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DuelGundam2099 wrote:

Could have sworn I posted here earlier in the week. Maybe I dreamed it.

I am sure that you did post this before.
I remember what you said about Fruits Basket.

It was probably posted just before the ANN server crash that lost a week, or more, of data.

That would explain it. Tell me Touma, what did you think of FB? I also know there is some kiss coming up (thanks Valentine's Day poll article on the main site!).

DuelGundam2099 wrote:

Tell me Touma, what did you think of FB?

I like Fruits Basket, but it has been quite a while since I last watched it so I cannot give you anything specific.
Most of the humor did work for me, and I enjoyed the stories of most of the characters.
I know that I was moved by several of the stories but all that I can remember right now are Momiji, Kisa, and the doctor (who's name I forget).
And then there is Kyo's situation. I really like how Tohru dealt with that.

Fruits Basket was one of my top ten shows, I think that it was number one for a while, but that was back when I had not seen a lot of anime. It was pushed out of the top ten long ago.
I do not like Fruits Basket any less than I did. I have just found other shows that I like better.

I do watch a lot of slice of life shows. It is probably my favorite genre, especially when combined with comedy.

I've just finished marathoning all 17 episodes of Kokoro Connect and what an emotional journey that was. I loved all aspects of the show, the innocence of youth and how they come to terms with the effects of puberty as well as the changes a group of friends struggles through during this era of coming of age.

Each character had their own demons to face which the group had to bare due to the situation they were thrown into. Some of it felt like a trip down memory lane, some good others reminded me of the "troubles" many of us face as we try to mature and harbour feelings we down understand or can't control. One characters past really resonated with me, I remember struggling with the similar feelings, during said characters explanation my own demons began to surface. For me KC is much like a healing anime, most people have a character they share similarities with, whether it be experiences or personality quirks, past or present it shows you can get through difficult times with a good support network.

Not only because the show had a personal impact but also because of how enjoyable and well presented Kokoro Connect is I rated the series as a Masterpeice.

GUEEEEEES WHOOOOOOOO'S BAAAAAACK!?

Yep, I've decided to return from hiatus just a little earlier than promised. Once again, I apologize if I've worried any of you. But I'm back and better than ever! I'm also glad to see that we've learned absolutely nothing from *that incident* so let's get right to it!

A lot of have been asking for my opinion about the Eclipse from Berserk. To be honest, I kind of knew it was going to happen. Still, it was just as horrific as promised, and then some. I decided to take a different approach by analyzing Griffith and his character arc. Needless to say, SPOILERS!

spoiler[Griffith was never truly a nice person. He's charming, intelligent, yet has a very vengeful and cunning side to him. He wants to be a king because this random fortune teller said so. This shows that deep down, he's actually rather empty inside.]

spoiler[Of course, all this changes when Guts enters his life. At first, Griffith sees him like he sees everyone else- a tool. Due to the events rfrom Casca's flashback, it can be inferred that Griffith forced himself not to form emotional connections to anyone, all in the name of his dream. But Guts is different; Griffith opens up to him, entrusts him with doing his dirty work and just letting him into his mental processes. It's all but said that Guts is the only person he's ever had any affection for in his entire life.]

spoiler[So what happens when Guts leaves? Everything falls apart. Guts was pretty much the only person keeping Griffith relatively sane. When he departs, Griffith decides to go and have pity sex with Charlotte (and he's also kind of responsible for that, given that HE KILLED HER MOM), which results in him being tortured for a year. The lesson here is to never have pity sex. Ever.]

spoiler[By the time Guts and friends find Griffith, he looks like...well, like someone who's been tortured for a year. He's now a hollow shell of his former self, fixated on the man who was his one and only friend. Then we have Casca, who he attempts to force himself on, but just sort of flops about instead. When you remember the circumstances in which he met Casca, and then remember the infamous final scene of the series, you end up with nothing but cruel irony]

spoiler[After attempting suicide and hallucinating a future where he had a perfectly normal life with Casca (he named their child GUTS. Cue tears), Griffith is summoned to Hell to become a member of the Godhand. At this point, Griffith has truly lost hope for himself. The ultimate deciding factor in his choosing to become Femto is Guts- the man he loves most and hates most. After all, emotion is but a silly thing that gets in the way of ambition, and by now, Griffith has gone insane with grief.]

And that's why Griffith became the villain that he is now. He truly is the epitome of the fallen hero, whose pride and ambition led to his downfall. That's one of the reasons why he's my favorite character in Berserk.

(Also, I saw the dub outtakes. Oh my god, they might be some of the funniest bloopers I've ever seen. Just the tonic I need after ECLIPSE.)

I'm going to start on Wolf's Rain soon. I've been looking forward to it for a while, and this is my second attempt at watching the series all the way through. See you later!

Yesterday I finished Buddy Complex (minus the OVAs that came after it). Very solid and entertaining, the only real issue I have with it is the lack of build up to the final battle and subpar music. The twist ending was actually really good, looking forward to the conclusion. After that I decided to watch a few OVAs I came across recently. The first being some short called Ryo (from the same anime festival that had Death Billiards and Little Witch Academia), a decent story with pretty effects, but it feels more like a long prologue more than anything. After that was Battle Royal High School. Lets see: a manly karate champion possessed by his evil wizard self, a pretty boy demon slayer, a metal heroes knock off, a giant teddy bear, and fairies that possess animals including turning them into demonic dinosaurs.... This was awesome even if the animation was subpar. Cool

After that was Puppet Princess, an interesting idea taking life sized puppets and using them to fight wooden robot ninjas. I actually really liked the villain in this. Good, but not great, forgetting to put pupils on the eyes of your characters including random children is kind of a bad thing. After that was Call Me Tonight, the first of a four part series of OVAs from 1987, I watched a metal hero homage called Hikaruon which was cool and happened to be the second entry. This third entry is some hentai and because of that I will not watch and the fourth is a three episode OVA about demonic dragons or something, but lets talk about this one. I expected ecchi trash and partially got that, I also got a story about a guy that turns into monsters whenever he gets aroused (didn't see that coming) because an alien collector merged with his body and lost his memory. Also he gets rapped which turns him into an alien version of Cerberus. Also gangsters, one of which heavily resembles Pai Thunder from Dangaioh. That and the music was tolerable. Found it decent overall. Finally I finished Angel Links earlier, it had some very nice twists to it and properly built up its final battle although the epilogue went on too long. It beats out Buddy Complex, but by very little.

Oh! Edo Rocket, When They Cry, and Fruits Baskets I'll update on at another time.

Last edited by Errinundra on Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:43 am; edited 2 times in total

Puella Magi Madoka Magica - Rebellion

WARNING: There be spoilers here. Big spoilers.
Seriously, this is intended for people who have seen it.

Reasons for watching: I eventually came to the conclusion that the original series is a masterpiece. Akemi Homura is one of the most awesome characters in anime (so you can probably guess where this is going to go).

Synopsis:
Story 1: Things aren't right in Mitakihara City. Nightmares have replaced wraiths and witches as the enemies of magical girls, some of whom have inexplicably come back from the dead to join the fight. In truth, this fake Mitakihara City is a witch's labyrinth and the witch just may be one of our beloved magical girls. Homura must deal with the awful truth but, luckily, she has some reliable friends to help her out.
Story 2: Things aren't right with Akemi Homura. Her love for Madoka takes on an unexpected slant, leading to a new future for magical girls.

Comments: When I first saw Rebellion at a cinema screening just over a year ago I left the theatre with three mutually reinforcing emotions: bewilderment, boredom and rage. I've now watched it at home a few times, which has led to a much better understanding of what it's about along with a somewhat improved estimation of its merits. The three emotions have been mollified to a degree but residues linger.

One of the paradoxes of the original series is how much people love Homura despite her dour personality. It's all in her unwavering dedication to Madoka. If Madoka is hope personified, then Homura is love personified. Where Homura's love empowers Madoka, Madoka's hope saves Homura. In doing so, the two earn the viewer's admiration. Likewise the other magical girls work hard to earn our affection. Part of the reason why the series works so well is that, for the most part, we see Homura through Madoka's eyes, not Homura's. When the point of view shifts to Homura's in episodes 10 and 11 we can overlook her grimness because what she does is so amazing. The creative dilemma for Rebellion is how to engage the viewer throughout the entire movie when the point of view is almost entirely Homura's. While she has her moments of awesome, the film relies altogether too much on stunts, highly expressionistic visual effects and having our heroines strut their magical girl stuff to please the fans. It doesn't always work.

I'm entranced by the Clara Dolls. Their musical theme stands out in an otherwise lacklustre Yuki Kajiura effort.

If the gunfight between Homura and Mami is one of the most thrilling scenes in the entire franchise then both the quintet transformation scene and the cake song are interminable. Other than Homura, and unlike the series, the girls don't earn their appeal; the movie assumes we love them already and will be engaged regardless. Add to that a scenario that deliberately confounds the fans' expectations for a goodly part of the running time without developing the scenario to any great extent; and an explanation of events that requires some nutting out to comprehend fully then you have the ingredients for an alienating viewing experience. Granted, figuring out the mechanics of the plot was a pleasure of a sort. As was the light bulb moment when I twigged how Mami was impervious to Homura's time magic in their epic gun battle.

The battle I always wanted to see. Mami acquitted herself better than I expected. That's good.

Unlike the TV series, which spent most of its run time in its coldly beautiful "real" world, the movie is set entirely within a witch's maze until Kyubey's isolation field is pierced ¾ of the way through. This makes for a lack of visual contrast, similar to Redline with its non-stop motor racing fireworks. There is little relief from the bombardment of surreal, expressionistic imagery. The effect is numbing. In the series the mazes were highlights, the one in the movie eventually becomes an ordeal.

The equation: humourless protagonist + slow development + arcane plot + unrelenting visual assault = disengagement.

So much for the first story. With the destruction of the maze, and with Homura's soul gem at its limit, god-Madoka appears on cue to assist Homura to pass into oblivion according to the Law of the Cycles. Homura gives the creepiest smile the creators could possibly conjure up and (please forgive the shouting) EVERYTHING CHANGES. INEXPLICABLY. The film is instantly both ruined and redeemed. Ruined? Because, WHAT DID YOU GUYS JUST DO TO ONE OF THE MOST AWESOME HEROINES EVER IN ANIME? Redeemed? Because, for the first time the film is actually interesting. The internal dialogue at the heart of PMMM gets expression in the movie for the first time and it's a mightily interesting dialogue when all is said and done.

Homura amazes and confounds. Her ultimate transformation is gorgeous. I much prefer it to Madoka's.

There is a dissonance in both the TV series and Rebellion between the viewer's emotional response to each instalment's resolution and to the reality of the magical girls' prospects. The TV series seems hopeful but the outcomes for the girls will be uniformly horrible. In the movie everthing seems broken but the future for all the girls is bright. Let me elaborate. Please bear with me.

The TV series.
1. The girls are trapped by their Faustian deal. They must remain Magical Girls until their curses equal their wishes.
2. Madoka is forgotten by everyone except Homura and, possibly for a time, Tatsuya.
3. Homura is awesome and earnest.
4. Homura is miserable - she has lost Madoka, the motivation behind all her efforts. She is alone.
5. Sayaka and Nagisa Momoe (Bebe/Charlotte) are dead.
6. No magical girl will make it to adulthood. They will all die too soon, no matter how PMMM tries to gloss it with Madoka's pyrotechnics.
7. Kyubey is waiting, like a vulture, for his opportunity to ensnare and devour the girls once more. Why, oh why, Homura, did you tell him about the witches?
8. Kids us for 11 episodes that it is deconstructing the genre then gloriously embraces it.

The Movie.
1. The girls are no longer subject to their Faustian bargain. Of course, they are no longer Magical Girls.
2. Madoka is alive and well.
3. Homura is awesome (consider what she does to Kyubey) and creepy.
4. Homura is miserable - she has won Madoka but no one knows or appreciates the cost she paid. She is alone.
5. Sayaka and Nagisa are alive and well. Their magical girl/witch selves and the attendant despair are forgotten.
6. The magical girls will either live in eternal pubescent happiness or have the chance to grow into normal adults (the film doesn't make it clear which future awaits them).
7. Kyubey is not only vanquished but enslaved. It is now his job to preserve the balance of the irredeemable world.
8. Kids us for the first ¾ that it is embracing the genre then deliriously trashes it.

The most satisfying thing I've seen in anime since Izaya was punched out in Durarara!!.

Among the enduring tropes of the magical girl genre is the transformation sequence. It shows the ordinary girl moving from powerlessness to potency. Supposedly it can be read as the change from girl to woman, from child to adult. The truth is, magical girls never, ever grow up. Rebellion seems to be arguing that this is the truth that belies the ideal of the magical girl. It seems to be inferring that Homura has grown up (that smile notwithstanding); that being a magical girl is no more than tilting at windmills; and that the girls are better off forgetting everything. That is, to want to be a magical girl is fundamentally delusory and ultimately self-destructive.

Problem is, Rebellion isn't convincing. The artificiality of Homura's new universe undermines any expectation of its durability. I suppose that provides scope for one more iteration. The new universe is not only artificial, it's alarmingly unappealing. The supposed saviour, Homura, looks too silly to be a mature, self-aware adult; comes across as selfish rather than pragmatic; isolated instead of involved; and ultimately irrelevant to the future. Perhaps that explains her final, stupefying act.

Homura: here more courtesan than demoness.

Rating: Good. There's lots of Homura and she's still awesome despite what the creators do to her. The last section is infuriating, provocative and possibly the most interesting thing yet in the franchise to mull over.

I like racing anime, so I decided to take a look at Over Drive. Unfortunately it is not motor racing like I thought it would be based on the name but cycling racing. Which really surprised me, as I thought Yowamushi Pedal was the first and only cycling anime; guess I was wrong.

As for the show itself, it's weird alright. Two episodes in and I have no idea what to make of it.

I remember Over Drive being a pretty decent anime. Pretty good heroine, annoying main character and a hill climb marathon race (whatever it was) that seemed to drag forever.

I'm watching Great Teacher Onizuka myself since it's on CR now and it's good. The first episode which was like a 40 minute special was one of the best first episodes that I've seen in recent memory. It was funny, but had a bit of seriousness to keep you watching. Kind of what I fell to like about GTO, unfortunately I can't say the same about the rest of the show so far.

I was worried that it might get repetitive and after 29 episodes, my fears turned out to be true. The show kind of lost its punch after maybe 12 episodes, although there have been a few very good episodes here and there. There hasn't been a good balance of that humor and seriousness that the first episode had. The only reason why I keep going back is because Onizuka is an awesome character. Although Onizuka manages to convince his students over time, the relationship with the female teacher doesn't seem to be going anywhere although that might be part of the joke. But that joke just starts getting old after a while. All in all I'm enjoying GTO, but nowhere near as much as I did at the beginning.

^
Yup, I dropped Over Drive after three episodes but from what I saw the lead girl is by far the best part of the show. She's shallow - in a materialistic way - but she's also savvy, witty, and surprisingly complex. More than just a pretty love interest, she's a real character in her own right.

I was pretty certain you were going to drop it. There's this one race that literally lasts the whole second half of the show so I guess you saved yourself from torture by dropping it early though I remember the show being pretty good until that point. Then again it has been a few years since I watched that show so I don't remember all the details.

Just finished Berserk (original series). My first contact with the story, been meaning to check it out for a while because it was recommended to me and because of it's fame. I ended up marathoning it, because, as it turns out, this was a show very, very much made for me. The characters were complex and interesting, their interactions meaningful, not a single filler episode or even an unnecessary scene to be found in the whole show, it kept me at the edge of my seat, unable to stop, completely invested in the story and characters at all times. There was depth without having to resort to pretentious speeches, and when it wanted to be profound (which was pretty much the whole time), it truly was and moved me to tears. In fact, I found this series to be nothing short of brilliant. It was everything for me that Game of Thrones seems to offer many people not me. As a natural reaction to the "ending", I'm off to read the manga now. I also intend to watch the new films, even though they don't seem to be very well liked. But I really can't miss on the opportunity to hear Sakurai's Griffith after Morikawa's after just finishing everything Final Fantasy VII related. That alone will bring me joy, giving how incredibly interesting that character was.
If I'd want to find things to criticize, it would probably be the dated animation and the role of Casca who was supposed to be the strong female warrior but ended up having to be rescued by men way too often. She grew on me a bit over the show, but there were some missed opportunities there, I think.
Still, the series instantly and firmly placed itself within my top ten anime series on first watch for everything else it had going for it on all fronts. Wonderful soundtrack (and use thereof) as well.

"Fate is beyond human understanding. If the laws of causality dictate that man is only to be toyed with, then his child must confront destiny by embracing evil."

Man, I want more of this.

^ You liked it too! Great! Anime smile

b

To me, Berserk is ultimately a story about what it means to have a dream. What is a dream anyway? How far would one go to achieve their dream? For others? That's just one of many themes I found throughout the show. But that's a whole 'nother can of worms.

I actually liked Casca a lot. I didn't remember her being rescued by men too often, and I did remember her being pretty awesome on her own. I personally found her to be remarkably well-written, with her own complexities and strengths and flaws. She's one of the most likable female-leads I've seen recently, spoiler[which made her fate at the end all the more tear-jerking. She did not deserve any of what happened to her during Eclipse.]

As in regards to the animation...did you know that the same studio that animated Berserk is also currently animating Pokemon? Now you know! (And knowing makes it even more painful...)

By the way, I finished Ouran High School Host Club today! My god, this was one of THE funniest anime I've ever seen. It was heartwarming, hilarious, and even brought me to tears towards the very end. I liked all the characters- even, Renge- and I especially adored Tamaki, stupidity and all. I'd marry him in a heartbeat, since he's such a sweetheart and all. (Also, much to my shame as a fangirl, I ship Honey and Mori so friggin' badly. I don't even care that they're cousins at this point.)

So, what's next? Well, I'm going to re-watch Paranoia Agent pretty soon, and then I'll start on Welcome to the NHK. This'll be the second or third attempt at trying to watch the whole thing all the way through, because awful commitment skills. I've got a lot on my plate this month. Also, does anyone know when Sailor Moon R's dub will be up on Hulu? Thanks! \^O^/

^Just read what you wrote about Griffith a bit further above. He really was a great character, wasn't he.

Oh, I do think Casca was an interesting and complex character, but there were one or two times too many when she lost her wits during a battle and Guts had to step in. How she began to spoiler[admit to herself how she had been chasing a fantasy, not even trying to find out more about herself,] was wonderful to watch.

I'm sure I would find more things to criticize if I wanted to (some incredibly stupid minions on the enemy's side, for example). But there was just so much depth and so many absolutely perfect moments to be found here to care about something so minor in comparison. Literally everything that happened had layers, leaving so much room for interpretation, something I'm always very grateful for in fiction - let me think and feel for myself, I don't need your message spoon fed, thank you.

The contrast and similarities of Guts and Griffith and how they influenced, spoiler[and, ultimately, doomed each other, was marvelous to watch. Also, so very painful. The one who never dared to dream encounters the one who is defined by his dream and ambition, discarding human emotion (or at least trying to), while inspiring everyone around him. Both could have continued on their separate journey in life, Guts never daring to feel and dream or even imagining something like a destiny or purpose for himself, and Griffith never allowing himself to be held back by sentiment while only following his perceived destiny. When Guts asked Griffith why he came to save him and Griffith vaguely answered that he doesn't need any reason, while explicitly stating he doesn't feel responsible for his people's lives, it's already clear where things could end. Casca isn't the only one who excels at lying to herself here. I loved how the show replayed that line in the end, and hearing Griffith's thoughts when Guts was running towards him right before the world fell apart. I wonder what would have happened if Guts wouldn't have touched him that very moment. And I'm grateful the series didn't give me the answer.

Chasing a destiny you believe to be yours while clearly ruining yourself and everything around you or almost settling to never find a destiny in order to just, maybe, be happy for a while, only to then have to fight against your very real fate for your whole life, given to you by the one who inspired you to even dream of a destiny in the first place, which led both of you to this very moment.]

Yes, that's just really awesome storytelling.

I'm lazy and didn't want to scroll through all the pages and risk hitting spoilers, but I just started SAO II

I loved SAO and binge watched it. Took a break to watch some Gundam series as well as some RomComs.

I can't wait to see what happens in the gun game. I always wished they would do a gun style MMO, kind of like in the vain of Wild Arms or something.

Anyways I hope it lives up to how much I liked the first SAO.

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