What anime are you watching right now? Summer 2016 to now

[robersora]

Ever tried to post here, only to notice that you weren't locked in any longer, so everything was lost, because you didn't bother to save? Yeah. It's not cool.

So, I've finally completed Fall 2016 - haven't even looked at Winter 2017. Thankfully Anime seems to be much less my thing this year, save for a few exceptions. So I'm pretty sure, I won't be fallen off the wagon for too long.

I've watched up to Episode 16 of 3gatsu no lion. It took me a little while to get into the groove of the series, but once I've sunken into the feel, they've captivated me for good. Looking forward to the remaining Episodes a lot.
I've looked up who was responsible for this show (as if Shinbo would really direct anything, lol). I found out the name of the OP director was Naoyuki Asano and he is also responsible for a little short film called Why Don't You Play in Hell. This is apparently a promo to one of my favorite movies of the same name from Sion Sono. I had to do a little digging, but I've found it. It's fun. It's got cool music.
5/10

Speaking of short music videos, I've watched a little music video by Miyazaki, titled On Your Mark. It looks and feels like a Miyazaki production, but with a much grimmer, more surrealistic edge to it... Think train sequence from Spirited Away... Anyways, it's short, it's cool - everybody should go watch it.
9/10

I finally found the remaining Episodes of Onara Gorou. Now I can rest in piece. Such an awesome series. Also, never forget the amazing ED-sequence.
∞/10

After indulging into my delight for farts, I needed to balance it out with some Fine Art. Thankfully there's a fascinating animator called Mirai Mizue. Ever wondered how your sketches in a boring school lessons looked if they came alive? That's Mirai's shtick. And he does a captivatingly mesmerizing job. Jam is pretty cool, an endless almost overbearing parade of forms and colours. Especially if you run it on a beamer for your artsy-fartsy friends. His magnum opus seems to be Wonder, which from what I understand was kickstarted? This one is much more benign and just a delight to watch (but no less hypnotizing). Also he animated 1 second every day or something, but what do I know. It's cool, go watch it.
Jam: 9/10 Wonder 10/10

Of course I watched another movie from another time, I've never seen before. Black Jack: The Movie
Dezaki is an amazing cinematographer above everything else. I love his style, every single shot looks gorgeous, cool and slick, while effortlessly remaining a breeze to watch. The X1999 movie might be universally panned, but I liked it a lot. I think for the type of story Clamp wanted to tell, Dezaki's Dark visuals were a perfect match. Also I'm pretty certain that Clamps designs have never looked better in animated form than in this movie.
Anyways, back to black.
Visually the movie is breathtaking, but sadly, the script is terribly run-of-the-mill. This might have been not a problem, if I was already invested into the Black Jack narrative, like I am in Clamp-world. But as this is my first time into Black Jack, I grew a little bit bored. Nevertheless. Dezaki’s direction kept me interested enough, to see it through.
5/10

As much fun as I had with the first few Episodes of Appli Monsters (I love the concept). I cannot in good conscious watch this aesthetic catastrophe, when at the same time Pokemon Sun and Moon sets new standards for long running animation.
DROPPED/10


Occultic Nine
This show is Polished pulp and I love it to pieces. I honestly don't get the backlash it seemed to have gotten from the internet? Yes, it is kinda confusing in Episode 1, but that settles into a nice groove afterwards anyways. If anything the style of the first Episode is what made Baccano! so intriguing and I think it worked fine in this show too. (It is the writer of Baccano!, coincidently). I would understand the backlash, if the whole show was as near incomprehensible as Boogiepop Phantom, but that isn't the case. Yeah, the characters are very meme-y and talk as fast as the Gilmore Girls, but so were Steins,Gate's characters and Stein's Gate is wildly popular.
What I'm trying to say is, that the same tropes people seemed to dislike so much about Occultic, are the same tropes that made Baccano! and Stein's Gate so successful.
Anyways, even if I couldn't stand the extreme chunibyouness of Occultic Nine, I would have gone on watching just for the aesthetics.This is Kiznaivier levels of beautiful. Man. I squirted so hard watching this show. Now, the show was hard-pressed to get through its narrative, and there are some lose ends... One Episode more would have been nice - but since this show performed so poorly, I doubt we'll see any more of it. Nevertheless. I had loads of fun.
A VERY STRONG 8/10

Yuri on Ice
It's funny, since despite the ice skating sequences were mostly gorgeously animated, I already didn't really care for the short which was part of Khara's Anima(tor) Expo precisely because I didn't care about ice skating for ice skating's sake. But the first 4 Episodes were astonishing. Finally a good show about people who are almost as gay as I am. I enjoyed it a lot, but a little less ice skating and a little more focus on both Yuri's and Victor would have elevated it to an all-time favorite of mine.
8/10

JoJo Diamond is not Crash
came to a close. I haven't seen or read any other part of the franchise, but I thoroughly enjoyed this season. I love how it looked, I love how wacky it is, I love how it creates genuine tension, while never stopping being hilarious. I love the Manga-ka guy, I love the Main villian. I love how creative and clever it is. It was an amazing ride... The only reason I can't give it a 10 is because I can't see myself enjoy it as much or even more on a second watch. If I do, I'll bump up the rating But as it stands (ha), it deserves a very strong
9/10

Drifters
Despite trying really hard it’s just not quite as innately cool as Hellsing was, but it it’s definitely still very cool (in a juvenile way). It’s really, really cool. It’s also very funny, and once it starts off there are some pretty entertaining pieces throughout the show. If you can connect with your inner 14-year old, and if you are able to stomach some slow stretches and boring exposition at the beginning or have already watched Hellsing, and in dire need of more juvenile rule of coolness, Drifters is the thing to watch.
5/10

Sound; euphonium
I love the concept of this show - being a trombonist myself, having played in band in high-school, I innately relate to a lot that’s going on.
Similar to kare kano, it reminds me me that even the most horrible of scripts can be enjoyable with right execution. And damn, is the execution on point with this one. And damn the script is a whole lot worse than for season one. It's easy to see that while the book season one was based on was crafted with lots of love and sufficient time on the hands of the author, book 2 and 3 obviously only happened because book 1 was successful.
Season 2 had a very simple conceit. "Who is this girl and what is her problem? Let's solve it1" This kind of writing does the superb drama of season 1 no justice at all.
The first half of season two features characters I'm not sure even were present in season one. I already forgot what the drama was about, which is never a good sign. And then there was the focus on Asuka. I love Asuka dearly, after season one she immediately made it onto my favorite character chart. So I'm not sure if the focus on her this season was the right choice. She was treated with respect and the show somehow gracefully managed to retain some of her charm, but overall forcing us to relate to her did her no favor over all. A lot of what was great about Asuka was, that she was hard to gauge and understand. Now we know every detail about her, taking away a lot of her mystery and charm.
Also, while it was presented as a 4-girls show, 2 of them haven't even got lines, despite being credited as MCs. Marketing sure is a bitch.
Kyo-Ani are awesome in imbuing the most inconsequential of stories with a sense of weight that, while bordering on melodrama, doesn’t make you roll your eyes into your brain. For that the crew deserves nothing but the deepest admiration and respect. But sadly the fact remains, that this season's much weaker script brought the series as a whole down for me. They should have let this that I’m not a high schooler any more and all that drama doesn’t elicit more than a somber smirk out of me. I’m too old for anime, it seems.
6/10

Now, onto 2017! I'm eager to watch Little Witch Academia, the Dragon Dentist, the new Digimon movie... And of course Konosuba2/Rakugo2. And OH MY GOSH, there's a new season of Eccentric Family!!111 Let's hope it doesn't succumb to the same fate as Sound; Eupho did.

[Gus Hanson]

As the honorable Judge Stevens from Liar Liar once said, "It is out of sheer morbid curiosity that i'm allowing this freak show to continue!"

I say that because I finally saw the last episode of Prison Battleship. While a bit more tame than the kinkiness that was going on in prior episodes, this "alternate" ending from what I can surmise pulled no punches in providing us with the chewy chunks of degradation all over the two fully brainwashed into submission leads.

[Gus Hanson]

Watched episode 7 of Masamune-kun's Revenge. Tons of fanservice especially from the big boobied crazy chaperone and the horror movie setup at night brought some well deserved hijinks.

[pwhodges]

After watching the latest ep of Ma-kun's Revenge, I feel I've reached the point of watching it just to finish rather than with any enthusiasm; this ep was simply dull - there's not a lot interesting the MC can do while tied up inside a rolled mattress, after all. Although the stories are not very similar I get the feeling the show's going for a similar vibe to Nisekoi, but that Nisekoi did it better on almost every count.

[Bagheera]

After watching the latest ep of Ma-kun's Revenge, I feel I've reached the point of watching it just to finish rather than with any enthusiasm; this ep was simply dull - there's not a lot interesting the MC can do while tied up inside a rolled mattress, after all. Although the stories are not very similar I get the feeling the show's going for a similar vibe to Nisekoi, but that Nisekoi did it better on almost every count.

Yeah, this has been my impression as well. When you learn all the big reveals about what happened to everyone as kids it's clear the story's going for the same sort of vibe as Nisekoi, but that show benefited from more likable characters and less convoluted twists. Masamune-kun, by contrast, just feels like it's plodding along, treading water until it can get to the reveals that will make the whole slog worth it -- at which point no one will care.

[Azaeroe]

I am watching Nadia the Secret of Blue Water, but not for the first time.

After that, I may watch Kare Kano/ His and Her Circumstances

[DarkBluePhoenix]

Just finished Gundam SEED, starting Gundam SEED Destiny now. SEED wasn't as bad as it could have been, even if it followed the plot of the original Gundam somewhat closely (space station attack and evacuation of super secret ship and Gundam, Earthside with wars and shit with a fight in the atmosphere as they are beginning reentry, and a return to space for the final and bloody confrontation.), and Kira could be annoying at times, but at least the series had some pretty awesome Gundam designs. I do like Gundam Wing much better, the designs and everything were a bit cooler, and the story and OVA are quite awesome.

I have to say, favorite character from SEED was Lacus, everytime she talks she was absolutely adorable, and she is a very underestimated person because she seems so damn ditsy, even though she's not. Can't wait to see what happens in its second season. I hope it holds up to the first. I've played through the main mission mode of Gundam: Reborn, so I have a very bare bones idea of what happens, so I can't wait to see i play out.

[Stan]

Naruto Shippuden (anime) ended today. Wow. I didn't watch it for years since the Pain arc, but I marathoned the last 10 episodes leading up to the finale. It's truly the end of an era.

[Justacrazyguy]

The season is almost over and its two best shows are already done: Rakugo and Konosuba. Even if every other show this season was bad(they weren't, this season was great) it still would have been a great season with just these two shows.

When the season ends I'll give a couple thoughts about both shows, but honestly there isn't much to say. They were as good, or even better than their previous seasons. That's all you need to know.

[movieartman]

Finished season 1 of Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex

SPOILER: Show

Plenty good overall but honestly the S9 team murdering some of the military/police sent to detain them really didn't set well with me.
I mean seriously, Batou refused to kill that 1 American military butcher he had a vendetta against for no other reason then cop's honor and yet he shoots in the face the unarmed pilot he tricks out of his mech when he could have just knocked him out.
This could have been made easier to take if they made it clear the prime minster gave orders to kill the team rather then detain them like with the JSDF in EOE, and I guess Aramaki telling them to "survive" implies full on death was coming for them but still.
I don't get why Aramaki didn't just tell the team to surrender and get them out of jail later on like he did with Togusa & the rest of the team once they had been captured.

Also it was a very unclear what happened to Serano at the end of the last episode & who did it to him, was he hacked? Did he activate a car bomb?

Anyways, starting 2nd Gig.

[pwhodges]

The last episode (for now - the story hasn't reached any kind of point) of Masamune-kun's Revenge was even more disappointing than the previous one. After a shaky start the series improved a bit, but then spiralled down towards the end. I am not minded to pick up the continuation when it comes. Presumably that will not be immediate, as this season was advertised as 12 episodes only.

In contrast, the latest episode of Little Witch Academia actually produced a bit of plot, which should keep the next cour going nicely (the show is advertised as 25 episodes, so presumably it will keep going straight into next season). I had been getting a bit bored (in the nicest possible way) of the aimless high-jinks - but now there's something clearly defined to aim for I think it should be much better at keeping my interest.

Gundam - Iron-blooded Orphans; the only question left now is not who will die, but who will manage to live! My own current (though baseless) feeling is that Kudelia and Atra will survive to bring up Mikazuki's child together, but that Mika-kun himself will go out in a blaze of glory giving a few of the remnants of Tekkadan the chance to escape - after all, he now has no kind of life outside Barbatos, without even Orga to look up to or to carry him around.

[Bagheera]

Scum's Wish: This show is weird, man. It starts out with two sexually active teenagers in a phony relationship due to unrequited love on both ends. Seems straightforward enough, right? Well, it seems neither can leave well enough alone and both feel the need to hook up with as many people as possible! The really weird part is that this winds up being much less self-destructive than it might be in most shows; the female lead resolved things with her friend (that relationship looked like it was heading toward School Days era misery, but did a fairly dramatic turn at the end which resulted in relative happiness for all involved), our evil queen bee seems to have gotten a clue and committed to the one guy in the world who both understands and accepts her for who she is, and our male lead seems to have accepted that he is not that guy. At this point all that's left is for our two leads to work out the fact that they're actually pretty alright for one another, and this potentially horrible show filled with pain and misery will turn into a sappy love fest for all involved.

I did not see any of that coming, but okay then.

[pwhodges]

Still doesn't sound as though I'd want to watch through what you describe; I'm sure dropping it was right for me.

[esselfortium]

Yeah, I was really expecting Scum's Wish to end in tears and suffering -- the premise seemed tailor-made for a depressing ending. I think I would've still enjoyed the show a lot either way, but that it's taken a very different path has been very refreshing and rewarding to watch.

[cyharding]

Gundam - Iron-blooded Orphans; the only question left now is not who will die, but who will manage to live! My own current (though baseless) feeling is that Kudelia and Atra will survive to bring up Mikazuki's child together, but that Mika-kun himself will go out in a blaze of glory giving a few of the remnants of Tekkadan the chance to escape - after all, he now has no kind of life outside Barbatos, without even Orga to look up to or to carry him around.

I got the feeling that Mika's fate will be that his...soul, for lack of a better word, will be absorbed by Barbatos, like how the founder of Gallajorn was absorbed into Bael. We can see that as he is losing function in various parts of his body as he keeps pushing the Gundam past it's limits, so that could easily be his ultimate fate, especially if he has to fight McGillis.

[Guy Nacks]

Scum's Wish: This show is weird, man. It starts out with two sexually active teenagers in a phony relationship due to unrequited love on both ends. Seems straightforward enough, right? Well, it seems neither can leave well enough alone and both feel the need to hook up with as many people as possible!

Scum's Wish? Sounds more like Cum Swish.

SPOILER: Show

:rimshot:

[chazthesilencer]

…charming, Guy.

Scum’s Wish has been interesting viewing for me, one doesn’t often see an anti-love love story like this, and its easily the most sexually-charged show I’ve seen since School Days.
I like how the narrator keeps changing; this isn’t any one person’s story after all.

Interview with Monster Girls. Finished. Sugary sweet and pleasant viewing. Ended on a high note with Succubus-sensei in a bikini. Would happily watch more.

Ma-Kun’s Revenge. Finished. In the end, this show wasn’t even good for a laugh. Sad. And we never did find out what those things on Kowai’s forehead were.
Waste of time. Don’t watch this.

Fuuka. Finished. The show’s animation was fairly dull and grounded, no stand-out vocal performances, a perfectly serviceable happy ending…
A pretty safe adaptation overall. Safe isn’t bad, but it is boring.

Stumbled across Plastic Memories in Crunchy’s show listings. I’m reminded of the “Androids” theme from Red Dwarf.

[Bagheera]

Ma-Kun’s Revenge. Finished. In the end, this show wasn’t even good for a laugh. Sad. And we never did find out what those things on Kowai’s forehead were.

They're just hair clips.

[pwhodges]

Scum’s Wish has been interesting viewing for me, one doesn’t often see an anti-love love story like this, and its easily the most sexually-charged show I’ve seen since School Days.

I seem to be a little out of line for not tolerating Scum's Wish. To me it is (like Game of Thrones) a story about nasty people with no redeeming features. I can take bad things if they go along with hope (EoE) or tragedy (yes, School Days - though I realise this is another view in which I am out of line); Scum's Wish showed me no sign of either in the parts that I watched.

Stumbled across Plastic Memories in Crunchy’s show listings. I’m reminded of the “Androids” theme from Red Dwarf.

Good show; I wonder if we'll get any more (they left a hook for it, but the story's complete without).

[Bagheera]

I seem to be a little out of line for not tolerating Scum's Wish. To me it is (like Game of Thrones) a story about nasty people with no redeeming features. I can take bad things if they go along with hope (EoE) or tragedy (yes, School Days - though I realise this is another view in which I am out of line); Scum's Wish showed me no sign of either in the parts that I watched.

We don't really see it with the male lead, but the female lead has a recognizable character arc. It only really gels about midway through, though. Also, the evil teacher turns into an interesting character toward the end, and manages to more-or-less reform with a surprising lack of collateral damage.

I don't know that it would be worth the slog for . . . well, anyone, really, but FWIW it turned into a very different show than it appeared to be at the outset.