Discuss anime here.

[Perihelion]

Feel free to talk about favorites, what you're looking forward to, what you're currently watching, whatever. I don't watch a lot of anime in general, but I am at the moment, ergo this thread.

I'm currently watching Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, which is surprisingly decent considering its mahou shoujo premise. It has actual character development and sympathetic villains (at least in the first two seasons; I only just started StrikerS), the yuri undertones are sweet and tasteful, and I actually like the characters. It's a lot more idealistic than the things I usually enjoy, though, and it shows--I roll my eyes at the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP scenes, I keep wanting them to delve into how incredibly fucked up it is to use nine-year-olds as soldiers, etc. The loli fanservice is somewhat unnerving (and the double standard is irritating--the one guy with a transformation sequence is the ONLY ONE who doesn't get naked during it), but it's a pretty good show if you can get past that. I hear My-HiME subverts the usual mahou shoujo tropes in an interesting way, too, so I might check that out at some point.

I really want to watch the Hellsing OVA, but I'm gonna wait till it's all done. I know the eighth one is supposed to come out in December, but does anyone know if that's the last one? I also plan to see Black Lagoon and Samurai Champloo at some point.

 

[Glitchfinder]

I like the Hellsing OVA, so far. The only real problem, for me, is that they have completely stopped dubbing it in English. I realize that they have good reasons, as the company that owns the rights shut down their NA branch. Still, they leased all of the rights for their anime to another company for North America, which promptly re-released everything, and then left it at that.

On the other hand, the only other anime I've watched recently are .hack//SIGN and .hack//Liminality, and that's because I own them both. They're both rather interesting, but they are also part of a much larger story, so I don't recommend starting unless you're willing to watch and read quite a few series for more stuff. (Not to mention the fact that there are games that are part of the story as well)

 

[Perihelion]

That's a shame; I've heard good things about the OVA's dub, and iirc the TV series had a pretty good one too. I usually watch my anime subtitled, though, so I'm not too bothered.

 

[Chalupa]

I'm currently reading a manga called Desert Coral. Unfortunately, Manga ADV dropped it.


It's got a pretty interesting storyline, well, at least the 5 released volumes do.

 

[moog]

gantz, elfen lied and boogiepop phantom were the only indie ones ive hxc gotten into lately. Besides that, ive been reading Welcome to the NHK, which is ok imo.

gantz is getting pretty awesome in the manga, i just wish theyd stop making "LOL WHAT A TWIST"'s at every turn.

 

[mawk]

I used to follow welcome to the nhk (manga only, I don't think I've ever watched a fansub of anything) on the advice of some buddies who were really into it. I started to feel a little too sorry for the guy, though, and the whole DRAMATIC EXPRESSIONS AND OVERSTATEMENT thing got pretty old, so I quit.

I don't think I've seen any anime lately, as in within the last six or so months. one thing I'm really big on, though is Paprika. it's a movie, not a series, but it's probably one of my favourite things ever. it's tough to say why, exactly, except that I find it charming that the movie is wholly and completely insane.

it's not that sort of typical "oh, japan! *laugh track*" insane, though. it's not cultural wackiness that would make contextual sense to the original audience. it's universal insanity, and it's appropriate considering that the entire movie is about dreams (and those tend to be pretty insane!)

I'm always impressed with how closely it mimics actual dreams at certain points, too. the way that everything is totally wrong but you just go along with it at the time because it makes sense within the dream itself.

and Parade is a mad catchy song. happy and oppressive. great theme for what it represents.

 

[Glitchfinder]

That's a shame; I've heard good things about the OVA's dub, and iirc the TV series had a pretty good one too. I usually watch my anime subtitled, though, so I'm not too bothered.

It's not that I don't like subs. I'm perfectly fine with them. On the other hand, many of my friends are not all right with subs. And yeah, they did a good job with the dubbing. For the most part, it was the same voice actors and actresses as the original series, in the English dub. (Especially the main characters, like Alexander Anderson and Alucard)

 

[Ellie]

We don't get them here, unless I'm looking in the wrong places.

We get mangas, but I've yet to see a TV anime.

 

[moog]

you should be able to

ANIME IS EVERYWHERE.

IT IS WATCHING YOU RIGHT NOW AS YOU WATCH IT.

 

[mawk]

 

[moog]

ahaha dude that is great. did you just make that?

 

[glorious caesar]

gantz is getting pretty awesome in the manga, i just wish theyd stop making "LOL WHAT A TWIST"'s at every turn.

gantz was the shit until the introduced the whole vampire arc. as soon as the story seemed to be getting REALLY INTO IT, they just threw on another whole storyline instead of answering questions.

i pretty much despise all anime/manga by default because the VAST MAJORITY is absolute uninspired filth. but if something has a cool enough premise (and it's recommended by somebody whose taste i trust), i'll check it out.

the only anime i like is haruhi and dbz so. also the death note comic was great (up until L died and then it was loaded with garbage just like the vamps in gantz) but the show was a waste of time imo

 

[Perihelion]

Most media consist primarily of awful. I've been known to watch the odd bad anime, but I grew up with it, so a lot of it is nostalgic for me. I'm curious, though. Why DBZ?

I liked Haruhi, although I think it's somewhat overrated. Serial Experiments Lain also plays with the concept of reality, albeit in a different way. It's a mindfuck, though.

 

[Ellie]

Huh, I'd never thought of DBZ as anime, more a children's cartoon for some reason. Probably because it's only shown with the kids shows :/ I know, there's probably no difference between kids stuff and adult stuff, it just never occurred to me that that's... any genre other than kids cartoon. Like spongebob squarepants or the smurfs. :box:

That's not to say there aren't some really good kids shows because there are.

I don't like the whole "I hate all anime" stance that everyone but the animelikers seem to have; since with everything the genre means absolutely nothing. There are good trance songs yet I wouldn't call myself a trance listener. There are good rap songs but I'm no rapper. Judge by individual programs, and then maybe you'll actually watch a real gem you'd miss otherwise for "not liking the genre".

 

[glorious caesar]

yeah i don't really think of dbz as anime but because it seems so AMERICAN in so many ways. it's much more comparable to american superhero stories than regular anime and that's probably why it appeals to me. it's full of the classic GOOD vs EVIL EPIC BATTLES but imo it's done in a way that's not "lol epic" like everything is today but in the good kind of epic that we grew up on.

i mean come on—remember the first time goku turned super saiyan on namek. that's just a RUSH man

not liking the genre

but remember anime's not a genre. it's just ANIMATION FROM JAPAN. genres would be within it, like mechs, sailor girls, etc. so consider my dislike of anime racism more than anything :thumb:

 

[Glitchfinder]

but remember anime's not a genre. it's just ANIMATION FROM JAPAN. genres would be within it, like mechs, sailor girls, etc. so consider my dislike of anime racism more than anything :thumb:

Actually, that's "Japanimation". Anime and manga are not just Japanese (although the majority of them are) In truth, anime and manga are a class of visual styles, much like various styles you see within different art movements of the past. There are a wide range of personal styles, but they can all be averaged into a general category.

 

[mawk]

Actually, that's "Japanimation". Anime and manga are not just Japanese (although the majority of them are) In truth, anime and manga are a class of visual styles, much like various styles you see within different art movements of the past. There are a wide range of personal styles, but they can all be averaged into a general category.

not really. "japanimation" is just the term that history teachers and grandmas use for it, and is not a separate thing. anime is pretty definitively the term for animation from japan. western shows have been appearing lately that are anime-styled, but the visual style alone isn't what makes it.

 

[Ellie]

Do Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Monster Rancher, etc class as animes?

I used to watch Pokemon religiously, right up until they got the G.S ball. I stopped watching then (mainly because all the kids TV shows moved on to freeview I think).

I watched Yu-Gi-Oh but not really through choice; it was the only thing on in the morning.

I wouldn't class the smurfs, or the snorks, or scooby-doo as anime, definately not. They're cartoons. But I don't know what the distinction is between anime and cartoon, they are essentially the same, except one is Japanese! Or is anime just a way of saying "adult cartoon"?

I ended up watching an episode of Bleach last night and I was shocked at how shit it was. Whenever someone talks just their mouth is animated, they remain perfectly still. Lazy or what? And there was nothing remotely interesting, funny, exciting, or cool about it...

 

[action]

Yea, their still anime's... Although they don't stick to the genre too much, and often have alot of eastern styles.
But I don't know. Ask Tindy, he'd know.

I'm currently watching Death Note, because I never did before. I read the manga first though, then watch the anime (which disappoints me...)
Whoever came up with it must be a genius - all the thinking that had to be put into the contraptions, plot, L's thought process, and about everything. Also, the art is amazing - th detail that is put into the drawing - it is the best art I've ever seen in a manga.

But it's done, so few people are watching it - Adult Swim has finished the series and started over maybe 50 times already. But if you haven't read/watched it yet, it is a definite 'yes'.

Bleach?
I hate that show. So many people are obsessed with it, saying it's the best anime in the world
It plain outright sucks.
Like what wyatt said about the animation, that is horrible. As well the art is stereotypical, and nothing unique or original about that.
The spanish words they use in the manga... Why would you?
And the plot is obvious, I know what'll happen pages into it, and the plot isn't exactly original either....

 

[Twirly]

I really want to watch the Hellsing OVA, but I'm gonna wait till it's all done. I know the eighth one is supposed to come out in December, but does anyone know if that's the last one? I also plan to see Black Lagoon and Samurai Champloo at some point.

Idk about Black Lagoon but I watched Samurai Champloo and enjoyed it
Also I think they are making 10 hellsing OVA's iirc.