Forum - View topicWhat are you watching right now? Why? (please read 1st post)
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Keonyn
 Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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Was that level of response really truly necessary? I've seen the series too and I would hardly consider the mention of the scene in question as a spoiler either. Honestly, most people who have even heard of the series have probably already heard of the infamous scene and the scene is largely inconsequential to the story and nothing is really spoiled by knowledge of its existence. So cool it; that response was not even remotely appropriate for the "crime" and seemingly more due to the one who posted it than what was posted. I tagged the spoiler for you anyways, but next time use the report function or at least post a more civil request on the matter.
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Cottonballs64
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Last night I watched the first nine episodes of Ore no Imouto. I avoided it up until now because I dislike shows with heavy fanservice/suggestive themes, they're usually pretty boring with nonstop panty shots/guys accidentally falling on top of chicks. Probably the worst example of this would be Girls Bravo. I'm not saying that I avoid every show with fanservice, I just need a decent story to go with it.
Ore no Imouto is essentially about a guy who has a sister who he doesn't know too well. One day he finds a DVD that belongs to her which contains an eroge game with a little sister subject. After talking to her about it, he realizes that she's kind of lonely, so he decides to help her learn how to make friends within her Otaku lifestyle, without having to abandon her school life. I haven't finished the series yet, but from what I've seen, I'm likely to give it a decent rating. This show has plenty of character development, so you don't have to worry about stagnant characters. Kyousuke, the protagonist, has a noble personality, all he wants to do is help everyone he's close to. Usually such a character wouldn't have any interest in the other characters romantically, but they make it clear that he's occasionally checking out some of the girls around him. I'm also guilty of enjoying the "older brother/little sister" side of this show. The way that Kyousuke and Kirino bond throughout the series is tastefully done, all starting with a secret hobby that Kyousuke discovered. Another element of the show that I find entertaining is the Otaku lifestyle as a heavy subject matter of the series. Genshiken is another great example of this, I enjoy the idea of only understanding the subject matter of a series (not having to be told a lot of information throughout the anime so that I can understand the events, something like Chaos;Head) because I've experienced some of it myself, it's easier to relate to. Something I immediately related to was when spoiler[Kirino forced her brother to play her games so that she could talk to someone about them.] None of my friends watch anime to the same extent as me, so I've occasionally had to force my brother, who doesn't actively pursue new anime, to watch a series so that I can discuss it with him. Anyways, I'll finish it as soon as I have the free time. I have high hopes for the end of the season, because I found that there's apparently going to be another season of it this April. |
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Tris8
 Posts: 2114 Location: Where the rain is. |
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Finished Pandora Hearts. It was good, but it ends right after it pulls the big guns out and, as other people commented, without completely resolving the main issue or most of the lesser ones. This might be one of those rare series that motivates me to go after the manga because the anime tantalizes with its answers that bring up even more mysteries. Like, who's grave is that from the beginning? My guess is it's Glen Baskerville's because of what we learn about the musicbox watch. But of course that's just a small fry question. Gah, the more I think about it, the more I'm dying to know how spoiler[Gil, Vincent,] Oz, Alice, the Will of Abyss, Jack and Glen all are related to the tragedy. What caused the tragedy?? K, that's it, going to find the manga now. Gah, and the manga is ongoing, so it will torture me with its mysteries as well.... I need to go back to watching old stuff, I don't have this 'patience' quality that some readers/watchers seem to have.
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Yttrbio
 Posts: 3652 |
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On the one hand, yeah, it makes me interested in the manga. But on the other, I don't really want to reward that kind of behavior in anime design...
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Tris8
Posts: 2114 Location: Where the rain is. |
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^ I agree. That kind of ending annoys the heck out of me, though it isn't as much of a tease as some others I've seen. I've become almost exclusively an anime watcher in the last 2 years so even cliffhanger ending don't get me to read the manga on their own. This one has gotten to me tho.
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Ortensia1980
 Posts: 803 Location: some town near Amsterdam |
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Finished watching Kimi ni Todoke and Kimi ni Todoke 2 the other day.
Kimi ni Todoke - I can't think of anything negative to say about this one. It's a perfect mix of emotions and it has great characters. What makes this anime so good however is the interaction between the two main characters and their blossoming relationship and with 25 episodes, there is more then enough time to see it grow. Romance anime doesn't get any better than this if you ask me. Kimi ni Todoke 2 - It's good, but not quite as good as the first one. It has a lot more drama and the storyline started to feel a bit dragged out somewhere in the middle. I know that it would have been pretty pointless if they'd have just gotten together in the first episode (after all, what's a shoujo anime without drama), but you'd think that they would have learned to understand each other a lot better considering what they went through in the first series. Don't get me wrong, I love both of them and have given them identical ratings, but where Kimi ni Todoke is the one that gives a nice warm feeling most of the time, Kimi ni Todoke 2 is the more dramatic one. |
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Aylinn
 Posts: 1684 |
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The manga is currently at the stage where things are being explained.  And you can certainly get answers for your questions.
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CrowLia
 Posts: 5505 Location: Mexico |
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I really like KimiTodo, I loved how sweet and innocent it is, but I dropped the second season in the first episode because I was infuriated at the ridiculousness spoiler[of Sawako not giving her chocolates to Kazehaya just because Ume told her so]. The reasoning felt so forced and the whole episode was so overly dramatic that I got pissed and haven't felt like picking it up again |
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Dalvyn
 Posts: 86 |
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It's been a while since I've watched any anime, but I just watched the first episode of From the New World, and I think I'm going to try that out.
Other than that nothing really seemed to catch my interest in the fall season, though that's just from reading short descriptions. I'll have to give a few shows an episode or two to see if there are any hidden gems. |
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Tris8
Posts: 2114 Location: Where the rain is. |
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I was in a mood where I wouldn't mind watching a tearjerker (been avoiding them as of late) so I picked Ano Hana: The Flower We Saw That Day. The basic story is Menma died as a child (around age 9?) and has now come back as a ghost, haunting one of her best friends until he grants her wish. I liked it and as expected it dragged some tears out of me, but it went a little over the top. I was surprised and pleased though that it didn't focus on Menma's death at all. We don't even find out exactly how she died, though through some hints she probably spoiler[drowned]. That I didn't care much for Menma as a character weighed the show down. I found her very annoying and whiny in the first episode. She got better, but I never cared for her. But she did get to me in a couple scenes, especially spoiler[when Menma visits her family and her mother comments that she might not even know she's dead. And Menma responds in tears, knowing no one can hear her. "I know. I do know I'm dead...."] And wow, all 5 of the childhood friends are so broken by her death. I've never experienced the death of someone close, but the reactions seem a little unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, I could understand if it was just one or two of them who were so hung up on her death (a death always hits a couple people harder than most) but all five of them let her death define their lives for years afterward. Menma's mother's reaction I find believable though. Afterall, she's her mother, Menma was her baby. Children aren't supposed to die before their parents. It just seemed unrealistically extreme to me spoiler[that Jintan and Yukiatsu pined away for a childhood crush for 5+ years.] Not a lot actually happens in this series, but it stays engaging throughout. It's impressive it was able to entertain for 11 episodes of friends coming together and hanging out. I loved the opening song and sequence, especially the very start where it shows the gang go from kids to teens, with only Menma missing as a teen. And the way it chose to always show Menma as a person and not ghostly was interesting. All other anime shows with ghosts in it (that I've seen) show also from the perspective of one who can't see the ghost. You see things moving on their own, possibly hear some creepy ghost-like noises. But it only does that once (maybe twice?) near the end. I don't know if it means anything, that's just something I found interesting  . Overall, good but a little too much melodrama. The whole last ep is a scream and cry fest. Despite those complaints, it got to me anyway.
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rheiders
 Posts: 1137 Location: Colorful Colorado :) |
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I blind bought The Twelve Kingdoms at NDK back in September, and now that I'm home for winter break I decided to finally sit down and give it a watch. I'm eleven episodes in at this point.
I originally bought it because I had heard good things about it and because it seemed like something I would enjoy. I actually kind of liked the premise of Fushigi Yuugi when I read it way back when, with a modern high school girl being transported into a pastoral fantasy world with an Eastern flair, but was greatly disappointed by it. I feel like this series is everything I wanted from FY but didn't get. It started out a bit slow, but I'm loving it so far. Youko was annoying at first, but after a few episodes of development she's quickly becoming one of my favorite anime heroines in a long time. At first she would only whine about everything and never actually do anything. She just sat there and waited for other people to do everything for her. After that, she became spoiler[very cruel and selfish after being tormented by the spirit of her sword], and made a lot of frustrating decisions as a result. There were periods where I actively hated her, and I thought about quitting because she kept turning away all the characters I actually liked. I was worried that people had been mistaking that behavior as her being "strong", since people often cite her as a prime example of a strong female character. Thank God I was wrong. After a spoiler[little epiphany, she becomes a much more positive person]. She decides that spoiler[it's good to be nice to and trust people even if they don't return the favor, because if they do something wrong or betray her it's on them, not her], which is something I agree with very strongly but don't see very often. (Everyone's a cynic...) The other characters, with the exception of Yuuka, are also very likeable so far. Rakushun is definitely my favorite at this point. So adorable! And he's kind of reminding me of Reepicheep from the Chronicles of Narnia, which is a very good thing. The last episode I watched gave some backstory to King En and Enki, which I thought was very well done. I can't wait to see more of them. The best thing about the series so far is definitely the world-building. The world of the Twelve Kingdoms is impressively fleshed out. When I watch the series I feel like I'm really there, in a real place, which is apparently a very difficult effect to achieve since I see it so rarely. Many of the anime that have had this effect on me have ended up among my favorites (Mushishi, Princess Tutu, Wolf's Rain, etc.), though only time will tell if this will be one of those. It is certainly an aspect that I respect very much. It's especially impressive because the series really doesn't look like much. The backgrounds are simple and the animation is very limited. I like the art style well enough, especially the designs of all the fantasty creatures that inhabit the Twelve Kingdoms, but the characters often slide off-model and their movements are very stiff. It's to the show's credit that the unimpressive visuals don't get in the way of the show's immersive quality at all. There is so much history and culture in the series that is completely unique. I love the mythos surrounding spoiler[how kings are chosen]--so interesting! I'm almost more interested in the history of the land than I am in the main plot! But the main plot is also tied in implicitly with that very history, so it remains intriguing as well. One thing about the world that I was very pleased by is that they managed to spoiler[tie in the wish-fulfilment "average girl whisked away to a magical world full of pretty boys (where she is actually a queen)" premise with the world-building. I feel like it would be very difficult for me to buy (it was in FY) if it wasn't so well integrated. I love the idea that the two worlds are connected and people just randomly end up in the wrong world by mistake. It's a very clever way to handle that part of the premise.] I'm watching the dub right now, and it's okay. The voices all match pretty well, though Asano being voiced by Joshua Seth is a little strange. I get the feeling he comes across more comedic than he's supposed to. Youko's voice actress was pretty unbearable for the first couple episodes, but she got a lot better as the series went on. I actually prefer Keiki's English voice to his Japanese voice because it fits his character design a lot better. Yuuka, King En, Enki, and Rakushun are all pretty spot-on as well. The script is sometimes a little awkward, with grammatical errors and too-literal translations marring the dialogue every once in a while, but it's really not enough to hurt the series at all. Considering that the dub is a few years old, I'm impressed by how well they're pronouncing all of the Japanese terms. Although it's pretty funny when half of the characters can pronounce "kaikyaku" and the other half can't.  Stay consistent, guys! Also, I'm confused by some of the terms they kept untranslated. In one episode, Rakushun talks about the school system and mentions the "shougaku" that he attended, and that if he weren't a hanjuu (half-beast) he would have been able to attend "daigaku". Why did they not translate those terms to "primary school" and "university"? Do they use different kanji for those words in the Twelve Kingdoms?
Overall, I'm really loving this series so far. It's really fast-paced and addicting. At this rate, I'll probably have finished all forty episodes in just a few days!
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Kelly
Posts: 868 Location: New York City |
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Without giving anything away, I think you'll be quite happy with the way Youko and Rakushun's relationship proceeds. If you don't know already, I'm also very happy to tell you that yes, King En and Enki Rokuta will be around and you haven't seen the last of them by a long shot. Their backstories are some of my favorite parts of Twelve Kingdoms (very intense), and they're always interesting to watch, whether in serious or humorous mode, present time or backstory. I love how their easy familiarity with eachother is such a contrast to the other ruling pairs that we see. |
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rheiders
Posts: 1137 Location: Colorful Colorado :) |
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I'll look forward to seeing how that pans out, then^^ Yeah, I've noticed how friendly they seem to be with each other in comparison to the other pairs that have been introduced so far. At this point, it's really refreshing to see a ruler and kirin who actually get along! xD (I can't stop watching. I'm completely hooked! xD) |
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Errinundra
Moderator
 Posts: 6525 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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His and Her Circumstances
Reason for watching: This is a series I would never have watched but for the Best First Episode Tournament. I’ve never, until now, been an admirer of Hideaki Anno and, until recently, not given to watching romantic comedies. The first episode was, in fact, an accurate indication of how good this show is. Well… the first eighteen episodes, anyway. Synopsis for episodes 1-18: Follows the romance between Yukino Miyazawa and Soichiro Arima, from first meeting to sexual consummation. Both are brilliant students, be it in study, sport or leadership. They are also fakes: she (Yukino) is an admiration junkie; he (Arima) is desperate to prove to himself and his adoptive parents that he hasn’t inherited the faults of his real parents. As their love for each other grows they gain a greater understanding of themselves and their self-delusions. 
Yukino: learning to see the world in new, more honest, ways Synopsis for episodes 19-26: Follows the various capers of the high school associates of Yukino and Arima as they prepare for the cultural festival. Frequent, extended re-caps remind us that, yes, Yukino and Arima are girlfriend and boyfriend without actually developing the relationship any further. I haven’t found a definitive account on the web, but the making of this series had creative complications. Director Hideaki Anno (of Evangelion fame) quit after 18 episodes, passing the helm to Kazuya Tsurumaki. Mangaka Masami Tsuda, withdrew her support for a second season, apparently because she felt the anime concentrated on the humour, rather than the romance of her manga. There is indeed an abrupt change of tone after episode 18. Was Masami Tsuda’s issue with Hideaki Anno? Or with Kazuya Tsurumaki? Or both? Did Hideaki Anno quit because of the mangaka’s complaints? Or did he lose interest? Or succumb to his black dog? Perhaps Mike Toole could do a piece on the whole sorry tale? Certainly, for the first 18 episodes (if considered on their own) His and Her Circumstances is one of the best and sharpest anime romantic comedies around. It’s as good as two rippers I’ve seen recently – Kimi ni Todoke and Toradora!. Anno has the marvellous gift of being able to simultaneously give us a story while providing an ironic critique of it. He doesn’t spare the sensibilities of any of his characters. By providing a multiplicity of points of view – though mostly it’s Yukino’s perspective – and wielding a scalpel sharp with irony, His and Her Circumstances is never less than highly entertaining. It isn’t just the humour. Anno has a great visual sense, even if he is prone to frequent use of stills, rotoscoping and the recycling of scenes and images. Add the constant use of on-screen text and the effect is to provide the viewer with a continuous editorial commentary, tearing apart the dishonest posturing of the characters. The forensic, albeit hilarious, examination and protagonists’ uncomfortable growth into self-awareness makes these two essentially unpleasant characters surprisingly lovable. Yukino, especially is an outstanding creation. Yukino and Arima are both given extensive family back-stories, enhancing their depth as characters. Both situations reveal how Yukino and Arima developed their dishonest personalities. Arima’s history is darker while Yukino has been blessed with a happier domestic environment, though not without its own trials. Yukino’s wise-for-their-age younger sisters, Tsukino and Kano, frequently steal the show while their voice actors provide hyperactive next episode previews. Indeed, when Anno is at the helm, each episode ends on a high – with those over-the-top previews and the simple but captivating roving camera live action EDs. 
A foretaste of FLCL? Younger sisters Tsukino and Kano often succeed in their determination for screen dominance. The other students are hit and miss. Wannabe girl (and boy) magnet Asaba is annoying, as is the pocket monster Tsubasa. I’m convinced that Tsubasa was the inspiration for Taiga from Toradora! Her behaviour, appearance and even the Japanese voice-acting bring Taiga very strongly to mind. Yes, anime truly eats itself. Yet, somehow, she never manages to match Taiga’s appeal, probably because I rarely felt any sympathy for her. Unhappily, everything changes after episode 18. The quality of the episodes doesn’t warrant an extended examination: the irony mostly vanishes; the best characters (Yukino and Arima) become – for the most part – insignificant; the ramped-up attempts at comedy almost entirely fall flat; the scattergun visuals continue but their impact is lost; the various plots and introduced characters are boring; and there is no longer any strong connection between the viewer and the characters. Worst of all, Yukino, who had been one of the rare anime females whose character is enriched by love, becomes yet another simpering addendum to the male romantic figure. To put it simply, the last eight episodes are animated tedium. Where Anno’s craft had me engaged with the characters; Tsurumaki’s lack of craft left me detached from them. Really, other than an impulse for completion, there is no need to continue beyond episode 18. His and Her Circumstances has instantly become my favourite Hideaki Anno work. It has also given me a better understanding of what he is on about with the Evangelion franchise. Rating: the first 18 episodes would be either very good or excellent; the final eight so-so or not very good. Overall: good 
Yukino went on to become Prime Minister of Australia. Politics attracts attention whores so it isn’t surprising, really. Arima was later outed as a cross-dressing lesbian and became Yukino’s Finance Minister. Toradora! OVA and Toradora!: SOS! Hanabee Entertainment has now released the second half of Toradora! As an extra, there is a disk containing a normal episode length OVA that tells a tale of how Ryuji tries to impress everyone with his Bento creations, and four short chibi episodes where the main characters pig out on various cuisines at Jonny’s restaurant. Neither adds anything to the original series. Oh... one thing - the freaking parrot gets spoiler[eaten by a cat]. I only wish it could have happened sooner. The chibi tales also have a couple of hilarious one-liners that I may use in the quote guessing game. Rating: OVA – decent; chibi episodes – so-so. Last edited by Errinundra on Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:51 pm; edited 4 times in total |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15462 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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I checked out the first episode of Boku no Imouto wa Osaka Okan, it appears to be a anime short series that talks about the Osaka culture. The decision of the shorts really reminded me of the Nyaruko short anime, especially since the sister is voiced by Nyaruko's seiyuu, the guy's voice is also done by a girl, but instead is done by Hayate Ayasaki's seiyuu. The voices did appea; to how I am a fan of their other done characters.
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