The Anime Thread

[gunnar hendershow]

Hit the midway point of Mirai Nikki. Really enjoying it, my biggest complaint has to be how poor the animation looks at times. When characters run it looks awful. But anyway.

I hope a future episode will show what transpired that led to Yukiteru being chained up. It seems like such a huge plot point where I think it has to be elaborated upon. It's enough for an episode of its own. I'm also liking that the final three diary holders haven't been introduced yet, it adds a lot of suspense to where this series is going to go. I'm a little worried the storytelling is going to get bogged down by how many subplots are present though, it's something I've started to notice in the series and really hope doesn't come to the forefront in the final half.

[IAceI]

Wait Yukki chained up? Have I forgotten part of the program or do we mean Yuno? To be honest I've obviously forgotten the ins and outs of most episodes so perhaps that did happen, which episode is the half way stage? Also if it's any consolation I didn't feel the sub plots detracted from the show in any way and it all fit together nicely, but I won't say more as I don't want to spoil. (Then again you may disagree with my point anyways.)

Regarding what I watch, I'm not too sure what order I'll take them on in, probably just any order I fancy to be honest. I probably will go with Death Note next as I've been meaning to watch it for a while, but I'll probably be adding new programs to the list along the way anyways. With FMA being 50-60 episodes that will be more of a challenge to get watched, but I may double some of them up and watch two at a time. It's just the original FMA for now but I'll watch :Brotherhood at a later date I'm sure, I need to bring my anime levels up to an acceptable level. I've been toying with the idea of a blog for a while now but we'll have to see at a later date.

Oh and here's the trailer for Code:Breaker. It's short, and it's in Japanese obviously but it's got a little something about it. The anime is nice and the premise looks interesting and the anime has my interest, looking forward to this when it starts - hopefully the execution is as good as the rest.

[Mick]

Wait Yukki chained up? Have I forgotten part of the program or do we mean Yuno? To be honest I've obviously forgotten the ins and outs of most episodes so perhaps that did happen, which episode is the half way stage? Also if it's any consolation I didn't feel the sub plots detracted from the show in any way and it all fit together nicely, but I won't say more as I don't want to spoil. (Then again you may disagree with my point anyways.)

Regarding what I watch, I'm not too sure what order I'll take them on in, probably just any order I fancy to be honest. I probably will go with Death Note next as I've been meaning to watch it for a while, but I'll probably be adding new programs to the list along the way anyways. With FMA being 50-60 episodes that will be more of a challenge to get watched, but I may double some of them up and watch two at a time. It's just the original FMA for now but I'll watch :Brotherhood at a later date I'm sure, I need to bring my anime levels up to an acceptable level. I've been toying with the idea of a blog for a while now but we'll have to see at a later date.

Oh and here's the trailer for Code:Breaker. It's short, and it's in Japanese obviously but it's got a little something about it. The anime is nice and the premise looks interesting and the anime has my interest, looking forward to this when it starts - hopefully the execution is as good as the rest.

Yukki got chained up by Yuno shortly after Akise was introduced, I believe. Remember her digging the holes?

Yeah, you really can't go wrong with Death Note, it's probably my favorite anime, and it really is a masterpiece. While most serious anime seems to have their more lighthearted stuff, Death Note is pretty much hardcore to the bitter end.

FMA...well, that's a bit of a mixed bag in my opinion, largely because of the difference between the first anime and Brotherhood; yes, Brotherhood is 60+ episodes, but at the very least it follows the manga, while the original anime starts off that way and skews into it's own story. To be fair, I think the original actually outpaced the manga, so they had to improvise the best they did. If you do watch the original, don't forget to follow it up with the movie.

You could probably do the same with Fate/Stay Night, watch the anime and then watch Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, based around the game's second route (of three) routes. Sadly, I doubt Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel (the third route) will never happen, most likely because to do it any justice, it would have to be a hentai (I am serious; while love scenes are sparse in the first two routes and convenient yet believable workarounds show up in the anime adaptions, sex is kind of important in a totally non-pervy way for Heaven's Feel).

By the way, have you seen Code Geass and/or Lucky Star? Those might be two to add to your list

[IAceI]

Ah, I remember that part - a bit - but still quite vaguely. There was so much tying up going on in the series it's easy to forget some of them.

Death Note is one of those that I know I'd enjoy, an anti-hero, a logical thriller of sorts, I've just never got round to watch it. I know pretty much the whole story line and how it ends, I just need to watch the anime to go with it now.

FMA is one of those where I'm almost going to watch it out of necessity. It seems daft to have never seen it when it's almost a staple part of an anime diet. I'm sure I'll enjoy it and I think I've seen the odd episodes of it, I'll also mind on to watch all relevant films that go with the anime, although perhaps not immediately after.

And yes I've seen Code Geass. I was in and around this thread when it was being aired actually. For a while that, Gurren Lagann and Gunslinger Girl were the only three anime I'd seen to be honest, until I got back into it and it was more readily available to watch. I have season 1 of Geass on DVD which I watched a little while ago, but I've been meaning to watch season 2 as well recently to refamiliarise myself - but since I've seen it once already I'm not in a rush to watch it really.

I'll have a look into Lucky Star. And I may also decide to watch Saikano, since I've only ever seen a couple of episodes of that years ago but never the full lot.

[gunnar hendershow]

It's at the end of episode 13.

As for Death Note, it's a great series. The first 2/3 of it is some of the best anime I've ever watched, and the last 1/3 is good too and at that point you're so attached to the plot and characters that you want to keep going to see its conclusion.

Oh and Lucky Star. Faaaantastic. Watch it. Love it.

[Mick]

Oh and Lucky Star. Faaaantastic. Watch it. Love it.

But only after you've seen Haruhi Suzumiya.

[gunnar hendershow]

Oh and Lucky Star. Faaaantastic. Watch it. Love it.

But only after you've seen Haruhi Suzumiya.

Yes, x100000.

[IAceI]

Yes the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya is on my to watch list but after Azumanga Daioh I'll be in a mood for some violence or mecha etc. to sink my teeth into. But I will get it watched.

[Ruki]

....how do you people like Lucky Star? :/

[Mick]

....how do you people like Lucky Star? :/

That's classified.

[gunnar hendershow]

....how do you people like Lucky Star? :/

That's classified.

[Mick]

And thus, Fate/Zero ends. Thoughts:

Gilgamesh, through the goo of the grail, becomes flesh, Kotomine lives, yet doesn't have a heart, and Kiritsugu rescues a small boy from the wreckage. Kariya finally dies, Sakura shows she's adapting to the Matou ways, Tohsaka Aoi is a total mess, and Rin gets the Azoth Dagger. Kiritsugu gets the shaft by the Einzberg family.

WHOA, cameo in the back by Taiga! (When you see Shiro rebuilding the house, she's the one in the school uniform waving the kendo stick around):

(if you don't know who Taiga is, she's the grand daughter of a Yakuza friend of Kiritsugu's, and also Shiro's teacher in Fate/Stay Night and unofficial guardian. Her role isn't that important other than some minor comic relief, but it is great attention to detail).

So, excellent series, good buildup for Fate/Stay Night, which I'm sure you'll all watch now. It was everything I expected it to be, though I thought it would end with Kiritsugu dying while he talks to Shiro.

Accel World 11:

Well, business is about to pick up!

[Ruki]

I should re-watch Fate/Stay Night again.

[Mick]

I should re-watch Fate/Stay Night again.

Yes

[IAceI]

I should just watch it for the first time. Seems like a sensible idea as well to do it soon given Fate/Zero has just concluded.

Fate Zero S2 E12 (Finale)

And your winner is... no one. Archer gets naked. Saber cries. Kirei's voice remains deep and scary. Kiritsugu seems to realise this was all a bit pointless. Sakura seems convert. Kariya, having hit every hurdle in the race gets to the last one and faceplants into it. Rin is cold and distant. Aoi is fucked. Waver is the only one who seems to have escaped being totally and utterly broken, but then his best friend did get taken away from him. In summary, stay the hell away from the Holy Grail if the chance to enter arises..

Kids on the Slope E11

We pick up after Sen says he is going to leave.. only to be immediately stopped. Sen chases after Karou on his scooter to give him some sheet music back the night before the festival, only to get into an accident. Karou doesn't realise until the next day when Ritsuko turns up and tells him, so he goes to the hospital. We get swerved and find out Sen is okay, but his little sister who rode pillion is gravely hurt. However she recovers and everyone is happy going into the finale next week, where I'm sure Ritsuko and Karou will get together and we will all live happily ever after. There is also a rendition of 'My Favourite Things' done in English by a Japanese person, always worth a listen..

Gundam AGE E35

Kio is captured by Vagan and taken to their 'world'. The Vagan's are all super angry because they were left behind on the failed Mars colony and are now dying from 'Mars Rays' which are rays from Mars, apparently. Kio is left to wander around the world himself and he meets a brother and sister, the latter being affected by the 'Mars Rays' and only have 3 months left to live. Kio is being treated nicely because he looks the double of Lord Ezelcant's dead son. Ezelcant himself only has a few months left to live as well, apparently. Not a bad episode actually, you see the other side of the coin which is always refreshing.

Space Brothers E13

Mutta continues to luck his way through everything. Nitta seems to be the tsundere of the group, he's started off quite distant and frosty but will undoubtedly turn nicer as it goes on. Other than that it was just your typical fair of the characters being themselves having been given a task of writing a persuasive letter. How delightful.

Azumanga Daioh E25 & E26 (finale)

Osaka

[IAceI]

This was meant to be an edit in the last post but I accidentally quoted it and posted again. Apologies.

Accel World E11

Like 20 minutes of fighting and not a great deal else. You can't go particularly wrong with that, can you? Kuroyukihime's reaction to the beheading of Red Rider seem particularly odd/over-the-top but otherwise the two level 9's fighting was great. Yellow Radio was great fun, creepy, a little sadistic but just fun. Like Mao from Code Geass. Shame he died so soon.

Edited June 25, 2012 by IAceI

[Mick]

I should just watch it for the first time. Seems like a sensible idea as well to do it soon given Fate/Zero has just concluded.

Fate Zero S2 E12 (Finale)

And your winner is... no one. Archer gets naked. Saber cries. Kirei's voice remains deep and scary. Kiritsugu seems to realise this was all a bit pointless. Sakura seems convert. Kariya, having hit every hurdle in the race gets to the last one and faceplants into it. Rin is cold and distant. Aoi is fucked. Waver is the only one who seems to have escaped being totally and utterly broken, but then his best friend did get taken away from him. In summary, stay the hell away from the Holy Grail if the chance to enter arises..

Ah, that's right, you haven't watched Fate/Stay Night yet. Well, I you could put Death Note on hold and watch that one. Though I maintain to get the true epic feeling that you must play the visual novel.

I need to figure out something new to watch; I should be able to knock out K-On this week, it doesn't seem that long....but after that, I don't know. Or I could just read some manga for the time being. If I can knock out all of Dragon Ball Z in one sitting (I finished at 5 AM, but still), I'm sure I could finish Full Metal Alchemist tomorrow. Though, I'm still screwed on what to read after that.

[IAceI]

Am I reading the visual novel, playing the game or doing a mix of the two? I'm considering got Fate/Stay night next too but with only a few shows on the cards to watch at the moment I could probably watch both Fate/Stay night and Death Note alongside each other, shouldn't take too long to get through them both.

Thinking of getting Attack on Titan manga but since I'm struggling for time to read Game of Thrones, I'm wondering if adding a manga on top of a novel is a smart idea. But I would like to start getting a bit of manga, it seems like the next logical step.

Also for anyone who cares DVD and Blu-Ray release of Tiger & Bunny will be out in early 2013. Was meant to be October 2012 but was unsurprisingly moved back. My system will probably consist of 'watch Japanese release and then buy on DVD if I enjyoed it enough", haven't really decided on a plan whether or not I want to go and buy DVD releases of stuff that's already been watched (as I did with Code Geass etc.)

[Mick]

Am I reading the visual novel, playing the game or doing a mix of the two?

There isn't much game play involved; it's really like an incredibly long first person narration of a choose your own adventure. It has three routes (Fate/Stay Night, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven's Feel), each with a unique plot and love interest. All three routes are considered canon (think of each one as an alternate universe). I highly recommend it, not just as a Fate junky but because it's really the whole story of Fate. Things about some characters may not be revealed in one of the other routes or even in the anime. Fate/Zero was written by keeping in mind elements of all three routes (minor spoiler, but it's barely hinted in the Fate/Stay Night anime that Sakura is Rin's sister). I highly recommend it.

We should also rename this, at the rate we're going, into the Otaku thread

[IAceI]

Is this the one for the PC? I'm not a massive game person but if it's PC I'll see if I can find it anywhere reasonbly and have a look when I get the time. As you can see from my posts previously, a lot of my time is taken up by watching anime already but a lot of those shows are ending or have ended so I might be able to get a chance.