[yuna_anomander25]

just finished with my watch of baka to test to shoukanjou, S1 & S2 w/ OVA, a little disappointed w/ the ending, but oh well,

watched 1st episode of Infinite Stratos & Rosario + Vampire, the action scenes in the opening mins of IS is good, but don't know if I'll be continuing this, while R+V, is a little meh,

continued my watch of Kimi ni Todoke, just curious, the one who designed the anime ver of KnT, is he/she the same as the one who draws in One Piece, albeit with no exaggerated features, as i could see semblance of Luffy with Kazehaya, or is it just me,

after this post, I will watch:

Claymore as reco by BalrogLord,
Ikkitousen
Ao no Exorcist
Clannad
Aoi no Hana

and still more, I'm currently watching animes with 12-26 episodes per season or short stories, as I dont want to focus on long series, I stopped my watch of Naruto again, will be a long time before I'll go back to it,,

[Silencer]

Dolmen+, on 24 November 2012 - 05:54 AM, said:

K JUST BLEW ME OUT OF THE WATER.

Its typical shounen style action but so beautifully done! and there is a bit of a clever happening around the main character who we all suspect is some kind of wild card. Seven episodes in you get some really funny background comedy, decent plot development and a general idea of atleast three clans and what I suspect is a fast developing fourth. Its a solid anime. I'm biased because it is an artistic masterclass but still.

I'm now up to speed on K, and it is pretty good! Though there are definitely at least 7 potential clans, mind; whether that many become active participants is another story entirely, though.

I like the art, but it's not top-tier. It's not exactly KyoAni quality, and honestly Shin Sekai looks better/is more detailed, so I'm probably comparing it unfairly. But it's pretty good all round nonetheless.



Also, latest SAO was pretty good. I still hate how condensed it all feels...but I guess that's natural given the nature of the LNs vs Anime. The show is great, but it unfortunately hasn't quite managed to come close to the LNs again since the part one "finale"; even in this episode where it was quite emotionally charged, what with

Spoiler

Sugu finding out who Kirito is, and promptly having a really sad emotional crisis - which caused her to then essentially repeatedly verbally stab poor Kirito in the heart with a whooooole bunch of stuff at once...."by the way, that little revelation just BROKE me, so I guess I should probably tell you I know we're not really siblings and I've been freaking head over heels in love with you for a while now, but then I found out you were in love with someone else and tried to get over you which kind of worked when I fell in love with Kirito-kun who you just told me IS YOU. OHMYGODLEAVEMEALONE."...yeah, it was really powerful in the books, lol

and such, it just didn't carry over as well as it could. This vexes me. Ah well, only 3 eps to go! Hopefully it finishes as well as it wrapped up the first arc...
I really hope they get around to adapting the later novels too, though. The Phantom Bullet arc is awesome. XD

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

I'm watching Darker Than Black now and on episode 6. I'm actually enjoying it surprisingly enough so far. Worth checking out.


Also, what are some good sci-fi anime TV series (preferably with English dubs)? I'm not really a huge fan of watching subbed shows, but if that's all there is of it, I can deal.

I'm looking for something either space opera-y or hard sci-fi. Examples of shows/movies I've liked: Planetes, Cowboy Bebop, Akira, Ghost In The Shell, all Miyazaki films, and some other stuff that I can't think of right now. But yeah, stuff in the same vein as Planetes or Bebop would be great.

I've heard that Dennou Coil is good, as well as something called Kaiba (also, Crest of the Stars is supposed to be good space opera, but also un-dubbed). Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, those are both un-dubbed, which sort of sucks

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 02 December 2012 - 05:48 AM

[Silencer]

Subs > Dubs.



From the looks of things you've watched all the ones I know off the top of my head...

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Silencer, on 02 December 2012 - 06:23 AM, said:

Subs > Dubs.



From the looks of things you've watched all the ones I know off the top of my head...

Subs are so much work though, and the Japanese voices are, to be honest, often quite grating.

[Silencer]

Eh, I find it easy to read the subs, and it fixes a lot of the weird loss of meaning that occurs when you try and translate Japanese into equivalent-time English sentences.

As for grating...I can kinda get that. I honestly used to think similarly a lot of the time - until I actually was forced to watch subs due to new release stuff that didn't have dubs yet but I really wanted to watch. Now I'm used to it, and anything that gets dubbed which has young/early teen age characters? Cannot watch. You talk about 'grating', but MY GOD, the dubbed kids, ugh. UGH!

But yeah, different strokes, etc. I know where you're coming from.

[LinearPhilosopher]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 02 December 2012 - 05:47 AM, said:

I'm watching Darker Than Black now and on episode 6. I'm actually enjoying it surprisingly enough so far. Worth checking out.


Also, what are some good sci-fi anime TV series (preferably with English dubs)? I'm not really a huge fan of watching subbed shows, but if that's all there is of it, I can deal.

I'm looking for something either space opera-y or hard sci-fi. Examples of shows/movies I've liked: Planetes, Cowboy Bebop, Akira, Ghost In The Shell, all Miyazaki films, and some other stuff that I can't think of right now. But yeah, stuff in the same vein as Planetes or Bebop would be great.

I've heard that Dennou Coil is good, as well as something called Kaiba (also, Crest of the Stars is supposed to be good space opera, but also un-dubbed). Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, those are both un-dubbed, which sort of sucks

Have you seen Outlaw Star? Also psycho-pass is airing now and it's an amazing sci-fi, there's also the time of eve movie, and a 20 minute OVA called pale cocoon.

Silencer, on 02 December 2012 - 02:50 AM, said:

Dolmen+, on 24 November 2012 - 05:54 AM, said:

K JUST BLEW ME OUT OF THE WATER.

Its typical shounen style action but so beautifully done! and there is a bit of a clever happening around the main character who we all suspect is some kind of wild card. Seven episodes in you get some really funny background comedy, decent plot development and a general idea of atleast three clans and what I suspect is a fast developing fourth. Its a solid anime. I'm biased because it is an artistic masterclass but still.

I'm now up to speed on K, and it is pretty good! Though there are definitely at least 7 potential clans, mind; whether that many become active participants is another story entirely, though.

I like the art, but it's not top-tier. It's not exactly KyoAni quality, and honestly Shin Sekai looks better/is more detailed, so I'm probably comparing it unfairly. But it's pretty good all round nonetheless.



Also, latest SAO was pretty good. I still hate how condensed it all feels...but I guess that's natural given the nature of the LNs vs Anime. The show is great, but it unfortunately hasn't quite managed to come close to the LNs again since the part one "finale"; even in this episode where it was quite emotionally charged, what with

Spoiler

Sugu finding out who Kirito is, and promptly having a really sad emotional crisis - which caused her to then essentially repeatedly verbally stab poor Kirito in the heart with a whooooole bunch of stuff at once...."by the way, that little revelation just BROKE me, so I guess I should probably tell you I know we're not really siblings and I've been freaking head over heels in love with you for a while now, but then I found out you were in love with someone else and tried to get over you which kind of worked when I fell in love with Kirito-kun who you just told me IS YOU. OHMYGODLEAVEMEALONE."...yeah, it was really powerful in the books, lol

and such, it just didn't carry over as well as it could. This vexes me. Ah well, only 3 eps to go! Hopefully it finishes as well as it wrapped up the first arc...
I really hope they get around to adapting the later novels too, though. The Phantom Bullet arc is awesome. XD

at this point im just waiting for it to end. SAO is just boring now. It's more the video game that looks cool.

Also regarding sub vs dubs. I've a preference for dubs if it's quality. There's just something about hearing it in your own language. However if the dub is terrible or unavailable, ill settle with a sub. (black lagoon and baccano are one of those series you have to see in english). I think the one downside that exists in both is that you start hearing the xame voice actors in different series so you spend your time racking your brain trying to figure out where they came from. This is annoying since when they're talking japanese you have no idea how to place the dialogue. End up having to look it up online.

This post has been edited by BalrogLord: 02 December 2012 - 01:46 PM

[Dolmen 2.0]

I'm watching another new anime called MagI! Its anime meets Aladin. Wonderful stuff, and the fanalis seem to be very similar to the seguleh minus the swords. Epic level warriors. Born

I am still loving K but this Magi show really captured my attention as I fuckin love arabian nights! the setting is so enjoyable and fun with a really engaging story and likeable characters. K is fun but in a more mysterious way with emphasis on cool interactions between characters.

Magi kinda reminds me of OnePiece six episodes in. I have no idea how far it will go but im really enjoying it. Super reccommend.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

BalrogLord, on 02 December 2012 - 01:42 PM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 02 December 2012 - 05:47 AM, said:

I'm watching Darker Than Black now and on episode 6. I'm actually enjoying it surprisingly enough so far. Worth checking out.


Also, what are some good sci-fi anime TV series (preferably with English dubs)? I'm not really a huge fan of watching subbed shows, but if that's all there is of it, I can deal.

I'm looking for something either space opera-y or hard sci-fi. Examples of shows/movies I've liked: Planetes, Cowboy Bebop, Akira, Ghost In The Shell, all Miyazaki films, and some other stuff that I can't think of right now. But yeah, stuff in the same vein as Planetes or Bebop would be great.

I've heard that Dennou Coil is good, as well as something called Kaiba (also, Crest of the Stars is supposed to be good space opera, but also un-dubbed). Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, those are both un-dubbed, which sort of sucks

Have you seen Outlaw Star? Also psycho-pass is airing now and it's an amazing sci-fi, there's also the time of eve movie, and a 20 minute OVA called pale cocoon.

Yeah, I've seen Outlaw Star. Enjoyed it, but compared to something like Cowboy Bebop, it was not even close to as good.

I was looking for the Time Of Eve movie, but I couldn't find a dub. Is it dubbed?

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 02 December 2012 - 06:06 PM

[Silencer]

BalrogLord, on 02 December 2012 - 01:42 PM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 02 December 2012 - 05:47 AM, said:

I'm watching Darker Than Black now and on episode 6. I'm actually enjoying it surprisingly enough so far. Worth checking out.


Also, what are some good sci-fi anime TV series (preferably with English dubs)? I'm not really a huge fan of watching subbed shows, but if that's all there is of it, I can deal.

I'm looking for something either space opera-y or hard sci-fi. Examples of shows/movies I've liked: Planetes, Cowboy Bebop, Akira, Ghost In The Shell, all Miyazaki films, and some other stuff that I can't think of right now. But yeah, stuff in the same vein as Planetes or Bebop would be great.

I've heard that Dennou Coil is good, as well as something called Kaiba (also, Crest of the Stars is supposed to be good space opera, but also un-dubbed). Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, those are both un-dubbed, which sort of sucks

Have you seen Outlaw Star? Also psycho-pass is airing now and it's an amazing sci-fi, there's also the time of eve movie, and a 20 minute OVA called pale cocoon.

Silencer, on 02 December 2012 - 02:50 AM, said:

Dolmen+, on 24 November 2012 - 05:54 AM, said:

K JUST BLEW ME OUT OF THE WATER.

Its typical shounen style action but so beautifully done! and there is a bit of a clever happening around the main character who we all suspect is some kind of wild card. Seven episodes in you get some really funny background comedy, decent plot development and a general idea of atleast three clans and what I suspect is a fast developing fourth. Its a solid anime. I'm biased because it is an artistic masterclass but still.

I'm now up to speed on K, and it is pretty good! Though there are definitely at least 7 potential clans, mind; whether that many become active participants is another story entirely, though.

I like the art, but it's not top-tier. It's not exactly KyoAni quality, and honestly Shin Sekai looks better/is more detailed, so I'm probably comparing it unfairly. But it's pretty good all round nonetheless.



Also, latest SAO was pretty good. I still hate how condensed it all feels...but I guess that's natural given the nature of the LNs vs Anime. The show is great, but it unfortunately hasn't quite managed to come close to the LNs again since the part one "finale"; even in this episode where it was quite emotionally charged, what with

Spoiler

Sugu finding out who Kirito is, and promptly having a really sad emotional crisis - which caused her to then essentially repeatedly verbally stab poor Kirito in the heart with a whooooole bunch of stuff at once...."by the way, that little revelation just BROKE me, so I guess I should probably tell you I know we're not really siblings and I've been freaking head over heels in love with you for a while now, but then I found out you were in love with someone else and tried to get over you which kind of worked when I fell in love with Kirito-kun who you just told me IS YOU. OHMYGODLEAVEMEALONE."...yeah, it was really powerful in the books, lol

and such, it just didn't carry over as well as it could. This vexes me. Ah well, only 3 eps to go! Hopefully it finishes as well as it wrapped up the first arc...
I really hope they get around to adapting the later novels too, though. The Phantom Bullet arc is awesome. XD

at this point im just waiting for it to end. SAO is just boring now. It's more the video game that looks cool.

Also regarding sub vs dubs. I've a preference for dubs if it's quality. There's just something about hearing it in your own language. However if the dub is terrible or unavailable, ill settle with a sub. (black lagoon and baccano are one of those series you have to see in english). I think the one downside that exists in both is that you start hearing the xame voice actors in different series so you spend your time racking your brain trying to figure out where they came from. This is annoying since when they're talking japanese you have no idea how to place the dialogue. End up having to look it up online.

Yup, which is pretty much how it comes across because the storyline is so frickin' condensed. " It makes a lot more sense in the LNs. Though unfortunately, ANY anime can be summarised like that and WILL sound terrible, honestly.

I'd kill to play in SAO. Even including the death game part. XD

My trouble is that "quality" dubs are few and far between. Baccano is one. Darker than Black's first season is good enough. Haruhi is actually really good. Most everything else is passable or worse, or ruined by one atrocious VA/casting choice. I've got a few VAs I do recognize well but the thing that really got me the other day is that I saw a character who looked identical to Asuna in another anime. See, in live action, you expect to see the same actors all the time, or at least recognize a few faces. In anime? Not so much. You can freaking DRAW the people however you want! As much as every character is going to have some similarities due to lack of detail, to find a character looking exactly the same really threw me. >.< Guess it has to happen eventually due to the value and scarcity of good character designers/artists and the amount of effort required to create and draw a character, but still. Actually kinda surprised it's just a couple of them that I've run into by now. XD

[LinearPhilosopher]

but did they really need to include tentacle scene in the story. I know some series are more chauvanistic then most but this series is full of it. You have Kirito who is basically the mesiah, and every female is falling for him for no reason. Also why no one thinks to report him for hacking is beyond me.

[Silencer]

BalrogLord, on 03 December 2012 - 06:35 AM, said:

but did they really need to include tentacle scene in the story. I know some series are more chauvanistic then most but this series is full of it. You have Kirito who is basically the mesiah, and every female is falling for him for no reason. Also why no one thinks to report him for hacking is beyond me.

That particular scene probably classifies as "fan service" to a bunch of people, I guess. Considering they cut out an entire sub-arc about getting from the Sylph-Salamander standoff to the World Tree for no apparent reason (barring that it only had minor plot relevance...though more relevance than the tentacles, lol) all I can say is that the studio is clearly focusing on the wrong areas of the storyline.

Mind you, that kinda followed on from the fact that they pursued the pseudo-harem angle of the story for the first EIGHT GODDAMN EPISODES. In the novels, about 50% of that stuff was SIDE STORIES not even included in the original LN. Even then, it was handled better (for a given definition of 'better', considering it still follows "girl falls in love with protagonist very quickly" at the core) than what the anime did.

I think part of the problem is that the LNs...they spend a lot more time detailing the world, the setting, the combat...you can *show* most of that in the space of three seconds of footage (especially when you do terrible fight scenes for 95% of the damn series). That leaves you with the main plot (all of five-ten episodes of plot, tops, for the *actual* SAO-game stuff) and a whole bunch of short harem-esque sequences pulled from the side stories, basically. SAO is not a complicated story - it doesn't run to the depths required unless you spend a lot of time fleshing out life in SAO, exploring Kirito and his backstory (both of which could have seen a lot more screentime), and looking beyond the goddamn fanservice.

The thing with the LNs is, as TV Tropes summarises - yes, Kirito is OP. Yes, he's ludicrously good at everything (it is explained that the reason he looks up to Kayaba Akihiko has roots before SAO - it is because Kirito himself is something of a genius programmer of sorts...I think this gets about a 1/2 second vague implication around episode 16/17...yeah...hell, the fact that he even knows much about/respects Kayaba is practically non-existent in the anime!) but he's probably the most fun, awesome OP protagonist to read about, purely because the author somehow manages to make it so.

Not to mention, for gamers, there is a lot of nice exposition in the novels about why they do things like "switching", the benefits and differences of working in a party (yeah, sure, we saw the hate for "Beaters" (which itself was not properly established in the anime), and the pressure to join a party/guild, but nothing to substantiate it, nothing to give it depth) versus soloing - exactly WHY soloing is something impressive/suicidal/scary.
We didn't get half the stuff about people adapting to life in the virtual world - how for them, it became THE REAL WORLD, is barely touched upon, and that's a pretty major and interesting theme (as someone whose parents frequently claimed you lot "weren't real" because you were on the internet (until I met most of you ), this was really neat) throughout the course of all the LNs. We lost a MOUNTAIN of emotional investment in both Kirito and his antics with the Black Cats of the Full Moon guild. I mean, comparatively, the part where he tries to get the

Spoiler

revival stone

is basically a non-event as far as I'm concerned in the anime. In the novels that MEANT something. The actual battle was on screen, and so was Kirito's initial reaction when he got it - it was heartbreaking.

But none of that translated over to the anime. Instead we got 8 episodes of filler/stupid harem crap, played out for whatever reason in chronological order instead of as flashbacks/side stories and given way too much emphasis for little to no gain, a bunch of stalled out, wasted mini-arcs to substitute for character development, and atrociously put together action scenes.

Come to think of it, the ONLY bits of this series that are worth watching are the bits at the climax of the first arc/half season finale - and probably only if you've got a bit of emotional investment in that scene from the LNs already, honestly - and the nice scenery shots of SAO itself. Oh, and the most recent episode where Suguha finds out who Kirito is. Again, though, that plays on pre-established character investment. Whereas every single word of the LNs is better than those parts put together. (Alright, that *may* be hyperbole/fanboying there...but seriously, the LNs are so far out of the anime's league it is not even funny. I normally read LNs because they provide extra content/story from where the anime is up to...in this case, I read the LNs first because there wasn't an anime...I may not have read them if the anime was already available at the time and that would have been a fucking travesty. :S)

So yeah, colour me overall disappointed in SAO. Much as I want and try to like it even a fraction of the amount I love the basic concept and the LNs, it just doesn't compare AT ALL. And that sucks.

/end rant.


At least I have Shin Sekai to watch and make me feel better.

[Silencer]

And let me just say (in case anyone had forgotten): OH MY GOD SHIN SEKAI YORI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1


Episode 10 was pretty good - again, a logical progression but not entirely in the manner you might have expected. The episode 11 preview, however, was HOLY SHITBALLS WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING NEXT!??!?!?! D:

I really, really want a time machine. Good lord. XD

[blanketman2.0]

Silencer, on 04 December 2012 - 10:36 PM, said:

And let me just say (in case anyone had forgotten): OH MY GOD SHIN SEKAI YORI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1


Episode 10 was pretty good - again, a logical progression but not entirely in the manner you might have expected. The episode 11 preview, however, was HOLY SHITBALLS WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING NEXT!??!?!?! D:

I really, really want a time machine. Good lord. XD

i know that show is becoming one of my favs im watching monster just to hold me over till the next episode which i also recommend.

[LinearPhilosopher]

in shin sekai yori a 24 or 12 episode series?

[Silencer]

Pretty sure it's 24 eps. Ain't no way they're resolving this in the next two episodes, anyway - not sure if they're taking a mid-season break or not like a lot of anime seem to have been doing lately, though.

[LinearPhilosopher]

also what is a Light Novel?

[Mentalist]

went through another short anime phase about a month back.

Finally watched the entirety of Serial Experiments Lain. It's good (I can see why Morgoth was raving about it), but not the greatest thing ever.

@ Whisperzzz: from what I understand, Legend of Galactic Heroes is a space-opera epic series. It's also got 100+ episodes, so I haven't actually watched it yet.

I watched episode 1 of Witch Hunter Robin before school absorbed all of my free time. Seems ok, i'll probably continue watching it once exams are done.

[Silencer]

BalrogLord, on 06 December 2012 - 02:02 PM, said:

also what is a Light Novel?

Ah, right. Light Novels are basically short novels (down to novella size) which come with some several illustrations as well. Sort of like we get those special edition Malazan books with all the nice artwork in them, except never that long. They're somewhere between a manga and a regular novel, basically. Often they are compilations of stuff that has been released in serialized format, too, though they can also be just stand-alone short books.

[LinearPhilosopher]

Mentalist, on 06 December 2012 - 06:50 PM, said:

went through another short anime phase about a month back.

Finally watched the entirety of Serial Experiments Lain. It's good (I can see why Morgoth was raving about it), but not the greatest thing ever.

@ Whisperzzz: from what I understand, Legend of Galactic Heroes is a space-opera epic series. It's also got 100+ episodes, so I haven't actually watched it yet.

I watched episode 1 of Witch Hunter Robin before school absorbed all of my free time. Seems ok, i'll probably continue watching it once exams are done.

WHR is a decent show. First half is stand alones, second half has to do with over-arching story. It's a good watch.

Also this week's episode of psycho-pass was also amazing, a quote from plato, and we get theseus ships applied to post-humanism (cyberization of the human body). I'm happy. Loving how we are slowly getting details for the working of the sybil system. I'm amazed at the writers knowledge of western philosophy.

And Zetsuen no Tempest, has yet to fail to entertain Loved the discussion about logic (yay for philosophy x2) . Finally things are finally starting to gear up for the finale in Jormungand.

And muv-luv TE,

Spoiler

the preceding week's episode's brutality just blew me away. Was not expecting it.

I don't know why but this season is amazing. It blows the last few seasons clean out of the water. And i still haven't watched shin sekai yori since i know im going to want to marathon, like i want to marathon psycho-pass with all the philosophy references it keeps throwing around.

This post has been edited by BalrogLord: 07 December 2012 - 04:32 AM