Watch an anime that has a main character that is a professional in his field (e.g. doctor, detective): The Perfect Insider (Professor)
This was my leader for the winter season but it kind of split the milk with the mystery reveal. I liked this more than Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace (which was the Noitamina the season before). It has really good character interactions but the murder was absurd, and the drive of the murder (this person is a genius so their thoughts are beyond us) kind of killed the show at the end for me.
»Watch an anime with an archetype as a main character (e.g. megane, tsundere): Emma: A Victorian Romance Second Act (megame)
I’ve had these DVDs forever and I’ve been meaning to watch it forever. It is Emma so it is great. In is actually interesting to come back and watch this after I’ve become with British TV and I can tell a lot of research went into this show. If you like shows like Downton Abbey, this is totally worth checking out.
»Watch an anime with a character/setting that you can relate to: Shirobako
This is the anime about making anime. It is nice to watch an anime that is actually about adults, no less about adults working a job. It probably paints a nicer picture than reality but it is still a really insightful series on the people and process of anime. It was a really good show, another top choice.
»Watch an anime three-cours (or more) in length (hard): Princess Knight
Yeah, as much as I like Tezuka stuff I did not like this. It was a slog. Unless you are really hardcore I wouldn’t even look at it.
»Watch an anime adapted from a manga with a score of 8.0 or higher: Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!
This series was really good. This might be my favorite Go Nagai anime (I might like it better than Re: Cutie Honey). I don’t know why this one hasn’t done better, it is a really fun action anime period. And it is non-stop action but it still has a ton of fun characters. Even the very Go Nagai ending didn’t bother me. Totally worth checking out, another top choice.
»Watch an anime adapted from a novel, light novel or video game: Rage of Bahamut: Genesis
I am still shocked how good an anime based on a mobile game is. But damn this anime was good. Probably the best medieval fantasy type anime I’ve watched in a long time. I know the character designs turned off some people but I enjoyed the change of pace. Another top choice.
»Watch an anime that has been adapted to live action: Boogiepop Phantom
Another anime I’ve been meaning to watch since like the early 00s. I’ve seen it compared to Lain a lot. I can certainly see why astically and in atmosphere. I think Lain edges this out for me just a little bit. But this was still a good mystery/horror. And again if you are looking to scratch that Higurashi bug this will fit in nicely.
»Watch an original anime: Kagewani
From the guy who brought us Yamishibai, this is a short (though slightly longer than Yamishibai) horror anime series. It starts out as individual stories but build into a bigger story. Enjoyable with some fun creepy concepts. Ripe for a sequel.
»Watch an anime with a score of 7.0 or below: Violence Jack: Jigoku Gai-hen
Yep, this is just as terrible as the first one.
»Watch an anime ranked in the top 300: Free! Eternal Summer Special
I was looking for something short since I was running out of time, but this ended up being a good choice. Free! gets a lot of flack for being fujoshi bait but it really is a good series with well defined characters and fun character interactions. I wouldn’t recommend this over the original series but this special was a lot of fun.
»Watch an anime that someone on your friends' list rated a 10: House of Five Leaves (nemissa)
Edo era character study about an autistic ronin and a gang of kidnappers. A very cool art style that mirrors the manga closely. This is a pretty chill title to watch but I really loved it. Another top choice.
»Watch an anime with less than 10k completed members (hard): The File of Young Kindaichi Returns (Members: 5,938)
I’ve been meaning to watch this. I have all of the original manga that came out in English. This is a fun by the numbers mystery detective show. It won’t knock you socks off, but if you like mystery detectives shows (I do!) this is a solid entry.
»Watch an anime recommended to you by another Anime Watching Challenge participant: Terror in Resonance
I know Zac from ANN didn’t like this show much which I kind of get and I generally agree a lot with his reviews but this is one of the cases where I don’t agree. This anime was really good. It comes down to a kind of classic revenge story using the modern threat of terrorism. I can see the issue where the terrorists are the “good guys” in this story. Of course I’m sure real terrorists think they are justified and right. But in the end it was an interesting character study with good use of music.
»Watch an anime that another user has watched for this challenge: Patema Inverted (Brynhildr)
I checked this out because it was streaming on Amazon Prime. Turns out it was a good choice. This is a really cute family friendly action adventure movie that is really well directed. Certainly, put director Yasuhiro Yoshiura on my radar.
»Watch an anime recommended to a title you scored the highest for this challenge (so far): Getter Robo: Armageddon (Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!)
I think Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact! edges this one out a bit but this is certainly one of the better (top tier-ish) Go Nagai anime out there. The animation is nice. Like really nice. And it is really fun to watch. It mainly gets docked points because it tries to hard to be way too mysterious and gets a little weird and non-sensical (in a way that only a 90s anime can).
»Re-watch an anime: Aim for the Top!: Diebuster
F&^k it is Diebuster, need I say more? I love this anime. If you haven’t watched it you should.
»Watch an anime that starts with the same first letter as your username: B.B. Fish
A half hour OVA based on a 15 volume manga… Yeah. I can’t even remember that well at this point. Let’s say it wasn’t good. Not the worst 80s OVA I’ve seen (I think “Superdimensional Romanesque Samy: Missing 99” still has that award) but utterly lacking. I think the animation was pretty good but not good enough to justify watching it.
»Watch an anime that has a non-Japanese title: Plastic Memories
This was a seasonal pick-up for me after the ANN preview guide had a lot of good reviews for it. I think I wrote about this when I talked about that season’s anime. Just didn’t work for me. If you like tragic romance with terrible comedy intermixed it might be worth it but other wise, I’d just pass.
»Watch an anime that has a verb in its title: Aim for the Top!: Gunbuster
So, yeah I love Diebuster but had never seen Gunbuster. This is tough both are really f*^king good. I think I might like Diebuster a little bit more, but I am nostalgia plays into it. But this is a great 80s anime. The animation is super nice, Anno is on game. It is an early role for Norio Wakamoto, too. If you like Gainax, Anno, or classic anime it is a must watch.
»Choose a random trope from TVTropes and watch an anime listed under the trope: My Love Story!! (Adorkable)
I am normally not crazy about romance stories but this one works for me. It is about a big lug who is kind of funny looking who ends up with a cute girl. Which sounds terrible but what makes this work, is everyone on this show is pretty much a nice person. No backstabbing, or being a dick, or bitchy here. Also, unlike most anime where it about people deciding to start dating this show they start dating right away and mostly deals with them being adorkable.
»Watch a staff member's favorite anime: Ping Pong The Animation (Vortigaunt)
Damn, this was another really good anime. I now totally consider myself a Masaaki Yuasa fan. Done in an unique art style (yet different from his other works) there are some really blowout of great animation. This is an awesome character study piece that manages to ping pong look super intense. Another highly recommended title.
»Watch a movie: Little Witch Academia
A really cute short movie. Pretty much anime Harry Potter, but I mean that in a good way. The designs are cute and nice. Story is simple but fast paced. I ended up watching the sequel also and it was very enjoyable also.
»Watch a short anime: Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories
A short episode length horror anime. I ended up watching both seasons. The first season is the superior season. Neat Japanese creepy pasta.
»Watch an ONA: Apartment!
I watched this pretty early on, so I don’t remember it that well. It was a fine short but kind of unremarkable.
»Watch an award-winning work: Arete Hime
If you are looking for a children’s fantasy movie more in the vain of “The Book of Kells” or “Song of the Sea” this is a good choice. Perhaps, could have been slightly shorter but overall was very enjoyable and pro-feminist.
»Watch an anime with a character voiced by one of your favorite seiyuu: Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV) 2nd Season (Jouji Nakata)
Fate is the most anime thing to ever exist in my mind. I enjoyed this though I did feel it went on way to long pontificating and not getting to the point. Still one of the most beautifully animated anime out there. But if I was going to recommend a Fate series to someone I would recommend Fate/Zero. It is better written and better paced and I think more interesting in general.
»Watch an anime by a director/composer/studio you like: Tsuritama (Kenji Nakamura)
This is an anime from the guy who directed Mononoke. I’ve been meaning to watch this series for a while. I wish I had watched it sooner. This is a super adorable series about being friends, fishing, and aliens. It doesn’t have a quite such distinctive style as some of his other works, though you can still see his direction marks all over it. This is one of the top titles I watched this round.
»Watch an early work of an established anime staff member (10+ roles): Belladonna of Sadness (Eiichi Yamamoto)
I wrote a lot about this when I watched it. It was a thing for sure. I watched it because Kunihiko Ikuhara mentioned as a big influence on his work. I can see that but it was also like of nigh unwatchable for me. It was the most 70s art house flick to ever 70s art house… (Well, maybe not ever but it has to be up there).
»Watch an anime that started the year you joined MAL or later: Box of Goblins (2008)
This was a pretty neat mystery/supernatural series based on a novel with some (reasonably restrained) designs from CLAMP. It is very different, yet in some ways similar enough to Higurashi that I would recommend it to fans of that if they are looking for a fix.
»Watch an anime that meets the ½(your age) + 7 rule: Lily C.A.T. (24 years or older)
This is a neat little OVA from the 80s. It felt way more like a Hollywood sci-fi movie of the era than anything anime. Has some good character designs from Yoshitaka Amano. If you like horror sci-fi, totally worth checking out.
»Watch an anime with a main cast (3+ characters) of only one gender: Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace
This had to be the most disappointing anime I watched this year. I was excited to see an adaptation of the works of Edogawa Rampo but this show was a mess. And the mcguffin at the end made no sense and they just kept talking, and talking about it. WUT? I don’t even know...
»Watch an anime that focuses on non-romantic relationships: Durarara!!x2 Ten
I wasn’t as crazy for this season of Durarara as other season, but I am hoping the payoff will be worth it in the last season.
»Watch an anime with children in it: Pupipo!
This is a pretty cute series about a girl who can see ghosts and one day she finds a super cute pink ghost who helps her out. It is a bit whacky but has a pretty sweet ending. Not sure why this one isn’t rated higher on MAL.
»Watch an anime with a non-human main character: Dance with Devils
I won’t say this series was good, because it really wasn’t. But it was really highly entertaining. A gothic, reverse harem, where all the guys are demons, at a prestigious school. Oh, and it is a musical… A musical at one point where the chorus is sung by pomeranians. Worth watching for that alone.
»Watch an anime about food, music OR art: Macross: Do You Remember Love
Make them kiss! Deculture! Yep, this was pretty enjoyable if highly melodramatic. It certainly was about music. It is a good starting point if you want to dip your toes into Macross. I’ll probably end up watching the original series now. (Note, I have started the original series and it also is damned good).
»Watch a historical OR military anime: Arslen Senki
Glad this is getting a second season, otherwise it kind just leaves off in a weird place. I enjoyed the show despite it having weird pacing issues. If you like a Game of Thrones type settings, low magic, lots of strategy, but with way less rape this is a good show to check out.
»Watch a slice of life OR comedy anime: Tonari no Seki-kun
This is a cute short series about a dude who does tons of goofy stuff goofing off in class.
»Watch a horror, sci-fi OR fantasy anime: Utawarerumono
I started watching this because I randomly decided to watch the sequel series (mainly for giant pigeon) . I kind of regret it now because this is sooooooooooo much better than the sequel. Like I don’t know why this series isn’t more talked about, it was really good. It doesn’t escape harem entirely, but certainly manages to move past its eroge source material. Like all the females character are interesting on their own and are wearing pretty reasonable clothes. There is some fan service but nothing distracting. Unlike the sequel where like half the show is in a bath house.
»Watch an anime that is tagged with a genre you dislike: Ghost in the Shell Arise - Border:1 Ghost Pain (Police)
This is a hard one, there isn’t a lot of tags that I really dislike. Police and cars are the closest I can think of. But even then, there are some great anime tagged with those. I’ve seen the original Gits and weirdly Gits: Sac Solid State Society. Over all I like these Arise movies the best. Original Gits spends too much time pontificating and being “full of deep meaning” (pretty much the problem I have with pretty much all Mamoru Oshii movies). I felt a little lost with Solid State Society. So, these Arise movies are a good places to start with Ghost in the Shell stuff.
»Watch an anime that does not take place primarily in Japan, but is still within our universe: Gunsmith Cats
Do you like guns, cars, and America!? Then this is a short OVA series is totally worth checking out. The designs still hold up pretty well and the animation is really nice. A fun action series.
»Watch an anime that has a main character that is a professional in his field (e.g. doctor, detective): The Perfect Insider (Professor)
This was my leader for the winter season but it kind of split the milk with the mystery reveal. I liked this more than Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace (which was the Noitamina the season before). It has really good character interactions but the murder was absurd, and the drive of the murder (this person is a genius so their thoughts are beyond us) kind of killed the show at the end for me.
»Watch an anime with an archetype as a main character (e.g. megane, tsundere): Emma: A Victorian Romance Second Act (megame)
I’ve had these DVDs forever and I’ve been meaning to watch it forever. It is Emma so it is great. In is actually interesting to come back and watch this after I’ve become with British TV and I can tell a lot of research went into this show. If you like shows like Downton Abbey, this is totally worth checking out.
»Watch an anime with a character/setting that you can relate to: Shirobako
This is the anime about making anime. It is nice to watch an anime that is actually about adults, no less about adults working a job. It probably paints a nicer picture than reality but it is still a really insightful series on the people and process of anime. It was a really good show, another top choice.
»Watch an anime three-cours (or more) in length (hard): Princess Knight
Yeah, as much as I like Tezuka stuff I did not like this. It was a slog. Unless you are really hardcore I wouldn’t even look at it.
»Watch an anime adapted from a manga with a score of 8.0 or higher: Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!
This series was really good. This might be my favorite Go Nagai anime (I might like it better than Re: Cutie Honey). I don’t know why this one hasn’t done better, it is a really fun action anime period. And it is non-stop action but it still has a ton of fun characters. Even the very Go Nagai ending didn’t bother me. Totally worth checking out, another top choice.
»Watch an anime adapted from a novel, light novel or video game: Rage of Bahamut: Genesis
I am still shocked how good an anime based on a mobile game is. But damn this anime was good. Probably the best medieval fantasy type anime I’ve watched in a long time. I know the character designs turned off some people but I enjoyed the change of pace. Another top choice.
»Watch an anime that has been adapted to live action: Boogiepop Phantom
Another anime I’ve been meaning to watch since like the early 00s. I’ve seen it compared to Lain a lot. I can certainly see why astically and in atmosphere. I think Lain edges this out for me just a little bit. But this was still a good mystery/horror. And again if you are looking to scratch that Higurashi bug this will fit in nicely.
»Watch an original anime: Kagewani
From the guy who brought us Yamishibai, this is a short (though slightly longer than Yamishibai) horror anime series. It starts out as individual stories but build into a bigger story. Enjoyable with some fun creepy concepts. Ripe for a sequel.
»Watch an anime with a score of 7.0 or below: Violence Jack: Jigoku Gai-hen
Yep, this is just as terrible as the first one.
»Watch an anime ranked in the top 300: Free! Eternal Summer Special
I was looking for something short since I was running out of time, but this ended up being a good choice. Free! gets a lot of flack for being fujoshi bait but it really is a good series with well defined characters and fun character interactions. I wouldn’t recommend this over the original series but this special was a lot of fun.
»Watch an anime that someone on your friends' list rated a 10: House of Five Leaves (nemissa)
Edo era character study about an autistic ronin and a gang of kidnappers. A very cool art style that mirrors the manga closely. This is a pretty chill title to watch but I really loved it. Another top choice.
»Watch an anime with less than 10k completed members (hard): The File of Young Kindaichi Returns (Members: 5,938)
I’ve been meaning to watch this. I have all of the original manga that came out in English. This is a fun by the numbers mystery detective show. It won’t knock you socks off, but if you like mystery detectives shows (I do!) this is a solid entry.
»Watch an anime recommended to you by another Anime Watching Challenge participant: Terror in Resonance
I know Zac from ANN didn’t like this show much which I kind of get and I generally agree a lot with his reviews but this is one of the cases where I don’t agree. This anime was really good. It comes down to a kind of classic revenge story using the modern threat of terrorism. I can see the issue where the terrorists are the “good guys” in this story. Of course I’m sure real terrorists think they are justified and right. But in the end it was an interesting character study with good use of music.
»Watch an anime that another user has watched for this challenge: Patema Inverted (Brynhildr)
I checked this out because it was streaming on Amazon Prime. Turns out it was a good choice. This is a really cute family friendly action adventure movie that is really well directed. Certainly, put director Yasuhiro Yoshiura on my radar.
»Watch an anime recommended to a title you scored the highest for this challenge (so far): Getter Robo: Armageddon (Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!)
I think Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact! edges this one out a bit but this is certainly one of the better (top tier-ish) Go Nagai anime out there. The animation is nice. Like really nice. And it is really fun to watch. It mainly gets docked points because it tries to hard to be way too mysterious and gets a little weird and non-sensical (in a way that only a 90s anime can).
»Re-watch an anime: Aim for the Top!: Diebuster
F&^k it is Diebuster, need I say more? I love this anime. If you haven’t watched it you should.
»Watch an anime that starts with the same first letter as your username: B.B. Fish
A half hour OVA based on a 15 volume manga… Yeah. I can’t even remember that well at this point. Let’s say it wasn’t good. Not the worst 80s OVA I’ve seen (I think “Superdimensional Romanesque Samy: Missing 99” still has that award) but utterly lacking. I think the animation was pretty good but not good enough to justify watching it.
»Watch an anime that has a non-Japanese title: Plastic Memories
This was a seasonal pick-up for me after the ANN preview guide had a lot of good reviews for it. I think I wrote about this when I talked about that season’s anime. Just didn’t work for me. If you like tragic romance with terrible comedy intermixed it might be worth it but other wise, I’d just pass.
»Watch an anime that has a verb in its title: Aim for the Top!: Gunbuster
So, yeah I love Diebuster but had never seen Gunbuster. This is tough both are really f*^king good. I think I might like Diebuster a little bit more, but I am nostalgia plays into it. But this is a great 80s anime. The animation is super nice, Anno is on game. It is an early role for Norio Wakamoto, too. If you like Gainax, Anno, or classic anime it is a must watch.
»Choose a random trope from TVTropes and watch an anime listed under the trope: My Love Story!! (Adorkable)
I am normally not crazy about romance stories but this one works for me. It is about a big lug who is kind of funny looking who ends up with a cute girl. Which sounds terrible but what makes this work, is everyone on this show is pretty much a nice person. No backstabbing, or being a dick, or bitchy here. Also, unlike most anime where it about people deciding to start dating this show they start dating right away and mostly deals with them being adorkable.
»Watch a staff member's favorite anime: Ping Pong The Animation (Vortigaunt)
Damn, this was another really good anime. I now totally consider myself a Masaaki Yuasa fan. Done in an unique art style (yet different from his other works) there are some really blowout of great animation. This is an awesome character study piece that manages to ping pong look super intense. Another highly recommended title.
Posted by Brand | Jan 12, 2016 12:59 PM | 0 comments
January 11th, 2016
What I am Watching Winter 2016
Anime Relations: Durarara!!x2 Ketsu, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, Ansatsu Kyoushitsu 2nd Season, Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen, Boku dake ga Inai Machi, Dimension W, Osomatsu-san, Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo Returns 2nd Season, Yami Shibai 3
Well, I think I watched all the primers of the anime I am going to watch this season. Over all I found some pretty good stuff, since this season otherwise seems to be the dregs.
Erased (Boku dake ga Inai Machi)
This is the best first episode of an anime I’ve seen in a long while. It is a supernatural mystery with a lot of suspense. There were a lot of surprising turn of events in just one episode. It is nice to see an adult main character in general and one who isn’t a complete NEET. The character is an introvert but still holds down a job, and works towards becoming a mangaka. The main character can (not on purpose) go back in time short stints and stop bad things from happening. Which is a neat gimmick and should be interesting to see how it plays out here.
On another note this is the Noitamina anime for this season. My goal is to watch them all, so I’ve been watching them every season now. And man the last two were not that great (there have been some real winners in the past) so hopefully this makes up for it.
Durarara!!x2 Ketsu
A bit of a confusing opener. Don’t watch this if you haven’t been keeping up, I will tell you that. This is certainly a season that won’t stand on its own. But I am hoping for big a payoff. Anime endings tend to be kind of duds so will see if this turns out well or not.
Assassination Classroom 2nd Season
Cute but, a little weird with a split two story episode. Though, AssClass is so enjoyable it doesn’t really matter. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into. If you like the first season you will certainly enjoy this.
Dimension W
This one was highly rated on the ANN season preview so I checked it out. The preview suggested it was very much like a late 90s early 00s Bandai anime and that feels pretty on point. I can’t say too much about the plot because not too much happened but if you are looking for a good looking action show, this is it.
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
This was an hour long primer, which I didn’t realize until 45 minutes in. If you enjoy historical, character drive drama, this is great. This is basically the story about a young man recently released from prison who now wants to act in Rakugo theater (a type of Japanese comedic storytelling as far as I can tell). But getting there is of course hard. I think it takes place in the late 50s or early 60s. This was my second favorite after Erased. And much like Erased I feel it has a chance of shitting the bed, Studio Deen…, and a fairly fresh director. But this first episode was great so for now keeping my hopes up.
Yami Shibai 3rd Season
First season still looking to be the best season. But this is a series of shorts so I’ll continue giving it a chance. But the first episode wasn’t really creepy at all. Monster was cool looking though.
Stuff I am continuing to watch:
Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen
Why am I still watching this? Mainly, because I need to finish everything I start… To start out it is sadly, lacking in Pidgeon I wanted to see. Then after having watched the original this is terrible. It isn’t very good on its own merits but when you compare it to the original it is a steaming pile. Fingers crossed it gets better.
Mr. Osomatsu
New episode this season might have been the best overall. If you are looking for a crazy comedy show that can deliver on all sorts of levels this is it.
The File of Young Kindaichi Returns 2nd Season
More solid detective mystery adventures. Might not be the best show every but it delivers on its promise.
Erased (Boku dake ga Inai Machi)
This is the best first episode of an anime I’ve seen in a long while. It is a supernatural mystery with a lot of suspense. There were a lot of surprising turn of events in just one episode. It is nice to see an adult main character in general and one who isn’t a complete NEET. The character is an introvert but still holds down a job, and works towards becoming a mangaka. The main character can (not on purpose) go back in time short stints and stop bad things from happening. Which is a neat gimmick and should be interesting to see how it plays out here.
On another note this is the Noitamina anime for this season. My goal is to watch them all, so I’ve been watching them every season now. And man the last two were not that great (there have been some real winners in the past) so hopefully this makes up for it.
Durarara!!x2 Ketsu
A bit of a confusing opener. Don’t watch this if you haven’t been keeping up, I will tell you that. This is certainly a season that won’t stand on its own. But I am hoping for big a payoff. Anime endings tend to be kind of duds so will see if this turns out well or not.
Assassination Classroom 2nd Season
Cute but, a little weird with a split two story episode. Though, AssClass is so enjoyable it doesn’t really matter. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into. If you like the first season you will certainly enjoy this.
Dimension W
This one was highly rated on the ANN season preview so I checked it out. The preview suggested it was very much like a late 90s early 00s Bandai anime and that feels pretty on point. I can’t say too much about the plot because not too much happened but if you are looking for a good looking action show, this is it.
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
This was an hour long primer, which I didn’t realize until 45 minutes in. If you enjoy historical, character drive drama, this is great. This is basically the story about a young man recently released from prison who now wants to act in Rakugo theater (a type of Japanese comedic storytelling as far as I can tell). But getting there is of course hard. I think it takes place in the late 50s or early 60s. This was my second favorite after Erased. And much like Erased I feel it has a chance of shitting the bed, Studio Deen…, and a fairly fresh director. But this first episode was great so for now keeping my hopes up.
Yami Shibai 3rd Season
First season still looking to be the best season. But this is a series of shorts so I’ll continue giving it a chance. But the first episode wasn’t really creepy at all. Monster was cool looking though.
Stuff I am continuing to watch:
Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen
Why am I still watching this? Mainly, because I need to finish everything I start… To start out it is sadly, lacking in Pidgeon I wanted to see. Then after having watched the original this is terrible. It isn’t very good on its own merits but when you compare it to the original it is a steaming pile. Fingers crossed it gets better.
Mr. Osomatsu
New episode this season might have been the best overall. If you are looking for a crazy comedy show that can deliver on all sorts of levels this is it.
The File of Young Kindaichi Returns 2nd Season
More solid detective mystery adventures. Might not be the best show every but it delivers on its promise.
Posted by Brand | Jan 11, 2016 12:35 PM | 0 comments