Forum - View topicWhat are you watching right now? Why? (please read 1st post)
|
Goto page Previous Next |
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Botan24
 Posts: 684 Location: Northern Michigan |
|
||
|
Currently blazing through Revolutionary Girl Utena. I'm sure a lot of the symbolism is going over my head. But that is not stopping me from throughly enjoying this. I'm watching it dubbed, with subtitles on. Let's see, I'm almost halfway through the Apocalypse Saga. Holy crap, I have never been more disgusted with a cast of male characters! Now, I consider myself tolerant (I'm a fan of shoujo after all), but every single guy (minus Miki) just gives me the shivers.
And I'm doing a fast and furious re-watch of Samurai Champloo. Man, I watch this show every year, but it has yet to get old. Bogus Booty is one of my favorite episodes. For a number of reasons. 
|
|||
|
|||
ailblentyn
 Posts: 1688 Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney |
|
||
My next viewing choice should get your approval too, I reckon. I have two episodes left of Waiting In the Summer to finish up, and then I want to pay a little nostalgic visit to the Gunbuster movie, and then... I'm going to watch SDF Macross for the first time. (I've only ever seen the first couple of episodes.) |
|||
|
|||
zawa113
 Posts: 7357 |
|
||
|
^Sweet! Yeah, I do like Macross a lot, but even I'll admit that there are a couple of scenes that are notably awfully animated. They both involve Max fighting for some reason. I will describe the scenarios are vaguely as possible. First when he's in a mecha, in humanoid form, I swear it's like they only did the key animations and just forgot the inbetweens for that scene. Looks like a power point slide show. Later, when he's fighting in the park, everyone has derp eyes during that fight and look horribly off model and just ugly. It's not enough to kill it for me (by a long shot), but there are two major moments of QUALITY animation for sure.
When I first saw Robotech, I wondered why all the aliens had echo voices, but apparently they do in the original too. Though I'm not quite sure how big you are into old school anime, the pacing is so much different compared to most modern anime it seems. Oh and Global's Report episode is a totally skipable recap. Phantasm, a few eps later, is a recap, but not entirely skipable, I'd suggest watching it at 2x speed or something if you can. Oh and when you're done with original Macross, you should watch Macross Plus for sure. If you like Macross, awesome, if you don't, watch Plus anyway because you don't need a whole lot of background to enjoy Plus and it's quite different from the original. Also, Bryan Cranston voices the main. Yes, he did a few anime voice overs at some point. Plus must've been an absolute godsend back in the VHS era anime days. |
|||
|
|||
|
ailblentyn
Posts: 1688 Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney |
|
||
|
I've seen Macross Plus, and enjoyed it hugely. Very cool stuff.
Ah! Now I'll have to make a note of your "dodgy animation highlights" of the original series and spot them as I watch. 
Thanks for the details on the recap eps. too. |
|||
|
|||
|
zawa113
Posts: 7357 |
|
||
|
^Trust me, you can't miss animation that bad if you tried. I could watch it without my glasses on and it'd still be noticeable. Oddly enough, restoring the footage doesn't help the problem, it only makes it more noticeable.
Glad you've seen and liked Plus! Macross II is...ok, I don't think it's as bad as most people seem to, but it's nothing special either. But if you end up really like Macross, don't watch II right away. |
|||
|
|||
|
ailblentyn
Posts: 1688 Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney |
|
||
|
I will consider myself warned, then.
Seriously, though, I'm full of anticipation. |
|||
|
|||
WhiteHairGirls
 Posts: 4713 Location: New York City |
|
||
|
I finally started watching Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. I have been holding it off for a long time, since it is considered one of the best anime. I am up to episode 12 and I have to say its been excellent so far. Although for some reason I didn't feel sad spoiler[when Kamina died. Most likely because I watched the first 8 episodes in one sitting so I really did not have an emotional connection towards him. I thought he was slightly annoying at times, but still a cool character.] Nia is such a cute character
.
|
|||
|
|||
Beltane70
 Posts: 3879 |
|
||
|
It always warms my heart when I see people experiencing Macross for the first time!
Most of the badly animated scenes were ones that were farmed out to different animation studios. One of the weird little things about Macross Plus was the fact that it wasn't originally planned as a sequel to Macross. |
|||
|
|||
|
zawa113
Posts: 7357 |
|
||
I could see that. The only real direct connections were that the one guy, Guld, was quater zentraedi and the final battle takes place spoiler[at the SDF Macross itself], but being quarter zentraedi wasn't specifically important for Guld (he could've been a normal human with anger issues) and the location of the final battle was more a set piece than a necessity. I could see these all being replaced without harm to the story, honestly. But one does not see Macross Plus because it is related to Macross, but because it is awesome. |
|||
|
|||
keith yatsuhashi
 Posts: 11 Location: Massachusetts |
|
||
|
Just started Asura Cryin'. Recommended to me. I was looking for a new mecha anime. So far so good.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Errinundra
Moderator
 Posts: 6523 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
|
||
|
Haibane Renmei
Reason for watching: Actually, this is an old favourite of mine. Madman have only ever had volume 1 (episodes 1-4) available so, unwittingly, I ordered a bootleg from SE Asia. Other than a scratch that made it unplayable on some machines the quality wasn't too bad. After it was licence saved in the US late last year I used some Christmas money to import a copy. Finally! A legit copy of one of my favourite shows. Then Sony Australia announced they were re-releasing it locally. Them's the breaks. Synopsis: A young women dreams of falling from the sky and awakens inside a giant egg. After the egg hatches she cannot remember anything of her past other than fragments of the dream but gains a pair of ash coloured wings, a halo and the name Rakka. She settles down with more of her kind, called haibane, in a severely constrained world where ownership of personal goods is heavily proscribed and movement is forbidden outside the town walls. The Haibane live a quite, peaceful existence while they await their "day of flight", supposedly when they finally go beyond the walls of their existence. While the cheerful young Kuu is able to achieve her day of flight easily, Rakka's self-appointed mentor, Reki, finds the transition a much more fraught experience. Warning: This rumination is somewhat spoilerific, particularly when I get around to discussing the theme of suicide. You have been warned. In a sense, Haibane Renmei could be considered as a harem show missing its central male character. The six main female characters fit the character types so common to the genre (without the exaggerations, of course): the tsundere (Reki), the girly girl (Hikari), the tomboy (Kana), the active girl (Kuu), the vague girl (Nemu) and the average girl (Rakka) who, under normal circumstances, would be the one who gets the boy. Happily, the absence of a dominating male character gives them breathing space, allowing them to develop and shine, particularly Reki and Rakka. This is their story, unmediated by a male lead and not intended to have the adolescent male viewer as its vicarious subject. 
L-R: Hikari, three young feathers, Rakka, Kuu, Kana, Nemu & Reki. Reki has the young feathers in a death stare. After a memorable first episode where Rakka earns her wings and her halo, the next four episodes are a pleasant journey of discovery as we learn about the world of the haibane through the eyes of Rakka. Although they lack the impact of later events, the early episodes subtly lay the framework for what is to follow and introduce the mysteries that become central to what Haibane Renmei is about. Much of the charm of Haibane Renmei comes from these unexplained mysteries, such as what the Haibane actually are; or the purpose of their existence; or why they are chosen for that peculiar existence, or what happens on their day of flight; or what lies beyond the walls. These unanswered questions may be frustrating but they don’t serve merely to add atmosphere to the charming but emotional tales of a group of young women in strange circumstances. Nor do they simply serve as prompts for the viewer to ponder the mysteries of life, the universe and everything. Well, not quite. Haibane Renmei is rich in Zen allusions. The mysteries of Haibane Renmei are, in effect, koans where the viewer is not expected to solve the puzzles but, rather, to gain insight by pondering the questions presented. The most explicit koan of the anime is asked of Rakka by the Communicator after her rescue from the well and his discovery that she is sin bound. As in classical Zen storytelling, the teacher asks the pupil a paradoxical question that requires not a direct answer but prompts the pupil to see reality in a new way. “To recognise one’s own sin is to have no sin. Now, I ask you, are you a sinner?” Breaking out of the cycle of confusion is to become enlightened. To be enlightened is symbolised by the day of flight. Kuu's swiftly arriving day of flight should come as no surprise. She is uncomplicated, sensing, in tune with the activities of the world around her. By comparison Reki and Rakka are ensnared by their thoughts and their feelings of guilt. Their day of flight will be a struggle for them. Haibane Renmei also blends in Christian motifs with its Zen. Sin and redemption are much more associated with the former. If Kuu’s day of flight is the product of enlightenment, then Reki’s is the product of redemption. The world of the haibane might be considered purgatory and the day of flight the final journey to heaven. The anime strongly suggests that suicide is the sin to be atoned. When Rakka, at the bottom of a well, remembers her dream in the giant egg, her suicide is strongly inferred. Reki’s dream is much more explicit – she threw herself under a train. We don’t get the same insights with the other haibane but their names are suggestive: Rakka (falling, ie jumping from a high place), Reki (pebbles, railway ballast), Nemu (sleeping, overdose), Kana (river fish, drowning), Hikari (sparkling lights, electrocution). Kuu, meaning air, has me tossed. If you haven’t been put to sleep yet, perhaps you might suggest something. And then there are the young feathers. Children don’t commit suicide, do they? Why are there so many of them in this world? Just another mystery. This may seem grim but, despite the emotional intensity of the second half of the series, the series has an overall positive tone, thanks largely to the lovable central six central characters. Reki, in particular, had me thoroughly engaged by her emotional journey. She is, at once, cool, earthy, wise, blind, angry and loving. She is an exemplar for the Buddhist notion of lovingkindness. Her initial motivation to act kindly towards the other Haibane to save herself is entirely selfish. Yet, her behaviour becomes customary and, without even realising it, she turns into the real thing. 
Reki. She sure has to earn her day of flight. Rakka, the point of view character, is sweet but, being so young, her supposed sin bound state is never entirely convincing. I find it difficult to imagine someone of her nature committing suicide or otherwise doing something dreadful to another person. The other women of Old Home are also appealing but, not receiving the same authorial attention as Reki and Rakka, they don’t leave the same lasting impression. The communicator is both kindly and vaguely sinister but like the rest of the minor characters, is functional without standing out. On a technical level, the artwork and animation are often slipshod but that’s all right because it kind of fits the rustic, re-cycled nature of the haibane world. Indeed, the muted greens and browns give added expression to the austere life of the haibane. Austere perhaps, but they aren’t unhappy. Kô Ôtani provides one of his best ever musical scores, using traditional instruments such as bodhrán, South American flute, harp, mandolin, mouth organ and squeezebox to enhance the folky, traditional feel of the series. The opener, Free Bird, is one of my all time favourites. Rating: masterpiece, though just a smidgeon away from being downgraded to excellent. Labyrinth Tales aka Neo Tokyo Reason for watching: I watched the third segment of the this three part movie series from 1987 a couple of years ago. MAL don't list the segments separately so I've had it lying in the imcomplete list all this time. I decided it was about time I got it shifted into my completed list. Labyrinth, directed by Rintaro Led by a French circus clown, a small girl and her cat take a trip through the imagination in a series of sometimes arresting tableaux that, in the end, don’t add up to much at all. With one glaring exception it is nicely animated while the atmosphere is simultaneously fun and creepy. The segment morphs through several stylistic changes, one of which is so redolent of the evolution sequence form Bruno Bozzetto’s Allegro Non Troppo that I suspect the whole thing is a homage to European animation. (This is the third anime I’ve seen with an obvious nod to Bozzetto’s masterpiece.) The segment introduces and frames the other segments. 
One of these images is courtesy of Bozzetto; the other Rintaro. You guess. Rating: so-so. Running Man, directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri In a futuristic car racing competition one driver, Zach Hugh, who has the ability to psycho-kinetically destroy inanimate objects around him (and thereby his opponents’ cars), crosses the line between life and death through sheer will power. Yes, it’s loaded with Kawajiri grotesqueries (which, at the same time, seem mundane) while, thankfully, there are none of his statuesque but repellent looking women. It all gets a bit silly at the end, although the final destruction of Hugh’s car is poetry in motion, probably my favourite sequence in the entire movie. 
The private detective investigating where Zack Hugh gets his enduring power from. Rating: decent. The Order to Stop Construction, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo In the aftermath of a local coup, a Japanese salary man is sent to the jungles of South America to stop a giant construction project that has been taken over by robots who will not allow mere orders to stop them completing their assignment. 
If you've ever wondered where Justin Sevakis got his avatar... Like most of Otomo’s work there is some wonderful hand painted animation and glorious scenery here. Yet, like the previous two segments in this anthology, there are moments of glaring shortcuts. I’ve never warmed to Otomo’s works. As with Kawajiri’s grotesqueries, Otomo’s satirical posturing lacks any ideological foundation to give it any point. It’s there because it gives the viewer a thrill. You could call it satire porn. The visuals are superb but the theme of robots taking over is oh so worn out. The main character, a buck toothed, shortsighted cliché from people’s worst nightmares in the 1940s, represents what exactly? Colonialism? Japanese imperialism? Who knows? So why present him that way? If there’s no target or no detectable underlying moral stance it just comes across as misanthropic. Rating: decent. 
The main character brings to mind WW2 perceptions of the Japanese. (BTW, whatever happened to Tasmania? Taswegians would be mightily offended.) Last edited by Errinundra on Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:34 pm; edited 8 times in total |
|||
|
|||
JuniorMintKiss
 Posts: 81 Location: Utah |
|
||
|
I just started Rurouni Kenshin a few days ago. I've heard so much about it since I started into anime almost 8 years ago and I finally made the decision and bought the box set. I've really been enjoying it, even though I just began the second season and can't get past episodes 30 & 31. The fight scene spoiler[between Hajime and Kenshin when he enters Battousai mode] I must have watched half a dozen times yesterday, and then the spoiler[farewell scene between Kenshin and Kaoru] is one of the best animated scenes I have seen in a LONG time. And I also love how Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana is playing in the background. It makes the emotions that much stronger and it really propels the story forward. Now we have a sense of urgency for Kenshin and the others. I have a feeling that this show will become a favorite of mine before too long.
|
|||
|
|||
TitanXL
 Posts: 4036 |
|
||
|
As much as I loved Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal before, the last episode pretty much sold me on why it's being called the revival/best of the franchise. That plot twist was amazing and 2chan, NicoDouga, and other sites are going crazy over it. The clip of it on NicoNico already got 400,000 views in only a couple days, which is amazing. It's probably my favorite twist of the year so far for anime, and did a great job of twisting and perverting the whole "friendship always wins" trope shounen anime uses. Definitely my favorite currently airing anime after that episode.
|
|||
|
|||
|
aleatory
Posts: 10 |
|
||
|
Well forgetting the shows that air each week I have been watching (Zetsuen no Tempest, Psycho Pass) I am currently watching several different shows, skipping between them a little bit rather than watching one show end to end but the reason for watching them is the same ... I haven't seen them before!
Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu Ni Dantalian no Shoka Soul Eater C3 It is a long weekend after all so I have plenty of time to catch up on some stuff
|
|||
|
|||
|
dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
|
||
|
Finished Polar Bear Cafe, rated it as Very Good.
"Highly recommended. Some episodes were not so strong, but overall this was a remarkably consistent series with great characters who played well off one another. The voice acting was superb, possibly the best aspect of the show. There are some big-name Seiyuu in the cast and they all perform wonderfully. The veteran Takahiro Sakurai was the standout as the trollish, playful Polar Bear, and the rest of the cast rallied behind him to give one of the best ensemble performances in years. However, the show's true genius was that most of the episodes and most of the jokes would have worked even if all the characters were human. In other words, the show did not need to rely on animal humour to spice things up, but was genuinely funny in its own right. The fact that the characters were animals was in many ways just a bonus. That doesn't mean the animal-specific humour was unnecessary, not at all. Often it was the highlight of an episode, or comprised a big part of some of the jokes. All I'm saying is that if you are afraid the humour is too childish or inaccessible then you have nothing to worry about. Great for adults and small children alike, this is a Comedy series that is fit for the whole family. I do hope it gets dubbed one day; it more than deserves it." |
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group