Forum - View topicWhat are you watching right now? Why? (please read 1st post)
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zawa113
 Posts: 7358 |
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Watching Mobile Fighter G Gundam currently (12 eps in). I don't have a great relationship with the Gundam series as a whole, not because it's real robot genre, but because I just don't seem to like it and I hate Amuro (so that's not helping either). And I didn't like Wing either. I go with Ryosuke Takahashi for my real robot genre basically. But G Gundam is, of course directed by the over the top insane guy who directed Giant Robo and was made at a time when Bandai demanded a series that would sell toys, dammit! Which means that the Gundams themselves could be any robot because it's about giant mechs fighting each other, which is exactly what attracted me to this in the first place.
Anyway, as expected with the guy who made the ever awesome Giant Robo, plenty of things happen that make me go "What? WHAT?!", such as when most Gundams show up, only to be some ridiculous national stereotype and I go "A freakin' robot with a sombrero?" (of course, I also know its name was changed to "Spike Gundam" from "Tequila Gundam") and "Oh my god, how can the rules of physics apply so little here?!" or "Wait, did he just hide his Gundam in what must have been a town square fountain? How is that even remotely deep enough to hid a damn Gundam?" And after that, I go "Shut up brain, just, shut up! I'm having fun, shut up shut up shut up!" because yeah, it's not a series where brain input helps, in fact, it hurts my brain, but I am finding it fun. I'm also pleased that, for a 49 episode series, the plot has actually advanced by episode 12 (instead of, like, episode 30), which seems even harder considering that it's a tournament story meant to sell things. Oh and I love that announcer dude for some reason, he's just kind of there, he's like a version of Morgan Freeman or something. |
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justsomeaccount
 Posts: 471 |
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I'm watching Earth Girl Arjuna (nine episodes. And if you've seen the series you probably know why I'm writing here with specifically nine). I know this show is very mixed in opinions for people so I gave it a chance.
The direction of art/animation/music is great. It's weird sometimes when they can allow dated-but-still-worked CG models but the 2D animation at the same time can be so low, and more the show goes on, but it still plays a lot with composition, stability, art, etc. showing incredible scenes sometimes. The story... ugh, let's say with episodes: Episodes 1-3... I didn't know what to think about them because they were a weird mix bag of not-so-subtle-subtleness enviromental obvious themes that I was not sure how to feel, it was like a weird mixture of Captain Planet and Evangelion. It had writing issues here and there and the issues it brought weren't anything new or challenging so it kind of feels like a typical enviromental show with artistic direction. Episode 4 makes these statements all true, showing that whenever they try to say real facts about the enviroment they blatantly lie to adjust to their message and make all the decent parts or perspectives not worth taking seriously. So I didn't know what to think of it. Episode 5 was awful, like terrible, laughably bad. Screw subtleness (or attemps of it), they throw at your face with awful arguments how evil industries are, how foods weaken you, how genetic food has viruses that they don't control and kill you because uhhh humans playing with nature = worst thing ever. And the part where spoiler[a friend suggests from her grandmother that what they need to eat to beat the virus is their own umbilical cords when they got born and all the medics like "YES RIGHT WHY DIDN'T WE THINK THAT BEFORE COME ON MOTHER GIVE US YOUR DAUGHTER'S UMBILICAL CORD" "RIGHT HERE IN THIS WOODEN BOX"] is so laughable in how straight it plays that now I was sure the whole show would be like that, just manipulative propaganda. Episode 6 has some really short annoying scenes related to enviroment and other stuff, but overall was actually pretty solid, it wasn't magical and it talked about themes worth listening about efficiency, making your life easier or the problems of being the one different, that were still very monofocal, but were nice, and all the episode and details that happened spinned around those themes. Episode 7 was also nice, opening an interesting issue in Juna and Tokio's relationship (I actually kind of liked them during the previous episodes, even though they were sometimes forced to follow what the script and its extreme enviromental message said, they kind of acted like neat human beings) that was about the hardships of convivency between one that is in the city world and doesn't want to abandon it and other that is condemned (in part because of her involuntary powers) to go to a pure nature life, and creating gasps and doubts about their relationship; mixed with the theme of the use of words and misunderstanding of a person (I especially like the creative space where words actually come alive and have tangible power), and with a strong ending where spoiler[Chris actually reveals that they didn't understand him and he didn't keep the Raja inside because of bondness as they assumed]. Episode 8 I really liked it being focused in the main characters' relationship and how they should focus their relationship or even have it to begin with, having in mind that if they are together the biggest compromise is both suffering dragging one to the other to personal pain, and being one ready to assume that pain, and other who not. This combined with doubts about their connection, how they feel for one or another in both positive and negatives ways... although the ending spoiler[I kind of get the intention but I don't like it's represented with a love triangle], but okay, I still thought this was better than all the extreme enviromental stuff and I was wishing 'please keep focusing on the humans'. Then episode 9 came. I heard it wasn't emitted at first in TV and I get it because wow this was uninformed, manipulative and downright offensive episode, with statements about women, babies and pregnancies that are not only full of shit and making up shit in your face playing it straight, it also has a mean-spirited message spoiler[against just plain single mothers and the babies who get born from that, saying basically that if you get born like that you are a person susceptible to be incredibly jelaous, mean and twisted]. It's not the only things offensive, but that thing really made me angry, and I consider myself a hard-to-offend person. The relationship between the two main characters is still okay though, not great but still not ruined so I hope at least that and the issues and parallels within can have a nice follow-up, because that's the stuff that I find valuable in this show and even thought-provoking. The rest... geez, I didn't find a show with so many ups and downs since Kare Kano. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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^
I'm surprised - and impressed - that you even made it to episode nine. I gave up in disgust after episode four. |
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Mr. Oshawott
 Posts: 6773 |
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I just finished watching Kannazuki no Miko: Destiny of the Shrine Maiden. The yuri scenes between Himeko and Chikane were emotionally captivating and the mecha battles were enjoyable to watch. While I wished that the some of the other girls of this show got a bit more screen time, I did enjoy the more humorous moments of Nekoko and others.
Overall, I had fun watching Kannazuki no Miko. I just wish that it lasted longer than 12 episodes. |
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justsomeaccount
Posts: 471 |
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I'm one of those shameful persons who feels obligated to finish everything I start so there's that (well, I already gave up with long-running shows or some other stuff here and there, but exceptions). That's also kind of the reason why I think a lot what to start and usually not being very long shows. And I finished the show and bleeh. It doesn't come to be disgustingly offensive again (except one part where spoiler[they reveal one character previously thought female happens to be hermaphrodite because of the pills her pregant mother took, and she abandons a whole happy life with even a person who would love her perfectly to take revenge on the current society for making her as she is-- oh fudge off show and your manipulative damn ass]) and it finally brings a situation in the final episodes where they actually try to recreate a fictional devastating scenario to criticize the dependency of society to certain things, which feels more like a legit critique instead of pure propaganda in your face (which again, if at least the propaganda wasn't lying or contradictory in an unintentional way I could accept, but nope) , but overall it's still very weak, full of plot holes, extreme and it didn't deliver the main characters' relationship as I thought it would (in a bad way, it finally went to the easiest route). So overall it's a bad bad show with some few nice episodes and a great direction of animation / composition, but doesn't save it at all. |
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Arklight
 Posts: 85 |
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[EDIT: No listing or one-liners. Put reasons. -TK]
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Mr. Oshawott
Posts: 6773 |
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I'm in the midst of watching Rumbling Hearts. So far, the show has turned out to be quite somber with Takayuki trying to maintain his love with two of his best pals Mitsuki and Haruka, the latter having endured a three-year long slumber. I hope the show's ending will be a happy one.
On a side note, I'm having fun with the comic relief that Ayu and Mayu display every now and then.
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justsomeaccount
Posts: 471 |
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Half-obligated to watch Blood-C, four episodes so far. By one hand, waaaaaaau the writing and dialogues are terrible, annoying and boring characters during the slice-of-life part, Saya's songs that are so blatant in how happy they are that I cannot invent a parodied lyrics for them, it's that bad, and if Saya says one more time "I'm so glad you liked the food that Fumito-san did!" I'm going to strangle her.
But by the other hand, at least the action parts (5 minutes at the end of each episode) are fun. Too bloody to really impact with its blood so it's just a waste in that sense, but the fights are really well animated and varied, with a lot of different scenes, attack patterns, use of the field and constant development of the fight, and with different monsters and situations, I dig them in that sense. And I heard from both people who like the show and people who don't that at the end it gets better, so at least I have that bit of hope, although I don't know if they can fix the trainwreck that is the writing and dialogue. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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^
The ending is the worst part; it's absolute garbage in terms of writing. You have been warned. Awesome final fight though. |
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Shadowrun20XX
 Posts: 1935 Location: Vegas |
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Blood -C is awesome. EP twelve is your reward. Stick through it to the end. There is far worse series you could be concentrated on. Don't forget the Movie. Jump to Mirai Nikki or Shiki afterward. OR get some Clamp love with Card Captor Sakura and just smile when you see it.
I just finished Rakuen Tsuihou. God I can't wait to own the BD. Certain people are gonna be hatin Angela. Heh. Gotta finish Rose of Versailles and head on over to Saint Seiya Season 1. |
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st_owly
 Posts: 5234 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland |
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I don't think any series has trolled me as hard as Blood-C did.
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Mr. Oshawott
Posts: 6773 |
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I'm nearing the end of watching Magikano. Those commercial-like announcements that occur whenever Hajime makes his appearance were a blast featuring those magical products barely anyone would want to buy. Plus, the magical feud between Ayumi and the Yoshikawa sisters provided myself a great deal of laughing fuel as Ayumi constantly attempts to unleash Haruo's hidden powers.
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Aylinn
 Posts: 1684 |
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I have watched 4 episodes of Parasyte -the maxim- and it seems promising. I planned to read the manga long time ago when I started reading Historie, Hitoshi IWAAKI’s later work, which is very good. So far, Parasyte is good, the main character is sympathetic. Little time was spent on other characters, but it's understandable, it is an action series, so it doesn’t need to rush with it. I like it that a lot depends on thinking and outsmarting enemy rather than brute force. I find it more interesting. I hope that it sells well and Historie will be made into an anime too.
I am also watching this new Fate, but so far, it is not really good. It looks like it should be an action packed series, but for some reason has slice of life pacing. I would not mind it having so slow pacing, had characterization been more interesting, but it is not in this league, where it alone can make even the most ordinary life events compelling. Overall, in my opinion, this story is lifeless. Also, it is a pity that music is not as good as in DEEN version. The one here is all right, but nothing as outstanding as Kenji Kawai’s music, at least it has much better animation. |
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justsomeaccount
Posts: 471 |
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Well, for one part I finished Blood-C, aaaaand spoiler[mehhh those final episodes with the twist that everything was a farse weren't that tight or worth it to justify the rest. You kind of see some similar twist coming, although I didn't see the other secondary characters surviving (which to be honest, it's a really lame excuse underexplained: "The talisman saved us even though our corpses were there and were attacked despite what the talisman does is not being attacked and we didn't explain that maybe ourselves killed were a substitute or something, but hey, the talisman saved us!"), but all the making fun to some cliches (with some hint in their previous dialogue here and there) doesn't work when 1-The dialogue back then still sounded awfully written and played straight that you don't feel any enigma or interest, just cringing with the dialogue, and 2-The writing after that is still bad, nothing according to Saya comes back that much, the glasses-kid's turn makes no sense and the overall theme doesn't pay off to anything, so for the most this only relies in its twist and that's it. Not a bad idea, and definitely better than dealing with all the awful writing before, but doesn't come across as good either. And I hate completely unconclusive 'WATCH OUR NEXT THING' endings, so bad in that regard too.]
spoiler[The action is still fun, the fight at the school was a lot of fun (a little too long but it did well at knowing how to kill many of the students and do shock value in both shots in foreground and background, or bridge-shots and central shots so you feel that they can die in any shot), and the action in the last episode was entertaining but the explotation and gore changes of tone weirdly even for these last episodes, the show overall always has a serious straight tone even with its exploitation, but in the attack of those monsters to the extras/villagers we see them eating people with its fingers, putting them in a bag and then using a arm-beater... even gore has tone, that is too silly even for this xD.] So overall, bad show, awfully written, but at least entertaining and memorable even if not in the good way. So just right after I watched Blood-C: The Last Dark , and if the show was bad with highs and lows, this was a constant "meehhhhhh". Mediocre and generic movie without ambition by the numbers, nothing to do with the show or solving more than two or three things of the tens the show lead opened (and badly), odd and unecessary pro-internet and anti-control theming that has nothing to do with what is happening, bad writing (not as painful as the show, but still bad), underdeveloped new and old characters that do nothing but still force you to care spoiler[(and it doesn't even try to do shocking things with them which would be bad but at least would try to impact you in some way, generic bunch of pointless kids)], they ruin whatever tiny quality the villain could have, despite the movie-quality animation it's much less interesting to watch because it's so safey and many cinematic shots are out-of-place, pathetic climax... there were one or two fights (out of maybe four in all the movie, and being all short) that were a little fun, and everytime I see this Production I.G.'s Saya I always see a grown-up Mikasa (although by its release date it should be the opposite) and that makes me laugh but for the most part was boring and forgettable. Pick your poison; I personally prefer the show for entertainment and I'll remember more of it than this movie.
I don't have that much of a problem with the middle episodes in terms of pacing, but the first episodes (the Rin and Shirou's specials of 50 minutes) are not good, too long for so little happening, at least Fate/Zero's first episode had it justified in that they tried to introduce you all the characters, in FSN:UBW not and it's too full of downplayed slice-of-life scenes that don't build up that much to the tension at the climax of the episode and these are new characters that you shouldn't care about that quickly to see 30 minutes of simple scenes with them. After that I don't mind, but those first episodes are a strong barrier for anybody, in fact although I don't like DEEN's anime I think the pacing of the first episodes to suck you in the situation was better made. I'm actually quite surprised that they were so well received. |
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Crisha
Moderator
 Posts: 4290 |
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Yeah, having read all the reviews I've read, I don't think School Days and Blood-C would ultimately be worth suffering through just to get to the end. If they were in movie form and just 1.5-2 hours long? Yeah, maybe. But not a 12 episode series. I doubt the emotional, sadistic payoff would be worth the masochism it took to get there. Of course, it's a bit different for me since I already know how both series ends (and in Blood-C's case I already watched the last episode to see the gore).
Not that I don't enjoy some dark, cathartic retribution (Mrs. Carmody's spoiler[boom headshot] in The Mist still brings a smile to my face whenever I watch that scene). |
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