What's the last anime you've seen?

[E^D Crow]

The Blu-ray of this is at my local HMV, staring at me evertime I check stuff out. Is it worth buying? Heard good stuff about it.

I think it was worth it.  I don't know about the regular DVD, but on BluRay everything is so damn bright and sharp and colorful.  Some scenes will explode your eyeballs.
I'll definitely be watching it again, dubbed this time, so I can pay more attention to the visuals, and not have to read subtitles.

If you don't get a tad misty-eyed at the end, well, you're not human. Very moving.

The ending was very sad!
The OVA... didn't make much sense.  It was kind of screwy.
I know it's been pointed out that Yuri looks and (somewhat) acts similar to Haruhi, but that didn't bother me.  It was like: Yuri is what Haruhi would be like, if Haruhi was actually a decent person, and not a selfish bitch all the time.

_________________________


Halfway through Baka & Test.  The title is spot-on: every main character is an idiot, in one way or another.  Even the genius is a ditz!
So far, it's pretty damn funny, and I do like the whole premise of chibi-avatar battles, with power levels based on their most recent test scores.

E^D

[ConvoyButterfly]

Gankutsuou: the Count of Monte Cristo.
Visually appealing

But hell's bells I loved the story too, so much so that I'm now onto reading Dumas' original and thoroughly enjoying that as well (and okay, I admit it, I'm applying the dub voices to the character's lines in my head. If I come across a character I'm not sure about, I'll just apply some Kirk Thornton.) But yeah, the anime- simply amazing. Not Albert though. Albert's damn annoying. Especially when he

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

dons that ridiculous pirate outfit, just to impress the count. Dante's too cool for you Albert! Too cool for you!

Anyway, I have also procured the first Eden of the East movie. I'll be honest, it felt like it was more of the same sequence of events from the series. That sort of thing might work for School Rumble, but in this case it's a bit lame. Lucky for me (or perhaps not, I don't know) I ordered the series + movie of RahXephon too. I have absolutely no idea what to expect, so I'm looking forward to it tremendously. Or at least I will do after I've finished mucking about on Portal 2.

[Randamo]

The first Macross Frontier movie - the false songstress.

Wow. Just wow.

This movie has to be watched in Blue Ray. I really wish this series was licenced! Even though the movie was two hours long, it was so action-packed and interesting. It compresses the series into two movies, so naturally there are some changes, it feels like a different series altogether. I like it.

And Sheryl's concert at the start was so awesome. Even if it did have weird self-love/yuri/vampirism undertones to it and the song lyrics were fairly ambiguious, it was still pretty cool regardless.

[Randamo]

hmm, no comments for almost a month.

Finished Paradise Kiss. Nice, slowish paced story. Unique art style. A bit more adult, less Shoujo-romance in this one.

It's by the same artist who did Nana, so I'd like to try that one next.

[Zozolton]

Finishing Full Metal Alchemist - the first series.
I was skeptical at first, as I don't usually like shonen, but I think it is quite good in fact. The universe is interesting, few characters were obnoxious, and some of the plots were well thought.
Still, I won't be able to hear even one more time "the Principle of Equivalent Exchange" without going on a rampage.

[ConvoyButterfly]

Am still halfway through RahXephon, which if you refer to my last post, is pretty slow going. It's well enough, but I think I prefer the Eva movies in terms of Mech anime. Randamo, you're a connoisseur of Mechs, what do you recommend?

In the meantime, I have decided to continue my foray into ADV dubbed Anime with Noir, which is appreciably subtle. Or at least, more so than the most recent one piece. Another 100 episodes, DONE.

[Randamo]

More like a coin-a-sewer, heh heh.

I haven't watched THAT many mecha shows, but it's where my interest lies.

If you wanna watch the granddaddy of mecha, watch Mobile Suit Gundam. Honestly, I found it a bit slow and if it wasn't for Char, I wouldn't have liked it so much. The sequel, Zeta Gundam, I liked much more. They had more budget and the story kept me interested. Kamile was a little B, but I grew to like him. I've only gone halfway through ZZ gundam, but I don't recommend it. There are so many other Gundams, you may want to try G Seed for something a bit more recent. I haven't seen it, so I couldn't tell you much.

Eureka SeveN - no. Movie - nah, I think you'd have to watch the series to appreciate it.

Macross - YES! The original SDF Macross is nice. Limited budget and all that, but it has a pretty solid plot. I guess. Macross 7 - only if you're into camp. Macross Frontier - BIG YES! My recommendation. Singin', love story, mecha action, it's got it all. Just watch it.

EVA - already know.

Code Geass - not really a mecha show, per se. They're there, but not of any importance. But I'd recommend the show anyway.

Teppen Toppa Gurren Laggan - go watch it. NOW!

There are more that are apparently good:
Goddanar - fan service, cell animation, I forget what else
Rideback - ballerina girl uses a mecha-ish motorcycle to fight stuff. Saw one episode, might be interesting.

That's all I can think of right now.

For short, Watch Macross Frontier. You'll have to watch online, as it is unlicenced, never to be released. Try AnimeCrazy then. Teppen Toppa otherwise.


I am watching Phantom - requim of the Phantom. Itazura na Kiss. And every Friday I watch the latest release of Mawaru Penguindrum.

[Poey]

Am still halfway through RahXephon, which if you refer to my last post, is pretty slow going. It's well enough, but I think I prefer the Eva movies in terms of Mech anime. Randamo, you're a connoisseur of Mechs, what do you recommend?

I liked RahXephon. It was definitely slow (as is a LOT of anime, honestly, in my opinion), and it definitely has the Eva thing going on, but I think it really found its eventually and made the show worth the effort.

[ConvoyButterfly]

I liked RahXephon. It was definitely slow (as is a LOT of anime, honestly, in my opinion), and it definitely has the Eva thing going on, but I think it really found its eventually and made the show worth the effort.

I'll stick with it and see where it takes me. In truth, I did admittedly leave it at my second year house when I moved in and I have yet to pick it back up because of the work load and the drinking that come with the first week back (Incidentally, the latter of those reasons is why I didn't actually remember writing the above post until the morning ). But yes, it is always a rare pleasure to find anime that still have one on tenterhooks after the typically imaginative premise, and I think that more recent anime have been more attentive to this. I'd even go as far as to say that we're entering a golden age of anime. Call me crazy. Go on.

[E^D Crow]

So... I did a bad, bad thing.

I went on eBay, and bought Malaysian bootlegs of 'GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class' and 'Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai + Rei'.

Of course, being Malaysian bootlegs, the English subtitles are pretty bad, ESPECIALLY Geijutsuka, to the point that it's almost unwatchable.  Kai, so far, has actually been a fair translation, except for that one episode, an episode that seemed very important to the story, but had the wrong subtitles (from one or two episodes prior).

 
What?  Don't look at me like that...
I know, I know: buying these bootlegs hurts the industry more than fansubs.
It was a moment of weakness!
I think I may even have been drunk at the time I ordered them...
At least they were cheap, right?


NO EXCUSES!
I deserve this:



ANYway...  I love the Geijutsuka Manga, and the anime is OK.  I think it's mostly the pacing of the story (such as it is), and some little things that were left out.  I think I'm going to finally break down, and start a Crunchyroll account to watch it legit...

Although, I must say that I am glad to be finally watching Higurashi Kai (and eventually Rei), so I can finally figure out what the hell is really going on in Hinamizawa.

In any event, if these titles ever get an official U.S. release, I will buy them.


I also just finished Hidamari Sketch Hoshimittsu (I already own the first two seasons, and the manga).
It's supre cute!  It's quite funny!  It has art!
And I'm ready to watch it again, from the beginning.


E^d

P.S. I thought RahXephon was very good!  I loved the whole music/vocal aspect of the Dolems.

[Poey]

Ahh!!! I LOVE Higurashi... Tell us what you think of Kai. I've rewatched the series so much and I'm STILL figuring out new things.

[Randamo]

Finished two series! Now to rant/spoil.


Itazura Na Kiss - an older show about a Mary Sue with not much to offer who writes a love letter to school idol Naoki. He's all like "whatever". Her delinquent friends hassle him, to which he responds with the phrase "I hate ugly girls". Right on. Her house falls down(seriously) and her father and her move in with his old classmate. AKA Naoki's father. Hijinks ensue. He ignores her, like, all the time and insults her. She is all like "Lieb 'dich" and his family tries to get them together.
Here's the catch - they get together in 14 episodes. So for 10 more episodes they are a married couple. Now you'd think it'd all be lovey dovey - but it isnt. He still is all like "whatever" their married life. He reads alot these days, so he doesn't have to look at her or talk to her. She calls out to him at University, he keeps on walking. She asks for a date, he says he's busy. It makes marriage look so lonely - they clearly are a wrong match. It'd be better if she had a sense of humour about it and pushed him more to pay attention, but you (as the audience) just has to watch him neglect her. The series was just empty of any romance. They pull themselves together eventually, but it just shows that marrying a guy just cause he's pretty doesn't work. Get someone your type. Know your place, Mary Sue!


Phantom - Requim of the Phantom. This one had a shaky, but believable premise about a Japanese tourist forced into assasination work. He had an emotionless loli as his sempai and for 10 episodes you watched them get closer and eventually show more human emotions, but then they jerked that away from you. In a sudden bait and switch, she 'died' and six months later, Reiji took her place and ran as the main assassin in the crime organisation. What this meant was he grew his hair out, wore a mafia suit he could button up all the way and scored the blonde superior (cause he's epic now). But they had to ruin it within one episode as he picked up an annoying blonde loli. So we watch as they work together, get closer and he gradually shows more human emotions (again). But this all changes when she 'dies' and he picks up the first loli and they run away. Then for 6 episodes they go undercover at a Japanese high school. Unfortunantly the 2nd loli grew up like 5 years worth in 2. (seriously, just look her up) who has a physco vendetta that he should die.
ANYWAY, he ends up fighting his way out with Elen (1st loli) and he makes it to her home. Unfortunantly, this ends 1984 style. Naturally, you can't just run away from your background for the largest crime organisation and they die in the last minute.
SOOO... I can see where they wanted to go with this show, but the script was just terrible, you kept waiting for things to get epic - but they never did. In the hands of someone competent, this would make for a real good read. Maybe I should look up the visual novel that was translated.

[Poey]

I just watched Phantom as well. Yeah, it had good points but overall I felt like there were too many parts that I just couldn't accept (what the hell were they doing in a Japanese high school? Seriously? And the Cal thing is very unbelievable to me - her vendetta, and the ridiculously fast growth)

Scythe was a bastard. And freaky.

[Randamo]

The high school thing was such a suprise - kinda like the first episode of Code Geass R2. Cool opening song though, ALI Project is kinda awesome. Their lyrics are usually a bit odd however.


I bought the OVA and game, so I'm hoping they'll be better. Apparently this year they're re-releasing the story on the XBOX 360. I wonder if it'll improve.

[Randamo]

Last week I think it was...

I finished Emma, A Victorian Romance.

While a slower paced anime with no huge amount of action or humour or a WHOLE lot going on, I found it sweet and enganging. It gave the story of two people falling in love who were of different classes and presented the family grief and strong influence others had had on them that I hadn't seen in other period books/shows before. I don't really follow that genre much because the unrelenting English snobbery ticks me off a bit - which is the kind of insolence one expects from the descendant of a Convict! 

The art is nice too. The main girl is uncoventially plain jane in maid attire, a hair bun and glasses, but she looks like the girl next door when made up. The secondary characters are pretty well thought out. There is nice attention to little quirks in behaviour. The secondary love interest is probably one of my favourites. She has the same eyes as Eri Sawatchika if you were interested. She often gives quick sideglances, quick blushes and blinks rapidly, making her most amusing to watch when she's with her love interest. She's ... cute, i guess?

ANYWAY, it was nice to see a show give attention to a quiet hardworking girl for ONCE! She's not the prettiest, she is nice, quiet, kind and sincere, so damn right she deserved someone decent. Now where is my attractive rich British gentleman?!