×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
What are you watching right now? Why? (please read 1st post)


Goto page Previous    Next

Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Errinundra
Moderator


Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Posts: 6516
Location: Melbourne, Oz
PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:48 am Reply with quote
Gurren Lagann

Reason for watching: The main character is a leading contender in the currently running Most Improved Character tournament.

Synopsis: Simon is a young man who, over the course of 27 episodes fights ever more violent battles, where his powers grow, his adversaries get stronger and the explosions get bigger. He is joined by allies who demonstrate their manly manliness (unless they’re women, children or queer) and women who booble pointlessly and gratuitously across the screen. All the while he faces up against the most implacable of enemies (implacable, that is, until they become allies and thereafter demonstrate their manly manliness.) The mecha get ever more preposterous, the weapons get ever more destructive and the explosions get even bigger and bigger. If the belligerents start of by tossing rocks at each other; by the end they are hurling big bangs (you know, those things that start universes).

I must admit that I am predisposed not to like anime of this ilk so feel free to discount my negative reaction. For starters I think mecha are dumb. Worse, I’m not at all engaged by boys who supposedly become men by demonstrating time and again how well they can destroy things. Worst of all, I am annoyed when an anime tries to palm off a tired premise by escalating it in ever more absurd variations on the original theme. It may be clever in the first battle or two but it rapidly becomes tiresome. Gurren Lagann seems to be working on the theory that somewhere along the line it will finally pass a point where no mecha anime has gone before. Really, all that changes is the scale – the battles at the end are really just the same as the battles at the beginning.

Why am I so annoyed? Because I found it, for most of its run, insufferably boring. There wasn’t a single female character of any consequence. Come to think of it, there wasn’t a single male character of any substance either. Simon went from snivelling weakling to being a one-man threat to the entire universe; Kamina spends much of his time extolling the virtues of suicide attacks; while Yoko was just a rack for hanging artillery upon. Just one word of advice: don’t ever kiss her – you’ll be dead before the end of the next episode. Yes, Gurren Lagann doesn’t like to waste a good idea. Sometimes it re-uses them over and over. And, yes, I get the point: Gurren Lagann isn’t supposed to be taken seriously, but it’s hard to smile when you’re bored out of your brain.

You may find my rating higher than this diatribe would suggest. There were things I liked about Gurren Lagann. There are many memorable one-liners, I did like one or two of the more comical characters (Viral and Leeron come to mind) and the last few episodes amused me thanks to their visuals, weird science and even weirder arbitrary plot developments. By Gainax standards, however, the ending wasn’t the least bit disappointing, which was, paradoxically, disappointing. Incidentally, I also liked the incidental music.

The best things, though, were the explosions, which got steadily more impressive until the recap episode. Thereafter I didn't get quite the same bang out of them - perhaps I had become desensitised.


I enjoyed the detonating mecha. This particular example is a frame by frame homage to the famous Test Baker footage.

On a political level, Gurren Lagann has an alarming ideology. Simon, Kamina et al represent unconstrained human ambition while, their anti-spiral adversaries are fighting for a sustainable universe. Really, who are the bad guys here? The message is – do whatever you want and someone will figure out a solution to the problems you create. It’s a bit like the world’s current head in the sand approach to climate change. Add to that its non-stop promotion of martial virtues and its thoroughly retrograde attitude to women and what you get is a highly dubious reactionary worldview. This isn’t a series about peace and love as one of the ending themes suggests; it’s actually about getting what you like and stomping on anyone who gets in your way.

Rating: decent, mainly because of the humour and the explosions. Yeah, I liked the explosions, though I’m inclined to rate it so-so.

Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc

I finally got a hold of the second episode of this re-imagining of the much-loved Kyoto arc of the television series. (My mercifully short report of my original viewing of the first episode is here, but you'll have to scroll down.) I say re-imagining because plot-wise it departs significantly from the TV series, though, thankfully, it keeps the central conflict between Kenshin and Shishio. The outcomes for some of the main players are different, however. In particular, the point of view character, Misao Makimachi, gets a happy ending.


The Kyoto and Tokyo crews part ways. Misao is uncharacteristically without her obi - suggesting, in this
version at least, she has consummated her dreams. (Aoshi can be seen to the right of the frame).


I suspect this is an OAV that only the initiated can properly enjoy. None of the characters get any backgrounding, nor are their issues explored in any depth. Nevertheless, having a pre-formed knowledge of those backgrounds and issues allows the viewer to enjoy the OAV as a series of tableaux, highlighting key moments of the conflict at the heart of the series. Given that, the otherwise seemingly disconnected events are surprisingly enjoyable, even moving. And, as a bonus, the artwork is extremely pretty. It also minimises one of the worst things about the TV series – the ridiculous supernatural powers of the various villains. The franchise is always better when it emphasises their human side.

Rating: so-so.

***

Well, OK, I admit I do like this sort of thing even if her character isn't all that substantial:



Last edited by Errinundra on Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:27 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
st_owly



Joined: 20 May 2008
Posts: 5234
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 6:45 am Reply with quote
I've watched Kimi ga Nozomu Eien over the last couple of weeks whilst on the train to uni. What initially attracted me to it was the fact that it goes beyond the main characters being in high school, and has them having to deal with real world problems as well, such as spoiler[Takayuki and Mistuki trying to decide whether or not to move in together]

At its core, the series is still a love triangle, but I felt that unlike a lot of love triangle series, it wasn't really clear until near the end who Takayuki was going to end up with (possibly due to the series' game origin) However, I didn't feel this was to the detriment of the series, and all the emotional messes the characters get dragged through seemed very real and genuinely moving. I appreciate the fact they took the time to include brief moments with Haruka's parents as well. I do feel like they could have incorporated Shinji better throughout the series rather than just having him conveniently appear and spoiler[rescue Mitsuki from the creeps then sleep with her] towards the end.

I enjoyed that fact that the series took a couple of episodes to set up the scenario rather than just starting at the time of the accident. Although the episodes seemed quite slow in contrast to the post accident ones, I think the slower pace suited the initial awkwardness between Takayuki and Haruka.

I liked all of the characters with one exception. Daikuuji. I think she was a completely unnecessary, annoying brat who added nothing whatsoever to the series. Her excessive brattiness was funny the first time, but it got old very quickly after that. I kept thinking that any normal restaurant would've fired her immediately, especially in Japan, and that definitely spoiled things for me. Not even her spoiler[getting the picture book for Takayuki] could redeem her to me. The manager's obliviousness to her behaviour was stupid and dumb as well. spoiler[I did find out from Wikipedia later that she's the daughter of the owners of the restaurant, but that is never mentioned at all in the series, so without the context, her behaviour makes no sense and I really feel that it drags the series down and it would've been better if she wasn't there.]

Overall, it's a sweet little show that is a fresh take on love triangles and the fact that it goes beyond high school and has adults trying to deal with problems should certainly make it at least worth a look to romance fans. The angst never seemed contrived either, which is a huge plus to me.

Rating: Very Good (I would have rated it excellent were it not for Daikuuji. Yes, she irritated me that much.)[/spoiler]
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
ailblentyn



Joined: 28 Mar 2009
Posts: 1688
Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney
PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 11:54 am Reply with quote
I hate giving up on things halfway through, but that's it for me — I'm officially giving up on Sugar Sugar Rune.
I've seen exactly half of it, and it's just too much like hard work. It's totally uninteresting. And I'm not convinced the plot is ever going to kick in. Life is too short.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TheGrayGhost



Joined: 10 Mar 2013
Posts: 23
PostPosted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 8:45 pm Reply with quote
Have been watching alot of Batman: The animated series. But that's not anime so it doesn't count i guess haha. But I just started rewatching Black Lagoon tonight simply because it's a amazing series and I was checking out Omi Gibson's Revy cosplay and got inspired.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
xFiveBoltMainx



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 29
Location: St George, UT
PostPosted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:36 pm Reply with quote
Thatguy3331 wrote:
Recently saw the first few episodes of Black Lagoon! My impression? JUST AS BADASS AS THEY WERE SAYING!! I rented the first disk but now I'm gonna be out on a manhunt to buy the whole series for my collection, its DEFINETLY worth the money to me (which as far as I'm concerned, thats the best rating I give to any series I watch)



Just wait until you get to the twins. Those episodes are messed up and sad at the same time.

I watched Spice and Wolf 2 and it was worth every penny. I agree with the other person who said that there isn't that much fan service and they really do act like a couple. And in season two, it finally happens!! What more can you ask for? Plus they left it wide open for a third season, which I hope they make.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
penguintruth



Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 8458
Location: Penguinopolis
PostPosted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:38 pm Reply with quote
TheGrayGhost wrote:
Have been watching alot of Batman: The animated series. But that's not anime so it doesn't count i guess haha..


Some episodes were animated by Sunrise!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address My Anime My Manga
TheGrayGhost



Joined: 10 Mar 2013
Posts: 23
PostPosted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:55 pm Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
Some episodes were animated by Sunrise!

Oh really, well there you go! Anime hyper
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
ailblentyn



Joined: 28 Mar 2009
Posts: 1688
Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney
PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 6:51 am Reply with quote
Two-thirds of the way through, the wonderful Fantastic Children is getting intense. So I'm taking a little breather to steady my nerves for the climax and... finishing up Haunted Junction, which was sitting on the shelf next to the television with a handful of episodes to go. I will finish the Junction tonight — and then back to those little rascals of Béfort!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
clawfinger



Joined: 05 Feb 2013
Posts: 38
Location: Illinois
PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 7:38 pm Reply with quote
Currently on episode 9 of Heaven's Lost Property. I needed a funny, casual style show and this is doing the job. I was a little surprised by the voice for Tomoki(dub) but have really enjoyed it. Makes me want to look up the voice actor and check out his other work.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
BesuDesu



Joined: 11 Mar 2013
Posts: 89
Location: Florida
PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 7:48 pm Reply with quote
Re-visiting an oldie but goodie from my days of staying up late on weekdays for the Adult Swim Anime lineup: Big O. It may take itself WAYYY to seriously (not to say that's always a bad thing), but it's seriously entertaining. Plus it's awesome revisiting it as the person I am today.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
OldPilot



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 16
PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:42 pm Reply with quote
I am about 4 episodes into Eureka Seven. I duno if I want to keep going. I don't really care for surfing robots. I am actually a fan of skateboarding. Maybe it is a slow starter but there isn't much I like about it at the moment. Maybe it is because it is the English dub. Should I keep going? I checked it out because I saw lots of good reviews for it.

I also watched the first episode of Steins;Gate. It looks like it has potential. I decided to check it out because this figure caught my eye:

http://yattarjapan.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/suzuha_all1.jpg
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
rosebrook11



Joined: 20 Mar 2011
Posts: 1181
PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:47 pm Reply with quote
I personally wasn't all that into Eureka Seven until around episode 9. The show really picked up for me after that. So I would suggest that you continue on a bit more because the show reaches episodes with some more substance later on.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Mad_Scientist
Subscriber
Moderator


Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 3011
PostPosted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:18 am Reply with quote
I had a similar experience when watching the dubbed episodes back when they first aired on Adult Swim, it was right around episode 9 that I started to really like the show. I also switched to the subbed version soon after, and found I preferred it quite a bit.

Oddly enough, on rewatches I rather enjoy those early episodes that I initially didn't care for that much.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Tris8



Joined: 30 Oct 2009
Posts: 2114
Location: Where the rain is.
PostPosted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 1:10 am Reply with quote
Watched Night Raid 1931 and was disappointed. It tried to be quite a few different things and spread itself too thin. The funny thing is, it has all the details that I really really like; realistic character designs, historical setting, supernatural twist, politics/intrigue, and people from different countries actually speak different languages! I do appreciate all these details, which made me really want to like this series, but when the story is all over the place what can you do.

Firstly, it doesn't outline the main character's powers at all. We see them used, but limitations and conditions aren't really explained (in particular with Aoi's powers), so using their powers is like a get-out-of-jail-free card. Then eps 3 and 4 are random side stories that have nothing to do with the plot. It gets back to the main story, but the character's powers don't often come into play. It does have a lot of history in it, which was awesome, but in an episode about the Manchurian Incident it seemed to lose itself in the history and forget about the main characters for awhile.

Overall this was decent. I just feel that it could have done a lot more with political intrigue and the supernatural aspect. It probably doesn't help that it reminded me of the movie The Last Emperor (which was amazing), which is an unfair comparison even though it in large part covers the same time period.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Knoepfchen



Joined: 13 Dec 2012
Posts: 698
PostPosted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 4:07 am Reply with quote
Yesterday I finished Fate/Zero for the second time. Waiting impatiently for the last episodes of Psycho-Pass created the need for more Urobuchi. Also, I found someone to show the series to, which always excites me.

While I already loved it the first time, I was pretty much blown away the second time and could enjoy it on yet another level, since I've seen Fate/Stay night in the meantime (which I had not seen when I watched Fate/Zero the first time). Made a huge difference, of course, especially in my perception and enjoyment of the ending which felt rather anticlimactic the first time, having no clue what would happen afterwards.

If there is something like a show made for me (or at least the feeling that it is), it is this one. I love every minute and scene of it, every plotting, deceiving, backstabbing, heroic, epic, disgusting, and tragic moment. My favorite scenes this time were the ones of Archer and Kirei, culminating in Kirei discovering the intoxicating taste of wine ... Truly intriguing. While, with the exception of Rider and Waver, I can't bring myself to really care too much about the characters and their eventual fates, I find watching their struggles, schemes, and sacrifices to be spectacularly fascinating. The devious masters make a wonderful contrast to the chivalrous servants, whose heroics can be staged as over the top as it can be, because we have the sly behavior of the masters to kick us back into cruel reality afterwards. The look of the series makes me grin all silly in delight. With no panty shots there to disturb me, I am as content as can be.

There are so many perfect moments in this anime for me that I find it impossible to pick one. I will be upgrading my excellent rating to masterpiece, as, to me, this show clearly is one.

Now moving on to show Madoka to the same person, who was quite pleased with his experience as well. Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous    Next
Page 754 of 1060

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group