The Anime Thread

[IAceI]

We have another 11 episodes in this series of Sword Art Online to go, so plenty still to do. Makes sense.

Only so much boss killing and levelling up they could have done I suppose.

[Mick]

SAO

Wait, Ace, are there more episodes coming? I don't know what else they could do. I think 5+ episodes of their life outside of the game would be super lame. One, MAYBE two...but other than that, no way!

...and how the hell does will-power work in a machine?! He should have stayed dead!

Having not watched the show but clicked the spoiler, let me answer the second question.

Sword Art Online takes place on the same planet as Accel World. Those helmets they were to play the games? Lead to the technology seen in Accel World. Thus, if you can do crazy shit through will power in Accel World, you should be able to in SAO.

[IAceI]

Oh bloody hell, so new programs I'm watching now:

K - Episode 2

Not as good as the first episode in my opinion but still a pretty nice anime. A little confusing but it's only 13 episodes so hopefully the story moves well and it's enjoyable.

Shinsekai Yori - Episode 2

More than a little confusing, not really sure what's going on but that's part of the intrigue. Hopefully as the story is revealed it is proved worthwhile or else this will probably get dropped - as I'm pretty much staying on for the intrigue and interest at the moment.

Zetsuen no Tempest - Episode 2

A bit like Guilty Crown, a weird disease is turning people into metal (as opposed to crystals). The contrast of the main characters is interesting and it's well animated. Quite enjoyable to watch in all honesty, assuming it doesn't just plod along.

Psycho-Pass - Episode 1

A bit different to your run of the mill programs (such as K and Zetsuen no Tempest) so that sets it apart straight away. In a future where committing crime and thinking about crime are punishable by paralysis and rehabilitation or just outright death we follow a new recruit to the crime force. And all these people use enforcers - who are latent criminals to subdue the other criminals. A good first episode but I've said this about a lot of things and it'll be episode 2 that gives me a better indication of where things are going.

Robotics;Note - Episode 1

Ah the much anticipated Robotics;Note. Will do my utmost not to compare it to Steins;Gate as well. I really enjoyed the first episode, the characters are engaging and mesh well. Weird to see the female as the robotics nut while the other is a game freak it seems. Started out pleasant enough but we have met the rest of the cast of any of the villains yet. A promising start though, so fingers crossed.

Code:Breaker episode 2 will be out sometime soon I imagine. Also I finished watching Saikano a while back, pretty poor, and I've started rewatching Moretsu Pirates, just to get it finished really as I only had about 8 episodes left to watch. As I've made mention before the main character, Marika, is loveable and brilliant but the show just wasn't anything like I expected from reading about it - so I was initially disappointed. After leaving it a while and accepting it for what it is essentially it's a well animated and light hearted show, so it's passable but nothing special.

I'm also done watching Gundam Sangokuden, they finished the battle at Chi Bi. Nothing spectacular but combined two of my most loved areas - 3 Kingdom China and Gundams - so I had to watch. It was okay, harmless fun.

Started watching Gundam 08th MS Team too - after watching War In The Pocket (I'm doing the Universal Century stories in sequential order so it'll be IGLOO next..). Pretty solid stuff so far.

Also started watching Full Metal Panic as I've been meaning to for a while. Loving it, love the characters, just so enjoyable and a few genuinely laugh out loud moments.

Combine all this with the ongoing Uchuu Kyoudai/Space Brothers and Muv Luv:Total Eclipse and my on going efforts to get through the Dragon Ball Z series and I'm watching quite a lot. I usually get a few hours to watch on a night and then a few more on a morning before work. Then again I'm moving to Australia in less than a month so I'm going to have to do a catch up on when I get settled over there. Although I do have 2 weeks between finishing work and going where I can watch some already released stuff.

Very anime centric these days.

[Ruki]

...holy crap you are watching a lot!

But Robitics;Note is out? Cool! Will watch that on Saturday or SUnday, along with the latest SAO.

[IAceI]

Yeah I kind of am, to think a year ago I'd only seen Gundam Wing, Gunslinger Girl, Code Geass and Gurren Lagann.

I have a nice routine of watching on a night before bed and when I wake up on a morn before I go to work so it sort of works okay for me. I enjoy it though, a few programs can be a chore to watch at times but it's all enjoyable so why not. Like I say, going to be a bit out of sorts when I go to Australia and lose my system - I'm lucky at the moment because most programs come out around the weekend so I can catch up on older stuff through the week and watch the new stuff at the weekend.

EDIT: It definitely helps that I've moved to watching online and don't download anymore and have to deal with cancelled downloads and download limits etc. speeds the process up a lot for me.

Edited October 12, 2012 by IAceI

[Ruki]

SAO

I expected this episode to be a little slower/less exciting. But...come on....did we really need the creepy guy marrying Asuna angle AND his sister/cousin 'secretly' wanting to jump his bones? You know how you make this episode better? You keep everything the same up until he goes to see Asuna, take out the creepy fuck, go back to his place where he gets the message and go from there. GAWD!

But it looks like he is going from a fighting game to a game about elves and fairies. Interesting. And he has to save the 300 people still stuck!

[Ruki]

Robotics;Note - Episode 1

Ah the much anticipated Robotics;Note. Will do my utmost not to compare it to Steins;Gate as well. I really enjoyed the first episode, the characters are engaging and mesh well. Weird to see the female as the robotics nut while the other is a game freak it seems. Started out pleasant enough but we have met the rest of the cast of any of the villains yet. A promising start though, so fingers crossed.

Agreed, a very promising start. Really liking Aki! She is just so happy and upbeat.

[IAceI]

Sword Art Online

Really enjoyed this episode, oddly. Seems we're getting to see some characters who stir a bit more emotion. Hopefully they keep them around for longer to let us actually start to care about them or hate them before they kill them off or whatever. Glad I know a bit about Japanese customs though and know that cousins can marry each other, or else I'd have been massively creeped out.

Got Uchuu Kyoudai/Space Brothers and Code:Breaker to watch tonight - which both should be super.

[Ruki]

....seriously?! That is still creepy...

[IAceI]

Yup, weird to us but allowed.

Everyone go watch Code: Breaker, please, please, please?

[Ruki]

Send me a PM with a stream? I am gonna have a slow week at work, so I need something to do.

Also, I should watch Chaos;Head this week,

[IAceI]

Definitely have not just sent a stream showing you where you can watch anime online for free. Most definitely not.

Just to give this post some meaning, here is a synopsis in a few words of Code: Breaker for anyone who may be thinking "should I watch too?" (yes, you should.)

Sakura Sakurakouji is on the bus one night when she sees a group of men being burned alive by a blue flame which leaves no trace. The male she sees giving out the punishment is transferred into her class the next day where he demonstrates his ability to punish evil doers with a special power.

Basically Ogami Rei is your Light Yagami/Lelouch Lamperouge in the sense he is an anti-hero and dishes out punishment to those he thinks deserve it. In fact he looks quite similar to both those characters too, so the similarities continue a bit more. There's only 13 episodes it seems slated, and I've read a bit of the story and it seems quite big so I don't know how much they'll cover in the 13 episodes here or whether they'll do a few series of it.

I may start bashing on with the manga in fact, as I'm up to about volume 6 of Attack on Titan now. Which is super, by the by.

[Mick]

Hmmm, might give the manga a shot. Currently reading through Ranma 1/2, but it's a scan from before manga got popular in the US, so it's more like a traditional comic . Could be a nice break.

Anyway, watching Code:Breaker now...interesting intro song, sounds like that group that did the first opening from Death Note and Claymore.

I also like how this show's using the hyper-realistic style (Think Bible Black )

[Ruki]

Four minutes in and the main character is already being idolized by every single person ever about how perfect they are

I dunno why, but the 'super popular, super talented, super amazing awesome' character tropes tend to annoy me. Especially in the highschool setting.

Oh come on! She takes down an entire gang by herself?!

It was an ok episode, I suppose.

[Mick]

I case people haven't watched Nichijou yet:

GO WATCH.

[Ruki]

That is the best part!

[IAceI]

It's on my 'to watch' list. Got enough on my plate at the moment to start watching it right now, but soon.

Got through K, Zetsuen no Tempest and Psycho-Pass last night. All good. So soon after Accel World we have K and their coloured Kings as well, so it seems a little strange but ah well. All 3 programs are enjoyable so far and with Robotics;Note and Code: Breaker too I'm having a pretty enjoyable season so far.

[Ruki]

Not sure I want to keep up with SAO. Just not excited for the next episode. Might change my mind. But now? Time for Robotics;note!

[IAceI]

I'm enjoying Sword Art Online, interested in this second game. Has me enjoying it again at least. Robotics;Note I'm loving too.

Code: Breaker, Robotics;Note and K are my 8/10 shows at the moment. Psycho-Pass a 7 and Shinsekai Yori a 6.

I base my rankings off:

10 - virtually impossible, not awarded yet

9 - loved it, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing the only one to have it so far

8 - would definitely buy the DVD given funds were available, Code Geass, Gurren Lagann, Death Note, Fate/Zero

7 - would seriously consider the DVD if it piqued my interest, Mirai Nikki, Accel World, Another

6 - watchable but unlikely to purchase the DVD, Moretsu Pirates, Guilty Crown

5 - not very good, got through it but would like to forget it, Saikano

If it drops to a 4, it's generally a dropped show like Rinne no Lagrange or Brave 10. But I try not to drop things if possible, I'm an optimist.

[Mick]

Death Note and Code Geass are 8s?