I've been reading manga and watching anime for a while now. As I've gotten older, I've become more selective of the shows I watch. This page is simply to keep track of that.
I gave Macross Frontier an 8 because it worked on several levels. Firstly, it stayed true to the Macross ethos of including the menage-a-trois, music, variable fighters and the variations of the original Macross fortress. Secondly, it worked as a sci-fi series as within the context of the Macrossuniverse pretty much everything was within reason. Finally, the story itself worked within the boundaries of the Macross universe, even going so far as to follow on from Zero.
And now for the downside. The music was decent, but after a few songs they all seemed pretty formulaic. I actually preferred the music in Plus. The characters were decent enough but there was far too much cheese involved in Alto, Ranka and Charyl's relationships, especially at the end. In addition to this, while the story worked well to a degree it was a bit too contrived at times. Ranka suddenly becoming a galactic superstar is plausible, but Cheryl being quickly forgotten is something that probably wouldn't happen in real life, especially with all the tabloids around. It would have been better if they didn't have her as some down and out as that just was nothing more than to enhance the reaction to the state of her health.
There's also a large degree of predictability where MF is concerned, but that's true of all the Macross franchise so it's to be expected. Unfortunately MF is probably among the worst offenders in the franchise when it comes to this. Granted there were unexpected moments but overall it was pretty easy to see what was going to happen next.
Finally, Alto doesn't choose. Maybe it's just me, but in every Macross so far the lead male (or female), has chosen one or the other. MF was a bit of a cop out because he somehow ends up with both (making him the luckiest guy in the universe to some fans of the series).
As for streaming, it's mainly the new stuff rather than the old. If it's an old show then I either have to find the DVD (thank heavens for region free players), or download it, unless I have it on VHS that is.I tend to buy a lot second hand by the way. It's much, much cheaper that way, and you can always rely on the fact that everything turns upif you're patient.
Yes, that is my real date of birth. I turned 35 last week in fact (oh, the horror).
Most of the older shows are ones that I watched years ago on VHS (I even have quite a few of them in that format kicking around the house). As for the recent shows, I stream the licensed stuff, and download the rest. If I like it, then I'll buy the DVD when it's released. Unfortunately, there's a lot of shows that I like that won't get released in the West.
As for having lots of money, not really. I get by is about the best I could say. I'm just very, very good at managing my money so I usually have a nice amount as petty cash to buy the stuff I want.
Thanks for the nice comment about the reviews by the way. It's nice to know people like them.
I know what you mean, about finding a nickname you're happy with. Before joining MAL, I was also changing nicks every now and then, but finally settled with my current one. :)
I was looking forward to watching Ai's arc, but I'm now worried. The arc should be over this week, so I'll be watching it soon. I'll get back to you about it after watching.
But I agree with the way you describe the relationships. My main gripe about Morishima's arc was that the relationship was pretty superficial until the last few minutes of the final episode, where suddenly Morishima started crying, saying that she was afraid the guy didn't like her anymore because he didn't peek at her while she was taking a shower... What the hell? That just doesn't make any sense to me. lol
I'm surprised at how fast Kami nomi's plot is moving. Not to say that the anime is skipping details, just that I expected the anime producers to stretch things out a lot more - something that mediocre anime adaptations usually do. The pace is excellent, adding to the overall quality of the show.
Another show that censored other anime and manga names was Genshiken. And it was ridiculous. For example, Code Geass was renamed Reas Greed or something stupid like that. >_< Using real names would have added a ton to the immersion.
"Ultimate Shoujo Stare Technique" lol, yeah, that's so funny. And don't worry about explaining why you like fox ears. I guess I don't care as much about them, but I still like them, if done right, like you say. In Zakuro's case, the spirits theme is what makes the show interesting. :D
The last scene of episode 3 was so funny, when everyone was teasing Zakuro. XD
lol, I get what you mean. What I don't understand is how some shows are given thumbs up for production with such mediocre storyboards. I appreciate that this company is trying to create original anime (that is, not adapted from manga or novels), but man, they should at least hire a decent writer. One good idea is not enough to make an interesting show.
Hey, you changed your nick right when I was submitting my reply... that was weird. XD
Aww, so Ai's arc isn't good? I have only watched the first episode. I was planning to catch up when the fourth episode is released.
lol, if you want wincest, you should definitely check out Yosuga no Sora. Its got twincest. XD
But back to Oreimo, I totally agree - its been a while since I've watched a show as funny as this one. As you say, the production values are top notch. I love Kirino, she's so funny and cute.
I recommend Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai because of the exact same things you liked about Oreimo. The show is hilarious (especially episode 2) - the male lead, Keima, is the most hilarious harem lead ever - and similarly to Oreimo, the quality of the animation, art, and voice acting are excellent. For me, this is the second best show this season. :D
Oh, I love Bakuman as well. The only reason why it isn't my top anime this season is because I have already read quite a few manga chapters. I'm glad the anime isn't censoring all the anime references...in the manga, the guys talk about One Piece, Dragonball, Bleach, Naruto, and Death Note, to name a few. It gives the series a nice touch of realism, so to speak. And you're right, I'm also surprised there aren't other series about aspiring mangakas.
So far, the anime follows the manga perfectly, so if you can withstand waiting for an episode a week, by all means enjoy the anime for now. The story is quite addicting, though, so its hard to stop. ;)
Haha, a fetish for kitsunes...my friend also says, "Ears! Fox Ears!" XD I also like Zakuro - she's so funny, especially when she's mad at the male lead. I must say that the guy is hilarious too, though. Overall, yet another excellent comedy show this season. And you probably guessed it, this is my third favorite show this season. XD
Occult Academy started off with a very interesting premise - a time traveler who comes from the future to stop an event that would make way for an alien invasion in the year 2012. The guy then teams up with the female protagonist, Maya, to search for the Key of Nostradamus, an item that should trigger said event. The first couple episodes were very interesting, and even action-packed, as we learned the objective of the pair. Unfortunately, from episode 3 onward, the sense of urgency for finding this key was pretty much put aside in favor of some episodic, random, uninteresting events, until the final 2 episodes, where we get yet another weird, uninteresting event as a conclusion. The lack of any interesting characters, aside from Maya, didn't help much either. In the end, a series with a good idea, but poorly executed.
Ah yes, I was looking into Kuragehime the other day. I'll give it a try tonight if I get the chance. :)
Man, finally I have a good time to sit and write replies. :)
Nice to see you're back to watching anime again.
Haha, I'm not sure whether I'm enjoying Amagami or not. Truth is, I'm watching it mostly for discussion. The first arc's girl was so annoying to me...she is so unrealistic and her conversations don't make any sense. My favorite arc so far is definitely Kaoru's, because it was cute and it at least made some sense. But still, it was pretty average anyway. I'm hoping the 4th arc will be better. :)
Oreimo is my favorite series this season, and that's saying a lot, as this season has quite a few excellent shows. I don't think a little sister having a little sister fetish is too unrealistic... even girls want to have cute little sisters, after all. But of course, the part that is perhaps weird is that Kirino likes to play imouto eroges... something that is absolutely hilarious. XD
Another show worth watching this season is Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai. You shouldn't miss it. Bakuman is also another one; I've read the manga, and I know its very good.
I'm also enjoying Otome Youkai Zakuro, but I'm not sure if its your cup of tea.
As for the shows you mentioned, I sincerely don't recommend Occult Academy. High School of the Dead is good, but only if there's a second season in the future. The story needs a continuation, and badly.
Haha, indeed those buttons aren't really rocket science... I actually can only do very simple stuff, as opposed to werry, for instance. I wasn't sure how those buttons looked, so I'm glad you liked them. XD
And hey, you don't need awesome skills in GIMP to make a nice layout...my current one is extremely simple; I just grabbed a picture, cut out the background and added a new one, then just played around with image adjustments...nothing really complicated. ;)
Ah, so Seed isn't "old enough" for you... I thought it could have been of your liking! Of all the Gundam shows I have watched, that's probably my favorite. :D
I was particularly afraid Sheryl was going to die at the end...so I'm glad that didn't happen. Yeah, I thought the ending was good, although I also see werry's point. The love triangle in the original Macross had a conclusion, so I was surprised this one didn't have one.
I've never been a fan of the way Macross integrated singing into battles, but I didn't really hate the idea either. In the original, it was a true pain, though, because Minmay is probably the most annoying female character I have ever seen...lol. However, in Frontier, some of the songs were very nice (especially some of Sheryl's), and at least I thought that singing actually had a purpose. So I agree its a nice touch.
Ah, thanks. Glad you liked the layout and stuff! And speaking of it, I have been working on a new layout these past few days (partially the reason why I'm replying late again XD). Let me know what you think of it! ;)
Oh, and I wonder if you also checked out my "more about me" blog post?
Haha, 6-month intervals, huh? I've seen anime being released in a similar way, but 6 months between episodes is too much. Break Blade is also being released as 1-hour specials, but in shorter intervals. There's a 3-month wait between movies 2 and 3, but there was only 1-month between movies 1 and 2. Perhaps Gundam Unicorn will step up the pace later?
Say, you seem to like Gundam, but why haven't you checked out Seed nor 00?
Ah, so what you don't like is her physical design. Well, can't say much about that...to each his own. ;)
But anyway, I'm glad that you see Sheryl at least a bit better now. And hey, you even added her to your favorites now. Awesome. :D
So how did you like the ending?
Are you sure you liked Macross Frontier's ending that much? Because I didn't,
it ended the way harems based on an ongoing manga do... There he had a cute little Ranka, a grown up and sexy Sheryl and the guy went and chose... the SKY! The freaking sky!
When you say "unless she murders someone"... I think it is sort of worse than that, but that enough of a spoiler so I'll just let you watch it. I don't want to rest assured that you like Sheryl, since I don't like her, even though I have seen the entire series, it was Ranka that worried me that you might change your opinion of her.
Regarding of whether she is bad or not, I am going to put my opinion in a spoiler and you read it after completing the series. in the scenario you described she shouldn't be blamed, but people not always act rationally, right?
Macross Frontier ending spoilers
So, she turned traitor and went to look for the bugs in order to find a peaceful solution. I am all with her, in my opinion she did the right thing and it was Alto (that was the main guy's name, right?) that was wrong when he tried to stop her. Now, she caused quite a it of destruction because of that, but it wasn't really her fault, right? She was indeed being used and manipulated into helping the bad guys (considering the bugs weren't the real bad guys). So if you ask me, I wouldn't blame Ranka for anything, except perhaps being a little irresponsible and acting rash.
Don't worry, you won't let her go, if you like her, like I did, it won't affect you, however if you were a Sheryl fan. then I guess it would just worsen your opinion of Ranka.
I only keep anime I would like to someday re-watch, which is something I rarely do, so in the end I delete almost all my anime after watching it. Right now I only have 6 series on my HD two of those being S&W and Utena.
Interestingly, BRS has been so, so popular even before the anime was announced, that I don't quite understand why the anime producers needed to build up more hype and more fanbase by distributing the anime DVD for free. I believe that the DVD could have sold a ton even without such promotion. But as you say, I guess that seemed like the best course of action for that company.
I agree with what you say about dropping series. I have also dropped series I just couldn't get into, or am not enjoying. What I do like from you is that you at least give the series you start a try, by watching 4 or more episodes of each.
I do want to add, though, that some of the series I have dropped weren't dropped because they were bad, but because it has been so long since I watched them (probably 3 or more years), that I doubt I will be revisiting them again. But lately I've been thinking about picking up some of those old series and try to finish them...I guess this is the "MAL-factor," lol. It's been only a year since I started using MAL; before that, I oftentimes forgot what was I even watching at any moment. XD
Space operas, huh? In that case, I would like to recommend one of my favorites, Crest of the Stars. Note that Crest of the Stars has a few sequels under the name of Banner of the Stars (Seikai no Senki). Another series that may interest you is Toward the Terra. Both of these series are classics. ;)
I actually don't know Gundam Unicorn's release plan...do tell me! I've been wondering why hasn't episode 2 come out yet...
Oh nice, so your opinion of Sheryl did change! I will have to disagree here about her character being poor design, though. It is my believe that everyone has a reason why they are the way they are, and in Sheryl's case, given her background, it is quite understandable why she acts so tough and selfish, at least during the early stages of the series. Speaking from a neutral perspective, I believe that, when Sheryl's background was revealed, she became the most "complete" and "detailed" character of the series. Sheryl's past had such a big impact, both emotionally and otherwise, that others, even Ranka's, just paled in comparison. Even as Ranka's past was fully explained, it was so much easier to relate to someone like Sheryl.
But hey, don't jump at me now; I'm speaking from a neutral perspective! XD
Well, when compared to most series nowadays, BRS's animation in even those K-ON-like scenarios was well above average. But as you say, it wasn't magnificent. Did you know that this episode was handed out for free on DVD in Japan? It is assumed that its producers are trying out a new business model, where they profit off of other type of merchandise instead of DVD sales. I found this to be quite interesting.
I think the same in regards to the differences between art and animation. Good to know we are in the same page. :)
Yup, makes sense. I've been watching anime for some 4 or so years now, and at some point I thought the same as you. However, I later found out that I just love watching anime, and so constantly comparing series to one another just takes away all the fun. ;) After all, nowadays absolutely original ideas are pretty much impossible, as they would seem like reiterations of older ones. I guess what you gotta do is know which series to pick up.
Of the series you are currently watching, Durarara and Macross F are the only two I would recommend that you not drop. If you haven't liked Angel Beats by episode 5, then I doubt you will like the rest.
Card Captor Sakura is definitely a good watch. A classic. :)
Of the current season series, my favorites are High School of the Dead and Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu. The second one may not be of your liking, though, as many people find it to be "generic." But while the first episode does feel generic, so far it has become quite a solid and interesting show.
Well, given that you seem to absolutely hate Sheryl, I doubt you will see the two girls differently later, but, in the eyes of most, yes, you will see both Ranka and Sheryl differently by the end of the show. :)
Well, the BRS anime was based on a Vocaloid song, so its not like it was meant to be a series or much else. I don't quite understand your reasoning behind saying that so long was taken to create a 50-min episode. But regardless, making a 50-min episode with such detailed and fluid animation does take quite some time. In the end, BRS is some sort of a fan service, nothing more. I wouldn't expect a sequel, even though I want one.
I see, then I guess you'll be watching some more anime soon, when school starts, huh? I do wonder which series you couldn't finish from last season.
Haha, I guess you don't want Macross Frontier to end.
I downloaded it from BakaBT. I always prefer downloading anime, it takes some time, but with good internet, not so much, besides, it is much better to have the file in good quality and watch it at full screen. :)
I once had a problem with my account on bakabt (too low rating), but there are ways of going around their 'one IP = one user name' rule.
I think your opinion of Ranka might also change after episode 22 or so.
Ranka's self moving hair is so much win. But I guess I know now why your opinion is as it is, because you still haven't finished the series. When you do, I think it will change. Mine didn't, but most people's did, so hurry up and finish it and tell me what you think.
There is no suitable place for streaming it... unfortunately. I only found it in one place anime-sub.com, but they have veoh links there and that fucking player is 'disabled in your country'. Stuck ups...
All Comments (47) Comments
And now for the downside. The music was decent, but after a few songs they all seemed pretty formulaic. I actually preferred the music in Plus. The characters were decent enough but there was far too much cheese involved in Alto, Ranka and Charyl's relationships, especially at the end. In addition to this, while the story worked well to a degree it was a bit too contrived at times. Ranka suddenly becoming a galactic superstar is plausible, but Cheryl being quickly forgotten is something that probably wouldn't happen in real life, especially with all the tabloids around. It would have been better if they didn't have her as some down and out as that just was nothing more than to enhance the reaction to the state of her health.
There's also a large degree of predictability where MF is concerned, but that's true of all the Macross franchise so it's to be expected. Unfortunately MF is probably among the worst offenders in the franchise when it comes to this. Granted there were unexpected moments but overall it was pretty easy to see what was going to happen next.
Finally, Alto doesn't choose. Maybe it's just me, but in every Macross so far the lead male (or female), has chosen one or the other. MF was a bit of a cop out because he somehow ends up with both (making him the luckiest guy in the universe to some fans of the series).
As for streaming, it's mainly the new stuff rather than the old. If it's an old show then I either have to find the DVD (thank heavens for region free players), or download it, unless I have it on VHS that is.I tend to buy a lot second hand by the way. It's much, much cheaper that way, and you can always rely on the fact that everything turns upif you're patient.
Yes, that is my real date of birth. I turned 35 last week in fact (oh, the horror).
Most of the older shows are ones that I watched years ago on VHS (I even have quite a few of them in that format kicking around the house). As for the recent shows, I stream the licensed stuff, and download the rest. If I like it, then I'll buy the DVD when it's released. Unfortunately, there's a lot of shows that I like that won't get released in the West.
As for having lots of money, not really. I get by is about the best I could say. I'm just very, very good at managing my money so I usually have a nice amount as petty cash to buy the stuff I want.
Thanks for the nice comment about the reviews by the way. It's nice to know people like them.
I was looking forward to watching Ai's arc, but I'm now worried. The arc should be over this week, so I'll be watching it soon. I'll get back to you about it after watching.
But I agree with the way you describe the relationships. My main gripe about Morishima's arc was that the relationship was pretty superficial until the last few minutes of the final episode, where suddenly Morishima started crying, saying that she was afraid the guy didn't like her anymore because he didn't peek at her while she was taking a shower... What the hell? That just doesn't make any sense to me. lol
I'm surprised at how fast Kami nomi's plot is moving. Not to say that the anime is skipping details, just that I expected the anime producers to stretch things out a lot more - something that mediocre anime adaptations usually do. The pace is excellent, adding to the overall quality of the show.
Another show that censored other anime and manga names was Genshiken. And it was ridiculous. For example, Code Geass was renamed Reas Greed or something stupid like that. >_< Using real names would have added a ton to the immersion.
"Ultimate Shoujo Stare Technique" lol, yeah, that's so funny. And don't worry about explaining why you like fox ears. I guess I don't care as much about them, but I still like them, if done right, like you say. In Zakuro's case, the spirits theme is what makes the show interesting. :D
The last scene of episode 3 was so funny, when everyone was teasing Zakuro. XD
lol, I get what you mean. What I don't understand is how some shows are given thumbs up for production with such mediocre storyboards. I appreciate that this company is trying to create original anime (that is, not adapted from manga or novels), but man, they should at least hire a decent writer. One good idea is not enough to make an interesting show.
Aww, so Ai's arc isn't good? I have only watched the first episode. I was planning to catch up when the fourth episode is released.
lol, if you want wincest, you should definitely check out Yosuga no Sora. Its got twincest. XD
But back to Oreimo, I totally agree - its been a while since I've watched a show as funny as this one. As you say, the production values are top notch. I love Kirino, she's so funny and cute.
I recommend Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai because of the exact same things you liked about Oreimo. The show is hilarious (especially episode 2) - the male lead, Keima, is the most hilarious harem lead ever - and similarly to Oreimo, the quality of the animation, art, and voice acting are excellent. For me, this is the second best show this season. :D
Oh, I love Bakuman as well. The only reason why it isn't my top anime this season is because I have already read quite a few manga chapters. I'm glad the anime isn't censoring all the anime references...in the manga, the guys talk about One Piece, Dragonball, Bleach, Naruto, and Death Note, to name a few. It gives the series a nice touch of realism, so to speak. And you're right, I'm also surprised there aren't other series about aspiring mangakas.
So far, the anime follows the manga perfectly, so if you can withstand waiting for an episode a week, by all means enjoy the anime for now. The story is quite addicting, though, so its hard to stop. ;)
Haha, a fetish for kitsunes...my friend also says, "Ears! Fox Ears!" XD I also like Zakuro - she's so funny, especially when she's mad at the male lead. I must say that the guy is hilarious too, though. Overall, yet another excellent comedy show this season. And you probably guessed it, this is my third favorite show this season. XD
Occult Academy started off with a very interesting premise - a time traveler who comes from the future to stop an event that would make way for an alien invasion in the year 2012. The guy then teams up with the female protagonist, Maya, to search for the Key of Nostradamus, an item that should trigger said event. The first couple episodes were very interesting, and even action-packed, as we learned the objective of the pair. Unfortunately, from episode 3 onward, the sense of urgency for finding this key was pretty much put aside in favor of some episodic, random, uninteresting events, until the final 2 episodes, where we get yet another weird, uninteresting event as a conclusion. The lack of any interesting characters, aside from Maya, didn't help much either. In the end, a series with a good idea, but poorly executed.
Ah yes, I was looking into Kuragehime the other day. I'll give it a try tonight if I get the chance. :)
Nice to see you're back to watching anime again.
Haha, I'm not sure whether I'm enjoying Amagami or not. Truth is, I'm watching it mostly for discussion. The first arc's girl was so annoying to me...she is so unrealistic and her conversations don't make any sense. My favorite arc so far is definitely Kaoru's, because it was cute and it at least made some sense. But still, it was pretty average anyway. I'm hoping the 4th arc will be better. :)
Oreimo is my favorite series this season, and that's saying a lot, as this season has quite a few excellent shows. I don't think a little sister having a little sister fetish is too unrealistic... even girls want to have cute little sisters, after all. But of course, the part that is perhaps weird is that Kirino likes to play imouto eroges... something that is absolutely hilarious. XD
Another show worth watching this season is Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai. You shouldn't miss it. Bakuman is also another one; I've read the manga, and I know its very good.
I'm also enjoying Otome Youkai Zakuro, but I'm not sure if its your cup of tea.
As for the shows you mentioned, I sincerely don't recommend Occult Academy. High School of the Dead is good, but only if there's a second season in the future. The story needs a continuation, and badly.
Hehe, glad you liked my new layout. :)
And hey, you don't need awesome skills in GIMP to make a nice layout...my current one is extremely simple; I just grabbed a picture, cut out the background and added a new one, then just played around with image adjustments...nothing really complicated. ;)
Ah, so Seed isn't "old enough" for you... I thought it could have been of your liking! Of all the Gundam shows I have watched, that's probably my favorite. :D
I was particularly afraid Sheryl was going to die at the end...so I'm glad that didn't happen. Yeah, I thought the ending was good, although I also see werry's point. The love triangle in the original Macross had a conclusion, so I was surprised this one didn't have one.
I've never been a fan of the way Macross integrated singing into battles, but I didn't really hate the idea either. In the original, it was a true pain, though, because Minmay is probably the most annoying female character I have ever seen...lol. However, in Frontier, some of the songs were very nice (especially some of Sheryl's), and at least I thought that singing actually had a purpose. So I agree its a nice touch.
Oh, and I wonder if you also checked out my "more about me" blog post?
Haha, 6-month intervals, huh? I've seen anime being released in a similar way, but 6 months between episodes is too much. Break Blade is also being released as 1-hour specials, but in shorter intervals. There's a 3-month wait between movies 2 and 3, but there was only 1-month between movies 1 and 2. Perhaps Gundam Unicorn will step up the pace later?
Say, you seem to like Gundam, but why haven't you checked out Seed nor 00?
Ah, so what you don't like is her physical design. Well, can't say much about that...to each his own. ;)
But anyway, I'm glad that you see Sheryl at least a bit better now. And hey, you even added her to your favorites now. Awesome. :D
So how did you like the ending?
Regarding of whether she is bad or not, I am going to put my opinion in a spoiler and you read it after completing the series. in the scenario you described she shouldn't be blamed, but people not always act rationally, right?
Macross Frontier ending spoilers
Don't worry, you won't let her go, if you like her, like I did, it won't affect you, however if you were a Sheryl fan. then I guess it would just worsen your opinion of Ranka.
I only keep anime I would like to someday re-watch, which is something I rarely do, so in the end I delete almost all my anime after watching it. Right now I only have 6 series on my HD two of those being S&W and Utena.
I agree with what you say about dropping series. I have also dropped series I just couldn't get into, or am not enjoying. What I do like from you is that you at least give the series you start a try, by watching 4 or more episodes of each.
I do want to add, though, that some of the series I have dropped weren't dropped because they were bad, but because it has been so long since I watched them (probably 3 or more years), that I doubt I will be revisiting them again. But lately I've been thinking about picking up some of those old series and try to finish them...I guess this is the "MAL-factor," lol. It's been only a year since I started using MAL; before that, I oftentimes forgot what was I even watching at any moment. XD
Space operas, huh? In that case, I would like to recommend one of my favorites, Crest of the Stars. Note that Crest of the Stars has a few sequels under the name of Banner of the Stars (Seikai no Senki). Another series that may interest you is Toward the Terra. Both of these series are classics. ;)
I actually don't know Gundam Unicorn's release plan...do tell me! I've been wondering why hasn't episode 2 come out yet...
Oh nice, so your opinion of Sheryl did change! I will have to disagree here about her character being poor design, though. It is my believe that everyone has a reason why they are the way they are, and in Sheryl's case, given her background, it is quite understandable why she acts so tough and selfish, at least during the early stages of the series. Speaking from a neutral perspective, I believe that, when Sheryl's background was revealed, she became the most "complete" and "detailed" character of the series. Sheryl's past had such a big impact, both emotionally and otherwise, that others, even Ranka's, just paled in comparison. Even as Ranka's past was fully explained, it was so much easier to relate to someone like Sheryl.
But hey, don't jump at me now; I'm speaking from a neutral perspective! XD
Well, when compared to most series nowadays, BRS's animation in even those K-ON-like scenarios was well above average. But as you say, it wasn't magnificent. Did you know that this episode was handed out for free on DVD in Japan? It is assumed that its producers are trying out a new business model, where they profit off of other type of merchandise instead of DVD sales. I found this to be quite interesting.
I think the same in regards to the differences between art and animation. Good to know we are in the same page. :)
Yup, makes sense. I've been watching anime for some 4 or so years now, and at some point I thought the same as you. However, I later found out that I just love watching anime, and so constantly comparing series to one another just takes away all the fun. ;) After all, nowadays absolutely original ideas are pretty much impossible, as they would seem like reiterations of older ones. I guess what you gotta do is know which series to pick up.
Of the series you are currently watching, Durarara and Macross F are the only two I would recommend that you not drop. If you haven't liked Angel Beats by episode 5, then I doubt you will like the rest.
Card Captor Sakura is definitely a good watch. A classic. :)
Of the current season series, my favorites are High School of the Dead and Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu. The second one may not be of your liking, though, as many people find it to be "generic." But while the first episode does feel generic, so far it has become quite a solid and interesting show.
Well, given that you seem to absolutely hate Sheryl, I doubt you will see the two girls differently later, but, in the eyes of most, yes, you will see both Ranka and Sheryl differently by the end of the show. :)
I see, then I guess you'll be watching some more anime soon, when school starts, huh? I do wonder which series you couldn't finish from last season.
Haha, I guess you don't want Macross Frontier to end.
I once had a problem with my account on bakabt (too low rating), but there are ways of going around their 'one IP = one user name' rule.
I think your opinion of Ranka might also change after episode 22 or so.
There is no suitable place for streaming it... unfortunately. I only found it in one place anime-sub.com, but they have veoh links there and that fucking player is 'disabled in your country'. Stuck ups...