What anime are you watching right now? Nov 2013

[caragnafog dog]

I finished Eureka 7. Very nice show, 2nd half more than made up for the first, though it still shouldn't have been 50 episodes. The unwaveringly positive message was easy to get behind.

I also rewatched FLCL for the 5th time. As much as I love it, it's still my 3rd favorite Gainax work behind Eva and Gunbuster.

Watching SAC 2nd gig and rewatching Penguindrum now. I hope I like 2nd gig better than season 1.

[Monk Ed]

I think that all comes under the heading of "Too Much Information".

He spoilered it for a reason. You have only yourself to blame.

[Ornette]

Some quick mid-season thoughts:

Space Brothers: Can't believe how long things get dragged out, it would be nice to see a bit more of all those other characters that we saw every week during the first 50 or so episodes.

Ippo: still pretty good, getting setup for a real epic title match

Kill la Kill: starting to get less excited about this show after 8 episodes than the first ones, it's still fun to watch

Gifu: A lot of pretty hilarious (though not sure if intended) stuff, not sure if these shows are supposed to be as historically accurate as they seem. It sure is no Hyouge Mono.

Monogatari: It seemed pretty much the same sort of *gatari stuff until the last arc. Really enjoyed the medusa ones, and this shinobu arc looks real promising

Magi: somehow, becoming less interested in this compared to the first season, show seems completely aimless at this point

RWBY: A lot of show for what seems like very little going on. It seemed to have started out pretty good

Valvrave: Becoming a pretty enjoyable show these last couple of episodes, first season was really kind of hit or miss for me until the end

Flamenco, it was pretty enjoyable dork wannabe vigilante, but then wtf?

Yowapeda, one of the fun shows this season, but it's pretty mindless and so far not much has happened for the number of episodes that has gone by

Beyond the Boundary it seems stuff is just starting to get interesting. I liked the animation from the get-go

Golden Time, what seemed to be kind of quirky now feels like it's kind of a mess. Not the show itself, but where the story has gone.

Monochrome hit or miss, but totally ok for being a short length show. Some really funny episodes

Gingitsune really like this one, the episodes never seem to get old or drag, solid story too

Infinite Stratos, left off where it ended last season, but still not that great, utterly forgettable show

Strike the blood, kind of an interesting take for a supernatural show. More action it seems than substance

Ace of Diamond, another really fun show, one of the ones I look forward to more than others every week

Kuroko Basketball, continues right where it left off. Heavy on the sport, light on the characters, still compelling though if only just to see who beats who

Log Horizon, Not really sure where this is going, it seemed like a SAO kind of show in the beginning, but clearly not.

Outbreak Company the show I'm probably closest to dropping. It's not really that bad, just sort of forgettable and not that interesting when I have 20 other show sthat I watch every week.

White Album 2, found out that it really has nothing to do with the first White Album, but it's ok. Things are starting to get into the rom-conflict stride now. Though the characters and setting is different, it really does remind me a lot of the first season

Galilei Donna, pretty fun show, the main antagonist seems textbook "I'm a super evil guy" character though, makes him seem really dull, at least there's a short glimpse of his past

Non Non Biyori, was a lot of fun through the first half, but it's starting to lose some of its momentum. Not that pure SoL shows can have momentum, but it just seems like there's not enough new things happening eventhough a good bit of time has passed.

Kyousougiga another pretty fun show, the setting makes it kind of confusing sometimes if you're not paying attention.

[A.T. Fish]

Outbreak Company the show I'm probably closest to dropping. It's not really that bad, just sort of forgettable and not that interesting when I have 20 other show sthat I watch every week.

I know what you mean, jokes are getting old and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. It does manage to be funny at times though, and the dadaist bgm is just hilarious.

Non Non Biyori, was a lot of fun through the first half, but it's starting to lose some of its momentum. Not that pure SoL shows can have momentum, but it just seems like there's not enough new things happening eventhough a good bit of time has passed.

Well, this is one of those shows about nothing, and it is based on humorous sketches with every episode having about two or three loosely connected short stories, you can't expect much in the way of new things happening.

[Dataprime]

Monogatari
Kyousougiga

My favorites this season

[Final Messenger]

He spoilered it for a reason. You have only yourself to blame.

there used to be another part of his post that was edited out that wasn't spoiler tagged, I won't say what it was because ugh people don't need to know those kinds of things.

[Giji Shinka]

there used to be another part of his post that was edited out that wasn't spoiler tagged, I won't say what it was because ugh people don't need to know those kinds of things.

Yeah, I edited it into "my wrist hurts... ;A;" because it sounded a lot better. The previous one wasn't good (Obviously) in my eyes either.

[Gorbatschow]

I just started Aku no Hana and as far as i am, it's awesome.

Apart from the really good story, the animation is my main reason for liking the show, although they properly used the rotoscoping technique because of the lack of budget (as far as I know, the animation also gets a "in-universe-explanation"). So you really have to like the art style if you want to enjoy the show. (At the moment I'm thinking about reading the manga at a monthly basis, since there'll be a second season and I'm terrible at waiting Although I'd miss the style of the show (slow pacing, oppressive music, the animation))
Also I freaking love the credit's soundtrack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDNj7mqOud0#t=0m45s

Also i'm currently watching Mousou Dairini.

It's also just genius. It works with a lot of symbolic and psychological elements. It's actually pretty hard to explain what's going on and why it's good. But it's just awesome.

[Giji Shinka]

Hotarubi no Mori e
Dammiiiiit.....!

9/10

[Ornette]

Well, this is one of those shows about nothing, and it is based on humorous sketches with every episode having about two or three loosely connected short stories, you can't expect much in the way of new things happening.

Oh I'm aware of what kind of show it is. I'm a big fan of "nothing happens" shows like Non Non Biyori, but the important thing about all the nothing happening is that is has to be interesting, often via the draw of the characters and strong development. I'm just not getting that here, it seems the only one that stands out in the show is the little girl.

[caragnafog dog]

Just watched the Taxi Driver episode of SAC 2nd gig. It was pretty neat. I feel bad now.

[C.A.P.]

Wrapped up Macross Frontier a few minutes ago. Will get around to the movies either this weekend or sometime next week.

Xard, I'll report my thoughts on the show after my brain will not longer hear KKKIIIIIMMMMMMMIIII WA DARE TO KISU WO SURU on a weekly basis.

[A.T. Fish]

Watched Spirited Away last night. I remember when this movie was playing in theaters (a result of it winning the academy award), unfortunately I didn't get to see it then, can't remember why, probably because I was in that age where you can't admit to the world that you still like cartoons. I can only imagine how fascinated my past self would have been after watching it, seeing as how it managed to amaze me even now, after a few years of experience with fantastic anime settings.

Spirited Away is simple in nature and brilliant in execution, presenting the viewer with a visually impressive fantasy world that easily conveys the sense of misplacement felt by the protagonist and provides a great setting for her adventure. The environmental theme that is common to Miyazaki films came as a bit of a surprise to me here, as it was subtly but still meaningfully inserted into the story. Animation is as good as expected of any Ghibli production, though I still think the previous Ghibli movie (Princess Mononoke) had better animation.

[Xard]

I've been waiting for a misspelling to use ironically, this fits the bill.

I have no idea what my stupid iPhone word corrector was thinking. Then again I thought it sounded amusing enough and less pain in the ass write than the real name (I should check kanji to see what the hell it even means) so I let it be.

Today I watched bunch of....Naughty and lewd anime. Again.

I watched:

SPOILER: Show

Love 2 Quad ep. 1
Nee Summer! ep. 1-2
Chu Shite Agechau: Oshikake Onee-san no Seikou Chiryou ep. 1-2
Imouto Paradise! 1-2 ep.
Wanna. SpartanSex Spermax!!! ep. 1-2
Please Rape Me! ep. 1-2
Valkyrie Choukyou Semen Tank no Ikusa Otome 10-nin Shimai ep. 1-2
Nuki Doki! Tenshi to Akuma no Sakusei Battle ep. 1-2
Rin x Sen + Ran -> Sem: Cross Mix ep. 1-2
Rin x Sen: Hakudaku Onna Kyoushi to Yaroudomo ep. 1-2
Aku no Onna Kanbu: Full Moon Night ep. 1
Kuroinu: Kedakaki Seijo wa Hakudaku ni Somaru ep. 1-2
First Love ep. 1-2
Floating Material ep. 1-2
Eroge! H mo Game mo Kaihatsu Zanmai ep. 1-3
Oni Chichi: Re-birth ep. 1
Oni Chichi: Re-born ep. 1-2

My wrist hurts...;A;

Also, I'll re-watch Mirai Nikki and Guilty crown soon.

By far the most perverse part of this post.

CLAMP? Well, I watched Nunnally in Wonderland

It's pretty awful OVA adaptation of pretty awful short 90s CLAMP manga. My point was following Alice in Wonderland for recs might have terrible consequences now and then.

Then there's that ancient Cream Lemon episode which was just drugs as *********

I know what you mean, jokes are getting old and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. It does manage to be funny at times though, and the dadaist bgm is just hilarious.

I've only seen the first episode and whenever THAT started to play show grew exponentially in my eyes.

That's some Macross Plus/Cowboy Bebop BGM tier weirdness.

KKKIIIIIMMMMMMMIIII WA DARE TO KISU WO SURU

WAAAAAATAAAASHI SOOREETOOOMO AATAAASHIII (now on electone!)

(Lion is superior)

********

Kill La Kill (as of ep 8): Strong AOTY candidate. I've enjoyed every episode a lot - frankly things like story and characters won't matter to me at all as long as the execution is so good and joyful anarchy is presented with such verve and odd quasi-crude sophistication (or quasi-sophisticated crudeness, your choice). So in the category of "art for art's sake" or however you want to put it KlK rules supreme and that's more than enough for me. That on top of this it's also ridiculously funny, has a great cast and genuinely intriguing lolwtf storyline just makes it climb even higher. AOTY 2013 is one on one fight between this and Yamato 2199 as far as I'm considered and I'm not sure if Yamato is running as it's *really* 2012 series that took ages to finish. Typically shows are classified by year they start, not the year they finish.

Anyway, I hope this show doesn't lose its way further on.

Infinite Stratos (as of ep 7): I wonder when neutrino star density of Ichika catches the attention and interest of physicists and cosmologists. How biological mass of average human size can be so dense is truly a mystery of modern science. Anyway, it has something of a plot in addition to PLOT but it's as laughable and inconsequential as expected. Characters are rather generic and wri-you know, I shouldn't even need to tell these things.

What makes IS 2 strangely watchable are two things. First there're the actually very well choreographed "mecha" action scenes with some nice CG - sasuga 8bit - and secondly the moeblobs are cute and very able PLOTdevices. So it's not like Infinite Stratos 2 is terrible watch, it's just as mindnumbingly generic and dumb as first season. My inability to drop franchises when I should is truly one of my biggest flaws as anime viewer.

I'd still vroom vroom Houki's Houkis, anyway.

Non Non Biyori (as of ep 7): There are two ways to view this show. First there's the option of seeing series as ludicruously pictorial and lushly beautiful tourism ad combined with some truly pleasant iyashikei vibes and cute girls doing cute comic things SoLness. Another viewpoint sees the series as subtle deconstruction of slice of life genre, implicit criticism of otaku and graceful study of social ostracization, gender stratification and bullying.

I'm not which reading is correct but it's even doubly funnier from latter point of view.

[Bagheera]

Non Non Biyori (as of ep 7): There are two ways to view this show. First there's the option of seeing series as ludicruously pictorial and lushly beautiful tourism ad combined with some truly pleasant iyashikei vibes and cute girls doing cute comic things SoLness. Another viewpoint sees the series as subtle deconstruction of slice of life genre, implicit criticism of otaku and graceful study of social ostracization, gender stratification and bullying.

I'm not which reading is correct but it's even doubly funnier from latter point of view.

Too subtle for me, went right over my head. Mind unpacking that a bit?

[Xard]

Too subtle for me, went right over my head. Mind unpacking that a bit?

Well, I'm visiting my parents this weekend and only anime I have with me is Dunbine on USB stick so I can't really give a proper shot at good reply (and attempt at creating copypasta) before monday. The basic idea is very simple though!

Keep Non Non Biyori as is but make brother the main character of the series and keep focus strictly on him. Everything else can be as is down to jokes and episodic hijinks. Nevertheless the resulting series would look A LOT more like Welcome to the NHK than anything else.

[Bagheera]

Keep Non Non Biyori as is but make brother the main character of the series and keep focus strictly on him. Everything else can be as is down to jokes and episodic hijinks. Nevertheless the resulting series would look A LOT more like Welcome to the NHK than anything else.

Oh. Ohhh. So you're talking about him being the target of ostracization and bullying? Yeah, I can see that. Bit creepy now that I think about it.

[Xard]

Oh. Ohhh. So you're talking about him being the target of ostracization and bullying? Yeah, I can see that. Bit creepy now that I think about it.

Yeah. I mean, obviously it's completely unintentional on part of creators but it's ridiculously easy to give this sort of grimdark "reading" [to be elaborated later] of Non Non Biyori.

I first went "oh sweet SoL series of this kind that is not ONLY cute girls doing cute things but there's actual male presence in the show? Whoa" when I saw first two eps or so. I quickly noticed this optimism was completely unwarranted and as I marathoned eps 3-6 with a friend and it became increasingly obvious how series INTENTIONALLY kept shafting him from comedy sketches to framing of scenes (typically when bro appears for example in dinner he's partly obscured by some girl in front of him, scenes are changed when he's supposed to have a line etc.) to everything else. So after I brought this up both of us had this "cannot unrealize" reaction to series and we started to derive excessive amusement from predicting how Non Non Biyori will shaft him next and what sort of dark, morbid thoughts run in cycles inside his head while we watch Grade Schoolers Who Aren't Really Grade Schoolers and Middle Schoolers Who Aren't Really Middle Schoolers be all moe and shit.

Hence the series is doubly funnier on the "what the fuck Japan this is worse than Endor holocaust" reading. Funny stuff is still funny and then there's this additional "layer" that would fit Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei better - which too is amusing in its fucked upness.

[caragnafog dog]

I agree that Lion is the better OP but it's impossible to get KIMI WA DARE TO KISSU out of my head. I can't even remember how Lion goes because of it.

[Bagheera]

I agree that Lion is the better OP but it's impossible to get KIMI WA DARE TO KISSU out of my head. I can't even remember how Lion goes because of it.

Lion pretty effectively drove all else out of my head. Love that song.