The Anime Thread- Summer 2015

[Fullbuster]

On 18/09/2016 at 2:02 AM, eXtacy said:

ReZero finale tonight, and I hear its possible a double length episode

 

Nope, the usual 20 minutes

 

I really liked this show, my revelation of the year

[Boxx93]

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni (When They Cry)

 

In June of 1983, in a rural Japanese town named Hinamizawa, a boy named Keichi Maebara moves in this town where he befriends of his classmates Mion, Rena, Rika and Satoko and usually plays club activities (some of them very embarrasing). This town seems a very peaceful place and all, however, everytime an annual event called Cotton Drifting Festival takes place in this town, misterious deaths starts to happen. And it has been happening every year for five years. And Keichi gets involved in the mistery, putting his life in risk. And everytime a crime is commited, a new story arc begins as if nothing happened before.

 

And there is a lot more plot than what I just described you but I would be entering into major spoiler territory so I am gonna stop there.

 

Anyway, Higurashi is a murder mistery anime that at first will be very confusing to newcomers, because of this time loops that happens throughout the first season but as the series progresses, all the misteries are slowly revealed and then you get to the second season witch becomes essencially a crime thriller, and a very good one at it.

 

While I have enjoyed the series very much, it was not a very scary anime at all, a little fucked up maybe but it didnt terrified me. Mainly because of the animation style was very lacking of detail and because of that it failed to give me the creeps.

 

All the characters are very enjoable, Keichi was annoying at first but as the series went on I grew to loke him very much. My favorites where the twins, Mion and Shion Sonozaki and their story when one of them descend into madness.

 

The only flaw (other than the animation) that I picked up was the inconsistency in the writing. Some time characters talk very mature enough and then the following scene act very stupid. I dont know if this is the fault of the Game Makers of the Visual Novel or the people who adapted this game into a TV series.

It does get a lot better in the second season though, where not only the misteries are revealed, but the timeline becomes more lineal and less confusing. And the resolution to the story is a very satisfying one.

 

The soundtrack of this show is really good, especially the OP and ED of the first season.

 

There are a couple of OVA series but those are more comedic series. If you prefer the more serious tone of Higurashi you might want to skip these series, but if you liked the comedic aspect of the series (like I did) then give it a watch. For now I am only gonna give a rating to the first two season because the OVAs will not be for everybody.

 

First Season: 8/10

 

Second Season (Kai): 8,75/10

[SchumacherFTW]

Just finished watching my shows for this season, I've been pretty satisfied overall. 

 

Loved Sweetness and Lightning up until a few days ago this was my favourite show of the season, I loved how chilled out it was, the sincerity of it, and how sweet it was throughout. 

 

New Game was pretty good, but not even close to how good Shirobako was when it came to looking at an industry 

 

Orange was pretty good too, parts of it made me look inwardly at the way I've been acting with friends lately, which was quite scary, but overall it was a pretty sweet show, and for the most part the pay off was good. 

 

Food Wars kicked ass! Laughed my ass off every week, and finished every episode hungry. 

 

Re:Zero..... God damn that was a good show! Great twist on the NEET goes to another world show, with characters that are really good. Rem in particular, my god, I love that girl! It's got its problems which stop it from being great, but it's still a standout of the last 2 seasons. 

[eXtacy]

Watched Shinkai's film Children Who Chase Lost Voices and really loved it. Its a fantastic fantasy adventure with some strong core messages, and damn its a visual treat. Will be watching his other two main feature films " 5 Centimeters Per Second" and "The Place Promised in Our Early Days"

 

Just finishing up on this seasons anime and I can recommend three good ones. There were other ones which are enjoyable but these thoroughly entertained me their entire run.

 

Mob Psycho (anime of the season)

Relife

Alderamin on the Sky

 

Obviously Food Wars continued to kickass and Re:Zero hands down the best anime of the year so far.

 

In some anime news, One Punch Man has received a second season that will probably air mid next year. (Personally I am a bigger fan of Mob Psycho who share the same creator, hoping for a second season of that)

Edited September 27, 2016 by eXtacy

[SchumacherFTW]

I couldn't get on with Mob Psycho, I saw two episodes and bailed. I wasn't as disappointed in that as I was Love Live Sunshine though, I made it 6 episodes in to that and quit as it was exactly the damn same as the original show. 

[eXtacy]

What to look out for in the Fall Season

 

 

 

 

 

[robertman2]

On 9/5/2013 at 9:40 PM, rukaio101 said:

I spotted this hadn't been made yet, so I decided to make it. While this section of the forums is usually dedicated to movie discussions, I figured it makes sense to discuss all anime here rather than create another separate thread in the TV section.
 
So yeah, this is the place to discuss all things anime. And maybe a little bit of manga. But mostly anime. For those who don't know what anime is.... I'm surprised at your curiosity for clicking on this thread. But anyway, Anime is basically Japanese Animation. Unlike Western Animation, anime isn't solely aimed at kids (or shows like Simpsons/Family Guy/South Park). Yes, there are kids shows among them, but a lot of them are surprisingly dark and dramatic, some even more so than our live-action shows. And no, it's not all Hentai and Tentacle Porn. Don't act like you weren't thinking it.
 
Since I'm certain quite a few people here are probably new to anime, I figured I might as well post a few good recommendations for those taking their first steps into this fun, bizarre and sometimes surprisingly dramatic world of Japanese animation.
 
Recommended Movies
 
Princess Mononoke
 

 

'While protecting his village from rampaging boar-god/demon, a confident young warrior, Ashitaka, is stricken by a deadly curse. To save his life, he must journey to the forests of the west. Once there, he's embroiled in a fierce campaign that humans were waging on the forest. The ambitious Lady Eboshi and her loyal clan use their guns against the gods of the forest and a brave young woman, Princess Mononoke, who was raised by a wolf-god. Ashitaka sees the good in both sides and tries to stem the flood of blood. This is met be animosity by both sides as they each see him as supporting the enemy.'

 
One of Studio Ghibli's darkest films and widely considered one of their best, Princess Mononoke is the perfect film to demonstrate that anime isn't just for kids. Dark, violent, philosophical and sometimes even scary, Princess Mononoke takes a surprisingly balanced and fair look at enviromentalism, imbued with bizarre, fascinating, fantasy elements from Japanese culture. Throw in some gorgeous animation (something Studio Ghibli is famous for) and a beautiful soundtrack and you have an animation classic.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XOV2L-eM38
 
My Neighbour Totoro
 

 

'Two young girls, Satsuki and her younger sister Mei, move into a house in the country with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. Satsuki and Mei discover that the nearby forest is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros (pronounced toe-toe-ro). They soon befriend these Totoros, and have several magical adventures.'

 

If Princess Mononoke is the darker side of Studio Ghibli, then this is definitely the lighter side. My Neighbour Totoro is a simple, fun flick that both kids and adults can enjoy. It's imbued with the same bizarre, fascinating fantasy elements that Princess Mononoke is, but they're much more friendly than in Mononoke, but equally interesting. 
 
Porco Rosso

 

'In Early 1930's era Italy air pirates, bounty hunters and high fliers of all sorts rule the skies. The most cunning and skilled of these pilots is Porco Rosso. A former Ace, he now makes a living flying contract jobs, such as rescuing those kidnapped by air pirates. Donald Curtis, Porco's rival in the air and in catching the affections of women, provides a constant challenge to the hero, culminating in a hilarious, action packed finale.'

 

I decided only to put three Ghibli's on this list, simply so I could actually get onto talking about other anime, and honestly I had quite a lot of trouble deciding which to put. Every single Ghibli is a masterpiece in and of itself (except Earthsea and, to a lesser extent Meet the Yamadas). Eventually though, I went for Porco, one of the lesser known Ghibli's but also one of their best. It's closer to Totoro on the light-to-dark scale of tone, but there are some fantastically emotional moments. In particular, there's one scene involving what I'd describe as a 'plane heaven' which (despite what it sounds) is one of the most hauntingly beautiful scenes I've seen in any movie. The movie is that delightful mix of fun and beautiful that so perfectly sums up Studio Ghibli.
 
 
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars and Wolf Children (not pictured)

 

'All three of these films are modern, slice-of-life dramas, each with an added sci-fi/fantasy element. The Girl who Leapt Through Time is about a school girl who discovers how to 'leap' back a short amount in time and uses it to fix her mistakes. Summer Wars is about a young boy who is invited to meet the family of a friend, under the pretence of being her boyfriend. Then the film's equivalent of Facebook goes rogue and almost starts a nuclear war. And Wolf Children is about a young single mother raising two children in the countryside after their father drowns in an accident. Except the two kids are both werewolves and must keep their identities secret for their own safety. '

 
I put these three together because they're all directed by the same guy, Mamoru Hosoda, who is currently the only living anime director (that I know of) that I think can hold a candle to Studio Ghibli. Okay, that's a minor lie. I think he's better than Studio Ghibli. Honestly, he's my favourite director of all time. His films mix beautiful animation, a fantastic soundtrack, interesting story, likable characters, the lot. Summer Wars and Wolf Children are my joint second favourite films of all. And while The Girl Who Leapt Through Time isn't quite as good as the other two (in my opinion), it's still more than worth a watch.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbmdYasVDDg
 
Perfect Blue
 

 

'A retired pop singer turned actress' sense of reality is shaken when she is stalked by an obsessed fan and seemingly a ghost of her past.'

 

Satoshi Kon (who directed this film) is considered one of the all-time great anime directors and honestly, I could probably put his entire filmography on here. But I've decided just to put his first and, in my opinion, best film here. Described (by Roger Corman no less) as a combination of Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney, Perfect Blue is dark, brutal, haunting and constantly blurs the line between fantasy and reality. 
 
 Redline
 

 

'An action drama centered on a deadly racing tournament held every five years and the reckless dare-devil driver who wants to win it.'

 

I'd best describe Redline as 'Wacky Races on acid'. While there isn't much depth to it, what there is here is almost two hours of sheer, balls-to-the-wall awesome. Redline one hell of a fun movie, no doubt about it. The fact that it's animated lets it get away with incredible car stunts that Fast and Furious has wet dreams about. And the animation is fantastic. Just look at that trailer
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t26m_Q6ENo
 
That's friggin' gorgeous. 
 
That's all the movies I'm going to cover in depth for now, but here's a list of other films that you might enjoy.
 
The remaining Ghibli films (Castle in the Sky*, Grave of the Fireflies*, Kiki's Delivery Service*, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko*, Whisper of the Heart*, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, Howl's Moving Castle,  Ponyo, Arriety, From Up on Poppy Hill and, when it comes out, The Wind Rises. (The ones with *'s are my favourites))
The rest of Satoshi Kon's filmography (Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika and Millenium Actress)
Akira
Sword of the Stranger
Ghost in the Shell
Nausicaa (since technically it doesn't count as a Ghibli despite being directed by Miyazaki)
Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro (also technically not Ghibli despite being directed by Miyazaki (It's his first film too))
The Little Norse Prince (also also technically not Ghibli but Miyazaki only worked on this one. Takahata directed it though.)
5 Centimetres per second
Rebuild of Evangelion (although I'd advise watching Neon Genesis Evangelion first)

Needs more Jojo

[Boxx93]

Tokyo Ghoul

 

Ken Kaneki, a college student who barely survives a deadly encounter with Rize Kamishiro, his date who reveals herself as a ghoul, he is taken to the hospital in critical condition. After recovering Kaneki discovers that he underwent a surgery that transformed him into a half-ghoul. This was accomplished because some of Rize’s organs were transferred into his body, and now, like normal ghouls, he must consume human flesh to survive. The ghouls who manage the coffee shop “Anteiku” take him in and teach him to deal with his new life as a half-ghoul. Some of his daily struggles include fitting in to the ghoul society, as well as keeping his identity hidden from his human companions

 

At first before watching this anime, everybody kept saying to me that this anime was not good at all despite the hype surrounding it. In my case sometimes the hype works (Attack On Titan) and sometimes it doesn’t (Sword Art Online). In the case of Tokyo Ghoul I am in a halfway point.

 

The story is actually pretty decent, but the main problem that I have with the plot is the execution of it. I mean, how is it that normal people keep walking freely with no care in the streets whatsoever knowing that these creatures are loose out there wanting to eat them? How come a war between humans and ghouls hasn’t happen at the point where the srory begins?  And this is just one of the many problems that I have with this show, but we will talk about that later. Another problem is that the characters are just not as interesting as the show makes them out to be.

 

The animation is actually pretty good, i’ll give you that…that is if you find the uncensored version of this thing, witch I fortunately did. And this bothers me alot for two reasons: one, its clearly a ploy by studio Pierrot (I fucking hate this studio so much) to make people buy their overpriced bluray despite the fact that the show was originally aired AT FUCKING MIDNIGHT. And two, its nowhere near as gory as Elfen Lied or ever fucking Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and that is a show for teenagers for fuck sake’s!!!!

 

The soundtrack is the real highlight of this though. The first opening and all two endings are all greta. Two bad that both the song and the animation sequence of the 2nd season opening was garbage (I mean its just Kaneki crying blood for cry sake).

 

The first season was good. And the highpoint of the show is definetly the first season finale witch left me pretty pumped for the second season. Too bad that the entire follow up was complete utter bullshit that destroyed all hope that I had with this show. Any development that any character had in the previous season (specially Touka) was thown out of the window. No storyline went anywhere by the end of the series. Characters that I supposed to care about when they died, died for no reason (And I didn’t care at all). And to top it all, the show ends in a fucking cliffhanger, Highschool of the Dead style. WHAT A FUCKING DISSAPOINTMENT.

 

Am sorry for all the amount of swearing but the way Pierrot handled this show just pissess me off to no end.

 

In the end, Tokyo Ghoul is a show that started well, and then it falls apart at the end. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone looking for a satisfying anime but hey, if you want to watch it be my guess, but don’t expect anything great from this anime or you will be extremly dissapointed as I was.

 

Note: I didn’t read the manga nor I plan to.

 

Season one: 7/10

 

Season two: 4/10

 

[eXtacy]

Alrighty, I have watched all the first episodes (with a few exceptions) of the fall season. In my opinion these are the ones to watch.

 

Essentials

Yuri on Ice - Nothing came remotely close to Yuri's debut, it is SO FAR above the rest of the season. Its about male ice skating and yes it is a little gay but should not stop you checking out its superb first episode

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Safe Bets

Drifters - This is probably the more manly choice. From what I could tell, it seems to grab historical warriors/notable heroes from Japan and send them to other worlds. To what end I do not know yet but its definitely the action series to watch

March Comes in like a Lion  - This is a serious drama. Being made from Shaft it naturally comes with a unique and weird visuals. Its hard to sum up the plot so head over to MAL to read the actual synopsis. It has the strongest source material so its probably the safest bet of the season to be good.

Izetta the Last Witch - A fantasy based in World War 2 about a witch protecting a small country. This has a lot of things its done right in its first two episodes. You should know in the first 5 minutes if this is for you.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Other "Choice picks"

Keijo - This is the fanservice of the season. Its done fairly tastefully given the subject matter is about women try to knock each other off a water platform with nothing but the breasts and buttocks. Its over the top and rediculous almost playing out like a typical shounen.

Monster Hunter - Its a kids show, theres no hiding it. Think of this as a new pokemon/digimon sort of anime with the exception of having some rather stunning animation quality for a series that has been confirmed for a whopping 48 episodes.

Edited October 9, 2016 by eXtacy

[SchumacherFTW]

I enjoyed the first episode of All Out, even if the animation seemed a bit off in places, but that's more because I love Rugby than anything. 

The show that REALLY caught my eye so far is To Be Hero. WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! 

[Fullbuster]

The fall season really disappointed me, nothing excites me..

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DMan7]

You guys should check out Magi, it's decent.

[Boxx93]

Man, I am obessesed with Keijo.

 

I have never seen fanservice taken to this level before.

[SchumacherFTW]

Saw Your Name (kimi no nawa) today at London film festival. Genuinely one of the best anime I've ever seen, and the best film in general I've seen since at least 2012. The story is great, the characters are amazing and the animation is breathtaking. I am desperate to watch this again as soon as is humanly possible. 

[eXtacy]

Best short story since ME ME ME

 

 

[Boxx93]

I just finished the entire Full Metal Panic series and a fourth season gets announced for fall 2017.

 

I am Excited.

[Fullbuster]

On 13/10/2016 at 1:46 AM, DMan7 said:

You guys should check out Magi, it's decent.

 

Already watched both seasons, they take their damn time for the third one

[DMan7]

7 hours ago, Fullbuster said:

 

Already watched both seasons, they take their damn time for the third one

I know  But you can check out the spinoff Sinbad no Magi in the meantime. 

[Fullbuster]

4 hours ago, DMan7 said:

I know  But you can check out the spinoff Sinbad no Magi in the meantime. 

 

Sinbad no Magi?? Never heard of it

[DMan7]

21 minutes ago, Fullbuster said:

 

Sinbad no Magi?? Never heard of it

 

Sorry it's Magi: Sinbad no Bouken. It's a spinoff during the early years of when Sinbad went around sailing the world conquering dungeons.