Let's Talk About Anime

[Greylurker]

ok so here is a kind of off centre recommendation for you

Monster Strike the Animation

First of all you need to skip the first 4 seasons and the first movie. That's right skip 4 Seasons of it. Starting with season 5 it's not even the same show.
Seasons 1-4 is about kids playing a phone game that lets them summon monsters and fight to save the world. You've seen that story once you've seen it a thousand times. You can still watch that if you want, it's an ok series but as I said, from season 5 it's not the shame show anymore.

Season 5 they throw all of that out. Ditch the human kids and Instead they decided to focus on the summonable characters and the worlds they live in. It becomes a Lore Show. We get the story of Lucifer, how and why she fell from heaven. King Authur wandering around Britannia solving problems. Solomon competing with her cousin for the crown of her kingdom. Noah and his world travelling Ark. and Zeus's favourite grandchild Pandora. Then bring them all together Avenger's style to save the universe.

The CG animation is very good and the episodes are only about 10-15 minutes each. Give it a look, you might like it.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Thank you, I'll give it a try.

[Freehold DM]

ShinHakkaider wrote:

Bjørn Røyrvik wrote:

I tried watching Aura Battler Dunbine and Legend of the Heavenly Sphere Shurato for the influence on Spelljammer, but neither have caught my interest.

Is there a service that is streaming these? I actually have AURA BATTLER DUNBINE on DVD but I haven't seen SHURATO since it came out. I've always considered it a bit of a Saint Seiya rip off but maybe I'm misremembering.

I only know of Dunbine through Super Robot Wars.

[TriOmegaZero]

It'll be nice when we can get back to weekly anime night. We're way behind on Isekai Slime.

[Greylurker]

ok so Fena the Pirate Princess is off to a really great start
Pirates of the Carabian + the Young lady's journey into mystery (like "Nadia of the Blue water" or "Secret of Cerulean Sands")

Also Pirates vs. Ninjas

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

That's a new addition to the list. Not sure I like the ninja folks yet, but Fena is entertaining.

[Greylurker]

I am really not sure where I stand on "Itaden Deities know only peace", It's got a fair amount of stuff I am not comfortable with, but at the same time I am finding the overall story pretty fascinating.

The key flaw in the plans of the Demons is the assumption that the Gods will hold back so as not to bring harm to humans.

and they are wrong in a BIG WAY on that point. As long as humans continue to exist the Gods don't actually care if they are collateral damage.

I don't think I have ever seen a show where the Bad Guys are so utterly outclassed right from the get go.

Spoiler:

One of the Demons named Miku is a specialist in observation, the Demon Lord has got her studying tapes of the Gods in combat to figure out any weaknesses and how to fight them. She is very good. She has figured out a lot about them and provided detailed reports.

She has also realized the Demons are screwed. 300 demons vs. 5 Gods and they have Zero chance. So she packed up her stuff and bailed.

and then Rin cuts the entire city in half and the fight between Gods and Demons is on. and while I know they are freaking evil I am kind of cheering for the demons to do their best at not being slaughtered. It's just one of those "I know you are dead meat, but try your best anyway" sort of feeling.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

I'm enjoying it more as it goes along. I can stomach a lot of stuff if it's coated in humor.

[Greylurker]

Negotiating with the Pope was fun

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

That it was.
I tried Monster Strike 5 and got about 8 episodes in before I got side-tracked by Divergence Eve.

[Greylurker]

Have you tried Thunderbolt Fantasy. It's not technically anime, but it's by one of the top Anime Directors

It's Taiwanese puppet theatre. Little weird at first but you get used to it quickly and the action sequences are amazing.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

I'll give it a shot after Divergence Eve.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Divergence Eve was OK-to-good. I'll watch the second series at some point.

Right now I'm on Thunderbolt Fantasy which is more entertaining than I expected. Will definitely finish the first season, and we'll see from there. Thanks for the recommendation. I was aware of its existence but for whatever reason I didn't give it a try when everyone else was talking about it. Possibly I had enough to watch at the time.

Now on to more important matters: who else has seen the final NGE movie?

The girl and I binged the rebuild movies over the weekend and watched 3.0+1.0 yesterday. I'm not sure which version I like best, series or movies, but they were both good. The animation in the movies was top notch, and they were for better or worse more info-dumpy about what was going on and why people did what they did.

some specific thoughts:

I'm torn on Gendo's characterization in the final movie. On the one hand it makes him slightly more sympathetic, and it draws some nice parallels between him and Shinji, even if he obviously can't be excused in any way. On the other hand, I don't like the idea of making him sympathetic.
Ms Look-alike's emotional development and death was both heartwarming and heartwrenching. I was happy to see Suzuhara and Class Rep finally get together. Misato's death hit harder than expected. I was rather surprised to see how rapidly Shinji recovered and moved on. Sure he had that extended bit of near catatonia, but he really bounced back hard and high, which I understand from a storytelling POV but strained credibility. I'm a bit annoyed that his remake of the world was just a return to the pre-impact times.

Mostly, I'm very happy to see Shinjji finally get a good ending. Not just starting to accept himself and move on, but actually seem social and happy.

[Here4daFreeSwag]

Here4daFreeSwag wrote:

The day Tokusatsu decided to hit things with their axes (such a variety of axes... great-axes and even orcish double axes galore). And you haven't lived until you get to the extended "death scene with terminal baldness", sans any pyrotechnics (from 22:00)...

Tokusatsu triumphantly returns to hit even more things with their axes...

Bjørn Røyrvik wrote:

This is just a roundabout way of saying I would like suggestions about what to watch. I'm willing to give pretty much anything a try, in an attempt to broaden my horizons. Generally I don't like the shounen battle stuff (with two exceptions) or sports anime so unless you have something in that you feel will change my mind on that, maybe leave those out of a list.

Hmm, haven't been keepin' up with anything newer on the anime front; that being said, I did make a recommendation for The Disastrous Life of Saiki K./Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan a long while back.

Turns out, during the time intervening, Netflix went and took up the Saiki K. anime license and make a whole second season plus some third season OVAs from the original 1st season licensed by Funimation.

So if you haven't already checked out the following Netflix produced 2+ seasons, they might be worth watchin'- if you were fine with the 1st season to begin with. ;)

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Here4daFreeSwag wrote:

Hmm, haven't been keepin' up with anything newer on the anime front; that being said, I did make a recommendation for The Disastrous Life of Saiki K./Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan a long while back.

Turns out, during the time intervening, Netflix went and took up the Saiki K. anime license and make a whole second season plus some third season OVAs from the original 1st season licensed by Funimation.

So if you haven't already checked out the following Netflix produced 2+ seasons, they might be worth watchin'- if you were fine with the 1st season to begin with. ;)

Thanks for the recommendation but I tried that one when it aired and it didn't work for me. Normally I like the weird stuff but this is one case where I didn't. Now I'm on season two of Thunderbolt Fantasy.

And in awesome news, Lupin III part VI is coming in the fall season. They have a helluva lot to live up to after Part V, but I'll go out on an uncharacteristically optmistic limb and say I'm fairly confident we'll get something good.

[Sharoth]

That time I was reincarnated as a slime season two was awesome and The slime diaries was pretty good too.

[Lathiira]

I second the vote on That time I was reincarnated as a slime. Enjoying it immensely. Also liking How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom.

[TriOmegaZero]

My Next Life As A Villianess: All Routes Lead To Doom is kicking it with season 2 now. So good to have Bakarina back.

[Greylurker]

I really enjoyed Tsukimich. Glad it will be getting a 2nd season.

Bakarina getting a movie, hope someone brings that over here

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Bakarina was a treat, as was Girlfriend Girlfriend. I will miss them.

Fena is getting more and more interesting.

Idaten is still quite fun, though the last episode had a borderline bit with Miku's plan for the perpetuation of the species. Funny but disturbing.

[Greylurker]

Bjørn Røyrvik wrote:

Bakarina was a treat, as was Girlfriend Girlfriend. I will miss them.

Fena is getting more and more interesting.

Idaten is still quite fun, though the last episode had a borderline bit with Miku's plan for the perpetuation of the species. Funny but disturbing.

Yeah Idaten is something else.....and it's something I have not been able to take my eyes off. There is a LOT going on in this show. The first episode alone crossed a line that I generally don't like seeing crossed in my entertainment, but despite that the show is fascinating. The Morality of the Gods and Demons is all over the place and the character's are crazy.

and yeah I was expecting Miku to wait a little longer than nine years to get started there. Ick...very ick

I have no idea what she has planned next but going out in public like she just did has got to have a dozen chess moves behind it to avoid getting killed.

She is probably lucky it's Prontea who is coming and not Rin. Rin is not one for Talk-no-jutsu

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Whatever Miku has planned is not fool-proof, at least if her opinions on the demons' situation is anywhere near accurate, but I do suspect it will have a decent chance of success. Prontea is one of the more distractable Idaten, but he will definitely tear a demon apart unless there is a very good reason not to.

I think you hit on one of the things that make Idaten work: both sides are pretty horrible, at least as far as my morality is concerned, and the show doesn't try to pretend otherwise. But I would definitely support one side over the other. It's somewhat similar to Charlie Stross' Laundry Files/New Management series: Having a Lovecraftian elder entity that likes to play with the lives and deaths of humans in charge of the country is preferable to a Lovecraftian entity that just wants to eat the world.

[Freehold DM]

So much stuff I haven't heard of. I am only now just completing my eyeshield 21 collection.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

RE: Idaten
I just thought about it and Rin might actually be the safest Idaten for the demons to meet now. She's still super bummed out by the betrayal and probably desperate to learn more, and Miku could easily use that since Rin hasn't struck me as particularly smart or devious.

[Greylurker]

Rin may have snapped out of it after that Whale thing. That seemed to jump start her brain back into action

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Re Rin: True.

And now season 2 of Dragon Maid is over. Immensely enjoyable, and I will miss it until a possible third season comes. We've already started rewatching season 1.

The new season has barely started and the first one we're watching is Heike.
It's engaging, with a very likeable protagonist. I'm only barely familiar with the history (though enough that I could recognize the story in Miike Takashi's Sukiyaki Western Django) so it's mostly new territory for me.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

That was a bit of a cliff-hanger for the Idaten. Fun to see the demons get the upper hand for a while. The way things are going I'm betting on some sort of compromise ending rather than outright victory for one side. I may have to pick up the manga if we don't get another season. Still icky procreation attempts.

[Greylurker]

Not a nice place to leave a series, particularly if we don't know we are getting a season 2. I really don't know what to say about that series, cause it was messed up on a lot of levels. Fascinating in a lot of ways but not something I would recommend casually.

On the fun side Crunchyroll got Kenichi; Mightiest Disciple.
Poor bullied boy meets cute girl and finds himself dragged into the world of Shonen battle manga by a pantheon of Martial Arts mentors.

[Sharoth]

Usagi (Bunny) Drop was a fabulous anime series. It came out in 2011 and I missed it somehow. A fun and wholesome show about a single 30 year old guy that adopts a 6 year old girl that is a relative of his. Both Crunchyroll and Funimation have it.

[Greylurker]

Sharoth wrote:

Usagi (Bunny) Drop was a fabulous anime series. It came out in 2011 and I missed it somehow. A fun and wholesome show about a single 30 year old guy that adopts a 6 year old girl that is a relative of his. Both Crunchyroll and Funimation have it.

That really was a great series

(you must never read the manga)

[Sharoth]

Greylurker wrote:

Sharoth wrote:

Usagi (Bunny) Drop was a fabulous anime series. It came out in 2011 and I missed it somehow. A fun and wholesome show about a single 30 year old guy that adopts a 6 year old girl that is a relative of his. Both Crunchyroll and Funimation have it.

That really was a great series

(you must never read the manga)

I have heard about the ending of the manga.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

There is no part 2.

[Greylurker]

The Girls are back, Yashahime season 2 begins with Setsuna's life on the line and Sesshomaru giving his daughters all the fatherly love he can muster. (which is not a lot)

[Freehold DM]

Sharoth wrote:

Greylurker wrote:

Sharoth wrote:

Usagi (Bunny) Drop was a fabulous anime series. It came out in 2011 and I missed it somehow. A fun and wholesome show about a single 30 year old guy that adopts a 6 year old girl that is a relative of his. Both Crunchyroll and Funimation have it.

That really was a great series

(you must never read the manga)

I have heard about the ending of the manga.

the instant I heard of the premise I was betting on what the end would be. Weird cultural shift thing there.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Let us at least be grateful that Sweetness & Lightning and Yotsuba& are as pure and wholesome as you could possibly wish for.

[Greylurker]

Freehold DM wrote:

Sharoth wrote:

Greylurker wrote:

Sharoth wrote:

Usagi (Bunny) Drop was a fabulous anime series. It came out in 2011 and I missed it somehow. A fun and wholesome show about a single 30 year old guy that adopts a 6 year old girl that is a relative of his. Both Crunchyroll and Funimation have it.

That really was a great series

(you must never read the manga)

I have heard about the ending of the manga.

the instant I heard of the premise I was betting on what the end would be. Weird cultural shift thing there.

Bringing us all the way back to Miku and her 9 year old demon boys.

Idaten might not be the best of the season but it made an impression.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

The second season of 86 has started and we finally see a bit more of the world. I'm both happy and annoyed to see the deserting 86ers of the first season survived. Happy that they can live on (though I bet they will have more problems to face) and annoyed that a good tragedy was ruined. Guess I'm just in a horrible frame of mind now.

[Sharoth]

Restaurant to another world season 2 just started. It is nice to have Aletta and co. back.

[Sharoth]

I am also hoping that season two of Arifureta is better than season one was. Putting too much into a season screwed it up.

[TriOmegaZero]

I finally watched the last Evangelion movie. That's going to take awhile to process.

[Freehold DM]

TriOmegaZero wrote:

I finally watched the last Evangelion movie. That's going to take awhile to process.

I'll send you a few drinks. Or whatever you would prefer. It's not quite Utena movie, but....yeah.

[TriOmegaZero]

If you know any good plum wines I’d be down. Maybe some meads, as long as they’re fruit and not hops.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Lupin III part VI has officially begun and the first episode was a farewell to Kobayashi Kiyoshi, who has voiced Jigen for everything in the franchise bar one movie. 50 years of service and a memorable voice for a memorable character. I can't wait to see the rest of the series.

Other than that Mieruko-chan is a story about a girl who sees ghosts, and not the nice kind either. I'm enjoying the manga so this one is another automatic choice this season. Other than wrapping up Fena, there's only 86, Mieruko-chan and Lupin that has attracted my this season. Nothing has jumped out at me so I haven't tried much and what I have was not interesting - to the point I can't even remember what they were.

[Greylurker]

2nd episode of Mieruko-Chan locked it for me. That whole little arc with the kitten was just fantastic

I am curious to see where Faraway Paladin is going to go, it's a weird set up even for an isekai and seems like there is a little more world building to it than the "everything works like a video game" copout a lot of shows use.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

The penultimate episode of Fena was not terribly good, something that was a bummer since we've enjoyed it so far.

The first episode proper of Lupin II part VI was if not quite a let down, not as good as it could have been. Maybe it's just me but the animation seems to have taken a hit since IV and V, and the set up didn't have me quite invested as those, and I don't think this version of the theme is quite as good as the last two. It's still Lupin, it was entertaining, and a I had a goofy grin on my face at the end of the episode so I'm not too worried. Not being quite as good as parts IV and V is about like saying 'not as good a writer as [insert your favorite writer]' - the result can still be damn good.
Major kudos to the writers of the ending songs on all three series - they have been absolutely wonderful.

World's End Harem some disease kills off nearly all men and Protagonist-kun is one of the survivors and gets hot women thrown at him for procreation. Needless to say, he doesn't do much of it because he's that kind of harem protagonist. I gave the manga a try and soon dropped it and feel no need to give the anime my time.

[Greylurker]

Oh man...Faraway Paladin episode 4 delivered big time.

Our boy has made his oaths to the Goddess of Death and rebirth as he confronts the God of the Undead on behalf of his undead family.
He has tasted Holy Communion every day of his life
He carries the stigmata in the scars of where the Holy Fire of the Gods burned his arms.

ok he is technically using a Demonic sword instead of a Holy One

and it all leads up to a glorious scene of a Holy Warrior of the Light's awakening.

and

cliffhanger......

ok still very satisfying but next week can't come soon enough.

[Greylurker]

So Spy x Family is going to be animated for next year. I'm excited for this cause it's been one of my favourite series for a while now.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

The last episode of Fena was a dud. It went from an entertaining show to 'you have to decide the fate of humanity - death or status quo' with basically no set up or reason to do anything but continue with the world as they knew it, then had a cop out ending.

Taisho Otome Fairy Tale is cute, fanservicey (not lewd, I hasten to add) and has a dark side that will be more apparent later on. The manga is finished and I've read it and I don't need to watch the show.

Komi-san can't communicate is also cute but another one I don't feel the need to watch since I'm reading it.

Lupin has been a ton of fun. Still not sure if I should be happy the Green jacket is back or disappointed they didn't stick with Blue. Disappy? Happipointed?

[Greylurker]

Faraway Paladin continues to impress, the Main character is a really nice example of a Paladin of Phasmara

Will - "Can't we solve this problem with money"

or a Paladin of Abadar maybe.....

[Thomas Seitz]

I prefer paladins of Torm myself....