General anime discussion thread

[LOG]

Finished the second season of School Rumble.
Apparently it was meant to continue but didn't?

[Seth?]

Originally Posted by Camilla Delvalle

Clannad has a special place in my heart. To me it is both the funniest and most tragic anime. I laughed so much during a certain concert, but I literally cried all through the last episodes. As a high school comedy it is rare in showing what happens after graduation, when everyone has to take responsibility for their lives and take the consequences of their actions. There is some beauty, some eeriness, and some philosophy that is relevant for life. Yes, the character design is not the best. Nagisa sometimes looks like something from outher space, but Tomoya is handsome. I often rewatch the first season because it's cute, but I'd rather have my heart torn out than watch the second season again. Btw., last week I learned to sing the Dango Daikazoku song...


Well, I'm a fan of Death Note and I love L, especially in the spin-off L: Change the World, where he is super cute. I like Near too. Why don't you like L? Nowadays I don't rewatch it so often because with the low level of romance it doesn't feel emotionally satisfying.

In that case I will have to watch it.


I don't "hate" L but I definitely don't particularily like him. I'm a fan of Light. I could go on forever about him but I'm not going to because literally, forever.

I did like L: Change the World and The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases just not as much as a lot of people did.


Oh, and I cannot tell you how much I hate Near. I know a lot of people like him but he annoys me so much.



-Seth

[Dawnstorm]

Originally Posted by LOG

Finished the second season of School Rumble.
Apparently it was meant to continue but didn't?

There's a two-episode-long OVA that concludes the story line.

[BigWords]

Watched Ninja Scroll when Zoe was playing with her laptop - I got a serious deja vu from some of the scenes - it seems like a mesh of Fist Of The North Star's cynicism, bloodletting and badassery, Naruto-esque spellcasting, and some seriously messed up ideas about how antidotes work. Utter nonsense, but fun nevertheless. Spoiled a bit by the dub, but that is hardly a new experience.

[LOG]

Huh, bit confusing, but it looks like Harima and Eri are supposed ot get together at some point.

At this point I think the only thing that could really conclude the anime series is either a full release of a third season, or a new release of the entire series.
I'd prefer it if Harima realized that he and Tenma aren't going to work out earlier on, and then spend the rest of the series developing relationships with others.
Right now it kind of felt like they just stretched out the plot for more jokes. It manages to stay fairly funny, but I HATE resets to status quo. Hatehatehatehatehate. Even at the end of the second season they're still resetting the relationships.

I enjoy seeing love interests change (when appropriate to the plot). I spent most of the series waiting for Harima to realize that he and Tenma weren't going to work. If it was a lesson on learning when to let go as Harima did, then they took waaaaay too long. I'm sure most people realized partway through season 1 that KenjixTenma was never going to happen. So the rest just feels like a waste (from a plotline perspective anyways).

[Camilla Delvalle]

Since we have not discussed Utena yet, I'll say a few things to possibly start a discussion. There is no end to things I disliked, so I'll just list some I liked, naturally with a mild spoiler warning:

1. Some of the fights, especially during the first season. The mix of fencing with dialogue, background story, inner thoughts, and the weird and irrelevant songs gave depth to these multi-layered pieces of narration. The favourite is the fight with Juri.

2. The shadow play girls. The eerines of this pair of mysterious girls is hard to rival. Their hidden precence awakens many questions. Are they good or evil? How do they know so much? Will they eventually show themselves?

3. The unique character Himemiya Anthy. At first I dispised her passivity and uselessness, but when rewatching, my perception changed to another extreme. With total fascination I study her subtle expressions of emotion and her homely activities. Now she steals every scene and delights me every time I notice something new about her.

4. The few times when Utena shows weakness. Since she is generally so strong, it's when she is depressed or vulnerable that she makes the most powerful impression.

5. Episode 33. It's surrealism stands out even in a surreal show like Utena.

[kuwisdelu]

I love Utena. I still need to rewatch it though. That is all. From my phone anyway.

[Dawnstorm]

Haven't seen Utena yet. It's not in print around here. I could have bought a single dvd volume from the middle, used. Not much point to that. The only streaming site I know that has it, has lots of defunct links. I'll admit that I haven't searched thoroughly, but I also feel more guilty watching older shows that have been available to buy, so...

I've seen the first few episodes, though, and, yes, I found Himemiya fascinating. She had that aura of hiding something...

[LOG]

I remember watching Utena as a kid and being so confused, but watching it anyways because it was just that interesting.

[elindsen]

Originally Posted by DeVon72176

3x3 eyes. Good show, but only covers a small part of the manga. If you check out the show and like it, you'll need to check out the manga to find out what happens. But don't let that deter you. I recommend it.

Thanks. It sounds good.

Why is manga so expensive?

[BigWords]

Manga collections aren't all that expensive unless you are tracking down out-of-print titles which didn't have a large print run - page-for-page, they cost much less than some other comic formats.

[DeVon72176]

Originally Posted by elindsen

Thanks. It sounds good.

Why is manga so expensive?

I actually had 8 to 10 volumes (graphic novels) of 3x3 eyes. I can't remember exactly how many as its been a while since I had them. The trick for me was to wait for a convention (usually the Megacon in Orlando, FL) and buy my books from there. A lot of times I could find books that where $5 a piece or half off (I collected the manga of Akira, Dark horse version, for like $7 a piece).

I'm going to try not to go into manga too much as this is an anime thread (and I like both), but depending on what you see/read, there are vast differences (if you watch Akira and then read the manga, you will be blown away by the differences).

Don't get me wrong, sometimes it satisfying watching the two forms mirror each other as well.

[sadbeautifultragic]

Hey everyone.


Whenever I tell people I like Junjou Romantica, they yell at me. Why!

Anyway, I'm very typical and I get my manga from Barnes & Noble. Generally the manga there ranges from 7 to 10 dollars plus tax and the change you forget to take and all that.

I'm not a huge L fan either but that's probably because Seth? brainwashed me as a child.

I Utena. For way too many reasons to list. Mainly because you know.. Utena.


-t.

[LOG]

Finished Xam'd.
I want to like it, I really do, but it's just too opaque.
The series has a very developed setting, and a very strong dedication to showing-not-telling, but what should usually be strengths turn into the series weaknesses because at the pace insight into the series is given to the audience is so slow that 26 episodes just aren't enough to gain a full appreciation. So by the end of the series, the ending feels lackluster because you can never get into it.
Still, I'd give it a solid 3/5, but their previous work, Eureka Seven (which bears quite a few similarities), is probably superior.

[LOG]

There are times when you know you want to watch an anime subbed, or possibly not at all.
One of those times is when the opening line of the dubbed (Chobits) is: "I'm turning 18 this year. I'm still 17."

No way! You can be 17 and still turn 18 in the same year?! MY MIND HAS BEEN BLOWN!

[Dawnstorm]

Right now, I wish I'd be watching: Saki ~ Senryama hen. In that one scene around Toki's bed they showed greater diversity than Achiga in an entire season. That's how you individuate the players.

[LOG]

I think the biggest, common stylistic weakness I find in anime and manga is exposition--it's often incredibly stilted and painful, even if what comes after is done pretty well.

[Silver-Midnight]

So.....has anyone been watching Toonami? What do you think of Deadman Wonderland?

[Dawnstorm]

Originally Posted by Silver-Midnight

So.....has anyone been watching Toonami? What do you think of Deadman Wonderland?

I'm not American, so no Toonami for me. Deadman Wonderland? Didn't like it much. I hated the male lead. I didn't like the over-the-top brutality. I found Shirou and Crow interesting, but that's about it. I'd probably pick up a second season out of curiosity, but I'm not actively looking forward to it.

[LOG]

I find it somewhat predictable in its brutality.
I can count on it to always try and shock me somehow.

Some stuff is over the top though, like when Ganta is watching the preview for Corpse Carnival and just screams bloody murder. Totally unnecessary, it was much more a moment of silent terror.


Also, WTF is with the censoring? It's not like children are going to be watching this . . .

[Shadow Dragon]

I think adult swim has to keep thing about pg-13 or else they'd lose some of their sponsors. Toonami doesn't have a lot of money to begin with, so they can't lose any advertising. And I agree with Ganta screaming at the video. Otherwise though, it's a great show.

For Casshern Sins, it's ok but it does seem overly slow at times. I did like the human character that died though. He reminded me of Wolfwood. And I am interested in Luna and how the ruin started. Do kinda wish they'd stop calling her, The Sun named Moon.

[LOG]

Originally Posted by Shadow Dragon

I think adult swim has to keep thing about pg-13 or else they'd lose some of their sponsors. Toonami doesn't have a lot of money to begin with, so they can't lose any advertising. And I agree with Ganta screaming at the video. Otherwise though, it's a great show.

For Casshern Sins, it's ok but it does seem overly slow at times. I did like the human character that died though. He reminded me of Wolfwood. And I am interested in Luna and how the ruin started. Do kinda wish they'd stop calling her, The Sun named Moon.

PG-13 . . .
They're on at nearly midnight, and that still wouldn't make sense because
A) A great many other scenes in Deadman would knock PG-13 ratings straight out of the park.
B) Their other shows aren't censored.

Also, the Sun Named Moon things is kind of a title I think--remember that in the latest episode they told us that she was the source of life on their world, like the sun, and she was apparently pretty revered as well. So the Sun thing makes sense, and then the rest is just her name.

[Silver-Midnight]

I haven't really seen Cashern Sins, but I do like Deadman Wonderland. Overall, I think it's pretty good.

[Shadow Dragon]

Originally Posted by LOG

PG-13 . . .
They're on at nearly midnight, and that still wouldn't make sense because
A) A great many other scenes in Deadman would knock PG-13 ratings straight out of the park.
B) Their other shows aren't censored.

Actually, they are. Fuck and I think shit does get censored on other adult swim shows. In Metalocalypse they do it with a guitar riff. Also, you'd be surprised with the amount of violence and blood you can get away with and keep that rating.

Though I do wish they'd show it uncut and just give a warning at the beginning.

[LOG]

Originally Posted by Shadow Dragon

Actually, they are. Fuck and I think shit does get censored on other adult swim shows. In Metalocalypse they do it with a guitar riff. Also, you'd be surprised with the amount of violence and blood you can get away with and keep that rating.

Though I do wish they'd show it uncut and just give a warning at the beginning.

But they do show a warning . . .