[Nocturnal]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Alternate fantasy reality where you can be a heroic knight... who needs real life. xD

[Silencer]

Well holy fucking shit. I just finished Death Note. And if that wasn't the most epic game of mafia I have EVER seen, I don't know what would be! (For those who don't know what mafia is...go visit the section under Games here on the forum, or use Google)

I was literally shaking with anticipation at the end of the second-to-last episode. Absolutely HAD to know how it all ended. And the conclusion was...tragic. The whole thing was actually a very good tragedy, imo - but the ending was extraordinarily emotional (I don't think it would carry the same wait if I hadn't practically watched the series in a single week, nor if the last two eps were not back-to-back, I grant...then it may have tipped into Narm territory at a few points) and I'm still not sure who I was rooting for over the duration or at the end. I did kinda know how it had to finish though before I watched; it couldn't have gone the other way convincingly, I don't think, not with the way they left episode 36.

Just wow. I'm pretty sure this is one of those divisive series, but as someone who absolutely loves the mind-games and quick plan-hatching of mafia, this one absolutely sucked me in, and I had sufficient suspensions of disbelief RE: the character's capabilities to do the rest. Think this one is going near the top of my favourites. Though I'll leave that until I've slept on it...and I'm not sure this is very rewatchable.

[D'rek]

Silencer, on 30 July 2012 - 01:24 PM, said:

Well holy fucking shit. I just finished Death Note. And if that wasn't the most epic game of mafia I have EVER seen, I don't know what would be! (For those who don't know what mafia is...go visit the section under Games here on the forum, or use Google)

I was literally shaking with anticipation at the end of the second-to-last episode. Absolutely HAD to know how it all ended. And the conclusion was...tragic. The whole thing was actually a very good tragedy, imo - but the ending was extraordinarily emotional (I don't think it would carry the same wait if I hadn't practically watched the series in a single week, nor if the last two eps were not back-to-back, I grant...then it may have tipped into Narm territory at a few points) and I'm still not sure who I was rooting for over the duration or at the end. I did kinda know how it had to finish though before I watched; it couldn't have gone the other way convincingly, I don't think, not with the way they left episode 36.

Just wow. I'm pretty sure this is one of those divisive series, but as someone who absolutely loves the mind-games and quick plan-hatching of mafia, this one absolutely sucked me in, and I had sufficient suspensions of disbelief RE: the character's capabilities to do the rest. Think this one is going near the top of my favourites. Though I'll leave that until I've slept on it...and I'm not sure this is very rewatchable.

So the series is like mafia? I may have to watch this...

[yuna_anomander25]

I'm beginning to like this, just recently watched this show and it's good,

http://youtu.be/gw8MmF_BBi0

This post has been edited by yuna_anomander25: 30 July 2012 - 11:59 PM

[LinearPhilosopher]

@silencer, ill have to put bokurano on the list.

What series has everyone been following this season thus far? There's the obvious SAO, but i did manage to find another gem. It's called MUV Luv total eclipse. episode 1-2 were AMAZING (ep2 i did not see coming), 3-7 dragged a bit but now it's getting good again. So intrigued by this series was i that i tried out this weird thing called a visual novel. It's was called muv-luv ultimate (malazan teaches you to skip the first two parts of the trilogy) and it was moving to say the least. I highly recomend it to everyone.

also im back ^^

[Silencer]

Hahah, I almost forgot about Bokurano! I still haven't actually started watching it properly (think I only watched the first episode before I was sidetracked) because of Death Note/SAO. I'll have to check out MUV-Luv as it keeps getting recco'd to me...

Meanwhile I'm watching (along with weekly SAO releases...it is FINALLY getting into the proper plot-arcs and away from the ludicrous decision to run the side stories as the entire first half of the season; I'm still kinda worried that they'll mess it up, but the last two episodes were on-track...) Persona 4: The Animation, which is pretty good and a bit different (I can tell it was adapted from a game, though), and Mirai Nikki (which is just fucked up...I mean...whoa...), and Fate/Stay Night. I'm like partway through all of them...none of them has really grabbed me enough to be a stand-alone "watch the entire thing in one go" affair, but they're all decent. Once I'm done with them (because dammit, SAO takes a week between episodes...I hate being up with the play) I may have to go and watch something like Kanon or AIR...until next season when some other cool stuff releases.

I'm moderately upset that the rumour about Darker than Black: Nanpou no Houkou ("Wandering through the South")/season three releasing this October has yet to be verified and is therefore likely not going to come to fulfilment. DAMMIT. Was sooooooo keen for that.

[Nocturnal]

Oh, I recently watched all DTB seasons. It is a really fun show, quick-paced as opposed to most of the anime I've seen this year.

I'm currently on a pause, since uni started. But I'll still watch weekly on-going anime. SAO is getting better witch each episode.

[Silencer]

Nocturnal, on 02 September 2012 - 09:30 AM, said:

Oh, I recently watched all DTB seasons. It is a really fun show, quick-paced as opposed to most of the anime I've seen this year.

I'm currently on a pause, since uni started. But I'll still watch weekly on-going anime. SAO is getting better witch each episode.

Yah, I loved DTB. First season was awesome, second season was one of the first shows I watched subbed, and for a long while I preferred it to the first. I think I both overwatched the second season though and started to really love the...more in-depth look at the setting and all the flashback tidbits in the first, made possible by the two-parter story arcs and 26 episode season. I was fairly keen for season three to do something a bit more in line with the first, and to possibly be a prequel episode focusing on the years leading up to, and including, Heaven's War. That would have been unbelievably awesome. Would still take a sequel over nothing, though.


SAO is hopefully only going to continue to get better. The side-story-based episodes made it play out a lot like a harem anime with little focus on the ramifications of their situation or exploration of the mechanics of the system, and while there was nothing inherently wrong with that, those episodes made a lot more sense as side-stories fleshing out the main character's background and as fan-service. I do think one of the main issues with SAO is, however, that the overall light novel was not that long. So what took a while to describe in detail in words takes a couple of seconds to show in animation, as you'd expect, and that means that a lot of stuff is just going by really really fast; leaving out the time for any exposition on the game itself, which naturally happened in monologue/brief thoughts in text. I dunno...in the end I'm not entirely sold on how they've handled a lot of stuff, but it's getting better and it's still great to see it rather than read it...it'll just be one of those animes which, when finished, I will have to develop a "viewing order" for the episodes opposed to the "airing order".

[LinearPhilosopher]

Silencer, on 02 September 2012 - 05:00 AM, said:

Hahah, I almost forgot about Bokurano! I still haven't actually started watching it properly (think I only watched the first episode before I was sidetracked) because of Death Note/SAO. I'll have to check out MUV-Luv as it keeps getting recco'd to me...

Meanwhile I'm watching (along with weekly SAO releases...it is FINALLY getting into the proper plot-arcs and away from the ludicrous decision to run the side stories as the entire first half of the season; I'm still kinda worried that they'll mess it up, but the last two episodes were on-track...) Persona 4: The Animation, which is pretty good and a bit different (I can tell it was adapted from a game, though), and Mirai Nikki (which is just fucked up...I mean...whoa...), and Fate/Stay Night. I'm like partway through all of them...none of them has really grabbed me enough to be a stand-alone "watch the entire thing in one go" affair, but they're all decent. Once I'm done with them (because dammit, SAO takes a week between episodes...I hate being up with the play) I may have to go and watch something like Kanon or AIR...until next season when some other cool stuff releases.

I'm moderately upset that the rumour about Darker than Black: Nanpou no Houkou ("Wandering through the South")/season three releasing this October has yet to be verified and is therefore likely not going to come to fulfilment. DAMMIT. Was sooooooo keen for that.

have you watched fate zero?

[Silencer]

Nope, it's for watching after I've finished Stay Night. IIRC it's a prequel, isn't it?

[LinearPhilosopher]

Silencer, on 02 September 2012 - 12:54 PM, said:

Nope, it's for watching after I've finished Stay Night. IIRC it's a prequel, isn't it?

it's a prequel that is far superior to it's sequel. If you haven't finished fsn yet, then drop it and go watch zero. It's a lot better. That and not having watched fsn you might be surprised by a few things. Knowing how it turns out does reduce the anticipation. It's still awesome, and as far as main characters go kiritsugu is much better then shirou (people die when they're killed).
If you need more convincing watch the review below.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=M8I7a2RRrTE

This post has been edited by BalrogLord: 03 September 2012 - 12:40 AM

[Dolmen 2.0]

BalrogLord, on 03 September 2012 - 12:31 AM, said:

Silencer, on 02 September 2012 - 12:54 PM, said:

Nope, it's for watching after I've finished Stay Night. IIRC it's a prequel, isn't it?

it's a prequel that is far superior to it's sequel. If you haven't finished fsn yet, then drop it and go watch zero. It's a lot better. That and not having watched fsn you might be surprised by a few things. Knowing how it turns out does reduce the anticipation. It's still awesome, and as far as main characters go kiritsugu is much better then shirou (people die when they're killed).
If you need more convincing watch the review below.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=M8I7a2RRrTE

seconded.

Zero has far more depth, and the themes are darker possibly more 'real world'

[Silencer]

Took above advice, started watching F/Zero instead of FSN. "Darker" is perhaps an understatement. O.o

It's definitely more gripping than FSN was in its first episode(s), that's for sure, so I will be sticking with F/Zero as my first watch; thanks guys!



On a semi-unrelated note (mainly because I'm being terrible, and rewatching entire series rather than new things again...>.<): can I reiterate* how awesome Shakugan no Shana is? Oh, sure, it's fairly predictable shonen/pseudo-harem action series for like, the entire first season, and much of the second. But the payoff is really season three. Few stories have the outright balls to make such large plot blindsides arrive (well, I've heard the source material had a bit more foreshadowing, but whatever) so late in the series arc...but my god does it WORK! And...bad guys...who are not only awesome (let's face it, the bad guys are almost always cooler than the good guys, at least where the bad guys are not comic relief) but actually have more depth than "MUAHAHAH I WANT TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD/AM A HENCHMAN FOR THIS PURPOSE! MUAHAHAH!" - enough so that they actually almost approach sympathetic villain territory in some cases. Considering you only get bits of this for much of the early seasons, it's a remarkable step up, and makes the whole thing (which is not too shabby anyway, though moderately generic) into a great story.
I mean, I've seen this referred to as being a "duelling show" with Kaze no Stigma. Considering I have watched both...no contest, from the outset, Shakugan is waaaaaaaaay better. Way. Way better. Even if I do still consider SnS to be something of a guilty pleasure, given the first season-and-a-half's setup. >.<

So yeah.

*I say 'reiterate', but I'm not sure I've actually posted about this before here, but whatever. It deserves reiteration if I haven't, anyway.

[Nocturnal]

I'm completely out of it all this fall. And I was looking forward a few of the new anime. I guess I prefer reading books after all. I'm just going to complete the on-going anime I started this summer and then that's it. Oh, and 11eyes, it seemed like a decent enough ecchi.

[LinearPhilosopher]

@ above, i'll be trying out psycho pass this season premise looks interesting
The series takes place in the near future, when it is possible to instantaneously measure and quantify a person's state of mind and personality. This information is recorded and processed, and the term "Psycho-Pass" refers to a standard used to measure an individual's being. The story centers around the "enforcement officer" Shinya Kougami, who is tasked with managing crime in such a world.

"t took a while to confirm, but now that we know Urobochi Gen’s officially involved,PSYCHO-PASS immediately becomes one of the season’s must-watch shows. The brain behind Fate/Zero and Madoka Magica, Urobochi has shown a propensity for not only delivering quality series, but doing so while defying all sorts of predictions and expectations "



There's also jormungand season 2 coming out iirc. If you liked black lagoon, you'll dig jormungand.

@ silencer glad you're enjoying zero. Also totally agree on SnS, i watched it when i was much younger, it was ok. But season 3 was just amazing. All the characters grew up pretty much, no more love triangle bullshit, and "shit finally got real". Overall i'm pretty happy with it. That and that scene with Yuji and Shana at the end, just priceless. A well deserved moment after the crap i had to deal with in season 1 and 2( s2 was an improvement).

This post has been edited by BalrogLord: 22 September 2012 - 12:59 AM

[Otataral Toblakai]

Just finished watching Kaichou Wo Maid-sama and Ga-Rei Zero, two superb animes. The first, romantic fare that really moved me, despite not being that into such (Clannad et al) animes. The second, an excellent action/supernatural/magic/zombie anime with outstanding fight scenes, amazing animation, moving but tragic story. Both, a must see for otakus like moi!

[Nocturnal]

Zombies in Ga-Rei? Seriously?

[Otataral Toblakai]

Oh, yes. Lots of them! With some having jelly like mind control ghosts on top!

As for the fate/stay and fate/zero, fate/zero is the darker, more action packed anime BUT i'd recommend watching fate/stay then zero even though it\s prequel/sequel.

On another note, Helsing OVA, where art thou......?

[LinearPhilosopher]

Nocturnal, on 22 September 2012 - 12:28 PM, said:

Zombies in Ga-Rei? Seriously?

Ga rei zero was thoroughly enjoyable. I'd say episodes 1-2 sort of ruin the suspense but such is life. And before you say anything, no this isn't your stereotypical zombie apocalypse group of survivors story. Zombie are just one of the many foes the protagonists have to face (some of the monsters are quite imaginative)

This post has been edited by BalrogLord: 22 September 2012 - 02:28 PM

[Princess]

I finished watching an anime called Tiger and Bunny a few days ago and i would recommend it to you all. It's a fun superhero themed anime set in a world where so-called NEXTs (Humans with superhuman powers) get recorded by a television station, and wear advertisements for sponsor companies on their armour as they fight crime. The concept was pretty new and refreshing to me as it's the first real superhero anime i've seen that was done in this style. There's only a 25 or so episode and they're all very good and pretty damn funny.