The Anime Thread

[The Mask of Norro]

You can thank Lorina, Ruki, she's the one who got me into it. Sentiments are the same across the board though yeah, aside from the glaringly obvious setback of the main character's sexual preferences, the show's pretty good. I wouldn't call the ending credits a setback since really who watches those anyway, just skip them, but you can't really skip the guy hitting on little girls throughout the show. It's... it's sort-of just there.

[Fanku Kaibutsu]

Sakiyuki Western Django....

What the hell did I just watch?

And why did anyone think it was a good idea?

[OctoberRaven]

Sakiyuki Western Django....

What the hell did I just watch?

And why did anyone think it was a good idea?

Brilliance. That's what you watched.

[Ruki]

And finished Needless. A good series, especially if you like over-the-topness and a series that doesn't take itself too seriously.

[stokeriño]

You can describe some 60% (minimum) of all anime series that way. And a lot of them don't involve paedophilia.

[GhostMachine]

Is the Trigun movie a sequel to the Trigun series, a side-story that takes place during the series but between episodes (like the Cowboy Bebop movie), a prequel, or a condensed retelling of the series?

Also, is the Sakura Wars movie worth tracking down?

[The Mask of Norro]

You can describe some 60% (minimum) of all anime series that way. And a lot of them don't involve paedophilia.

Ruki just sucks at descriptions of anime, stok. The fact that he described Claymore as "an anime with demons and half-demon hot chicks who kill demons" didn't exactly show anything to the contrary, either.

Needless is good though. Wouldn't call it one of the best, but for the story it presents it's worth the ride along. If nothing else I'd at least recommend giving it a shot, seeing if you like it and all.

[GoGo Yubari]

Is the Trigun movie a sequel to the Trigun series, a side-story that takes place during the series but between episodes (like the Cowboy Bebop movie), a prequel, or a condensed retelling of the series?

Somewhere between the Wolfwood introduction story and the start of the Gung-Ho Guns arc.

[TKz]

Slight bump so I can talk about enjoying catching up on some of my old Shonen Manga Series.

I've read up to the current Naruto which was a good time, it reminds me of a Manga version of Lost, in that they didn't really know where they were going with it, but now they've figured out some kind of end point (at least, for this part of the story) they're tying together all the parts of the story gone past. I really quite liked the whole PAIN arc, but I'm not sure how I feel about guys like Kakashi and the other Jounin being completely useless against some of his bodies, yet fucking Konohamaru manages to take one out!? With a Rasengen no less? Talk about completely demeaning all the hype behind that move. But then I suppose we're about 10 FINAL SUPER MOVES on from Rasengan being important.

Oh and for someone I thought was the coolest badass in the world when I was like... 14, Itachi went out like a pussy. I liked the story behind all that though, with him eliminating The Uchiha for that purpose.

I'm going to try and watch FMA: Brotherhood now (it follows the Manga very closely, right? How long does it take to move past the original Anime's storyline?) and then after that, I'll probably read up on One Piece, because fuck watching all of the CP9 arc when I've already read it.

Anyone that still watches/reading One Piece and Bleach, how are they at the moment? I try and do a catch up session every like 5-6 months and I think the last time I read One Piece, they were starting a new arc which involved a Skeleton and sailors losing their shadows? Are they past that yet? Was it a half decent arc? After CP9, I had a hard time buying many other Pirates as threats. And what about Bleach? I left it when they went into the Hollow world to go and save Orihimie and fight Aizen (or had started fighting him, possibly), does it pick up? Because I wasn't so into that whole storyline. Not enough Kenpachi.

[Gongsun Zan]

EDIT: ack, wrong thread =\

[GoGo Yubari]

I think you're in the wrong thread, Zan. But no answer your question, no clue. Since it's Ennis, though, I wouldn't be shocked if it's just that.

As for One Piece, I'm up to the episode before the most recent (filler) episode in the anime and it remains the only shounen series that hasn't really missed a beat. Thriller Bark (the one you're thinking of) is probably the weakest arc in the series since the one that introduced Chopper (only because Skypiea had the awesome Survival Game section that was really fun to watch) but that's not saying much because the Baroque Works and CP9 arc are perfect examples of how to do shounen well. It's still fairly enjoyable on its own merits, and once you get out of that you get right back into the World Government as the main enemies (with a really cool group of pirates introduced on the side).

Bleach fucking sucks. I mean, if you like boring godmode villains... well, no. Aizen is bad even by those standards. I gave up on actively reading it on a weekly basis over a year ago, only to pick it up again when something cool was happening and then Aizen ruined that too. He's basically a giant anchor dragging down the entire series with him, which is a pity because there's so much that's gone on recently that I kinda care about, but I know I'd care more if the main villain were Gin or someone.

[TKz]

Yeah, Aizen was a massive let down when he was revealed as the villain. His whole character is just so... boring. It's a shame, because when Bleach get's it right, it can be a pretty cool Manga. I love stuff like Chad and the Quincy and the Shinigami Arc was pretty great for guys like Kenpachi, The Scientist Freak and Renji, but it didn't seem to be heading back in the direction I enjoyed once they kidnapped Orihime.

I mean, a fair few of the Super Hollow guys are pretty fucking cool, but their end game is just so... boring. I don't know about Gin as the big bad though, he's better than Aizen but he's never really been anything more than the usual "He's so smiley... BUT THERE IS KILLER INTENT IN HIS EYES" type that floats around a lot of Shonen Manga. (Hell, pretty much every Naruto bad guy has had something along those lines.)

So Bleach, check out if I'm at a loss for anything else, One Piece, get back into. I do love One Piece, though I wonder how much there will be to read? When I returned to Naruto I read about 100 chapters in one sitting, so I'm hoping there's been roughly that many since the CP9 Arc ended. Or whatever the one after that was? I'm pretty sure I've done the haunted house type one, but not the one with the Skeleton. Or are they the same?

I might get around to re-reading Flame of Recca again as well. That's easily one of my all time favourite Manga. And FMA: Brotherhood has been enjoyable so far, but I've yet to reach anything new after something like 10 episodes. Apart from a few small things here and there, like a reference to 'Father' and Xing.

[GoGo Yubari]

I honestly can't tell you how much there is to read because I follow OP through the anime (that might be changing soon), and the anime has managed to stretch single chapters out into entire episodes. Storyline wise, without getting into spoilers, there's all of Thriller Bark, then a couple of filler episodes followed by the Sabaody Archipelago (great stuff), Amazon Lily (... not so great but it introduces Boa Hancock, who is a pretty entertaining character), and Impel Down (great if a little too long in the anime), and Marineford which I believe Oda just finished up with.

And I agree that Gin wouldn't be the right solution, but at least he has an actual personality.

[TKz]

Looking at what's in my Downloads folder, it appears that I've read as far as midway through the Sabaody Archipelago Arc at Chapter 501 and there's apparently 587 Chapters out thus far. Hm. Would it be worth reading through Thriller Bark again? Apparently I've finished it but the only thing I remember is that Brook is introduced during it.

As for a better leader of the Huqomundo (whatever the hell their name is), I think it would have been more entertaining if it had been one of the 8. They're all far more interesting characters than Aizen, I would have liked if we'd gotten a 9th one of those guys that was the leader type, working with Gin or even Gin and Aizen. That way you get a big bad that's more entertaining and it doesn't have to chance any of the story.

EDIT: Scratch that, apparently I read up to 520. I'll probably breeze through all of that in a matter of hours tomorrow... might just read a summary on Thriller Bark though.

[GoGo Yubari]

Just caught up with the One Piece manga, and holy shit. The entire Marineford battle is just jaw-droppingly good.

[MalaCloudy Black]

If I put this in spoilers, then I can't get in trouble!

Where do you guys get anime torrents? I hate waiting on FMA: Brotherhood episodes to come on Adult Swim, so I wanna just get up to date on them on my own.

Just, like, PM me or some shit, bros.

[Slide]

If I put this in spoilers, then I can't get in trouble!

Where do you guys get anime torrents? I hate waiting on FMA: Brotherhood episodes to come on Adult Swim, so I wanna just get up to date on them on my own.

Just, like, PM me or some shit, bros.

You can watch them legally on Hulu for free. They're only 1 week behind Japan.

[TKz]

FMA Brotherhood is so good... I'm finally past where I reached in the manga (which, I swear it's different. I don't remeber Briggs being in the manga at all, yet I remember Olivier Armstrong.) Awesome, just... awesome. Anyone know how long until the Anime catches up with the Manga/finishes? I think the manga is at like... 2 chapters from completion, right?

[MalaCloudy Black]

I have no idea. I finally caught up to where they are in Japan, and it's

To the point where Father's trying to become god or whatever. He used the five sacrifices to open the nationwide gate and a gate opened on the moon, and a fuck-off giant Father rose and started pulling the moon-gate down to him so he could fnially become the perfect being.

[GoGo Yubari]

The manga is finished as of earlier this week. Fantastic ending, too. And yeah, Briggs was in the manga.