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Summer 2014 Anime |OT| this thread has been outsourced to Toei Phils

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Rhapsody

Banned
Just watched SAO2.

I like series and all, but I'm glad I didn't line up for it at AX lol

In terms of production quality, I didn't really see any real jumps from the first season which is a shame.
 
Barakamon seems like it's staying for me.
Sailor Moon Crystal because I'm a masochist

Only two shows I picked up so far in this season
 

zonezeus

Member
????????????????????????????????????

Generations? It's been like 30-ish years? Wut?

I really want to like this show but this is pretty jarring. I bet most of these people still have living families and friends on Earth, yet they are so casual about
dropping huge fucking starships right on top of their heads
in the name of some 30 years old monarchy (apparently the best form of government for a small martian colony, NASA take notes) Well, at least it looks nice.
 
so far, whats your current yays of the season?


SAO2
locodol
aldnoah zero

are the ones i haven't dropped just yet.

Based solely on first episodes

Yay -

Barakamon
Aldnoah Zero
Sailor Moon Crystal

Maybe -

Argevellon
SAO II

Probably not -

Glasslip
Rail Wars!
Tokyo Ghoul (pretty decent first ep but not interested in where the series heads)

Continuing -

Captain Earth
Mahouka
JoJo
HxH
Space Dandy

Still got a lot of shows to premiere. Looking forward to Akame ga Kill and Gekkan Shoujo tomorrow
 

Mature

Member
Terror in Resonance 1-2 Premiere
The immediate, most striking difference between TIR and all of Watanabe's previous works is in it's tone. The topic of terrorism in a modern setting doesn't feel like it leaves a lot of room for light hearted banter. Two of the show's main characters, Nine and Twelve, are depicted pretty quickly as effective terrorists;
they're not explicitly seen killing anyone in a ruthless way in these two episodes though.
That being said, between them and the unwilling Risa, (who's already been shown with some serious household issues) there's not a lot of room for a cheery atmosphere (and Twelve's jokey nature comes off more as an unhinged personality than a legitimately funny character). It's hard for me to speak accurately on the pace of the show since they kept stopping and starting due to the corrupted file I mentioned earlier today, but it did feel effective and deliberate. The show spends a decent amount of time with the older, former detective (now in the records division due to unknown circumstances) Shibasaki who's 2nd handedly following the chain of events caused by the kids. As a result, we spend a lot of time with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, and the narrative, in turn, gets a very police procedural feel. That tone coupled with Yoko Kanno's unsurprisingly fantastic direction in the OST gave me Ghost in the Shell: SAC flashbacks pretty quickly.

The three main kids aren't exactly likable: Nine is cold and robotic; Twelve is rash and sociopathic; and Risa is helpless and naive. A lot managed to happen in these two episodes, but the character's motivations and pasts have only been hinted at or remain mysterious. We get a small glimpse in what appears to be Twelve and Nine's past in the form of a nightmare. Some dialogue lightly hints at them
living at some form of institution as children, which makes me think the story might end up having some parallels with Monster, or at least it's antagonist.
I'll be interested to see how they plan to develop the characters, since they really have nowhere to head but down.

The series production, at least in these first two episodes, feels very rounded. The character animation ranges from good to outstanding. The sound design feels very suited to it's themes. What stuck out most to me was how well MAPPA managed to create a fully realized Tokyo. The backgrounds felt extremely consistent— like they were never short changing the location by cutting corners. I hope that's something they're able to keep up.

I'm interested by the series, I think it's got a lot of potential!

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Giovanni's Island Dub Premiere
Knew verrry little about this going in, but it was a pleasant surprise. The turn out in the screening was pretty decent, but I sort of wish it was larger when I found out it was the dub premiere and that it was actually being presented by Yoshiki Sakurai, who produced and wrote the film. As for the film itself, it was visually gorgeous. The story bore a strong resemblance to the emotional Grave of the Fireflies in more than a few ways, but it didn't instill the same type of dread. The writing felt like it laid some of it's motifs on just a bit too thick, with a lot of dialogue and exposition that didn't need to exist. There was a specific heart rending scene where
the older of the two brothers was trying to board a boat with his dead younger brother on his back. In order to make sure the guards didn't take his brother's body, he talked to him acting like he was alive. It was touching, but it kept going and devloved into something really hammy and overdone.
I guess it was at least effective since I hear everyone around me wiping their eyes and noses. It was a pretty touching film.

The dub was actually really stellar, but unfortunately, I don't think there's anyway to get it just yet, and by the sound of things they're having a difficult time getting it over here. Here's hoping they do.

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Short Peace Dub Premiere
A Farewell to Arms > Possessions > Gambo > Combustible

Don't have too much to say about Short Peace, but it was entertaining. I think I enjoyed A Farewell to Arms the most of the bunch because I felt like it combined CG and hand drawn animation in a way that was fully realized. It did something that couldn't have been done any other way and it was really impressive.
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Space Dandy - 14
Kiiiinda the best show.
 
You know, I pretty much stopped reading manga because the successful ones get anime adapted, and the others get shitty nonendings when they get canceled :(
 
There's a timeline on the official site which sheds more details on the setting. It definitely answers the first question, but it'll probably be explained in more detail on the show itself eventually too.

Mars was not originally in direct conflict with Earth. The first emperor of Mars - Rayregalia, was originally one of the first scientists sent to investigate the planet following the discovery of the Hypergate on the moon, and one of the founding colonists. When he ruled Mars, there was only a cold war with Earth, and what Mars wanted was independence. Later on he got old and ill, and his son took over as emperor. That was what triggered the direct invasion of Earth in 1999, and they fucked up with the Hypergate and destroyed the moon, causing Heaven's Fall. The son was killed in the conflict, and rule reverted back to the elderly Rayregalia. There was a cease-fire treaty arranged shortly after, and things have been at an uneasy standstill since then.

Since Rayregalia only turned again Earth and fought for independence after some sort of discovery, and this looks like a fairly traditional sort of scifi story, I think we can surmise that he found something regarding the Aldnoah which he felt he had to keep away from Earth and attempt to guard it himself. He probably doesn't actually want war, but in trying to protect the secret he ended up arming a whole bunch of crazy people who have developed racist ideologies over the decades and are more than happy to wipe Earth out if no one stops them. Lol.

Jeeesus. That's really different of what I imagined the setting was after watching Episode 1. They didn't a very good job explaining themselves!
 

Rhapsody

Banned
Glasslip 1

Been awhile since I've watched something from P.A. Works (since Tari Tari). Definitely feels like their usual anime. The style's the same yet a bit different with its own flavor. Don't know what to think about it yet. The anime's got a love hexagon thing going on so I'm expecting a lot of drama.

Besides the fireworks, I wasn't too amazed by any of the animation like a couple of their old stuff has.
 

Thoraxes

Member
Aldnoah Zero - 01

Half-step motive synth horns and vocals come on when shit goes down and my mind instantly knows the composer lol.

Initial premise is cool, but still a little convoluted. I'm confused as how much time has actually elapsed, who got where when and why, and would be totally okay with a 5 minute info-dump in the form of a school class lesson or something.

Or i'll just rewatch it.
 

jgminto

Member
My season seems like it'll be a pretty packed one.

Free! Eternal Summer
Bakumatsu Rock
Tokyo Ghoul
Sailor Moon Crystal
Sword Art Online II
Shonen Hollywood
Aldnoah Zero

I probably won't be dropping any of those. Maybe Aldnoah if it keeps being so predictable. And I still have Space Dandy S2, Terror in Resonance and DRAMAtical Murder to watch and maybe some others if they turn out well. Plus JoJo and the sports shows from last season. It's kind of crazy.
 

k-on-ritsu-poutm4u3p.gif



Just a question for y'all. I get why you buy figurines and other merch, but why buy bluray/dvd's of anime?

I buy games because i can resale/trade-in, but i don't imagine anime being like that. But unless its some rare/old anime that isn't streamed in any form (has anime ever been taken down netflix style due to licensing expiration?), why do you buy?

I like owning physical copies so I can watch it whenever I want even when the internet connection is down. And there's no ad breaks either.
 

Soma

Member
Space Dandy S2 Ep. 1

Wow. I don't think I'm completely out of line for saying this is probably the best Space Dandy episode yet (or at least top tier).

Comedy was on point from beginning to end and oh my lord the animation was fantastic. I love when the show takes an interesting premise like this and goes to town with it. Really hope the rest of the season can deliver just as much as this episode has (or at the very least be a bit more consistent than the first season).
 

hipbabboom

Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
HOLY SHIT VALVRAVE IS STUPID!

Magical Warfare ain't got nothing on this! I thought the only thing that lends to continuity was the fact that characters appear to be drawn the same in the various scenes and episodes... until ghost happened!

EDIT: Things of note...

1) Showing in previews scenes that never happen in the next episode is a ultra-high concept stuff

2) Facebook needs a "Rest in Peace" button
 

Theonik

Member
This wasn't completely terrible but was pretty bad. Jotaro sounded pretty out of character especially. They nailed Holy though. And maaaaaaaaaaaybe Avdol.

man why does Crystal henshin music sound like precure?
Because it is done by the same very shitty composer that can do a total of 1 theme.

People complaining about the pricing for the SM boxset. SMH.
Its like people just forgot how expensive anime used to be.
Why does it matter what 'anime used to be. I wouldn't pay that for trash then I'm not spending that now.

CrunchyRoll has streaming rights but only in non-english speaking countries, maybe try messing with your account location/use a vpn
Does that not mean there won't be any English subs?

I imagine it's like watching a really long tumblr gif.
Filled with great characters!

That looks more horrifying than the :wonzo episode of RGZ

Don't do it, mature. That's like giving it a 10 or a 0!
It's the only sensible rating system. Well.
:(
:|
:)
is actually the right one. Anything more is moronic.

Shame the ol' PS3 bluray isn't fixed yet.
Lynne and Perrine weep.

Just a question for y'all. I get why you buy figurines and other merch, but why buy bluray/dvd's of anime?

I buy games because i can resale/trade-in, but i don't imagine anime being like that. But unless its some rare/old anime that isn't streamed in any form (has anime ever been taken down netflix style due to licensing expiration?), why do you buy?
For the record I have never sold ANYTHING. So clearly trade-in has nothing to do with why I buy things.
I buy things because I want them. And with media it largely has to do with how television and stream quality is completely disgusting and gives me a headache.
So buying is worth it to me.

Also the movie had like... no central conflict that felt really resolved.
Duckroll put it the best. Since Transformers 3 it's all about GoW. Optimus Prime has become Kratos. You just need to think about it.

U
I too 3 drunk women r the hebtai panel. Well that was intersring.
intersring this wlti be.

Lots of positive Space Dandy impressions instead of the usual divisive ones.

Very promising!
Remember: The main Dandy negativity posters aren't watching this.

Oh, Woofington.

smh
Woofington gonna woofington. Can't be helped.
There is a solution to all this.

I did an art. *goes back to hiding*
Might sound a bit weird but the part of Samus's face that is exposed looks like a middle aged man.

Valverave - 07
It's Valvrave. Get it right!

I miss Valvrave. Really deserved another season and a proper ending.
One of the shows I feel most nostalgic about from last year!
 

mankoto

Member
It's times like these I should post after I watch something instead of doing it all at once when I'm done watching anime for the day. Or at least take notes. Can't remember what happened in some of this stuff for me to accurately write about it.

Rail Wars! 1
Came out better than I expected. I can go without the reminder that one character has large breasts and focus more on trains, but it wasn't so much of a deterrent that it made the show less viewable.
I'm betting the red-head will start liking MC and/or sees him as a reliable person by episode 5.

Sailor Moon Crystal 1
Don't know why, but something just felt off. For the most part it did feel like I was watching an episode of Sailor Moon again which is great. But there is thing lingering feeling I get that something is missing or out of place...

Shounen Hollywood 1
Was originally on my will not watch list, but I was so bored I picked it up anyway and ended up liking it. Go figure. How Kakeru's sister caught him posing was absolutely hilarious.

Pri Para 1
Wait a minute, how many idol shows are airing this season? I just noticed I'm watch 3 of them: Locodol (kind of?), just mentioned Shounen Hollywood(male idols), and now this (loli idol). It feels like I'm drowning in idols.

As for the episode itself, I liked it quite a bit. More so than the other idol shows from this season so far. But I swear, if I have Mireille add "pri" to almost every word again I'm going to go crazy. At least characters that abuse "desu" either sound cute or they use at at the end of a sentence, but this is just a no go. The only real question I have is, is this related to a social/mobile game of some sort. The whole friend ticket exchange part doesn't make much sense otherwise.

Sword Art Online II 1
Started off kinda slow but in an interesting way. Kirito and Asuna's date was nice to see as well as Kirito's future aspirations. The mystery behind the murders is pretty interesting though.
Considering the new headwear can't fry your brain, I'm 99% sure there is another party involved.
(not really a spoiler, just a small theory. Spoilered just in case).

Space Dandy 10-13, 12-13 again (dubbed) , and14
These last few episodes were absolutely fantastic. And the dub actually isn't so bad either. It was actually pretty good, I'd prefer the autotune to not be a part of QTs voice in the dub and they use a voice changer of something, but that isn't that big of a deal.

Episode 14 though, now that's what I call hitting the ground running. I didn't laugh as much or as hard from previous episodes, but man, this is easily the best Dandy so far.

JoJo's Bizzare Adventure Part 3 14
That stand sounds annoyingly cheap.
someone is going to die aren't they? Man, this blows.


Mahouka 14
Onii-sama is getting into a fight you say? I bet he could beat them both with his eyes closed and only asked for backup so he doesn't have to.

Captain Earth 14
Finally, we're out of that monster of the week levels of filler. And as a reward, we get relationship growth(?) between Daichi and Hana. Yay.

Aldnoah.Zero 1
It only took the entire episode to catch my interest, but it did. I don't like how Nao is the emotionless "calm, cool, and collected" type, but it can make more interesting moments
such as when he warned his friends a missle was coming in the most monotonous way possible.
 

phaze

Member
One Piece 19-20

This was actually decent. I mean Luffy is still more annoying than part 1 Naruto but at at least we've moved on from that coma inducing Usopp arc. This Sanji guy always looked to me like my potentially favorite character and he didn't disappoint. I still dislike the artstyle and the pirate premise is doing nothing for me but eh will get my ass to episode 30 at least.

Sword Art Online I Episode 2

Well I tried but I don't think I'll manage to get through this. The action wasn't bad but seeing enemies disappear into thin air takes out half the enjoyment for me. :lol at the sudden arrogant Kirito that showed up at the end.

Aldnoah.Zero 1

Nothing outright amazing but a good setup episode. For some reason I thought the cast was going to be mostly adults but no seems like we're stuck with teenagers. -_-

Maybe I'm dense but I was left thoroughly confused by the organization of Vers forces. They said that connection to Mars was reestablished and yet that drunk veteran implied that all those 37 forces spend last 15 years in the wreckage of the moon. (And given how quick all of them were to descent on Earth this seems to be correct) Why would they not return to their home ? I suppose their society may be even more feudal than already apparent and they're some virtually independent from homeland barons. I imagine them acting like its Agincourt again will buy them multiple tickets to Valhalla soon. New Orleans scene was pretty great.
 

abrack08

Member
Not really sure if this is a generic Anime community thread or only for shows currently airing, so apologies if this isn't the right place to ask.

I just finished watching Fate/Zero on Netflix knowing nothing about it or the series and really liked it. Wasn't till after I was done that I realized it was a prequel to Fate/Stay Night.

Is it worth watching the older Fate/Stay Night now, or should I wait until the ufotable (same studio that made Fate/Zero) series later this year?
 

Thoraxes

Member
Not really sure if this is a generic Anime community thread or only for shows currently airing, so apologies if this isn't the right place to ask.

I just finished watching Fate/Zero on Netflix knowing nothing about it or the series and really liked it. Wasn't till after I was done that I realized it was a prequel to Fate/Stay Night.

Is it worth watching the older Fate/Stay Night now, or should I wait until the ufotable (same studio that made Fate/Zero) series later this year?

It's for all anime, new and old.

And just wait for the remake.
 
Legend of the Galactic Heroes 1-2

Not a very impressive beginning. The battle was dull, nonsensical, and made me miss Yamato. Hope this is the type of show that needs a bit of time to build momentum.
 

cajunator

Banned
Not really sure if this is a generic Anime community thread or only for shows currently airing, so apologies if this isn't the right place to ask.

I just finished watching Fate/Zero on Netflix knowing nothing about it or the series and really liked it. Wasn't till after I was done that I realized it was a prequel to Fate/Stay Night.

Is it worth watching the older Fate/Stay Night now, or should I wait until the ufotable (same studio that made Fate/Zero) series later this year?

Literally anything anime related from any era is fine. Welcome!
 

phaze

Member
Not really sure if this is a generic Anime community thread or only for shows currently airing, so apologies if this isn't the right place to ask.

I just finished watching Fate/Zero on Netflix knowing nothing about it or the series and really liked it. Wasn't till after I was done that I realized it was a prequel to Fate/Stay Night.

Is it worth watching the older Fate/Stay Night now, or should I wait until the ufotable (same studio that made Fate/Zero) series later this year?

As said earlier you're better of waiting for the remake, the current F/SN is hmmmmm painful.
 

mankoto

Member
so far, whats your current yays of the season?


SAO2
locodol
aldnoah zero

are the ones i haven't dropped just yet.
Everything I've seen seems fine so far. Although I will say I'm a tad bit concerned with Argevollen. I normally don't drop anything until episode 3 ends as a rule of thumb unless it's god awful like R-15 or something.
 

Chariot

Member
Brynhildr in the Darkness Episode 11

this show cant get any worse can it?
You should read the manga. I watched Brynhildr together with friends and we said: "man, that is so shit. Certainly Arms botched this. Let's look at the manga, it can't be that bad ... what do you mean it's by Okamoto?!"
The manga is not only the same dumb, it's MORE of the same dumb. The story wants to be serious and smart with the witches abilities, but everything is just a pile of secrets. I think there was a scene in the manga where someone was incinerated and the next panel was a grillparty by our protagonists. Thanks for that.
 

abrack08

Member
It's for all anime, new and old.

And just wait for the remake.

Literally anything anime related from any era is fine. Welcome!

As said earlier you're better of waiting for the remake, the current F/SN is hmmmmm painful.

Great, thanks for the answers! The title/OP confused me a bit, seemed like it was only for anime airing this summer.

Good to know about F/SN. Like I said, I really liked Fate/Zero, so hopefully ufotable does Fate/Stay Night just as well.
 

Thoraxes

Member
Great, thanks for the answers! The title/OP confused me a bit, seemed like it was only for anime airing this summer.

Good to know about F/SN. Like I said, I really liked Fate/Zero, so hopefully ufotable does Fate/Stay Night just as well.
We make new threads per airing season just to keep people who drop in updated on what's current by checking out the OP.

As far as F/SN goes we'll see how it ends up, considering the source material. At the very least it should look nice!
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Sword Butts Online II 1

Worst thing about this is still speaking of Kayaba sympathetically to the point of giving him enough respect to call him "sensei". Fuckin bullshit.
Kayaba is the only person to come close to hoodwinking Kirito. To outsmart the smartest person in the universe takes a lot of effort and for that Kirito respects him for Kirito is also the most humble person in the universe.
 

Shergal

Member
I never watched LOGH and I don't see myself trying any time soon (not my genre and it's way too long), but based on what I've read at various places and from sources I can pay heed to, it seems like it is an amazing script plastered into a bad audiovisual package that you are forced to sit through to experience the good qualities of the writing and all that stuff. How off the mark am I with this?
 
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