[QuickTidal]

My son is starting to get into Pokémon (from a toy aspect largely, watching me play the games, and from the sporadic episodes of Journey's he's seen on Netflix) but wants to properly watch the show now and so I thought that POKEMON: HORIZONS dub on the (excuse the pun) horizon late this year or early next year I figured he may as well start there as it's a meant to be a new entry into the whole world for new viewers...and so I showed him the first ten minutes of the dub that's available on YouTube...and he LOVED it. Like next level joy.

It's really weird to be an anime fan of old, and watch your son get into it at age (almost) 5...LOL. But the joy he got from this made me feel like it's going to be so fun watching Pokemon with him as it airs here in North America.

Am happy.

[Abyss]

S'funny - I grew up in Montreal with my entire anime knowledge amounting to irregularly shown out of order French dubs of Gatchaman/Battle of the Planets and Captain Harlock (which we could only watch on tin cans by walking uphill 20 miles in a snowstorm...). It's so easily available and extensive now, retro-little-me envies.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 05 September 2023 - 06:18 PM, said:

S'funny - I grew up in Montreal with my entire anime knowledge amounting to irregularly shown out of order French dubs of Gatchaman/Battle of the Planets and Captain Harlock (which we could only watch on tin cans by walking uphill 20 miles in a snowstorm...). It's so easily available and extensive now, retro-little-me envies.

I watched the English dub of the same, on whatever channel it was on in Ontario...and discovering so many years later that Battle was basically some cleverly edited mishmash of the actual show with added "Star Wars" type scenes shoved in, and the removal of anything that made the villain a gender-swapper (minus the ever present lipsticked lips).

But I wanted so badly to be Ace that I made my own birdarang weapon out of cardboard and my friends and I would all play our own version of the show in the playground...the girl I had a crush on at the time always pretended to be Princess.

Ah good times!

[champ]

So I've been watching One Piece on and off since I brought it up in this thread. I got hung-up on Skypiea for a while but after One Piece live action it made me return to the anime...

Holy shit, I am glad I did. Battled through Skypiea and then absolutely devoured Water 7 arc but now I am on Enies Lobby... DAMN... This has got to be some of the best eps of anime I've watched in a long, long time. This arc is fucking awesome!

This post has been edited by champ: 19 September 2023 - 06:21 PM

[LinearPhilosopher]

We finished watching vandread season 1 weekend before last.

For those who are unaware, the premise is a ship built by the planet of men, gets captured by pirates from the planet of women. And then the captured males need to learn to get along with the females. And the way the mecha fights work is the male mecha combines with the female mecha to make a bigger mecha....

Yes there's no subtext to that whatsoever... that's totally not innuendo at all...

Anyways it's fun and light hearted and we all appreciate some body humor.

Also decided to cap of the night by watching an episode of bartender. It's an older show from a now defunct studio about someone who is the worlds greatest bartender and can see through to anyone's heart... It's very relaxing.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

LinearPhilosopher, on 19 September 2023 - 08:22 PM, said:

Also decided to cap of the night by watching an episode of bartender. It's an older show from a now defunct studio about someone who is the worlds greatest bartender and can see through to anyone's heart...

So they know who to poison? (Etc....)

Wonder to what extent the Chinese business philosophy of getting people drunk before making a deal (so they'll let slip how they really feel / what they really think) extends to Japan....

Quote

Newcomers to business in China, says Slingerland, may be blindsided by the “massive amount of drinking you’re going to be asked to do.” Business banquets are standard operating procedure, as are lots of toasts, followed by countless quick shots of Baijiu. While Slingerland cheekily advises travelers to “get your liver in shape,” all of this drinking is no joke, and it goes back to wu wei.

Being devious, dishonest, or manipulative all require remaining in cognitive control of yourself in order to maintain a subterfuge. Slingerland says that, on the other hand, getting drunk with your Chinese hosts amounts to making a statement of personal trust. After all, you’re “taking your prefrontal cortex and putting it on the table and saying, ‘I am disarming – I’m cognitively disarmed.’” With participants’ prefrontal cortices mutually out of commission, everyone at the table is free to simply be present and at ease, un-self-consciously enjoying the experience via liquid wu wei. Slingerland says this is the way treaties and deals have been arrived at in China for thousands of years.

Business drinks: China’s thousand-year-old test of trust - Big Think

[LinearPhilosopher]

Azath Vitr (D, on 19 September 2023 - 09:50 PM, said:

LinearPhilosopher, on 19 September 2023 - 08:22 PM, said:

Also decided to cap of the night by watching an episode of bartender. It's an older show from a now defunct studio about someone who is the worlds greatest bartender and can see through to anyone's heart...

So they know who to poison? (Etc....)

Wonder to what extent the Chinese business philosophy of getting people drunk before making a deal (so they'll let slip how they really feel / what they really think) extends to Japan....

Quote

Newcomers to business in China, says Slingerland, may be blindsided by the “massive amount of drinking you’re going to be asked to do.” Business banquets are standard operating procedure, as are lots of toasts, followed by countless quick shots of Baijiu. While Slingerland cheekily advises travelers to “get your liver in shape,” all of this drinking is no joke, and it goes back to wu wei.

Being devious, dishonest, or manipulative all require remaining in cognitive control of yourself in order to maintain a subterfuge. Slingerland says that, on the other hand, getting drunk with your Chinese hosts amounts to making a statement of personal trust. After all, you’re “taking your prefrontal cortex and putting it on the table and saying, ‘I am disarming – I’m cognitively disarmed.’” With participants’ prefrontal cortices mutually out of commission, everyone at the table is free to simply be present and at ease, un-self-consciously enjoying the experience via liquid wu wei. Slingerland says this is the way treaties and deals have been arrived at in China for thousands of years.

Business drinks: China’s thousand-year-old test of trust - Big Think

less so who to poison, more like, how to server a drink and a story to completely put you at ease.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

LinearPhilosopher, on 20 September 2023 - 02:41 AM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 19 September 2023 - 09:50 PM, said:

LinearPhilosopher, on 19 September 2023 - 08:22 PM, said:

Also decided to cap of the night by watching an episode of bartender. It's an older show from a now defunct studio about someone who is the worlds greatest bartender and can see through to anyone's heart...

So they know who to poison? (Etc....)

Wonder to what extent the Chinese business philosophy of getting people drunk before making a deal (so they'll let slip how they really feel / what they really think) extends to Japan....

Quote

Newcomers to business in China, says Slingerland, may be blindsided by the "massive amount of drinking you're going to be asked to do." Business banquets are standard operating procedure, as are lots of toasts, followed by countless quick shots of Baijiu. While Slingerland cheekily advises travelers to "get your liver in shape," all of this drinking is no joke, and it goes back to wu wei.

Being devious, dishonest, or manipulative all require remaining in cognitive control of yourself in order to maintain a subterfuge. Slingerland says that, on the other hand, getting drunk with your Chinese hosts amounts to making a statement of personal trust. After all, you're "taking your prefrontal cortex and putting it on the table and saying, 'I am disarming – I'm cognitively disarmed.'" With participants' prefrontal cortices mutually out of commission, everyone at the table is free to simply be present and at ease, un-self-consciously enjoying the experience via liquid wu wei. Slingerland says this is the way treaties and deals have been arrived at in China for thousands of years.

Business drinks: China's thousand-year-old test of trust - Big Think

less so who to poison, more like, how to server a drink and a story to completely put you at ease.

A good story without any murders or brutal combat in it? Inconceivable.... (For what is Goodness, if not battling evil? And preferably murdering It....)

Besides, poisons can be very relaxing... pharmakon.

[LinearPhilosopher]

Also to answer your question earlier, yes the Japanese do drink a fair bit. I've a buddy who worked there who doesn't drink at all, and even he was forced to have a single drink.

Wouldn't surprise me if they have tons of issues with alcohoolism that are simply tossed under the rug.

[QuickTidal]

It's not swept under the rug per say, it's not considered a disease as it is here over there. It's just a fact of life.

In fact post-Pandemic the govt (feeling the hit to their pocketbook; they control liquor sales) is actually advertising contests and things to try to convince young people to drink MORE.

[LinearPhilosopher]

QuickTidal, on 20 September 2023 - 01:41 PM, said:

It's not swept under the rug per say, it's not considered a disease as it is here over there. It's just a fact of life.

In fact post-Pandemic the govt (feeling the hit to their pocketbook; they control liquor sales) is actually advertising contests and things to try to convince young people to drink MORE.

I don't know if trivializing how debilitating alcohoolism can be is better or worse than sweeping it under the rug...

[Maark Abbott]

Fireren eps 1-4 pretty good.

Shangri-La seems like a fusion of MMORPG and Kemono Michi, could be fun.

[Maark Abbott]

I have something stupid like 30 shows this season please help

[Maark Abbott]

OK here's my list for the season and hopefully I don't miss anything, the weekend has a LOT of stuff. Comments for new series only.

Frieren: Good, potential to be great. Has a lot of interesting viewpoints on longevity and it's nicely animated. Kusobabaa erufu.
Shangri-La Frontier: Same as above. Mostly dumb LitRPG fun.
Spy x Family S2
Dr Stone S3.5
Returner's Magic: Interesting parallels on reincarnation which actually align with something like Licanius. Could be good.
Shield Hero S3
Faraway Paladin S2
Protocol Rain: tournament E-Gaming on sweaty shooters
Tearmoon Empire: damn bratty aristocrats require guillotine correction (desu wa)
Butareba: He gets turned into a fucking PIG, funniest shit I ever saw
I Shall Survive Using Potions: standard isekai fantasy chillout fare
Vexations of a NEET Vampire Princess: weird blend of Sleepy Princess and any military anime, but fun
Pause, Let Me Check Walkthrough: See the Potions entry
Girlfriend Girlfriend S2 SHUT UP DREK
Jujutsu Kaisen S2
Kimizero: Cute little romance number
Goblin Slayer S2
Magus Bride S2.5
Daughter Became OP and Flew The Nest: I like the juxtaposition between an old legendary adventurer and his daughter taking the helm and neither being able to escape their own reputations.
16 Bit Senstion: Colourful number about making eroge, surprisingly wholesome considering. Also time travel.
Make the Disgraced Noble be Naughty: Literally any fantasy anime ever
Saint's Magic Power S2
I'm in Love with the Villainness: comedy yuri romance done right, apparently very accurate according to certain people I know
Eminence in Shadow S2
A Guy's VRMMO life: another 'literaly every litrpg anime ever'
Stardust Telepath: so Bocchi and an alien walk into a bar
Family Life of the Unusual Witch: cute slice of life, not much else to say here
Demon Swordmaster of Excalibur Academy: more reincarnation power fantasy
The 100 GFs: Drek I fucking swear if you call me out on this I'll cry
Apothcary Diaries: interesting premise, has potential. Like the setting.

This post has been edited by Maark Abbott: 31 October 2023 - 08:04 AM

[Tsundoku]

"Pluto" on Netflix.
I'm only 1 ep in and this "re-imagining" of Astroboy - paticularly the "Greatest Robot in the world" storyline looks pretty good. Apparently it's adapted from a recent manga.



I'm watching the English dub version, as opposed to the Japanese in the trailer.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 31 October 2023 - 12:26 PM

[Tsundoku]

Further to my last: it's good. Damn good. Like, 9.5 out of 10 good.

Story and characterisation are top-notch. It takes the original expands and improves on it, throwing in references to the Iraq war among other things, plus a lot of subtle refs to even more contemporary events.

Hell,

Spoiler

Astroboy ("Atom") barely appears in it and you don't feel his absence at all.
The expanded stories of the other Greatest Robots, plus peeling back the story behind what's going on, the "bad guys", is all just brilliant.

No cardboard cutout moustache-twirling baddies here, everyone does what they are doing for understandable reasons.

Do yourself a favour - see it. Very worth your eye time. And if you are time-poor, it loses nothing being watched at 1.25 speed on Netflix.

[Maark Abbott]

This thread seems to be dead so let's post seasonals.

A Sign of Affection: cute SOL romcom about a deaf girl falling for a polyglot who doesn't know sign but starts learning it for her
Hokkaido Gals are Super Adorable - another romcom, the usual genki gyaru and shy guy but I like a nice romance
Dungeon Meshi: the big name show this season, adventurers cook their way through a dungeon. Pretty good.
Classroom of the Elite S3
Tsukimichi S2
Wrong Way to use Healing Magic: a healer anime that isn't full of wrong? Yeah I was surprised too. They use healing to become International Rescue.
Tomozaki S2
Banished From the Hero's party S2
Overpowered Instant Death Ability - a fun sendup of the standard isekai. Guy is isekai'd, rejected by the world but it turns out he has the power to just tell stuff to die, Dr Manhattan style. Cue shenanigans.
Unwanted Undead Adevturer - a guy gets killed in the dungeon, comes back as undead. Tries to reintegrate with society.
Ishura - kind of weird. Lots of disjointed small stories for now, looks to be building towards a battle royale. Hopefully won't end up like Funger 2.
Sasaki and Peeps - an office worker joins a mage police force whilst having access to another world.
Fluffy Paradise - an office worker reincarnates as a smol girl who has lots of fluffy pets, I mean really fluffy, mofumofu even, in this essay
Weakest Tamer Picks up Trash - kind of cool idea, a rejected kid befriends a slime and environmentalism happens
Strongest Tank - strong tank gets booted from the hero's party and goes on his own adventure
Tis Time for Torture, Princess - imprisoned, the demons torture the princess for info. Usually by tempting her with snacks. Kind of wholesome.
Demon and Angel - kind of weird, but could go somewhere
Urusei Yatsura S2

And then a few continuations from last season.

[LinearPhilosopher]

one day I will catch up on anime...

One day.

Watched Tokyo Godfathers and Suzume over the break with friends. The former was amazing, the latter simply good. I feel like Makoto Shinkai needs to start changing up the kind of stories he tells.

The former though quite good. Heck some of my fav podcasters did an episode recently about it. Apparently Satoshi Kon was mad influential to the rest of the world.

https://youtu.be/b0U...E7FPrS-7sJdD9ZH

Anyone else here explored his work?

also this friday we're back to gundam with 8th MS team, open invite to the folks here again, just dm me.

[Maark Abbott]

New Spice & Wolf remake dropped. Ep1 was real nice. I like how they tied it into Wolf & Parchment right from the get-go as well.