What anime are you watching right now? 2H15 to 1H16

[Gus Hanson]

Dagashi Kashi episode 1: So I went into it with little prep on what the plot is or who the characters are and I believe that's what rewarded me in the long run. The character designs are extremely attractive (I'm definitely a huge fan of the costume that Hotaru first entered the scene with) and their motivations, while clichéd in some respects, make for great comedy. Also one thing to note that when Hotaru took a shower, they didn't put fog to cover up the naughty bits like in most anime coming out in their initial runs.

[pwhodges]

I've been watching Toradora! - just finished it (not the OVA, though). I enjoyed it; it was good. I don't want it to sound damning when I say it was "only" good, though I can't find anything actually negative to say about it. Basically, there was a certain unevenness in the story-telling. It starts off with Taiga (and Ryuuji, a bit) being all zany; but after a few episodes the crazy gets toned right down, and the central section is calm, verging on boring at times. Then for the last few episodes, there's a ramping up of family drama instead, leading to a reasonably satisfying, though abrupt, ending.

But compared with my two go-to mixed-up-romance stories (Honey and Clover, and Bokura ga Ita), it just can't quite compare. The story-telling in both of those (you have to include the second half of the manga for Bokura ga Ita) is a lot richer; the back stories are more detailed and intriguing, and the progression of the tales is more uniform and compelling. At times, particularly in the middle, the comparative simplicity of the Toradora! situations actually feels a little more realistic, but realism alone is not enough for entertainment.

So yes, a solid series; good - but not quite up there with the best.

[Kazuki_Fuse]

GochiUsa S2. It's very cute. On par with the first season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LywId_CBWvc

[Seele00TextOnly]

Beautiful Bones really was great. The first season was very fulfilling and left us wanting more, and I certainly hope it was successful and we get a continuation.

Beyond the Boundary left us with many questions, most of them unanswered by the episode zero or by the followup film Mirai-hen, which disappointingly resorted to an amnesia plot. Honestly, it raised more questions than we ever had of the series. But I did overall enjoy the series, and can't say I dislike it.

Bokura ga Ita has been recommended in here a few times, and I'm happy to say essel and I have picked up the show and ran with it, now up to episode 11. It's got so much to offer as a relationship show, and I'm thankful to the posters here who mentioned it and put it on my radar. It definitely has an interesting art style and direction, but the heart of it is obviously the story and characters. The characters feel original and fresh, compared to so much of the dreck anime we wade through, and even much of the better ones. It's good at conflict management. It's everything Kare Kano should have been, and the character drama feels real. The show isn't burdened with tertiary characters and their arcs, it focuses strictly and efficiently on the leads. Strictly speaking, Bokura ga Ita puts Kare Kano to shame.

Bubblegum Crisis 2033 is an OVA series that I've recently finished and now am rewatching with essel. It's a fun campy stupid classic OVA full of action, attitude, and antics. Upon rewatch, the early episodes aren't as strong as the later ones. I particularly remember the last episode as being my favorite, and having really great animation and writing. But some of the early episodes such as the second one feel too short, or missing something in the way of villain development or character interaction and involvement in the ultimate plot. Still, it's hard to beat a cheesy watchable OVA series that isn't overly reliant on grimdark violence or nudity, and we're welcome to all sorts of recommendations for shows in that vein.

(dot) Hack (forward slash forward slash) Sign we finally finished today, and it was every bit as belabored as the rest of the series before it had been. It was nice seeing the scene with Tsukasa and Subaru in the real world, although I feel more could have been done leading up to that scene, and that things probably should have ended there. There turned out to be an OVA episode following up on the series, which was mostly just an embarrassing assortment of unknown character cameos and dancing. Lots and lots of bad dancing to an extended mix of the OP. Overall, .hack//sign was an okay show I guess. It just should have been 12 episodes instead of 28. I wish more had been shown of the real world and time spent outside of The World, which was an increasingly boring and bereft setting.

Hidamari Sketch continues to be fun. We're on Hoshimittsu now and it's doing better as it goes along each season it seems. The artwork and quality continues to improve, and the characters have gotten more fleshed out. Even the two new ones are getting adequate attention.

K-on Season 2 continues to not be as good as Hidamari, despite having some of the same base intentions as a show and genre. And despite being far more acclaimed for some reason. Hidamari has more heart; even though the characters spend as much time goofing off and eating in an idealized setting, they feel more like they have responsibilities and stresses than the K-on cast. In K-on, characters' problems are always presented in a stupid manner and the characters continue to be flat and one-note. Also, fuck that Popcorn ripoff BGM track that shows up every. single. episode.

Mushi-shi is a show we've slowly been working our way through. It's a rewarding yet tough watch, since there's nothing to make fun of and it requires fixed attention and appreciation for its pacing and ambiance. Interesting to know an entire second season awaits us undubbed, as well as a feature film. It's a very melancholy show in that things often start out bleak and end up bittersweet. For those unfamiliar, it features a main character who wanders the countryside from village to village addressing almost mythological problems and conditions resulting from an ethereal genre of creatures called mushi. His past is uncertain and his ultimate destination is unstated as thus far, though the OP hints at one.

Nobunagun is an insane show featuring historically famous individuals reincarnated as living weapons to fight a practically unnamed and silly alien invasion force. It's an absolutely ridiculous show with a premise that doesn't hold up to scrutiny, but it has so much preposterous stuff to offer that it's downright watchable. We feature people ranging from Isaac Newton to Mahatma Ghandi to ... Mozart and Babe Ruth? It's absolutely stupid and fun for it.

[robersora]

Beyond the Boundary

Beyond the Boundary is an optically and mechanically pleasing series. I like the narrative structure a lot, I like the beautiful visual presentation.... But it is kinda clinical. (Which is a strange thing to say, considering Kyo-Anis track record of creating warm, homely atmospheres in many of their other series). I'm really intrigued why that is, though - I just can't say what went wrong in establishing The series kinda felt incomplete, so I hoped, the movie would cap it off nicely, but sadly it is just a catastrophe. Over the top melodrama completely stood at odds with the non-emotional foundation this series established. The Amnesia plot felt completely tacked on and the questions it answered were completely nonsensical. Thus Disappearance of Haruhi still remains my go to amnesia plot.

(dot) Hack (forward slash forward slash) Sign

It hurts me greatly to say that you're correct. I loved that series as a kid. And it boasts great ideas, cool characters and and intriguing world. And its best moments, (which unfortunately are far and few in between) are breathtaking.

SPOILER: Show

The moment Subaru hugs Tsukasa, the moment he gets raped by Morganna, the last sequence of both of them meeting IRL.

The music is on my phone to this day. Might be my favourite Anime Soundtrack. And it's not quite the disaster //roots was. But yes. It's not a good series, but my nostalgia will blindly make me love it until I die.

Mushi-shi

It's as good as the Monster of the Week formula can get. It's never as patronizing as Kino's Journey could get and never as ugly as Kino's Journey is. It's formula, which could easily run into danger of getting stale never does. I needed to get used to it's pace, though - it definitely was a slow burner for me. It's also not a show that is conventionally entertaining, so I imagine binge-watching it with friends might be kinda difficult. But there's nothing better out there for watching one Episode on a cold Winter evening alone cozily under your blanket before drifting off to sleep while thinking about the story told. I was never a big fan of the first opening song, but the second made me cry several times. And looking at the art especially after the upgrade to HD Zoku Shou received, just amazing.




nineteen 19
this little OVA from 1990 is pretty refreshing since it’s characters actually seem to have something like a sex drive and openly talk about it - a rare instance in nowadays Anime. Other than that it’s a fairly simple story, but the visual presentation is very slick. Not a must watch, but definitely entertaining and short enough to warrant sitting down for it. Also it’s a nice little leap into Anime history.

Incidentally it's from the same guy who directed Last Exile, which I watched the first 13 Episodes of. The CGI holds up pretty well and it manages to create some simply awe-inspiring vistas. Generally the visual style is distinct and beautiful. Why this character designer doesn't get more work is beyond me. Those first 13 Episodes introduced us into a fascinating world, but I feel like this show would need more Episodes than 26 to wrap it up sufficiently. It kinda feels like it's set up for a three arc structure. I already heard it kinda breaks down in the end, which is a pity - the first 13 Episodes were fascinating and on top of that thrilling. What I love most though, was how they managed to pull of such an ethereal, cerebral atmosphere while never letting loose on the suspense. I have never seen pull that feeling of that confidently. Let's see, where this one is going.

Blood-Iron Orphans
After Reconquista and Turn A’s crazy direction let me lose interest and made me give up 9 Episodes in, BIO also lost lots of steam quickly. After the first Episode drew me in with brisk pace and an intriguing setting this show threw everything it had going for it out of the Window. All those nifty visual direction tricks that instantly hooked me (I'm a sucker for fast cut aways in particular) are all but gone after Episode one and especially after they embarked on the endless space journey all verve was lost. The grittiness in design and flavour only remains in the opening (god is that song awful), and the high-tech villains ship doesn’t only look bland but borders on the ugly. Random space ship 101 in a weird mixture of shades of grey. The characters held some intrigue, but three potentially latently multi-layered people can’t hold my interest for long, when the rest of the cast is busy sprouting vapidness. And taking time for an endless journey through space to get to know all the players while refraining to deliver anything substantial to care about those people, broke the deal for me in the end. This series had it all, but it chose to break it’s neck in not being able to hold interest as soon as the pace of the plot slowed down. Kinda ironic that it’s plagued by problems in areas Tomino’s Gundam did well.

Thunderbolt
An extremely beautifully realized, palpable world introduced with breathtaking animation and direction. I like the Jazz. Maybe this installment of the franchise will manage to make me care and in further consequence hold my interest.

Owarimonogatari
I really thought that another addition to the harem might do more harm than good. But boy was I wrong. It not only made Koyomi a more understandable, and less annoyingly bland person, but also gave Ougi time to shine. Boy, am I intrigued to find out what’s the deal of this sinister little bitch. Needless to say, she is new best girl. The build up to the reveal (whatever it ends up being) is breathtaking and there’s lots of hints to her agenda, but I can’t piece it together just yet. Ougi is mystery done well. Also, there was lots of Hanekawa, who I really grew to like more and more. And then there was Sodachi whose premise for the story was kind of a stretch (I could tell she wasn't planned until Owari), but once again the presentation sold me completely into it - especially the stellar rancorous voice acting of Marina Inoue blew me away. The second arc wasn’t that interesting to me, since I’m not that into Shinobu or Kanbaru - then again - their conversation rang true for me although it certainly was stilted, even by Monogatari’s standards. The emotional payoff in the end was superb as well. I’m always fascinated how something as plastic as Monogatari manages to move me from time to time. Now that the set up for conclusion is done, we can finally move into the finale!

LOL, jk there’s still Koyomimonogatari and Kizumonogatari. Koyomimonogatari seems to be the good kind of fan service - expanding the lore and spending time with the characters, which is nice now that the end is imminent. It's also nice seeing Oshino again. And Kizumonogatari’s trailers look breathtaking, so I’m really looking forward to that.

Noragami Aragoto
I was mildly entertained by its first season and I was glad that it kinda made me understand, that Shonen could entertain me - with strong character writing no lingering on powering up with endless reaction shots, and tropes modified just enough to not make me roll my eyes. I’m glad to say the second season topped all of the first seasons accomplishments by far. Especially the Bishamon arc was intriguing and had me on the edge of my seat for the whole run time. I really hope this series will return for a third season!

Have I written about Hibike! Euphonium?
I liked it a lot. Not by chance it’s sometimes described as K-ON with stakes. As I play the trombone myself, I was completely blown away by the painstakingly precise depiction of brass instruments. Generally the animation was something else. Also it avoided the emotional hollowness of Kyoukai no Kanata. It’s a sentiment, that even the simplest of stories can be elevated to greatness with great, interesting characters and the interaction of those, expert story telling and attention to detail.
Now… I would love seeing something else than a High School setting realized by them…

EDIT
Man, I should really start proof reading.

[Bagheera]

I think we need a new thread. It is not summer and it is not 2015. Or maybe we can just drop the "Summer 2015" from the title?

[robersora]

^
I always saw it more as the starting date of the thread. The thread after that would tell me which time frame the earlier thread operated in. So I personally see no need in opening i new one, and oppose the idea of renaming it.

[Seele00TextOnly]

Can we split the 2016 posts into the new one? Or better yet yeah just drop the timeframe from the title.

[robersora]

Musaigen Phantom World's source material is trash, but Kyo-ani does their best to make it the good kind of trash. I’d even go as far to say, that it’s a parody of LN adaptions. All the staples are there: Boring characters busy with all the tropy hijinks instead of actual character interaction? Check.
A tacked on High School? You bet.
A generally non-sensical setting, after some vague cataclysm? But of course.
A harem filled with Asuka, Mari and Rei in the vicinity of an extremely bland self-insert? Sure thing.
"Characters" that barely walk the tightrope between insufferably obnoxious and inspidly bland? Ding Ding Dinnnnng
Genre referencing self awareness with slight meta-quality? I guess it's en vogue now.
A vaguely shiny futuristic city which is really shiny and neat despite it's potentially apocalyptic problems of, you know manifesting weird monsters all the time?
Well, do you think there is any other way to make things futuristic?
It goes out of its way to waste time on reiterating the obvious world building we see all the time anyways instead of showing us other things about the world?
Ah, no one needs an interesting three dimensional setting, when we don't even bother with interesting characters.
To it's defense, I’m pretty sure there went no thought into actual world building, so it’s not that they could actually show us stuff of how the world works.

Butgod damn, is it beautiful.  SPOILER: Show

I still dream of the day, Kyo-ani use their prowess to give a show without a High School the K-Euphonium treatment.

And god damn, is it funny.  SPOILER: Show

Not when it intents to be, mind you - but I stopped several times to LOL at the sheer ridiculousness on screen.

Spoiler tags fixed (putting the text inside ""); also here's the rest of the second scene --Tines

[Mr. Tines]

One of the things I got as a Christmas present was the complete Secret of Blue Water, and this evening we watched the first couple of episodes, which were absolutely charming. Despite being a series that gets talked about regularly, it felt like I was coming to the series quite unspoiled, which was an extra bonus.

[Compiling_Autumn]

Butgod damn, is it beautiful.  SPOILER: Show

I still dream of the day, Kyo-ani use their prowess to give a show without a High School the K-Euphonium treatment.

And god damn, is it funny.  SPOILER: Show

Not when it intents to be, mind you - but I stopped several times to LOL at the sheer ridiculousness on screen.

Spoiler tags fixed (putting the text inside ""); also here's the rest of the second scene --Tines

Something about how this is animated creeps me out, especially with the arms.
I guess I'm just not ready for the coming digital revolution.

[lastcody]

Erased: BOKU DAKE GA INAI MACHI Episodes 1-2: Want to get the word out on this one because its really rad and potentially the best show of this season. Its a murder mystery spanning from the years 1988 to 2006 I don't want to give too much away because when the end of the first episode reveals the true nature of the show its a awesome surprise go watch the 1st episode thats all.

[robersora]

The older I get, the more shows I’ve watched, the less my tolerance for mediocrity or tired tropes get. Not to say, those shows were bad, but all of them failed to draw me in sufficiently for me to start caring for the world. Instead I was so bored that I started noticing everything wrong with the show. And if that happens in the first Episode, I’m not inclined into watching further. At least I can name the things that bother me, so bare with me.

Musaigen 2 bordered the line between hilarious trash to boring trash to obnoxious trash especially thanks to the presence of that fairy thing. I'll be content with watching the best cuts on Sakugabooru. It's sad to see so much visual prowess wasted on this pile of poo - here's hope that this show sells bad enough that Kyo-Ani isn't inclined to translate bad Light Novels onto the screen. I mean, Kyoukai no Kanata was kinda mediocre, but this is just plain bad. The worst part is the endless exposition spouting - and it's just never anything new. And they reiterate that they know nothing over and over again. MOVE ON ALREADY.
drop

Dagashi
I like the character design of the main girl. Otherwise it’s mildly entertaining, but I didn’t make it through the first Episode. I like the parts that reminded me of NieA_7. Then I remembered, that NieA does all that Dagashi does better and'll rather rewatch that than spending time on this.
drop

Bubuki Buranki
Breathtaking background design, an intriguing world and cool sounding sound design are this shows biggest strengths. The PS2-Persons bothered me actually less than I expected. I can see CG becoming the predominant animation technique in about 10 years, if it continues to evolve at this rate. Unfortunately, it does some stuff I grew allergic against. None of the characters manage to bring something even remotely interesting into the mix. Too many archetypes for my tastes. Also it focuses on the least interesting characters in cesspool of boredom. Which is a shame, the world seems interesting enough that about any other approach at telling the story might have been able to keep my interest. But alas, Anime is an expensive business, and so they need self inserts for marketing reasons. But why didn't they take a not from DRRR and create at least some intriguing people to wander this world. Also, is it that hard to employ child actors?
Yes, eye-roll-inducing characters with grating voices and garish costumes in a beautifully realized world. I'll consider resorting to looking at background art on Google with this one.
drop

Speaking of Child Actors, ERASED
Well, that blew me away. I didn't expect anything judging from the track record of A1 pictures. Love it. I love the OST, Kajiura’s tricks might be worn out by now and she’s never give us another .hack//Sign, but her music works with this series pretty well. The setting is not the most interesting, but the execution is so perfect, I can’t complain here. I love the naturalistic voice acting, I love that I have the time to get to know the characters. I love that they feel like people. I love the sound design. The visual direction is also very tasty - it even manages to make the generally ugly designs of A1 pictures' characters bearable. Also, one can see, that the director comes from tha Shinbo-Hood (which is fine by me)
If this keeps up, we finally have a Noitamina series, that lives up to the time slot.

I don't want to give too much away because when the end of the first episode reveals the true nature of the show its a awesome surprise go watch the 1st episode thats all.

Yeah, I'm glad that i didn't read the synopsis too.
watch

P.A. Works Hyoukaphonium
Was not bad, but the stiff visual direction made it worse than could have been. This one would have greatly benefited by the Kyo-Ani treatment, or at least deserved the treatment Erased got. But this is so boring to look at, I slept in twice. Which is sad, because there is a fun show buried underneath the visual incompetency. The only thing that still stood out to me was the really likable main characters and the great dynamic between them. I’d rather watch Hyouka and Euphonium again, though.
drop

That wonderful world is blessed, KONOSUBA
on the other hand has engaging animation and explores it's conventional world with verve and fun, on top of boasting an incredibly entertaining main duo. The jokes never overstayed their welcome and were genuinely entertaining as well!
Also, there's rainbow puking.
pending

Durarara
Well, now for the finale of this show. Once again a new season starts, once again I'm lost. It’s sad to see it has lost so much steam in it’s execution during it’s run, but at this point I’m invested enough to tolerate it. But man, if I'd ever watch Episode 12 of season 1 and a random Episode of this project back to back, I'd need some medication afterwards. This production can barely hold its marbles together.
watch

Sushi Police
Well, that was a fun little romp. It made me smirk in ridiculing reactionary mindsets, and looks beautifully Gorillazesque. And I’m a sucker for that style.
watch

Still need to watch Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. I heard, it's pretty cool.

[caragnafog dog]

some brief impressions and warnings concerning kizu part 1 after a third viewing:

SPOILER: Show

-it ends with shinobu, araragi and meme settling on their plan to stop dramaturgy, episode and guillotine cutter, and quite abruptly so
-the style is incredible, very appropriate for the big screen and a step up from every past gataris. everything is either gray and shadowy or bathed in orange light from the setting sun, save for one scene
-it opens not with araragi's internal monologue, but with him exiting the cram school and being turned into a fireball by the sun after it peeks out from behind the clouds. it lasts for nearly ten minutes and is extremely impressive, foreboding even for one who knows what's coming and replete with crows.
-my favorite scene is meme's entrance. I've seen it three times now and it makes me giddy every single time, I guarantee it will do the same for all of you. if you think back to the kizu preview you'll remember what he does there, but what's best about it is how he arrives on the scene.
-the music was more varied than usual, if only because kizu contains several scenes in which the usual conversational background stuff is not enough. the kiss-shot araragi bloodsucking scene becomes eva-esque for this reason.

thinking back, I never thought there would be any material more suitable to adaptation by shaft than zetsubo sensei. even one chapter reveals that everything about its style lends itself perfectly to shinbo's quirks. but seeing kizu I think it suits shaft's style even more, albeit in a different, more theatrical and grandiose way. I suppose high-stake cinematic anime just brings out something different in them; rebellion being another example of that.

the only problem is that seeing it three times has only whet my appetite for more. my suggestion would be to not see these as they come out, but to do it all at once. or just read the new translation by Vertical while you wait. it's going to be a grueling time.

[Gus Hanson]

Rahxephon episode 20: It took me a lot of tries to get through this episode since I cannot stand the English dub for all it's complexity PARTICULARLY from Quon. At this point, i'm just gritting my teeth and trying to get past these last six episodes for the sake of completing just once the dub experience.

Valkyrie Drive Mermaid episode 1: Thank heavens for yuri anime! And ANOTHER one featuring Yuka Iguchi since the last one I heard her in was Sakura Trick. At this point, i'm a rabid fan of her and any anime she's in. As for the yuri content, I really love that's it's no holds barred UNCENSORED in it's depiction without the censors trying to put in "fog" to cover up.

[Rosenakahara]

Valkyrie Drive Mermaid episode 1: Thank heavens for yuri anime! And ANOTHER one featuring Yuka Iguchi since the last one I heard her in was Sakura Trick. At this point, i'm a rabid fan of her and any anime she's in. As for the yuri content, I really love that's it's no holds barred UNCENSORED in it's depiction without the censors trying to put in "fog" to cover up.

You are in for a trip, I cant say if its a good or bad trip because I'm not even sure but its certainly something.

[Reichu]

Decided to marathon Gurren Lagann for no apparent reason. Always good, brainless fun (if only it catered to female gaze as much as male, though...) and I wish I could afford the BD box.

My boyfriend has also started putting on Akagi, which I heard good things about but never got around to watching on my own. There is something weirdly compelling about it, in that you can have absolutely no idea what's going on (i.e., not know one wit about the rules of mahjong) but still be glued to the screen throughout. Quite the accomplishment. I guess it helps that Akagi himself is an entertaining character and you never know what sort of asshole move he's going to pull next solely for his own entertainment.

We're thinking about doing Rahxephon soon, since, yes, both of us have somehow managed to get to the year 2016 without seeing more than a few episodes each.

[Mr. Tines]

Up to Symphogear G episode 6, and finally it seems to be getting some life in it. And Nadia episode 7 where the plot is thickening fast.

There is something weirdly compelling about it, in that you can have absolutely no idea what's going on (i.e., not know one wit about the rules of mahjong) but still be glued to the screen throughout.

That having absolutely no idea what's going on -- you're in good company

[chazthesilencer]

Mouryou no Hako/ What’s in the baaaaachs? What’s in the f**king bachs?
The first few episodes I followed easily enough- we’ve got a couple of nutty, school girls running around, getting into trouble as they do; then one gets hospitalised; then she disappears; then the investigation started… and so did my snoring.

The names of characters seemed to just blend into one another, it didn’t help that the character designs were rather samey, nor the fact that none of them were particularly likeable people either.
Ended up fast-forwarding episodes after the interminable episode six. Too much bloody talking. Even the wikipedia synopsis of the plot is tedious to read.

This is my second failed attempt at watching this show. I feel very ashamed of myself, and I’m sure Mr. Tines is also disappointed.

SYD* OVA 4

SPOILER: Show

Head-butt!

This toon continues to make me happy even with lousy subtitles.

The Asterisk War: Check the dictionary for the word “Generic”.

Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation ended up being rather average. The only memorable thing about it is Sakurako‘s quirky self.

She has a fantastic “frankly, my dear” face.

ShiroBako
It did take a few episodes to get into, but when you suss out which characters are the regulars- the highs and lows of Aoi and her buddies as well as the rest of Musashino Animation makes for some good television. You're happy when things go right, and your heart sinks when things go wrong.
What better way to forget about your stresses at work than by watching a show about adults doing stressful things at work? At least they’re cute adults.

It was nice to see the red head finally catch a break.

Hakone-Chan
Drink cans and guns have been done, so why not turn hot springs into cute, little girls too?
Harmless (if somewhat stupid) fluff with a 3 minute of so episode length. I’m reminded of Squid Girl the way the girls spray hot spring water out of their mouths at high pressure.

After watching Shirobako, I can’t help but imagine the chaotic production the final episode of this show must have went through. Everything seemed rushed and poorly executed- the animation was choppy with characters being off-model; Hakone-chan apparently dies in a completely unexpected twist with zero impact; then comes back to life barely two minutes later, also with zero impact… it’s rather stupendous in how craptacular this final episode is. I’d highly recommend watching this episode alone.

I’m waiting for a more abstract concept to be turned into cute, little girls. How about periods of human history? Imagine it:

“Bronze-age-chan, stop picking on Stone-age-chan!”
“Yes, Renaissance-senpai.”

Technically off-topic: I’m not watching Ghost Stories, I’m listening to it. It’s great.

[Ray]

Baccano!:


I finished up this thing a little bit ago, and it's the perfect pick me up. It's a series that doesn't expect itself to be taken too seriously, but demands its audience does just that. You have to pay attention to whats happening on the screen or else the whole story will descend into chaotic nonsense. Because it's equal parts an epic centuries spanning story, and a tight concise action series that should be enjoyed again and again.

Think Highlander meets The Boondock Saints, with a good dose of Tarantino sprinkled in. It's gratuitous, but all the violence is done for the sake of entertainment and fun, like a Tarantino movie, not meant to be seen as all that gruesome.

I really admire how this series goes out of it's way to make Mobsters, some of the most vile and unlikeable characters in the history of the USA into likable and relatable characters. Each with their own failings and benefits as human beings. Or if you can't relate to them, they at the very least are so entertaining from moment to moment that you like them anyway. Be it the hammy over the top psycho Mobster Lad Russo, the completely out of his element bootlegger Jacuzzi and his girlfriend Nice (that's her real name), or my personal favorites husband and wife cat burglars Issac and Mira.

Also, it's easily one of the most quotable Anime I've ever seen.
"Now tell me, who the hell tried to ventilate me!?"

"Thank you! Fuck you! A villain has arrived!"

"You are my absolute favorite people to kill! You are so beautifully amazed when you die! Especially when I squish your brains! BETWEEN MY FINGERS! LIKE I'M MAKING SAUSAGE!"

"Why didn't gettin' killed kill us?"

"Life...is a magnificent beast, and it excites me."

"MIRIA!" "ISSAC!"

Having said that, it's not perfect. For one, there isn't a lot of narrative tension because of the way the story is set up. They give away who is going to live and die by the end of the series away in the first episode, (or in the case of one character in the opening credits). Personally, I found that worked to the stories disadvantage. Thankfully the characters were so engaging that revealing their fates didn't detract from the time you spent with them, but it still annoyed me a bit.

Also, it ends on one of the most annoying 'READ THE MANGA/NOVEL" endings ever. If that annoys you, stop watching at episode 13, which I think is a more or less perfect ending for the series. Because 14-16 set up plotlines for a season 2 that likely won't ever come to be. Also, who is this vice president dude and little girl at the beginning of the series? That was never really resolved, their inclusion at the end of the last episode was abrupt and rather weird. Imagine if after narrating the opening for an episode of Twilight Zone, Rod Serlings character of the narrator showed up as a character in the story, and then left after speaking some exposition, leaving the characters and the audience confused.That's how I felt.

Having said all that, what else can I say? It's Baccano. I loved it, you'll love it too.