What Current Anime Are You Watching Version v4.0

[Seto Kaiba]

1 hour ago, kajnrig said:

Basara reminds me in some ways of Mikumo, except that Basara is allowed to be a leaf-eating parody of himself, whereas Mikumo gets played completely straight and suffers for it.

Basara had enough actual character traits that his lack of development was allowed to pass unremarked-upon... Mikumo was so underdeveloped they had to try to turn her lack of any character traits into a character trait.

[JB0]

On 10/18/2020 at 11:13 PM, Podtastic said:

I'd say that that sounds rather like Min May, but at least she didn't jump into a cockpit to proactively engage in battle-blocking. 

I gave up on Basara after he berated himself for standing up for Mylene. As humans go Gamlin was more my kind of guy. 

Minmay actually acts like a human being, though. Basara kinda... doesn't?

She also wasn't treated as an unstoppable force of nature in either version of her story. She was hyped up after-the-fact. Basara's treated as something special from the word go.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I will give it more episodes of M7 before I quit.  I want one space battle that Basara doesn't ruin.  Basara is making me a Minmei fan.  I am can't stand her at all.

[technoblue]

1 hour ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I will give it more episodes of M7 before I quit.  I want one space battle that Basara doesn't ruin.  Basara is making me a Minmei fan.  I am can't stand her at all.

Yeah. Going in and expecting SDF Macross TV or Macross Plus is going to disappoint. Basara butting in is the whole schtick of this series, and as others have noted earlier it takes a while for that actual story to begin. For me, I think it was episodes 17-23 where I finally started to see the Protodevlin as something more than two-dimensional bad guys, find out why they're so overpowered, and why Ray was pushing the idea of Sound Force with UN Spacy for this particular fleet. 

It does all get fleshed out, but if you don't care about it, then waiting for the show to kick into gear is probably too big of an ask.

Edited October 20, 2020 by technoblue

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

33 minutes ago, technoblue said:

Yeah. Going in and expecting SDF Macross TV or Macross Plus is going to disappoint. Basara butting in is the whole schtick of this series, and as others have noted earlier it takes a while for that actual story to begin. For me, I think it was episodes 17-23 where I finally started to see the Protodevlin as something more than two-dimensional bad guys, find out why they're so overpowered, and why Ray was pushing the idea of Sound Force with UN Spacy for this particular fleet. 

It does all get fleshed out, but if you don't care about it, then waiting for the show to kick into gear is probably too big of an ask.

I will try to stick with it then. I would hate to give up to soon.

[Scyla]

Ideally you should watch M7 one episode per week. Which is the way it was meant to be. Don’t Binge it.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

Strike Witches Road to Berlin is just so funny.  I miss Sakamoto Mio.

[treker14]

On 10/17/2020 at 12:49 AM, Seto Kaiba said:

Stargazer's a SEED series... that's all that really needs to be said about it.

I didn't mind Seed or Seed Destiny. I enjoyed them because it was a change from the UC.  I watched one episode of Stargazer for that reason and was bored to tears and nearly fell asleep. 

[treker14]

On 10/20/2020 at 5:24 PM, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I will give it more episodes of M7 before I quit.  I want one space battle that Basara doesn't ruin.  Basara is making me a Minmei fan.  I am can't stand her at all.

M7 isn't like any of the other Macross series, however I like it but not because of Basara although I did enjoy Fire Bomber's music. I continued to watch not because of Basara but because of the recurring characters like Max & Miria Jenius, Michael, Galmin, the bridge bunnies & Dr Chiba. 

[kajnrig]

On 10/16/2020 at 11:49 PM, Seto Kaiba said:

Stargazer's a SEED series... that's all that really needs to be said about it.

1 hour ago, treker14 said:

I didn't mind Seed or Seed Destiny. I enjoyed them because it was a change from the UC.  I watched one episode of Stargazer for that reason and was bored to tears and nearly fell asleep. 

I dunno what y'all are on about, Stargazer is literally the only thing I've been able to stand of the Seed franchise.  Short, to the point, and manages to avoid many of the pitfalls that most Gundam shows get into, such that even if you don't like it you're only out 45 minutes or less. Plus the Stargazer itself is SUCH a good design...

Edited October 22, 2020 by kajnrig

[Podtastic]

3 hours ago, treker14 said:

didn't mind Seed or Seed Destiny. I enjoyed them because it was a change from the UC

I absolutely loved Seed and Destiny. That was my first Gundam.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I am on the Gamlin is best character in Macross 7 train.

[treker14]

20 hours ago, Podtastic said:

I absolutely loved Seed and Destiny. That was my first Gundam.

What I really enjoyed about Seed and Destiny was two friends on opposite sides of the war, something different from many of the UC Gundam series. Also there was love and hope in it not just war, which was more like Macross.

[Sanity is Optional]

7 hours ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I am on the Gamlin is best character in Macross 7 train.

Certainly a better character than Basara (who was more of a walking plot device than a character).

[Podtastic]

4 hours ago, treker14 said:

What I really enjoyed about Seed and Destiny was two friends on opposite sides of the war, something different from many of the UC Gundam series. Also there was love and hope in it not just war, which was more like Macross.

It was a positive, colourful series with a bit of that "North and South" vibe going on. However, Athrun was never quite at Kira's level IMO. One of the things I loved in Destiny was how they set up Shinn for that epic duel. You saw it coming from the beginning, but the build up through the Minerva's missions was still fun.

The music was pretty good in many instances and the battles were enjoyable throughout, I especially liked the intro for the Destroy.

1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Certainly a better character than Basara (who was more of a walking plot device than a character).

Yes indeed. Gamlin in my assessment would be that serious guy who does not fail at things simply because he cares too much to allow it to happen.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I am enjoying Bakemonogatari. It is very different form anything I have watched before.

[ErikElvis]

10 minutes ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I am enjoying Bakemonogatari. It is very different form anything I have watched before.

Really strange but a good series. 

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

2 hours ago, ErikElvis said:

Really strange but a good series. 

It is so out there and the animation is just strange.

[technoblue]

4 hours ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I am enjoying Bakemonogatari. It is very different form anything I have watched before.

I enjoyed that one too, so much so that I ended up collecting the manga volumes. 

[M'Kyuun]

Currently watching Turn-A Gundam for the first time. I bought it a few years ago when Hastings went bankrupt, and finally decided to watch it. Glad I did. It's unique, and I like the story and the characters, not to mention the juxtaposition of technical advancement of the Moonrace and the Earthers,. It's also cool to see the eponymous Gundam, which itself is rather unique in its style, the handiwork of Syd Mead (RIP), the only Westerner to design an official Gundam.

For the record, I've only seen a few of the Gundam series: MSG, Zeta Gundam, most of IBO, most of Gundam Origin: Rise of the Red Comet.  

Zeta was the first series I watched, and I thought it was amazing. Watched MSG after, and thought it was good, but not as much as Zeta. IBO was a cool show, and the Barbatos Lupus Rex is one of my favorite Gundam designs. Rise of the Red Comet was a fun watch, and now Turn-A, which is just so different from the rest, but enjoyable in its own way. With just this small sampling of Gundam under my belt, so to speak, I can see why it enjoys the popularity that it does. I mean, it's no Macross, but still pretty good.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I am really enjoying strike the blood.

[Seto Kaiba]

Giving Iwakakeru - Sport Climbing Girls a whirl... the poster makes it look like it'll be skeevy fanservice, but the possibilities inherent in a sports anime that's so radically outside the norm has me genuinely curious.  I wonder if this was inspired by climbing being introduced as an Olympic sport for the first time (planned) in the 2021 Olympic games.

Spoiler

The first minute or so feels a bit unfair... it looked like the poster might've been a bit off and the characters would be proportioned like actual rock climbing athletes.  No such luck, I'm afraid... they're all built like your standard anime slightly fanservice-y high school girls.

After the OP, it starts with a fairly standard "gee, what club should I join" sort of premise with the protagonist agonizing over not being cut out for the cultural clubs or any of your traditional sports.  Because fate is unsubtle today, she turns a literal corner and finds a pair of rock climbing walls erected in a courtyard.  We don't even know her name yet... and she's already been captured by the sports climbing team like a goddamn pokemon.  Seems a bit dim, TBH.  Not sure the other club members are better.  They have three people total, apparently because their newest member is a hardass who chases everyone else away by declaring them not good enough and declaring she'll quit if they pass her challenge to join the club in the first place.  

So far, there's not much in the way of an actual story... and I get the feeling this show doesn't have much of a budget either given that the last couple minutes have just been various pan shots over still images of people in climbing poses narrated by two characters.  All they've had for actual story is just the basic explanation that the main character was a borderline hikikomori obsessed with puzzle games who gave it up because her grades were tanking and is inexplicably good at rock climbing because portable skills?

The contest to see if the main girl whose name I don't recall (was it ever actually mentioned?) ends in a very narrow victory for bitchy girl but the main character is allowed to join regardless after a cliched rival/tsundere sort of speech.

 

The story has a definite "barely there, hitting just the obligatory plot beats for a sports anime" sort of feel.  I was worried it'd be an excuse plot to justify a lot of fanservice... and I feel like that was right for the wrong reason.  Instead of an anime where high school girls are forced into compromising poses and make vaguely sexual noises it's more like technique porn for rock climbing enthusiasts.

So far, nothing to really grab the audience's attention unless they're hardcore into rock climbing.

[Seto Kaiba]

Four episodes in, and Iwakakeru - Sport Climbing Girls still has a painfully threadbare plot.

Spoiler

They jumped right from having the main girl (whose name is apparently Konomi) join the sport climbing club to a competition complete with the obligatory sabotage by an evil newbie crusher-type character.  None of these people are developed in any way, shape, or form, and come and go from the story practically unremarked-upon.  Then they just go free-climb a boulder for some reason and the guy who is the coach but says he isn't the coach is the only interesting thing because he's voiced by the same guy who voices Gin in Shokugeki no Soma.  Then they go equipment shopping and it turns into a spiel about shoes complete with the saleswoman fondling Konomi's feet for comedic effect.

There's no real buildup to competitions, so they jump wildly from screwing around to competing and the competitions are incredibly overdramatic... and yet anticlimactic, since there's only so much drama you can milk out of trying to hold onto a plastic rock.

 

[Keith]

On 10/23/2020 at 6:05 PM, technoblue said:

I enjoyed that one too, so much so that I ended up collecting the manga volumes. 

Why the manga instead of the original light novels?

[Focslain]

My anime group has started back up, moved to the weekend so we added another series to the rotation since we have the time.

Going thru Ascendancy of a Bookworm (season 2), By the Grace of the Gods, Higarshi, Molarity the Patriot, and Sleepy Princess in a Demon Castle.

Of which only Ascendency and now Sleepy Princess has my attention. I'll definitely go thru Molarity again once they dub it. Nothing against the current voice cast, just I like watching a series in it's native tongue. 

(Need a Italian dub of Gunslinger Girls, please)

[technoblue]

8 hours ago, Keith said:

Why the manga instead of the original light novels?

Because I'm an idiot.  

I picked up the light novel collections from rightstuf when they were on sale. I dunno why I typed manga. I wasn't thinking.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I am really flying through Strike the Blood it is so good.  I decided to read the light novels after I finish Sakurasou.

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

I just finished Ep 3 of Kamisama ni Natta Hi.

Verdict is still out on this..  too early for me to get a feel yet as to how it is going to go.   But I expect an attempt at the Feels by then end as Key is so known for.

 

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I am really enjoying Maoujou de Oyasumi.  It is so funny and the Princess could wipe out the Maou and his army all by herself. 

 

My biggest problem with anime is everytime I like a show I want to read the source light novel. 

Edited October 28, 2020 by Hikaru Ichijo SL

[Seto Kaiba]

Back to getting caught up on this season's offerings.

Jujutsu Kaisen is increasingly my #1 pick for this season, if only because it's the series that feels the best-developed of the lot.  It'd be a fairly standard shonen anime if it weren't for how surprisingly dark it is.  Given how casually the series handles violent dismemberment and creepy monsters, it feels like Bleach by way of Gantz.  Yuji gets hurt A LOT, and some of those injuries are rather grisly.  The cursed spirits they're fighting get their fair share of the gore too in unlovely ways... like the most recent episode where the jovial and genial teacher responsible for Yuji and his two classmates oh-so-casually decapitates one of the show's principal antagonists then interrogates him.  (Even the show's occasional moments of levity are colored by this, like the omake after the last episode where the battered but still-living decapitated head of the cursed spirit from the episode is used as an improvised soccer ball by his own side and ends up having most of his teeth kicked out in the process.)

Tonikaku Kawaii is, unfortunately, still wallowing in that one joke it seems to have.  It'd be a cute and entertaining, if fairly generic, romcom if it had more diversity in its humor.  So far, the only joke it really has it that its protagonist Nasa overreacts to absolutely anything involving his new wife because he's literally never had any interaction with a girl before.  It's had a few nice charming moments, mostly involving Tsukasa revealing she's just as much of a nerd as Nasa but better at hiding it, but it doesn't really impress.

Iwakakeru - Sport Climbing Girls is still gratifyingly free of the kind of blatant fanservice that I and everyone I'd spoken to about it was expecting from the outset, but it feels like its writers were kind of counting on having that kind of fanservice to fill time or add interest.  What I know about rock climbing could fit comfortably on a napkin with enough room to pen a dirty limerick or two, but this feels like the showrunners are committed to an authentic depiction of the sport of rock climbing... except in their decision to depict it as being highly competitive and wildly popular like soccer or baseball.  I'm sure it's very accurate, but it's not really doing a good job as an ambassador for the sport because it makes the whole affair seem rather boring (esp. when the best comparison they can seem to draw is to a cell phone puzzle game similar to Bust a Move or Magical Drop).

I'm Standing on a Million Lives is probably one of the most disorganized-feeling shows I've seen in a good while.  There's no real sense of a coherent plot thread.  Things just sort of happen and the protagonists seem just as lost as the audience is 99% of the time.  It's just that meme where Moon Knight is throwing things and yelling "RANDOM BULLSHIT! GO!", as a story.

[Marzan]

Anyone else watching Moriarty the Patriot? Much better than I expected. They chart the rise of Moriarty as a protagonist, rather than just Sherlock Holmes 'antagonist. On top of that they develop his background as a social revolutionary, an adopted son of a nobility that rebels against the English class system. It's pretty well made too.

[Focslain]

Moriarty is one of the series my group is watching. Only complaint so far is that the cast is too pretty for his liking. Otherwise it's another class war over-arcing story with revenge plots as the main episode focus. The series is at least nice enough to give the audience the clues needed to reach the conclusions Moriarty does so that he doesn't look like a total know-it-all.

We will most likely not get a Sherlock during this though unless there is a time jump. The guy pointing a gun at Moriarty in the opener is most likely either a new rival for the series or Mycroft Holmes (Sherlock's older brother).

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Currently I am attempting to catch up on Log Horizon before the 3rd season hits Next anime season.

Still watching Kamisama ni Natta Hi and I still don't know where its going and we are 8 episodes in at this point.

 

 

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I am now up to Strike the Blood III.  I love Himeragi Yukina.   I am now watching Nisemonogatari.  I finally advanced through Macross 7.  I started episode 16 and way to go, could they made the physica death flag any more obvious.  The subs I was watching Macross 7 with made me laugh, the lady says 10,9,8,7 in English the subs say juu, kyuu, hachi, nana. 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

So I just recently came back from a screening of the 3rd movie of the FSN Heavens Feel Trilogy.    Spring Song was IMO very well animated and continues UFO tables legacy of Fate series adaptations.     However..    Yes here it comes,   I do not think the adaptation to a movie format was the correct choice.      I will focus on the finale here,  as I would need to refresh myself on the other 2 parts,  but it feels like much of the main plot is completely left on the editing room floor.     I can only hope that they do right by Heavens Feel and give it a full TV Series like they have done with UBW.      

Full disclosure,  I am 100% bias as HF route was what made the original FSN VN for me.   This route stood out very clearly and even though the last time I went through it was probably close to 20 years ago there are scenes that still stand out.    The ending for this movie while technically correct had some very MAJOR plot holes and loose ends to tie up.    Without going into spoilers I will just point out some more glaring moments..  Shirou's fate,  and Illiya's ending.   Zeltrich (SP?) and ultimately Zouken's finale.      Yes there is much to unpack there.   Again this is just looking at Part 3..   I forgave much of the glossing over and editing of the 1st movie,  and started to really pick apart the 2nd because of what was left out.    For the finale,  completely editing out one of the major developments and skipping past it's conclusion really soured me.

Ok with that said..   still was not a terrible movie,   I will be picking it up just be mindful that much was cut out for the movie format.     Here is to a FULL adaptation.

 

On the other Anime front,  I started watching Tonikaku Kawaii only 4 episodes in and I am enjoying it.   Nothing spectacular but the Mrs.  is also enjoying it.   

Dan Machi Season 3 is kinda meh..   While I still enjoy the franchise,  the whole formula is starting to get a little stagnant.   The introduction of intelligent monsters is a plus but the characters are all really predictable at this point.

Kamisama ni Natta hi is also very meh..  I keep expecting Angel Beats and instead this is just Dull.    As of at least the end of Episode 7 some fairly major elements are getting hinted at.   Hopefully the last 4 episodes can pull this together.    If they do another Charlotte where the last 2 episodes could be a complete season I will be highly annoyed.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni - Gou   is going great,   another VN that I highly enjoyed.    There are some pretty major changes in this retelling,  and I am curious how they intend to wrap this up,  as we seem to be deviating from some of the original  elements of the Question and Answer Arcs.     I honestly miss the original OP.    

Edited November 25, 2020 by Stampeed Valkyrie