What anime are you watching right now? Feb-Dec 2010

[Oz]

Episodic writing means both the way I understood Merri's post + the way you described it.

Yes, Kino's Journey has a strong narrative for each episode, but as far as I've understood slice of life's "lack of dramatic narrative" is more about one for a complete series/season. Kino doesn't have anything like that. Hence, I think of it as slice of life. Oh well, Kino is more like "slice of world" (= slice of life with the world as the "main character"). Comparing it to Mushishi doesn't really help since I haven't seen show.

Okay, maybe my choice of word was bad there ("definition"), but I was referring to the fact that Aria and YKK represent only one sort of slice of life - the one occupied with mono no aware. There are other sort of slice of life series as well.

As for Haibane and SnW, I would like to point out that I didn't initially mean that they are 100% slice of life. Instead when I wrote the original post I was thinking about shows that are similar, not specifically slice of life even though the post doesn't really reveal that. Haibane does have a rather extensive slice of life bit which is almost half the show (first 6 episodes). Whether slice of life is its "true goal" or not is not what I question here. I'm trying to say slice of life is nevertheless a significant part of Haibane.

[NatTheWriter]

Keep us updated on it, if you don't mind. I always like to hear the first time thoughts of people watching things I enjoyed.

Sure thing.

[Eva Yojimbo]

FWIW, I think Xard defines slice-of-life a bit more strictly than it was originally intended. It's not that slice-of-life doesn't have plot, characters, and conflict, it's merely that the narrative does not use the typical tools of narration to artificially enhance these elements and focus on them. Life is full of these narrative elements to begin with, so fiction has typically just been about neatly ordering, enhancing, and focusing on them, while slice-of-life presents them in a more natural, unhyped element. I think Haibane Renmei straddles that line between slice-of-life and traditional dramatic narrative. Once it establishes the setting and (quite quickly) the characters, it does become more about their daily existence rather than being driven by plot or character development. The most dramatic elements of the series happen at the beginning and very end, but the real meat of the series doesn't feel very dramatically "enhanced" (for lack of a better word) to me.

[alabaster]

Honey and Clover....it's a little over the top but funny. I've only watched 2 episodes so far so will reserve judgement.

[toe mash]

Honey and Clover....it's a little over the top but funny. I've only watched 2 episodes so far so will reserve judgement.

I'm still on episode 21 of HnC.. Even though I can appreciate the high quality of the show, I find it hard to just keep on watching for some reason.

This is feeling pretty similar to Cowboy Bebop in that sense.

[BrikHaus]

I'm still on episode 21 of HnC.. Even though I can appreciate the high quality of the show, I find it hard to just keep on watching for some reason.

This is feeling pretty similar to Cowboy Bebop in that sense.

What makes it hard to watch Cowboy Bebop? Is it the great animation? Is it the outstanding soundtrack? Is it the wonderful character dynamics? Is it the genuinely funny humor? Is it the well crafted action sequences? Or is it the perfect cast (in Japanese or English)?

[toe mash]

What makes it hard to watch Cowboy Bebop? Is it the great animation? Is it the outstanding soundtrack? Is it the wonderful character dynamics? Is it the genuinely funny humor? Is it the well crafted action sequences? Or is it the perfect cast (in Japanese or English)?

The fact that some episodes can be very boring and since they are completely unrelated to the plot it gave me no... incentive, will, or perhaps desire to continue watching it. It doesn't even have to be a cliffhanger ending each and every episode, but sometimes I just had no interest in what was going on for some reason and wanted to get it over with really.

This does not apply at all to the last 3 episodes though, which do (almost, at least) live up the insanely built up hype CB has.

I'd rather not get into this because I know I'm in the severe minority here.

[Twin Drive Sigma Aquarion]

^I'm a far greater minority here, toe mash, I think you'll be safe. I mean, I didn't know what Studio Ghible was until a massive panic attack happened.

[IrkenEvangelion]

Just finished Princess Lover! Only 12 episodes... depressing. It is my new all time favorite anime. Eva's #1 in a different class... Bastard should've married Charlotte in the last episode.

[toe mash]

Just finished Princess Lover! Only 12 episodes... depressing. It is my new all time favorite anime. Eva's #1 in a different class... Bastard should've married Charlotte in the last episode.

I hear that Princess Lover has an interesting OVA that you might be interested in

[Dr. Nick]

Just finished Princess Lover! Only 12 episodes... depressing.

It also has two episodes of porno, so it's really kinda like Evangelion.

[IrkenEvangelion]

Have it. The animation in the OVA leaves something to be desired. Also Charlotte isn't in it, so that's disappointing as well.

[Killer Bee]

It also has two episodes of porno, so it's really kinda like Evangelion.

Your copy of Evangelion has porno in it?

ANYWAY Funimation.com is streaming the first four episodes of Welcome to the NHK and I thought they were pretty good. Still, whenever I'm watching an anime lately (or any show, really) all I can think is, "I could be watching Evangelion right now." So I don't have really much to contribute to this thread these days.

[NatTheWriter]

Speaking of porno...sorta

Watched the first episode of Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt.

...I feel like a bit of a sicko, typing out the name. ._.; The epic art style was the only real reason I wanted to watch it. Didn't care all too much for the premise.

I found the first half to be kind of mediocre. It has an interesting art style although Scott Pilgrim v. The World did the written sound effects better and neat music, but other than that...blah. It just keeps repeating the same jokes. I'm not a fan of potty humor, either, so those parts were lost on me.

Second half is a step up, mostly because of the epic fight.

[Oz]

The final extra episode of K-ON!! was quite good and left me wanting more. Let's hope the movie will be good. I also watched the first episode of Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt. That was awesome in an outrageous/sick way.

[InstrumentalityOne]

Your copy of Evangelion has porno in it?

There is an H-OVA somewhere on the internet(porn video site, to be accurate), if you want to see it, I could send you the link in a PM.


I just saw PSG 1.

Hot damn.

[Ornette]

The final extra episode of K-ON!! was quite good and left me wanting more. Let's hope the movie will be good.

Yeah, that was a pretty good way to end the series. I actually thought that the first season was a little better than the second, but I think it's not so much that it was "better" but that it seemed more consistent. There are probably several episodes of the second season that I don't even remember because it just seemed like it just trudged along and passed right through my brain.

[drinian]

...I feel like a bit of a sicko, typing out the name. ._.;

Every day, I walk by a clothing store here in Tokyo that is selling a panty and stocking set, with garterbelt. I'm 99% sure this is a common Engrish descriptive phrase here.

... if that helps at all.

[Merridian]

Been away for a few days, but I have managed to catch a few things worth mentioning here.

Panty & Stocking's first episode delivered everything I expected, along with DAT TRANSFORMATION. Worth the wait; all trust in Imaishi & Yoshinari has been validated.

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works recent BD/DVD release - watched the raws since I already knew what was going to happen (been playing the game over the last week or so... in what spare time I've had, anyway). Action, action, action, action, action, violence, and action. One really shouldn't bother oneself with pacing, development, and drama when one can be satisfied with so much fluid action and speechifying. I'll watch it again when I find subs, but at the moment I'd only recommend it to people who liked the game and know wtf is going on.

I started Canaan as well, in part due to this recent Type Moon binge I've been on. Its first two episodes have been pretty good, but with all the things they've introduced in these scant 40-some minutes, I'm rather puzzled as to how they'll be able to tie it all up in only 13 episodes or so.

[Sailor Star Dust]

On my own time: Panty and Stocking with Gaterbelt.

In my anime class: Various anime. And I mean, really various.

For instance, up this coming week in my class is: Ninja Scroll and To Shoot without Shooting.

This past week was Lupin III: Albatross Wings of Death, Memories: Cannon Fodder, Mt. Head and La maison en petits cubes (The House of Little Cubes).

Week 1, in contrast, was: Cockpit: Mach Thunder Force (Sonic Boom Squadron), Cockpit: Knight of the Iron Dragon, Panda! Go Panda!: Rainy Day Circus.

Several of these are Miyazaki, which is great. And La maison en petits cubes is an absolute gem, I can see why it won the Academy Award. Why Mt. Head didn't win the award when it was eligible, however, is beyond me.

I'll add what we're watching in my class to this thread each week, just in case anybody wants to make any comments on 'em.