The State of Anime Today - Page 30

MuMu · 12-15-2016, 07:54 PM

Shouya Ishida always tries to beat boredom. With his little group of friends he engineers "courage tests" everyday to avoid spending a single second of tedium. Enter Shouko Nishimiya

Deaf, Nishimiya communicates through a notebook and frequently needs the help of her classmates. Irked, Ishida begins to tease her, but as her necessities become more frequent, so does the intensity of his bullying

During months Ishida mercilessly provokes Nishimiya until it reaches the point where adult intervention is necessary, resulting on the girl transfering schools. When confronted with what happened, the rest class blames Ishida and begin to bully him instead. For the next five years Ishida is shunned, to the point where he forgoes any kind of friendship and social contact. In his third year of High School, Ishida realizes he has no future worth living and decide to end his life but first he wants to find the girl he thoughtlessly attacked and look for redemption

But forgiveness is not that easy to achieve...

Now, this one is a heavy title. It proeminently deals with the disability of one character and the consequences of bullying and ostracizing, not only for the victim but also for those around them. The manga pulls absolutely no punches when considering just how much someone's life can be changed because of something that's often resumed as "playing around". It also explores the idea of making it up for past actions and changing yourself, meeting new people and facing old ones. Overall, a very emotional story.

I seriously need to read something happy next

MuMu · 12-19-2016, 03:30 PM

Ergo Proxy

"In a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by an ecological disaster, lies the domed city of Romdeua, one of the last bastions of humanity. There, humans live with AutoReivs, intelligent androids created to aid them in their survival. But recently, the Cogito virus has been attacking the AutoReivs, granting them self-awareness which makes them break away from the ownership of humans.

In a secluded part of the city, an experiment goes wrong; a mysterious being know only as "Proxy" escapes, unleashing a series of events that will affect Re-l Mayer, the granddaughter of the current Regent, assigned to investigate the Cogito; Vincent Law, a foreigner tasked with bringing down violent AutoReivs; and Raul Creed, a power hungry bureacrat in charge of the Security Bureau, among others."

Now this one is an interesting title. I had tried the first three episodes earlier this year and enjoyed it very much but for ~reasons~ I put it off until recently. Now that I actually watched it in it's entirety, what stuck with me the hardest is how it went in a completely different direction than I was expecting.

It begins with a cyberpunk-ish story, with Re-L investigating what is affecting the AutoReivs and what this Proxy could be, but soon enough the plot shifts from this to Re-L, Vincent and Pino travelling around the world, the Cogito plot and Romdeua almost forgotten until the last few episodes. Despite being one of the main characters, Re-L also isn't the Strong Female Protagonist she may look like from the previews, being constantly kidnapped, poisoned, injured, and generally needing to be saved by others. In fact, after a while it becomes clear that the true protagonist of the story, and major focus of the series, is actually Vincent Law.

Still, it's not a bad series, and despite it getting a bit too JRPG-ish, I reccomend it if you're looking for a mature anime.

MuMu · 01-09-2017, 08:36 PM

Spirit Circle

"Fuuta Okeya is a normal teenager - excepting his ability to see spirits. When Kouko Ishigame transfer to his class, he is at first lovestruck but after being coldly shot down, he notices someone else tagging along with her

Despite that, he still makes an effort and, along with his group of friends, manages to get closer to Kouko - Until he accidentally reveals that he can see East. Her attitude immediatelly changes, even more so after removing a bandage Fuuta has on his cheek and seeing his birthmark

She reveals that Fuuta and herself are intertwined by destiny, and over several past lives have encountered and hurt each other in some way. Aware and tired of this cycle of suffering, Kouko aims to end it all - by killing and erasing Fuuta from existence. She summons the Spirit Circle, charges and strikes Fuuta and then...he sees one of his past lives.

Kouko aims to make Fuuta remember their past sufferings and then eliminate him and Fuuta wants to understand their conflict and cease the cycle of revenge - and avoid his own death too, of course. Thus begins his journey through his past lives."

Now, looking at the mangaka's past works, you might notice he is the same author of Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer; however, aside from both being lighthearted shonens, there aren't many similarities. While Lucifer was an action packed romp that culminates in a bombastic climax, Circle focus on emotions and it's action scenes aren't as drawn out. It's a story about revenge, forgiveness, love and hate, that doesn't get too sappy but also doesn't venture too deep. It's still very much a shonen aimed at teenagers so expect the usual comical beats - there is even one ( completely unnecessary) panty shot so you know what you're getting into. Still, much like Lucifer, it has a lot of heart which makes it distinguishable enough to warrant a read.

Warning: There are titties in a couple of parts.

Gregness · 01-10-2017, 02:19 AM

Most of the time, I love Netflix, but right now I kind of hate Netflix. Little Witch Academia started airing yesterday, and despite being the only legal western streamer for the show, they're not going to be posting the episodes weekly as they air. Rather, they're going to be uploading them all as a batch at the end of the season.

Which sucks, because all indications are that the show is every bit as good as the OVAs were. At the very least, there continues to be great material for reaction images.

Gregness · 01-13-2017, 03:40 PM

Crunchyroll tried to have an anime awards show, but there's been backlash as due to the format it ended up being largely a popularity contest (moreso than these things usually are, anyway) which means that Yuri on Ice won basically everything and some really good, but niche shows got snubbed (most loudly, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju in the drama category)

Gigguk summarizes (there's blink-and-you-miss-it spoilers for Erased. If you care, tune out when he talks about the 'best villain' category):

The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk · 01-15-2017, 05:50 PM

I just finished watching Akame Ga Kill. Now I has a sad.

Gregness · 01-15-2017, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk

I just finished watching Akame Ga Kill. Now I has a sad.

Was the sad that you watched Akame Ga Kill?

The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk · 01-21-2017, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gregness

Was the sad that you watched Akame Ga Kill?

In retrospect, yeah. Though I'm on a roll now it seems, since I also just got through Evangelion (yes, I am even more behind than Mauve on certain shows).

Now I really need something to cheer me up.

MuMu · 01-21-2017, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk

In retrospect, yeah. Though I'm on a roll now it seems, since I also just got through Evangelion (yes, I am even more behind than Mauve on certain shows).

Now I really need something to cheer me up.

Have you heard of this good thing called

Yuru Yuri?

pochercoaster · 01-22-2017, 03:52 PM

Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans is still a great show. It's had a few pacing missteps, but the overall pace of the show is really good. It's a slow burn, but the build up and the moments pay off so much.

I just realized after watching the newest episode that it has a lot of cool female characters that throw down. They haven't revealed who all the special chosen Gundam pilots are yet (just Mikazuki, obvs) but it feels like they're building up Laffter to be one.

It seems like the show is subverting a lot of tropes. The princess seems like a MacGuffin at first but she actually does a lot of important shit and gets savvy. Also, the princess doesn't get together with the main gundam pilot and that actually makes more sense 'cause they got their own shit to do.

Also, the romances in this show aren't contrived, which is nice.

The masked man doesn't have a secret identity- it seems like the show creators just put the mask in almost as a joke.

I appreciate how Tekkadan operates like an actual paramilitary organization with a chain of command 'n shit. Though the characters make the show, the world is believable.

There's even an explanation for why Tekkadan is made up of mostly teenagers and kids. It's not just "oh, it's anime, therefore teenagers are going to be more competent and interesting than adults." And they still have adults in leadership positions that they listen to because, you know, that's how a paramilitary organization works.

I guess the Turbines are technically a harem, but they're not really and they don't make it gross like you'd expect a show to do. So that's alright.

So, Iron Blooded Orphans: A Good Show.

Edit: Oh, also, I really like Julieta. I'm not sure why. She drank the Gjallerhorn kool-aid and she's annoying and she's not as competent as she wishes she were, but she's also not an idiot and I think she has the capacity to change her position. I want to see her go off and do her own thing.

12-15-2016, 07:54 PM	#291
MuMu Rocky Wrench Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Rio Posts: 1,197	Koe No Katachi Shouya Ishida always tries to beat boredom. With his little group of friends he engineers "courage tests" everyday to avoid spending a single second of tedium. Enter Shouko Nishimiya Deaf, Nishimiya communicates through a notebook and frequently needs the help of her classmates. Irked, Ishida begins to tease her, but as her necessities become more frequent, so does the intensity of his bullying During months Ishida mercilessly provokes Nishimiya until it reaches the point where adult intervention is necessary, resulting on the girl transfering schools. When confronted with what happened, the rest class blames Ishida and begin to bully him instead. For the next five years Ishida is shunned, to the point where he forgoes any kind of friendship and social contact. In his third year of High School, Ishida realizes he has no future worth living and decide to end his life but first he wants to find the girl he thoughtlessly attacked and look for redemption But forgiveness is not that easy to achieve... Now, this one is a heavy title. It proeminently deals with the disability of one character and the consequences of bullying and ostracizing, not only for the victim but also for those around them. The manga pulls absolutely no punches when considering just how much someone's life can be changed because of something that's often resumed as "playing around". It also explores the idea of making it up for past actions and changing yourself, meeting new people and facing old ones. Overall, a very emotional story. I seriously need to read something happy next

01-10-2017, 02:19 AM	#294
Gregness Never give up. Never give in. Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 1,034	Most of the time, I love Netflix, but right now I kind of hate Netflix. Little Witch Academia started airing yesterday, and despite being the only legal western streamer for the show, they're not going to be posting the episodes weekly as they air. Rather, they're going to be uploading them all as a batch at the end of the season. Which sucks, because all indications are that the show is every bit as good as the OVAs were. At the very least, there continues to be great material for reaction images. __________________ A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - Robert Heinlein

01-13-2017, 03:40 PM	#295
Gregness Never give up. Never give in. Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 1,034	Crunchyroll tried to have an anime awards show, but there's been backlash as due to the format it ended up being largely a popularity contest (moreso than these things usually are, anyway) which means that Yuri on Ice won basically everything and some really good, but niche shows got snubbed (most loudly, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju in the drama category) Gigguk summarizes (there's blink-and-you-miss-it spoilers for Erased. If you care, tune out when he talks about the 'best villain' category): __________________ A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - Robert Heinlein Last edited by Gregness; 01-14-2017 at 02:13 AM.

01-22-2017, 03:52 PM	#300
pochercoaster rollerpocher tycoon Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,808	Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans is still a great show. It's had a few pacing missteps, but the overall pace of the show is really good. It's a slow burn, but the build up and the moments pay off so much. I just realized after watching the newest episode that it has a lot of cool female characters that throw down. They haven't revealed who all the special chosen Gundam pilots are yet (just Mikazuki, obvs) but it feels like they're building up Laffter to be one. It seems like the show is subverting a lot of tropes. The princess seems like a MacGuffin at first but she actually does a lot of important shit and gets savvy. Also, the princess doesn't get together with the main gundam pilot and that actually makes more sense 'cause they got their own shit to do. Also, the romances in this show aren't contrived, which is nice. The masked man doesn't have a secret identity- it seems like the show creators just put the mask in almost as a joke. I appreciate how Tekkadan operates like an actual paramilitary organization with a chain of command 'n shit. Though the characters make the show, the world is believable. There's even an explanation for why Tekkadan is made up of mostly teenagers and kids. It's not just "oh, it's anime, therefore teenagers are going to be more competent and interesting than adults." And they still have adults in leadership positions that they listen to because, you know, that's how a paramilitary organization works. I guess the Turbines are technically a harem, but they're not really and they don't make it gross like you'd expect a show to do. So that's alright. So, Iron Blooded Orphans: A Good Show. Edit: Oh, also, I really like Julieta. I'm not sure why. She drank the Gjallerhorn kool-aid and she's annoying and she's not as competent as she wishes she were, but she's also not an idiot and I think she has the capacity to change her position. I want to see her go off and do her own thing. Last edited by pochercoaster; 01-22-2017 at 04:26 PM.

12-19-2016, 03:30 PM	#292
MuMu Rocky Wrench Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Rio Posts: 1,197	Ergo Proxy "In a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by an ecological disaster, lies the domed city of Romdeua, one of the last bastions of humanity. There, humans live with AutoReivs, intelligent androids created to aid them in their survival. But recently, the Cogito virus has been attacking the AutoReivs, granting them self-awareness which makes them break away from the ownership of humans. In a secluded part of the city, an experiment goes wrong; a mysterious being know only as "Proxy" escapes, unleashing a series of events that will affect Re-l Mayer, the granddaughter of the current Regent, assigned to investigate the Cogito; Vincent Law, a foreigner tasked with bringing down violent AutoReivs; and Raul Creed, a power hungry bureacrat in charge of the Security Bureau, among others." Now this one is an interesting title. I had tried the first three episodes earlier this year and enjoyed it very much but for ~reasons~ I put it off until recently. Now that I actually watched it in it's entirety, what stuck with me the hardest is how it went in a completely different direction than I was expecting. It begins with a cyberpunk-ish story, with Re-L investigating what is affecting the AutoReivs and what this Proxy could be, but soon enough the plot shifts from this to Re-L, Vincent and Pino travelling around the world, the Cogito plot and Romdeua almost forgotten until the last few episodes. Despite being one of the main characters, Re-L also isn't the Strong Female Protagonist she may look like from the previews, being constantly kidnapped, poisoned, injured, and generally needing to be saved by others. In fact, after a while it becomes clear that the true protagonist of the story, and major focus of the series, is actually Vincent Law. Still, it's not a bad series, and despite it getting a bit too JRPG-ish, I reccomend it if you're looking for a mature anime.

01-09-2017, 08:36 PM	#293
MuMu Rocky Wrench Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Rio Posts: 1,197	Spirit Circle "Fuuta Okeya is a normal teenager - excepting his ability to see spirits. When Kouko Ishigame transfer to his class, he is at first lovestruck but after being coldly shot down, he notices someone else tagging along with her Despite that, he still makes an effort and, along with his group of friends, manages to get closer to Kouko - Until he accidentally reveals that he can see East. Her attitude immediatelly changes, even more so after removing a bandage Fuuta has on his cheek and seeing his birthmark She reveals that Fuuta and herself are intertwined by destiny, and over several past lives have encountered and hurt each other in some way. Aware and tired of this cycle of suffering, Kouko aims to end it all - by killing and erasing Fuuta from existence. She summons the Spirit Circle, charges and strikes Fuuta and then...he sees one of his past lives. Kouko aims to make Fuuta remember their past sufferings and then eliminate him and Fuuta wants to understand their conflict and cease the cycle of revenge - and avoid his own death too, of course. Thus begins his journey through his past lives." Now, looking at the mangaka's past works, you might notice he is the same author of Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer; however, aside from both being lighthearted shonens, there aren't many similarities. While Lucifer was an action packed romp that culminates in a bombastic climax, Circle focus on emotions and it's action scenes aren't as drawn out. It's a story about revenge, forgiveness, love and hate, that doesn't get too sappy but also doesn't venture too deep. It's still very much a shonen aimed at teenagers so expect the usual comical beats - there is even one ( completely unnecessary) panty shot so you know what you're getting into. Still, much like Lucifer, it has a lot of heart which makes it distinguishable enough to warrant a read. Warning: There are titties in a couple of parts.