[D'rek]

PrinPrin episode 4 was solid, once again. Fairly straightforward episode, didn't add much in the way of new info or backstabbery potential, but it was still a cool operation and nice to see a bit more of Dorothy and Chise's motives. I'm glad they're doing the cases out of order like this, should make for a good build-up to the finale. The jazz song when Ange went into action was top notch!


I've also been watching Yokai Apartment, but I think I'm going to drop it. It's got some cute and cool stuff, but it's also really scatterbrained and just not as fun/funny as I think it wants to be. Too much psychic/yokai teasing to then always be shifting gears to Yushi's friends/cousin/emotional issues when it really needs to build up and focus on one or the other.

I could probably pick up one more show to watch weekly... I did see the first couple episodes of Fate/Apocrypha and Welcome to the Ballroom, but neither of them really piqued my interest. Are any shows really standing out now that we're 4/5 weeks into the season?

[D'rek]

In OTHER news, looks like Netflix has announced a whole bunch of upcoming anime projects that it is licensing/funding for next year:



Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya - not sure if this is a remake, continuation, or original sequel to the classic series

Devilman Crybaby - adaptation of the Go Nagai manga

A.I.C.O. Incarnation - standardish "sudden event causes unexplained phenomena; teenagers with mysteries 10 years later" setup, by studio Bones

Children of the Whales - "a world covered by oceans of sand"

Cannon Busters - sci-fi robot fugitives, apparently created by LeSean Thomas who directed The Boondocks

B: The Beginning (previously titled Perfect Bones) - original series, some sort of crime thriller, by Production IG

Sword Gai: the Animation - adaptation of the Sword Gai manga, action fantasy shounen story

Lost Song - original series about two girls with magic singing in a fantasy setting

Rilakkuma

Baki - adaptation of a martial arts manga

Kakegurui (currently airing) - Netflix will get this later this year or in 2018

Fate/Apocrypha (currently airing) - Netflix will get this later this year or in 2018

[Silencer]

D, on 03 August 2017 - 07:55 PM, said:

A.I.C.O. Incarnation - standardish "sudden event causes unexplained phenomena; teenagers with mysteries 10 years later" setup, by studio Bones

Wait wait wait. Hold the phone. Studio BONES has the time to produce this cliche (though potentially decent, I guess) crap, but they STILL can't give me a damn Darker than Black prequel?!?!? *spits* Bah! Bah I say!

[Maark Abbott]

D, on 03 August 2017 - 02:38 PM, said:

I could probably pick up one more show to watch weekly... I did see the first couple episodes of Fate/Apocrypha and Welcome to the Ballroom, but neither of them really piqued my interest. Are any shows really standing out now that we're 4/5 weeks into the season?

Surprisingly, Hajimete has become one of the stronger shows on my queue. It seems like the author / creator is parodying the harem genre, sort of how KonoSuba does for issekai stuff. New Game is still very enjoyable. Lots of people saying Castlevania is excellent (still haven't seen it though).

[LinearPhilosopher]

Silencer, on 04 August 2017 - 08:01 AM, said:

D, on 03 August 2017 - 07:55 PM, said:

A.I.C.O. Incarnation - standardish "sudden event causes unexplained phenomena; teenagers with mysteries 10 years later" setup, by studio Bones

Wait wait wait. Hold the phone. Studio BONES has the time to produce this cliche (though potentially decent, I guess) crap, but they STILL can't give me a damn Darker than Black prequel?!?!? *spits* Bah! Bah I say!

i don't think gemini of the meteor was well received so im sceptical they will revisit that franchise.

[Silencer]

LinearPhilosopher, on 04 August 2017 - 05:02 PM, said:

Silencer, on 04 August 2017 - 08:01 AM, said:

D, on 03 August 2017 - 07:55 PM, said:

A.I.C.O. Incarnation - standardish "sudden event causes unexplained phenomena; teenagers with mysteries 10 years later" setup, by studio Bones

Wait wait wait. Hold the phone. Studio BONES has the time to produce this cliche (though potentially decent, I guess) crap, but they STILL can't give me a damn Darker than Black prequel?!?!? *spits* Bah! Bah I say!

i don't think gemini of the meteor was well received so im sceptical they will revisit that franchise.

Well, that's what they get for taking their dark, serious, seinen show and injecting overt "joke" characters into it and replacing awesome two-episode mini-arcs with a "walking the earth" superarc that, instead of building mystery and intrigue, just flat out withheld information and purpose from the characters for 90% of the series. >.>

I mean, hell, I still *enjoyed* it, but it really did not live up to its potential as a sequel. Overall it came out alright and had some great sequences, but it was interspersed with some really stupid stuff and the plot ultimately was 'meh', leading to its poor reception.

Which, incidentally, is why they should strap on their boots and go back to what made the first season great, and jump back in time to the frankly under-explored potential of Heaven's War and the whole "oh crap, there are Contractors now" stuff following the appearance of the Gates, as told from the perspective of Hei and Bai. (Plus, it allows us to have more November 11, so, you know; win-win XD) I'm 90% convinced that even if they failed to knock it out of the park, it'd be better than Gemini of the Meteor and do well enough to justify the effort.

[D'rek]

Silencer, on 04 August 2017 - 08:01 AM, said:

D, on 03 August 2017 - 07:55 PM, said:

A.I.C.O. Incarnation - standardish "sudden event causes unexplained phenomena; teenagers with mysteries 10 years later" setup, by studio Bones

Wait wait wait. Hold the phone. Studio BONES has the time to produce this cliche (though potentially decent, I guess) crap, but they STILL can't give me a damn Darker than Black prequel?!?!? *spits* Bah! Bah I say!

Bones does lots of stuff with generic/cliche premises... I mean that same premise line could already apply to both Darker than Black and My Hero Academia. Mob Psycho 100, Kekkai Sensen, Bungo Stray Dogs, Concrete Revolutio... they could all sound pretty generic/cliche given just one sentence of premise, too. Who knows, maybe AICO will be really good!


Soooo I went and found the teaser trailer. I think it shows a lot of promise, actually. The "event" seems like it's not just a magic comet passing overhead... rather more like a mad science experiment gone wrong that makes enormous slime monsters that kill 90% of the earth and now it's a post-apocalyptic future with shadow governments and people who are robots but don't know they are robots. Or something.

Maark Abbott, on 04 August 2017 - 01:51 PM, said:

D, on 03 August 2017 - 02:38 PM, said:

I could probably pick up one more show to watch weekly... I did see the first couple episodes of Fate/Apocrypha and Welcome to the Ballroom, but neither of them really piqued my interest. Are any shows really standing out now that we're 4/5 weeks into the season?

Surprisingly, Hajimete has become one of the stronger shows on my queue. It seems like the author / creator is parodying the harem genre, sort of how KonoSuba does for issekai stuff.

Alright, I'll give it a try!

edit: saw first 5 minutes, then skipped ahead through the rest of the episode... yeah no. Hell no. Fuck no.

This post has been edited by D'rek: 05 August 2017 - 12:46 AM

[Maark Abbott]

It starts off pretty fucked up and stays there for a lot of the runtime, but I see what the creator is doing and to be fair I think she does a good job parodying that genre whilst subtly suggesting 'this is what we SHOULD be after' by inserting an underlying theme of loyalty overcoming base instincts. I can see how it would be off-putting though.

Oh, you'll probably be glad to hear that I found a reliable mirror for Princess Principal, D'rek-dono. First episode was a bit slow burn but I feel like the series probably benefits from that in the long run? The last five minutes kind of sideswiped me as well, and anything that can take me by surprise is always a good thing. The mirror is a bit low quality but you know what? Watching in 480p gives the whole scene a sort of hazy, smoggy look which fits the setting really well.

[D'rek]

I'm eexxxcccciiiiitttteeeedddddd!!!!!!

Maark Abbott, on 05 August 2017 - 07:59 AM, said:

It starts off pretty fucked up and stays there for a lot of the runtime, but I see what the creator is doing and to be fair I think she does a good job parodying that genre whilst subtly suggesting 'this is what we SHOULD be after' by inserting an underlying theme of loyalty overcoming base instincts. I can see how it would be off-putting though.

Oh, you'll probably be glad to hear that I found a reliable mirror for Princess Principal, D'rek-dono. First episode was a bit slow burn but I feel like the series probably benefits from that in the long run? The last five minutes kind of sideswiped me as well, and anything that can take me by surprise is always a good thing. The mirror is a bit low quality but you know what? Watching in 480p gives the whole scene a sort of hazy, smoggy look which fits the setting really well.

I'm definitely willing to believe that HajiGal gets very meta and/or deconstructive and/or entertaining in subsequent episodes, but any show that spends its first 20 minutes on pervy high school boys reading porn and talking about how elementary school girls are hot just isn't for me.

Glad you liked the start of PrinPrin though

[D'rek]

Saw it (DBS episode 102)! Loved it!

Spoiler

Love the Universe 2 dynamic. Yokai girl was not as badass as I was hoping but FINALLY SOMEONE WITH WINGS USES THEM. Not too surprised that one of the magical girls didn't last to the end of the episode, but the other two look sufficiently strong. Ribrianna is going to knock 17 out for sure, and hopefully sticks around for a while later.

I really liked how as soon as the U7 guys split up they're each attacked - gives the idea that there is indeed a lot of other battles going on, but other fighters are being smart and avoiding taking on groups on their own, then saw an opportunity for ambush.

Toppo running up and everyone scolding 17 for not letting the transformation finish was hilarious!

Lastly, if you pause when Zeno is cycling through the universes on his tablet... looks like the two not-shown-yet warriors from Universe 6 are alt-universe Namekians!!!

[Silencer]

Kimi no namai wa?

GODDAMMIT. YOUR NAME.

That's all I really came here to post, before trying the now-impossible task of falling asleep, but I'll add some quick thoughts:
Even better looking movie on my home screen. 1080p on a 50 inch 4k screen somehow even made this more mind blowing. I want like half of the scenes for this movie as a wallpaper for my PC now. XD some of the time lapse shots would be perfect.
The wait to see this film again was absolutely worth it. Knowing me, I will now proceed to watch it too much and too soon, but I'm almost inclined to put myself on a six month lock down just so I don't overdo it. (I've found six months is about the ideal time frame for me to space out viewings of things like this or Hotarubi no Mori E to avoid that.)
But damn. Third(?) viewing and it still just... Resonates on some insane level of feels.



Oh, and prior to wrecking myself with this masterpiece, I watched Nerawareta Gakuen and was going to mention it here as pretty good and worth a watch (movie, translates to Psychic School Wars or close to it, but that's a tad misleading). Fairly typical themes for a high school setting but done well and with enough twists and good art to make it stand out.
Do. Not. Watch. In proximity to Kimi No Na Wa - lest you be reminded of what exceptional visuals and story telling really are. XD

[Maark Abbott]

D, on 05 August 2017 - 07:44 PM, said:

I'm eexxxcccciiiiitttteeeedddddd!!!!!!

Maark Abbott, on 05 August 2017 - 07:59 AM, said:

It starts off pretty fucked up and stays there for a lot of the runtime, but I see what the creator is doing and to be fair I think she does a good job parodying that genre whilst subtly suggesting 'this is what we SHOULD be after' by inserting an underlying theme of loyalty overcoming base instincts. I can see how it would be off-putting though.

Oh, you'll probably be glad to hear that I found a reliable mirror for Princess Principal, D'rek-dono. First episode was a bit slow burn but I feel like the series probably benefits from that in the long run? The last five minutes kind of sideswiped me as well, and anything that can take me by surprise is always a good thing. The mirror is a bit low quality but you know what? Watching in 480p gives the whole scene a sort of hazy, smoggy look which fits the setting really well.

I'm definitely willing to believe that HajiGal gets very meta and/or deconstructive and/or entertaining in subsequent episodes, but any show that spends its first 20 minutes on pervy high school boys reading porn and talking about how elementary school girls are hot just isn't for me.

Glad you liked the start of PrinPrin though

On that note, the other three episodes were also mint. I'm wondering which way the story is going to go because whilst there's an obvious narrative, it doesn't seem to have set itself on a definite pathway just yet. Lots of room for unexpected turns. On that note what days do the episodes usually release on?

[LinearPhilosopher]

Back from otakuthon.

Cosplay highlight pics to follow

[D'rek]

Maark Abbott, on 07 August 2017 - 09:43 AM, said:

On that note, the other three episodes were also mint. I'm wondering which way the story is going to go because whilst there's an obvious narrative, it doesn't seem to have set itself on a definite pathway just yet. Lots of room for unexpected turns. On that note what days do the episodes usually release on?

Saturdays or Sundays, I think. I usually watch it Sunday or Monday.

[Maark Abbott]

D, on 08 August 2017 - 03:51 AM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 07 August 2017 - 09:43 AM, said:

On that note, the other three episodes were also mint. I'm wondering which way the story is going to go because whilst there's an obvious narrative, it doesn't seem to have set itself on a definite pathway just yet. Lots of room for unexpected turns. On that note what days do the episodes usually release on?

Saturdays or Sundays, I think. I usually watch it Sunday or Monday.

Aaaaaaaand that;'s my evening set tonight then

[Maark Abbott]

Monday roundup... I may try to condense this into a weekly thing because I've got so many shows on this season.

PP: The plot twist around Chise's motivation was sort of predictable, but well handled. The entire train scene was very good. Is there a thing in Japan for guys called Jubei to attack trains, though?

NG!!: A development / side story episode this week. It's interesting to see what will happen with Hifumi given her tendency towards introversion. The fanservicey bit at the end felt kind of tacked on, didn't think it was needed.

Aho-Girl: Continues to be great. The plot was ridiculous, the dialogue was silly, but the comedic timing is what actually makes it work so well.

Isekai/Smartphone (IS henceforth): This is kind of a filler series this season for me (don't know why I need one). I like the art style. This week was way heavy on the fanservice though, and the whole 'reborn into another world with God giving me a harem' thing felt oddly played out compared to other episode. This one is at best when it indulges in self-parody.

TC: More focus on developing relationships from characters we've seen before. That zany, comedic couple seem the most interesting so far.

[D'rek]

I don't know about attacking trains, but the Jūbei name comes from this guy.

[Maark Abbott]

Ah, see I'd of course heard of Mitsuyoshi, but hadn't read far into his stories enough to know that he was Jubei.

[Silencer]

So, Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru. Aka Oregairu, aka My Teen Romantic SNAFU.

I remember starting this series a while ago, watching the first episode, and basically nope-ing my way out of there on the basis of it being a little bit too "business as usual" for a high school setting but with extra levels of cringe from the MC. After watching both seasons to completion, I'm not entirely convinced my original opinion was wrong per se, but overall the show itself has some really interesting moments - mostly based around the satellite characters (I am actually noticing a theme lately that, personally, I'm enjoying supporting characters and B-casts more than the protagonists. This is especially pronounced in Rom-Com/high school slice-of-life anime, and I'm not sure if it's a case of the main characters being too samey and cliche, or the supporting characters just not getting as much screen time to be 'rounded out' and made worse by exposure, or if the supporting characters are just genuinely better written. This has been the case on and off since I started watching anime, but lately it's getting really pronounced. Is it just me?).

So, aside from the tired old cliche of the "unpopular" and "unlikable" main character actually being 1) surrounded by people, more specifically girls, who like him/come to like him, and 2) not all that bad of a person (though, to be fair, he does do a bunch of things which, certainly in Japan and likely in the West as well, would get you some pretty major hate, at least from the concerned parties), and said MC being both obscenely self-deprecating and unable. To. Spit. Things. Out. (Everyone has this, to an extent, it's what 90% of the 'plot' is based on) which, at least, is strongly implied to be a severe case of semi self-enforced antisocial behaviour and anxiety (actually one of the decent parts of the show, even if it is overblown to an extent), the cast in general is reasonably normal and a lot of the subtleties of the character's personalities are only slightly exaggerated so you can actually notice them, and not taken to the point of caricature. This is most notable in the supporting characters, as stated, but two of the protagonists also have fairly reasonable personality quirks that are less "pulled out of a hat" and more "have some semi-realistic causes".

One scene...series of scenes, actually, in the second season is particularly great - if you've ever sat in a meeting, be it at school or at work, where a bunch of people talked about nothing but used a lot of meaningless but important sounding words and phrases to make themselves look good (i.e. any major corporate culture these days) while getting nothing done and which no-one can actually understand...this is probably one of the most definitive portrayals in anime, bar none. Hell, it'd probably rank up there in media in general, too. Clearly a deliberate parody but done surprisingly well.

Secondly, siblings. Even ignoring the penchant for anime to imply/state incestuous relationships in anime, this show still has a strong contention for portraying diverse, mostly realistic, fairly decent sibling relationships better than most. Whether it's manipulative, argumentative, caring, or whatever, they actually do it pretty well (again, mostly satellite characters, but hey) without selling themselves down squick valley (and I'm pretty sure the one or two bits of dialogue which skirt the line were mostly intended as jokes/throw-away bits for that demographic to go to town with). It's pretty unusual to see multiple takes on siblings done well in a rom-com like this, that's for sure.

For all that, it actually comes out alright in the end, despite the slightly cringe-worthy "nice guy" moments and stubborn refusal to use their words. Though I am moderately annoyed at the "status quo is god" finale of the second season, despite everything that has happened, but I guess it kinda makes sense for the characters and I'm sure there's manga sales to consider. Though maybe a third season is due? It was 2 years between the first two seasons, but I'm thinking they're done. But yeah, actually surprised I ended up enjoying it on the balance, and wanted to find out what happened. Think the second season did a better job than the first with its arcs and it built well off the events of the first season.

[D'rek]

That's how they get you. They give you a bland, uninteresting main character meant to be both a straightman and audience surrogate, but then give all the characterization to the secondary characters. After all, if one of the secondary characters isn't liked they can just write them out of the story anyways.

And then it gets adapted by a studio/director who is just good enough to make *some* scenes really interesting and impactful to keep you watching, even if overall the show ain't all that good.