The Anime Thread

[Mick]

I gave up on Demon King Daimao. There was just waaaaaayyyyyy too much fanservice, I constantly had to alt+tab away for most of it. And my work computer is shit, and can't handle that....my computer froze for about 5 minutes because if it! So, yeah...done.

Plus, overall...was feeling meh towards it.

The show was hysterical, no clue what you're talking about. And if you have to keep alt-tabbing out of it at work, maybe you should watch it at home, Ruki

[Ruki]

Yeah....probably. Maybe I will watch it at home

Maybe it will be more enjoyable without alt+tabbing every five seconds.

[StevenRichardsRules]

I'm probably about 3/4 of the way through Shiki now.

Good things

There was one event that surprised me and made me want to see what happened next.

Bad Things

Pretty much everything else.

Maybe the fact that the humans have been doing so badly is supposed to be ramping up the tension for an eventual future success, but it's made me hate 90% of them since they are all complete idiots. Plus, now the show seems to be trying to work up sympathy for the vampires themselves. Seriously, someone thought THIS was better than Another or Higurashi?

Quick Edit: Another small rant. It seems like Shiki's trying to push the "killing is bad"/"murder is never justice" button. See, thing is that they're dealing with fucking vampires! Who are killing everyone! I don't particularly feel sympathetic to non-human creatures who are murdering random villagers.

Edited February 11, 2012 by StevenRichardsRules

[StevenRichardsRules]

Threw up a review elsewhere, so I'll put it in here in case anyone is curious

I was directed to Shiki by a fellow anime fan who, like me, enjoyed more horror based anime. He insisted that Shiki was superior to shows like Another or Higurashi, since it created "characters you cared about".

Having now watched it, I am wondering what he was smoking.

I'll go through each aspect individually. Tharrrrr be spoilers (at least in the plot section), so read at your own risk.

Art = 5

I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, the backgrounds are great. It looks like a small village. They are beautiful, though a bit colourful at times for an anime which is supposed to be "dark". Points also go to this one for mixing up the character designs and not having all the characters as beautiful supermodels. Though not excessively gory, the blood and gore aren't skimped on either, another important point.

On the other, there are big problems with the character designs. Some of the characters look utterly ridiculous. Seriously, what is with their hair? It detracts from the "horror experience". The best horror anime have characters who look vaguely like real people, not people who have had their hair styled by Ronald McDonald. Okay, enough about the hair.

Another nitpick I had about the art was how obvious it was when a character was turned, so to speak. Red eyes, glowing white skin, just unnatural looking. It might have been more interesting if it was hard to tell the two groups apart.

I am pretty forgiving when it comes to art so I can ignore a lot of ugly if the story is decent.

Sound = 7

Credit where credit is due here. The majority of the voice acting worked for me. Everyone had a distinct voice and most of them were fitting. I couldn't tell you what any of the minor characters voices sounded like (or if they were "off") but that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

The music is ... interesting. The openings are fine, for the most part. Ending songs aren't quite as good but still passable. Some of the in-show music works very well, in a creepy subtle way. By that token, there is also some that are too subtle and fail to evoke any mood. And then there's the weird pop-techno blend song that comes in once in a while. Each time I heard it, I spent the entire time trying to figure out what popular song it sounded like.

The sound is pretty good. It works. No real problems here.

Character = 3

We start off by sticking close to a pink haired girl named Megumi. She is a stuck-up bitch who hates the town she lives in (and many of the people, including some who go out of their way to be nice) and has an unhealthy obsession with a boy named Yuuki. Think she's the protagonist? Nope.

What about Yuuki? He's the outsider who's just moved to a new town and is slowly making friends. Again, not really the main character. We spend a good portion of time with him until about a third of the way in.

The people we spend most of the time with are the Doctor (Ozai) and the Junior Monk (Seishein). This is a mixed blessing, since Ozai is perhaps the most interesting and likeable character in Shiki. Megumi is, for the most part, annoying as all hell, though she gets better as the series goes on (and her role is downplayed). Yuuki is tolerable but never really breaks out as a character. He's the stoic (semi-)badass who says he doesn't want friends but has a good heart. Seishein is ... horrible. I know I'm supposed to agree with or sympathize with him since we spend a decent chunk of time with him, but he's a drag in every scene he's in. Ozai is perhaps the most logical and realistic of the characters. He realizes something is wrong and he ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT!

The problem with the characters is development. There is a large cast of characters, the majority of which aren't important anyway, which means we don't spend enough time with any character to get too attached to them. And very few of these characters change in any meaningful way. Most of the characters are the exact same whether alive or dead, though the dead do angst a bit.

The character I had the most sympathy for was the girl in the track suit. She's young, unprepared for this, forced to choose between doing unthinkable things and dealing with friends and family who have risen. Her increasing instability is one of the few interesting changes within the series. Too bad she's downplayed in the second half.

Plot = 3

There are spoilers now. You have been warned.

Shiki is about vampires. If you didn't know that going in, you would have figured it out by the second episode at the latest.

It takes the rest of the characters at least another three or four episodes to catch up. The plot is sloooooow. Most of the mystery, if there was any to begin with, is dispelled right away. Every once in a while, something interesting would happen and I felt like I wanted to see what was next. Then the plot would drag its feet a few episodes with no substantial progress being made.

To sum up the first 2/3rds of the plot, the vampires are killing people. A lot of people die. Only Doctor Ozai, Seishein and a few kids realize what's going on. Then the kids drop off the face of the earth for a while and barely factor in again (with one exception). Most episodes in this bit focus on Ozai trying to do something, the townsfolk doing nothing and Seishein being tormented. Should he do something? (YES!!!!)

To repeat, the vampires kill a good portion of the population and no one is all that disturbed about it.

In the last 1/3rd, the show does a 180 and tries to make us sympathize with the vampires. This might have worked if they hadn't been mercilessly slaughtering townsfolk for half of the series. There are some moments where you genuinely think the vampires have been dealt a shitty hand (not choosing to become one but being forced by whoever bit them), but they are few and far between. Suddenly, the humans are the bad guys for protecting themselves and their families against the immortal people who have been murdering them.

While many of the humans who are cleansing the vampires are obviously enjoying the experience waaaay too much, it's hard to argue that they're wrong in doing it. Should the vampires survive, the humans will just be mined for blood until there are none left. You can complain that the vampires want to live too and they've retained their memories, but the bottom line is that their existence is just to kill former neighbours and friends.

And then there's just moments of incredible stupidity.

-At one point, it's suggested that the Shiki want to convert all the humans they can so the village is entirely Shiki. This would make sense, if you forgot that they NEED the humans for sustenance. Without them, the vampires starve.

-A third to half the town is wiped out and everyone is content to believe it's an epidemic, yet make no effort to do anything about it.

-No one questions why there are now large populations of people who work only at night, why many families have just disappeared and where the death records have went.

-Ozai makes a tape of him dissecting his wife, proving the existence of Shiki .. then shows it to no one.

-If you can figure out Seishein, you deserve a cookie, his entire character and motivations make no sense.

-The technology problem prevalent in horror. Why does no one phone about this?

The final few episodes make an attempt to tie everything together but it only partly satisfies. Many of the characters motivations are still stupid and there are jumps that we're never shown.

This isn't to say that there isn't ANY depth in Shiki. There is. It just happens to be muddied by other aspects. In the second half of Shiki, we start being presented with questions about the value of life, whether it is ethical to kill (if your life is on the line), the propensity to deny rather than act. The questions are interesting. It's the way they're executed that doesn't do them justice.

Enjoyment = 4

I wanted to like this series. I really did. And there were some positives. I liked that they used some old-school vampire tropes (not being able to enter buildings without being invited ect). I liked the tracksuit girl. I liked Doctor Ozai, who has a couple of badass moments (though not enough!).

It's the pacing and the plotting that really let this series down. For every thought-provoking idea ("is it right to kill someone else so I can live?") or genuinely nice/interesting moment, there is much more padding. And stupidity. No one (besides a few characters) seem to ever catch onto what's happening before they kick the bucket. Everyone is so complacent that you wonder whether they're all too stupid to live. I was ready to scream at these characters sometimes. DO SOMETHING!

Overall = 5

See above, really.

Shiki has potential, but squanders it by dragging everything out and failing to make any compelling characters.

Look ma, no Twilight references!

EDIT: For fucks sake. Youtube has spoiled things for me. I now know who the third skeleton is.

Edited February 12, 2012 by StevenRichardsRules

[StevenRichardsRules]

May as well go for three posts in a row.

Still really pissed about getting the big twist spoiled for me. I feel like there's practically no reason for me to watch now.

Mirai Nikki ep. 18

- The guitar riff at the very start of the theme song is kinda awesome.

- Flashback!

- I like how a couple of nice words (completely harmless and without any romantic implications) made Yuno fall for Yuki.

- Wait a sec, people haven't noticed that she's following him around?

- So Yuki had a thing for the class rep, eh? Yeah, Yuno's definitely not allowing that to happen.

- Bunny suit. The fuck. It's too awesome for me to even ... I don't even know.

- Bunny bitch slap!

- Ahahaha, she fucks up his drinks too.

- ...wascally wabbit? Yuki, someone should smack you. Preferably Yuno. And preferably now.

- That kid is scarred forever. He will quiver every time he sees a rabbit.

- Blocked!

- Yuki: he sucks at everything but darts and keeping letters away from psychotic women in bunny suits.

- Mall security. What is this? What even is this?

- I love how she still hasn't taken the rabbit suit off.

- Yes, it definitely doesn't matter now. Your parents can't get mad if they're corpses. Scientific fact.

- The fuck. They caged her? For disobeying them? Fuck those guys! No wonder she turned out so fucking crazy.

- I do find it funny that they had a whole bunch of charts and stuff on her. More than 180 calories in a day? That's a paddling!

- Did you just tell your unstable child that you wish you never had her? Well, kiss your freedom good-bye.

- Poor Yuki got rejected. Apparently, you have to TALK to a girl before they'll go out with you. Who would have guessed?

- So she didn't have a future BEFORE she decided to become Yuki's bride?

- Why does Yuki have his mother's pictures up on his dart board? That seems like something you'd do with the face of someone you hated.

- No, Yuki, you can't order a god to bring your mother back. That isn't how this works.

- Murmur is such a dick. She's really rubbing it in. I'm just waiting for her to become a complete and utter asshole.

- You're helping the asshole who killed your mom? The fuck, Yuki. The fuck.

- I'm guessing Yuno was the one who attacked him in the dark. Finish the job, Yuno! Fuck him up!

- "Is he hiding something?" Seriously, Yuki. You JUST saw the pawn shop stub!

- ...that's fine? Uh, she killed her parents and you're cool with that? What kind of fucking detective are you?

- White hat Yuki? Why not orange?

- Bullshit! I call bullshit! There's no way this scumbag bought Yuki a telescope. And if he did, he sure waited a long time to give it to him.

- Tearful moment. Countdown to Yuno in 3 ... 2 ...

- Douchey dad is stabbed. Poor Yuki. Everyone he likes/loves/trusts goes and dies on him. Or betrays him. Or both.

- Yuki's fucking pissed now. Are we in for a rare Yuki badass moment?

- And here's Yuno. You dun goofed.

- lol, Yuki. You know Yuno could fuck you up. And that you'd stand no chance without her.

- Yuno's so craaaaazy. But really, what's to stop her from killing Yuki at the end and making it into crazy-Yuno-world?

- I still dig the ending theme music. It's menacing in a strange way.

- Murmur is in a yellow bunny suit. What even ...

- Yuno, you're a badass. Punt the runt!

- Okay, this sequence is funny. The button pushing got me. And there's that poor scarred kid.

- Murmur denied!

[IAceI]

I'll watch when I get back, but in the mean time - stop reading youtube comments! Seriously! They're never good, ever. Stop reading them at all times.

I was hoping to get some stuff watched over the weekend since I was off ill but it just gave me bad headaches so I had to stop.

[Mick]

Mirai Nikki, Episode 18.

First though, sucks that was spoiled for you. Would've been an epic surprise.

-- Love letter, eh? This will not go wel, and I'm only 20 seconds in!

-- I don't care what you guys say, the old intro was better.

-- Heh, that guy's not just whistlin' dixie about Yuno.

-- Wow, nice mood shift....what the hell, she's not just fucking crazy in love, she's like, batshit crazy.

-- Wow. Wakaebe Moe. Kind of a meaningful name, especially with the maid cafe coming up.

-- FUMOFUU! Psycho bunny playing cock block.

-- Dr Papper, eh?

-- Heh, this is actually kinda funny.

-- Thanks for announcing it to the world, Yukki....

-- Out of the fucking way, Yuno, bro has to shit!

-- Christ, that girl is persistent.

-- So, did Yukki make it to the john or not?

-- No one to call ...oh right. That.

-- Wow, controlling parents. Psycho parents, I can see where she gets it.

-- All that for an intro?!

-- Wow, Yukki's not taking it well.

-- Deus is dying?!

-- And oh shit, you really don't want Deus to die.

-- Great, now he knows the truth too. Yukki's going to be on the sauce.

-- I'll be honest, I'm sick, so I'll just stop here but post my thoughts on the rest of this when I'm done.

-- his dad too?!

-- Wow and damn, Yukki has shit luck.

-- And this is probably the part where he goes into Yuno mode.

-- Cool, Yukki is now like a full on badass.

-- And enter Yuno. We know have the full on super psychotic "Don't fuck with us we're orphans and psychotic" couple.

-- ...How long has his dad been dead now?

-- Finally, he gets it.

-- If she's your enemy, then just stab the bitch, Yukki!

-- Well, that's good to know. Yuno dying for him whenever he needs her to...

-- Yep, that's called a breakdown.

-- And Eleventh's on the move!

-- And since there's plenty of time left, probably some Murmur thing...

-- Yep.

-- Ah, it's something with the Usagi Yuno.

-- What the Christ?

-- BUSTED!

-- That was dumb.

Decent episode, seemed a bit short with things that are at least somewhat relevant to the plot, but this leaves us with seven epidoses, and Eighth, Ninth, and Eleventh remaning, minus of course Yuno and Yukki.

[Ruki]

....fuck, I forgot to check to see if the site I went to had MN ready for download

Hopefully I will be able to watch it tonight (I have a concert I am going to).

[Ruki]

My quick thoughts on episode 18

The bunny stuff at the beginning was funny.

Yuno's parents were DICKS

I have no idea who the third body can be. But judging from everyones reaction, it must be someone important....but no idea

How the FUCK can Yukki forgive his dad? :/

How the FUCK did Yukki become a badass?

The bunny stuff at the ending was great.

[IAceI]

Mirai Nikki:

Yukki can forgive his dad because he's a wet rag and pathetic.

Also I love knowing what happens and watching people try and figure it out. I feel like Deus.

Also I still haven't watched it.

I did watch Inu x Boku SS, Guilty Crown and Gundam AGE last night though. I enjoyed them all. I love Inu x Boku SS, it's funny but doesn't make me feel masculine in the slightest.

[=BK=]

Been watching alot of Dragon Ball Z the past few days. Trying to watch all the movies. I rewatched the last few episodes of the Cell saga and it's still fucking great even though I already remembered everything completely. Its also made me hate GT(and partly the Buu saga) since I now see just how they shit all over DBZ by scaling back Gohan and making Goku the main character again. The one big thing to stay constant in DBZ was the fact that Gohan had this power inside him since he was born that could make him the strongest of anyone if he was able to control it. They finally pull the trigger and have him go to Super Saiyan 2 and kill Cell when no one else could and make him the hero of the show......then later they forget all that and make Goku the strongest again. The Fuck?

Edit:Awesomeness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4QV5f4iKlY

Edited February 14, 2012 by Kirkland

[IAceI]

Mirai Nikki Episode 18

Yukki continues to be a total wet rag and let his murderous dad seek refuge with him. Oh he has a stub from the pawn shop, and it runs out tomorrow, maybe he will go get it tomorrow? Good work detective Yukki. And then his dad gets stabbed up and Yukki finally, FINALLY, gets a bit of a personality about him. All it took was the murder of his parents. Fantastic. He kills a person, uses a person to get killed and Yuno kills the other after leaving a police interview without saying a word - how rude. Dues is dying/falling apart.

Another Episode 6

So it's less creepy now that things have actually been revealed. We know everyone can see Sakakibara and Mei but they're just choosing to pretend as if they don't exist because of a charm to help the class get through the year without people dying. I'm assuming more people will die, as that would make for a poor anime if they just went through the rest of the program like this and it worked, and because of the teacher has just pulled a knife out on all of them. Mainly that second one.

[Ruki]

Speaking of music...the opening theme for Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood is amazing. Started watching that series. So...yay!

[Mick]

That's Nichijou, Ruki. If Azumanga Daioh is Peanuts on acid, then Nichijou is Azumanga Daioh on even more acid.

[Ruki]

That's Nichijou, Ruki. If Azumanga Daioh is Peanuts on acid, then Nichijou is Azumanga Daioh on even more acid.

....so, what you're saying here is that i should watch it?

[Mick]

Up to you, I enjoyed what few episodes I saw of it.

Oh yeah, at the beginning of this thread is a frightening image (Haruhi Suzumiya with Geass). I have found something even worse than that:

The world's fucked.

[The Mask of Norro]

So Lorina and I just started watching Mirai Nikki today and holy fuckdamn it's incredible so far. We're probably going to cap off the day on Episode 10 by tonight, not certain yet. Right now we just left off on Episode 5, the character development in this is fantastic.

I'm seriously so conflicted on Yuno's character especially, but the investigator and the terrorist... Jesus. Plus it was nice to see Yuki kind-of get his "be a man" moment in Episode 5... he's the stereotypical 'weak-willed character grows balls as the story goes forward' type which has populated anime for so long, but despite that I have and probably always will love those moments when those weak characters finally do grow a pair and become the character they're meant to be (see: Simon in TTGL).

We'll definitely be following this one. No doubt about that.

Also, Ruki: you're only just watching Brotherhood? You're in for one hell of a ride. Quite possibly my favorite anime, it actually has more appeal to me than Gurren Lagann which, well, that conflicts me to say the least

[LUKIE]

Are there any good steampunk anime series worth watching?

I have completely fallen out of the anime loop, since most of it I absolutely loathe, but I need something cool to watch.

I guess the last full series I watched that I thoroughly enjoyed was... Samurai Champloo? Maybe.

[Mick]

Mirai Nikki, for starters, Lukie. While it's set in modern times, most of us are watching it and loving it. 12 people are given diaries that tell the future and have to kill each other off, the winner gets the power of God.

And for steam punkish, I'd have to say Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

[Ruki]

So Lorina and I just started watching Mirai Nikki today and holy fuckdamn it's incredible so far. We're probably going to cap off the day on Episode 10 by tonight, not certain yet. Right now we just left off on Episode 5, the character development in this is fantastic.

I'm seriously so conflicted on Yuno's character especially, but the investigator and the terrorist... Jesus. Plus it was nice to see Yuki kind-of get his "be a man" moment in Episode 5... he's the stereotypical 'weak-willed character grows balls as the story goes forward' type which has populated anime for so long, but despite that I have and probably always will love those moments when those weak characters finally do grow a pair and become the character they're meant to be (see: Simon in TTGL).

We'll definitely be following this one. No doubt about that.

Also, Ruki: you're only just watching Brotherhood? You're in for one hell of a ride. Quite possibly my favorite anime, it actually has more appeal to me than Gurren Lagann which, well, that conflicts me to say the least

....really? Holy shit.

I just finished off episode 4 last night, which means every other episode will be new

Shou Tucker is still a fucking asshole