What anime are you watching?

[Atria35]

I guess you could say
[spoiler]Mami got deconstructed

in the head[/spoiler]

I am a terrible, terrible person for laughing at that.
:thumb::lol:

[SierraLea]

I am a terrible, terrible person for laughing at that.
:thumb::lol:

If you're a terrible person, I am too, even if I don't fully understand it. It just sounded funny.

[karengrant19]

im fun watching hunter x hunter,slam dunk, Naruto and one piece.. im enjoying watching them..^_^

[Neane]

I guess you could say
[spoiler]Mami got deconstructed

in the head[/spoiler]

Thank you for that, I needed it.

[A_Yellow_Dress]

I am a terrible, terrible person for laughing at that.
:thumb::lol:

I guess I am too.

Anyways, watching Birdy the Mighty and I'm really liking it so far. 'Bout halfway through the dub so... season 2? I would totally want to cosplay as Birdy assuming I didn't have to walk around with almost nothing on, just because she is awesome, haha. Pleasantly surprised at how little there is for fan service in it.

[Maokun]

Finally bit the bait (GET IT?, GET IT?) and got started with Tsuritama. Thoughts in the appropriate thread.

Also, I'm catching up with Naruto Shippuuden.

[Neane]

Currently watching Gosenzosama Banbanzai.

[Atria35]

Marathoned Love Hina because I wanted to see it once before I got rid of it. Also finished up Ozma because I wanted to finish. Someone on this board is going to be so upset that I didn't get right to NGE. I promise- I'm watching the next episode This Afternoon.

[Broly Ultimatrix]

Watching Nichijou on episode 2 now and i sure needed this level of awesomeness radicalness and coolness... not to mention complete unpredictableness(<------Probably not a word -_- )

[rocklobster]

Starting Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. The theme song kicks!

[MomentOfInertia]

Watching Nichijou on episode 2 now and i sure needed this level of awesomeness radicalness and coolness... not to mention complete unpredictableness(<------Probably not a word -_- )

Unpredictability, is a word.

[Maokun]

Marathoned Love Hina because I wanted to see it once before I got rid of it. Also finished up Ozma because I wanted to finish. Someone on this board is going to be so upset that I didn't get right to NGE. I promise- I'm watching the next episode This Afternoon.

*temple vein twitches while forcing an unconvincing smile*

Starting Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. The theme song kicks!

Nice, that's a series that needs more love.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Marathoned Love Hina because I wanted to see it once before I got rid of it.

Gotta love what completionists will do to themselves.

[Atria35]

Gotta love what completionists will do to themselves.

To be honest, I didn't think it was that bad. There's far less fanservice, and what there is, is a lot less racy than a lot of series that come out these days. And there were some moments that were pretty good. I'll never watch it again, but I'm glad I stuck through it.

Also, NGE episode 23 (director's cut) - More insane awesomeness. Just when I think this show can't top itself....

[Neane]

Also, NGE episode 23 (director's cut) - More insane awesomeness. Just when I think this show can't top itself....

You will love Episode 24.

[MangaRocks!]

Tsuritama, ep. 4.

(Thoughts on it in the dedicated thread, as always. )

[Neane]

Got around to finishing Gosenzosama Banbanzai.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Armored Trooper VOTOMS

It's been a few weeks since I finished this show, so my impressions may not be quite as vivid as I like; however, the bottom line is that this is a series I unequivocally recommend to anyone who has a smidgeon of affinity for "real robot" shows.

VOTOMS is a 1983-4 TV series directed by Ryosuke Takahashi, a prolific director of mecha in the 80s. He later went on to write the scripts for a show that I hold near and dear, the King of Braves: Gaogaigar, but that is another post. Takahashi's work immediately preceding VOTOMS was Fang of the Sun: Dougram, a gritty depiction of a rebellion turned full-scale war that featured mecha designs that were functional as opposed to flashy. He wanted to do something similar with VOTOMS, except make a story that took place during a tense postwar atmosphere and focused on the inner life of a single character, rather than the political machinations of Dougram.

VOTOMS went on to become one of the pillars of the Sunrise empire, though it gets little attention in the West. Look how much of it there is. Its output rivals that of Gundam, and, unlike Gundam, all the entries in the franchise take place in the same universe and all but three are about the same main character.

The mecha designs in VOTOMS are absolute classics. Though, as stated above, they aren't as elegant or elaborate as the stuff in Gundam or, say, Gurren Lagann, they have a ton of personality. And hey, Code Geass fans, VOTOMS is the genesis of the whole mecha on skates thing. The more you know...

Interestingly, some bits of each episode are done in this noir (correct me if I'm misusing the term) style that I haven't seen in anime before. The main character's inner dialogue serves to usher us in and out of episodes, and not in a "NEXT TIME ON VOTOMS!" sort of way. We are privy to his perspective, but it's not an omniscient one; he can be biased or wrong about things. In this way, we get to know him and how his mind works. Believe me, it doesn't come across as forced as it may sound.

This is a four cour show, and each cour feels really distinct from the rest. The same plot threads run through each of them, but the stark differences in setting (sprawling, decadent urban; tropical jungle; desert wasteland; caves), and also in the immediate objectives of the protagonists, serve to refresh the viewer every 12-13 episodes. I feel like this show also draws from a lot of different sci-fi resources, as much of it feels familiar (but not tired or tropey); however, I am blanking on specific names. Children of the 80s will probably have similar experiences to mine in this area.

VOTOMS is a pretty ambitious show in what it tries to do. It starts out firmly planted in the 80s mecha show sandbox, but it eventually wants to transcend the genre (note: this is different from deconstructing the genre) and go places you'd never except it to go. And, it succeeds wildly. It manages to increase the scale and importance of events to enormous levels without either becoming too abstract or ceasing to be a personal story. Unlike a lot of series that do these kinds of things, VOTOMS doesn't seem to be trying to say anything philosophically/metaphysically. There is no ulterior motive for its plot, it just wants to tell a great story. Not to say there are no themes because there are: war is hell, the power of love, friendship > being alone, etc. It's just that, unlike something like Evangelion or Kaiba or Rah Xehpone, there's no agenda for the plot to make a metaphysical point (note: this is not a criticism of such an artistic technique).

Science fiction greatness.

Space Adventure Cobra: the Movie

Wow, here's something we'll never see the like of again.

So, SAC (feels weird, huh GitS fans?) the movie was directed by the late, great Osamu Dezaki. A man of extremes, Dezaki helmed the likes of Cobra and Golgo 13 but also seminal shoujo works like Brother Dear Brother, Aim for the Ace, and Rose of Versailles (to say nothing of his children's films such as Nemo's Adventures in Slumberland, the first anime to grace U.S. theaters).

Though I am not too familiar with Lupin III, comparisons are often drawn between Cobra and he, i.e. "Cobra is Lupin in SPACE." At any rate, this movie is about this bro, Cobra, who has a gun arm. He calls it the Psychogun. He's wanted by the law but, since he's also an honorable dude, he has made enemies in the world of outlaws as well. Cobra's chief enemy, the unfortunately named Crystal Boy (a villain far too cool and creepy for that name), leader of a group called The Guild, always seems to be clashing with our hero. I won't spoil exactly what the clash in the film concerns, though, since it takes a nice long while to lead up to it and it is shrouded in a bit 'o mystery.

The story of this movie isn't really important. It's not the reason to watch this thing. The reason people ought to immediately go run out and see this is the effing visuals. Good. Grief. The look of the backgrounds and the experimental nature of the way a lot of scenes are shot is totally worth the price of admission (a price that is exactly zero dollars if you are able to watch the Hulu English dub). Dezaki clearly has a lot of freedom here. The backgrounds and the architecture resemble Boston album covers. The whole movie has a quintessentially 80s fantasy/sci-fi art style that is not used anymore. And the direction. Many times, Dezaki just tries a shot because he wants to, not because the added visual affectation adds anything to the story. Thus, the mood of the movie is a bit different than you might expect, given its pulpy sci-fi trappings. SAC has a pretty ethereal feel to it that is a rare experience for me as an anime viewer living in the 10s.

While the art and animation can be experimental, it is never at the expense of telling the entertaining but conventional story. SAC is surreal without being incomprehensible. So, yeah, people should check this out (nudity warning though...for both series mentioned here, actually) if they are up for a unique visual experience.

[Agloval]

Fresh Precure is nearly fully translated, which is, er, exciting. The last run of episodes have been more interesting as they form a coherent narrative arc and finally reveal some details about Labyrinth, the antagonists' parallel world. And they add another decent action sequence to the show's handful.

Also I watched Hades Project Zeorymer, which is a collection of decent things and bad things. I don't particularly recommend it unless you're interested in late 80s/early 90s mecha OVAs or curious about it because you've played with it in Super Robot Wars.

[the_wolfs_howl]

D.Gray-man episodes 49-51 - And with that, I'm up-to-date with the English dub. I REALLY HOPE THEY DUB THE SECOND SEASON SOON!!!!!! Because after Todd Haberkorn, there's just no going back to Sanae Kobayashi....
/petty

Kodocha episodes 1-19 because I just bought the first five DVDs at an amazing price (rightstuf.com is the way to go ). I'd forgotten just how crazy and wonderful that show is

I'm also watching the English dub of FMA: Brotherhood for the first time; so far I'm up to episode 20. This dub is sooooooooo much better than the dub of the first series <3

[Neane]

Also I watched Hades Project Zeorymer, which is a collection of decent things and bad things. I don't particularly recommend it unless you're interested in late 80s/early 90s mecha OVAs or curious about it because you've played with it in Super Robot Wars.

And now my list of anime that I have seen, but no one else here has seen went down by 1.

[SincerelyAnomymous]

Watching the first episode of Nichijou.

Oh

My

Self.

This is the best comedy anime I've ever seen!

[Neane]

Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran

If Rurouni Kenshin were a chick, he would be Ran.

[Agloval]

I found the first two episodes of something Legendary Brave Da Garn, which is the third Brave series and so one of GaoGaiGar's antecedents. The first two episodes were lighter on the burning courage than GGG, but quite slickly done. I'm definitely planning to watch more.

[Neane]

Just Finished Ghost Hound, it is now my favorite TV Show made from Production I.G..
It was truly incredible.

[rocklobster]

I watched Blood the Last Vampire for the first time. I think the re-imagined series Blood+ is way better. There wasn't much of a story, but the animation was really good. Nice digitizing.

[Cianter]

I just finished episode 13 of Gundam SEED Destiny, which supposedly is the last even remotely decent episode of Destiny, I just hope it doesn't get AS bad as I've heard. I just can't not watch it, I just have to see what happens with everyone, and I'm still holding out hope that I will end up really liking it, we'll see I guess^_^

[ABlipinTime]

Finished After Story. Considering watching Stein's;Gate.

[Atria35]

[quote="ABlipinTime (post: 1557889)"]Finished After Story. Considering watching Stein's]

DO IT. Travel through time with us.

Maria Watches Over Us s2 eps 1-3- I forgot the Pure Drama this baby is. Drama. Dramatique. Drama-rama. And yet it manages to pull both heartstrings and laughter from me. That engagement? WIN. What person doesn't think it's romantic to be compared to a dinosaur?:lol:

[MangaRocks!]

^ Yes indeed-- Steins;Gate is excellent!!


As for me, I watched the Time Of Eve movie (sub): Got this via iTunes. And it was great! [spoiler]I mean, granted, there were a couple of loose ends that I would've liked to have seen tied up just a little bit further, all having to do with the spy android and the anti-robot organization it came from-- such as what would happen with Tex and Masaki and his father, and what would happen to the Time Of Eve. Also, it would have been nice to dig just a little bit deeper into the organization itself, and the apparent double agent (?) in their midst. That said, however, it was excellent overall; and I quite enjoyed it! [/spoiler]