What Are You Watching/reading This Month?, August 2008

Last Month.

What anime/manga/related thing are you watching/reading/enjoying this lovely August?

On the air:
Strike Witches: only because it's free, seriously.
Xam'd: as long as I can get away with it with myself? LOL.
Haruka's Secret: it's so dirty but yet it isn't! Hits the spot.
Koihime Mousou: I ought not to.
Code Orange Amnesia Plot Blackhole R2
Macross Frontier: still the #1 show this year IMO.
Kaiba: not doing raws, let's wait!
Real Drive: surprisingly substantive and moe and old-man-ish all at once
Itazura na kiss: this is real shoujo.
X365: glasses, wideface, x, pawtan
Someday's Dreamer: photoshop magic
Soul Eater: good for arc-like viewing.
Allison & Lillia: for a slow day
Mission-E: I'd hit it raw.
Birdy: more chiba prez.

Off the air:
Kara no Kyoukai
Mnemosyne - last ep still hanging there
just got done with persona trinity soul. surprisingly good for a popular game adaptation

Maybe/In queue:
Tweeny Witches
Still not done with Touka Gettan
...night wizard?
I ought to finish that Ghost Hound nonsense sometime.

Macross Frontier: Getting in its groove and I'm loving it. Ranka is adorable.
Nogizaka Haruka: Cute and Mamiko.
Hidasketch: Yuno <3
Someday's Dreamers: When I feel like it.
Slayers: The same old series that I still enjoy.
Birdy the Mighty: Good sci-fi stuff.
Mission-E: Cows
Shugo Chara: In high gear. Yay, second season.
Code Boobs: Why am I still watching this?

I should start watching Code-E.

This post has been edited by Link on Jul 31 2008, 10:31 PM

On-Air
Xam'd: Lost Memories - As if I wasn't enough of BONES fanboy already

Off-Air
Gunbuster - Hawt.

That's it. Everything the fuck else is up to chance.

Code Geass R2 - Why not?

Kaiba - Sub faster!

Macross Frontier - Yay!

Birdy the Mighty - Also needs more subs.

Also keeping up with Naruto through sheer bloody-mindedness. Blah.

Maybe I should look at omo's list for more stuff.

Natsume Yuujincho: Damn good show. It's like a funnier yet more tear-jerking version of Mushishi.

Zettai Karen Children: Hits and misses. But hits most of the time.

Code Geass R2: I am praying that there is no R3.

Birdy the Mighty: I like it so far.

Strike Witches: First mecha-musume show that I am actually enjoying. I swear that it's not because of the massive amount of fanservice.

Sekirei: Tsukiumi finally appears. Yay~

Mission-E: Yeah, 1st episode was definitely better than all of Code-E combined.

Haruka's Secret: Okay.

Slayers Revolution: Too early to tell. I have my hopes up.

Koihime Mousou: A chuckle or two. When there's nothing else.

Saving for those rainy days: Dreamers, Widefaces, Macross

Watching:
Code Aneyurism for Fun Mode: Title speaks for itself...ow~
Itazura na kiss: As Omo said, this is real shoujo. And probably the most fucking enjoyable show I've seen. Love it!
Kamichu!: More enjoyable than I previous thought. Yurie is my type of god; lazy and moe.
Tsubasa Chronicle: I got hooked on xxxHolic, and now that it's over, I need a dose of CLAMP.
Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: I find it's more enjoyable if you have some time between episodes before you watch another. So I'm watching it on and off.

Rewatching:
Lucky Star: Much more enjoyable the second time through. Though I understand more than I did before, mostly because of the almost constant anime watching over the past year.

On hold:
Bleach: I need to pick it up again. I only got to 81 before I got burnt out, and I need to start watching it again before Adult Swim catches up.

Planning to rewatch:
Suzuka: I enjoyed it. Though I may just read it all the way through instead.
Love Hina: It's been forever since I first saw it. FOREVER!
Onegai Teacher: You can't beat a helping of Kikuko Inoue.
-----------
Kanon: Another one it's been forever since I first saw. But I don't think I can stand to see Makoto's arc ever again. Nearly killed me. Q.Q

This post has been edited by Remolg on Jul 31 2008, 11:57 PM

Curently Airing:

Just Code MOOSE at the moment. Still enjoying the LULZ.



In the DVD Player:

Mars Daybreak -- Easily one of my favourite shows ever. Never gonna get sick of it~
Scrapped Princess -- god the dub for this is pretty terrible... (I'm not watching with the dub, I just decided I might as well check it out quickly~)



Also, I just watched Vexille. Yeah, yeah, I know there was a thread for it, but I missed it, so here's my two cents~ The show really only had 5 things going for it:

• Damn was it pretty.
• The action scenes were pretty bad-ass.
• The cityscapes were beautiful.
• The music was really quite awesome. Hoorah original Paul Okenfold compositions?
• Goddamn was it pretty

Really wasn't that great of a movie. It was rather decent as a pretty action movie, but even then not so much. Far too anticlimatic imho. I was expecting a much more epic final battle scene, and all I got was Vexille shooting at a couple of robots and a helicopter. Was expecting something more Appleseed '04~

This post has been edited by major_pain on Aug 1 2008, 12:14 AM

Airing
Xam'd: Lost Memories - I watch it for the opening, the episode is just a nice bonus.
Candy Boy - If any decide to come out.
Dragon Ball Geass - Will Lulu find all the Codes to revive Shirley?
Hidamari Sketch x365 - Damn funsubbers better start working faster to provide me with my free service.
Sekirei - Boobs.
Soul Eater - Fakesubs are starting to make me nerdrage.
To Love-Ru - I don't know why I continue to subject my self to such pain.
Zero no Tsukaima ~Princess no Rondo~ - Elf boobs~

Not Airing
Azumanga Daioh - Super underground, I doubt you guys have heard of it.
Azumanga Web Daioh - Same
Azumanga Daioh The very Short Movie - Same again.
Hayate no Gotoku - I want to be a Combat Butler when I grow up.
Serial Experiments Lain - I got to see what all the fuss is about.
Baccano! - It has an exclamation point in the title, how can't it be great?
Mars Daybreak - I hear it's just awful, though.
Eiken
Vandread OVAs
Tengen Toppa Guren Lagann OVA
Murder Princess
Le Portrait de Petit Cossette
Kara no Kyoukai 1-3
Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei
Rozen Maiden

Manga
Ai Kora
Bleach
Change 123
Claymore
Elfen Lied
Eyeshield 21
Fullmetal Alchemist
Hayate The Combat Butler
Jack Frost
Karin
Kodomo no Jikan
Mahou Sensei Negima!
Moon Phase
NANA
Naruto
One Piece
Rosario+Vampire Season II
Sekirei
Soul Eater
To-LOVE-Ru
Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE
XXXHOLiC

This post has been edited by Shadowblade Edge on Aug 1 2008, 05:45 AM

That's just not true. While Pacifica's voice is... eh, Shannon's is perfect and I liked Raquel's as well. Zephy sounded pretty good and the baddies were all evil and what not. I can see why Pacifica would turn you off, but I had more problems with her lines of dialogue than English delivery though.

August, lol.

Another slow new season for me.

Watching:
Chi's Sweet Home - Delectable
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 - Utterly stoopid but the new mechas are named after me (well an Arthurian knight who happened to share my name)
Hidamari Sketch x365 - Like the first season but everything is x365. Also, enjoying not having to wait two months for subs this time around.
Kaiba - ep10 was cool. So much hawt Mamiko
Macross Frontier - Kind of going through the motions of watching this
Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~Natsu no Sora~ - Enjoying muchly
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu - Fairly disposable but raises the odd smile + Mamiko (again)

Would like to see subs for:
Mahou Shoujo Tai Arusu OAVs and Mission-E (not even an ep1 yet?!).

This post has been edited by lastarial on Aug 1 2008, 07:41 AM

They're licensed and will be coming out from Media Blasters in a few weeks.

I'm too busy walking around Paris to watch anything. Plus some childcare. But hello OLF & Dje. Though I have Dennou Coil queued up.

Amatsuki - Only a few episodes left to go. Been a good series so far, with adorable Kuchiha (Paku <3).
Chi's Sweet Home - I need to catch up with this soon.
Code Geass R2 - I'm still watching for the wacky. Together with Shirley revenge and moe C.C.
D.Gray-man - This show knows how to do comedy gold. Shame it's about to get serious again, though i don't mind.
Hidamari Sketch x365 - Just as amazing as the first season. Loving it.
Ikkitousen: Great Guardians - Still trying to get over the changes made to characters, but it's still Ikkitousen fun.
Itazura na Kiss - Oh no they're married.
Kaiba - Episode 10 was yet another amazing episode. It's still easily one of the my favorite shows i'm watching at the moment.
Koihime†Musou - It's entertaining. I'll carry on watching for the lesbian jokes.
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki - More episodes to do with the family would be nice. Pirate one was fun though.
Macross Frontier - It's not let be down, not even once since it started. Oh how i love Macross.
Nabari no Ou - Yay for all the talking. I love it.
Nijuu Mensou no Musume - Maybe if i didn't know they're not using manga material at the moment might been i wouldn't be meh with the story at the moment. It's still good, just nothing like it used to be.
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu - You so moe Haruka.
Sekirei - I'm enjoying this, though we all knew that.
Slayers Revolution - A classic that's still a classic. It's all those years ago all over again.
Soul Eater - Excalibur is the best character in this show, hands down.
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode - Another classic brought back, at it's hitting all the right buttons.
To-LOVE-Ru - I'll catch up with this one day.
Zero no Tsukaima ~Princess no Rondo~ - Just as enjoyable as the past two seasons. Yay Louise.

There's still Kara no Kyoukai each month, and i'm still making progress with Earth Maiden Arjuna.

Yeah i'm happy with the ending. Still say episodes 23 and 24 were the best.

I think Mamiko's role as Neiro will turn out to be one of my fav's in the long run. It helps that Neiro's character designs is so cute. :3

This post has been edited by Shiro on Aug 1 2008, 05:13 AM

You have no idea how tempting that is.

I have a particular dislike for this genre of anime, I don't know why.

But that's good to hear; although in my experience rarely anyone evoke the Mushishi comparison correctly...

More like Mamiko Elf boobs.

Thanks.

Edit: Finally, a sub for Mission-E.

This post has been edited by lastarial on Aug 1 2008, 05:49 AM

It certainly doesn't possess nor does it pretend to have the level of OMG ATMOSPHERE of Mushishi. Moreover, the show concentrates on a narrower spectrum of themes, e.g. friendship and loneliness. Which is perfectly fine by me as long as it is executed smoothly.

But the rest of the show strongly reminds of Ginko and his travels. And okay, I admit it: It also gives off minor vibes of Hachikuro~ (Hiroshi Kamiya )

Reading:

Sunshine Sketch - My first 4koma. The girls are just as adorable in print.

Watching:

Xam'd - Potentially great, and a lot of fun so far.
Chi's Sweet Home - What happened? Is the show on hiatus now that it's halfway done? I want more Chi!
Code Geass R2 - I re-watched some of season 1 and it's almost heartbreaking how things turned out. Shit sux.
Golgo 13 - This series still blows me away every episode with its sheer ridonkulousness.
Hakaba Kitaro - One more ep.
HSx365 - I'm still hoping 365 means they'll end up covering every day of the year :V
Kaiba- Oh wow, episode 10. Warp and Neiro are adorable together.
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki - Needs more Shinigami-san and less srs bzns.
Macross F - Needs more Ranka/Sheryl duets.
Someday's Dreamers: Summer Skies - I'm still loving those backgrounds, and Sora is the cutest girl of the season.
Natsume Yuujinchou - Love love love this series so far. The atmosphere is so captivating.
Utena - lol, I keep saying I'm going to finish this and watch the movie. I'm progressing at maybe an episode every 2 weeks.
Soul Eater - Just now started catching up, and I'm somewhere around ep 10. I'm getting bored with it though.
Strike Witches - ...
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode - It has a Leeron character, so maybe it will stay funny
Toshokan Sensou - Still stuck on episode 1
ZnT 3 - Not so bad anymore. Still not good.

Just finished:

My-Hime - Good series, bad ending
Hatenkou Yugi - Not too shabby

Plan to watch:

Candy Boy
Rebuild of Eva 1 - Because Wah compelled me
Oh Edo Rocket - Because Master Chibi compelled me

And you only tell us now Well, i have free evenings if ever you happen to have time.

Allison to Lilia : somewhat stupidly done yet somewhat fun.
Birdy the Mighty : normal
Blade or the Immortal : first ep was quite cool, waiting for the rest
Code Geass R2 : fun, though missing grand gestures lately
Cosmic Baton-Girl Comet-san : hey, a new ep came out while i wasn't looking ! (ep 21, nothing recent).
Daa^3 : same thing as above
Galaxy Express 999 : slow releases are slow and old classics are old. Still worth it.
Ikkitousen Dragon Destiny : watched this during holydays, don't even really know why.
Kaiba : not seen ep 10 yet
Kamen no Maid guy: subs MIA
Kara no Kyoukai : really gorgeous art.
Koihime Musou : I don't have enough R3K references by far to get all the fun out of it (or be disgusted) so it's just some stupid fun
Kyoran Kazoku Nikki : expand on Ouka plz !
Hidamari Sketch x365 : in the end i wasn't able to wait for HD :/ As good as ever
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu : cute and Mamiko
Saiunkoku Monogatari : subs MIA
Slayers : too much of the same thing at the moment, hope it picks up soon. I'll certainly watch it till the end nevertheless
Telepathy Girl Ran : interesting style, not much else to say about it as the rest seems quite classical
ToLoveRu : i'm far back but it's fun enough
Toshokan Sensou : caught up with that recently, quite good despite the ridiculous premise
World Destruction : if only they really aimed for it. Hopes are low but following it nevertheless.
xxxHolic Key : i think i'm missing a few episodes, proportions are as bad as the first season at times but the stories are still as good.
Zettai Karen Children : cute and fun

Other things i plan to watch : Strike witches,

Basically a rehash from last month:

Allison and Lillia: Let's go Lillia!
Candy Boy: Very sweet.
Chi's Sweet Home: Don't mind the break in subs, actually.
Chocolate Underground: "Fight the power with chocolate" could use better execution.
Fireball: The future seems a barren place.
Hidamari Sketch x365: Still ultimate awesome.
Kaiba: Planning on breaking through this weekend.
Kamen no Maid Guy: Kogarashi is the man.
Kanokon DVD specials: OMG. o_O 4th one was hilarious, but there's a lot of softcore. :/
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki: I like the serious business as well as the wacky stuff. Good times.
Macross Frontier:Still need to catch up.
Soramahou: Sora is an interesting fellow.
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: If they go more on the apparent "otaku oppression" angle, I'd probably really enjoy this. Otherwise, Kana Ueda is fine with me.
Real Drive and Library Wars: Should keep watching this.
Slayers Revolution: Must catch up to see Xellos.
Soul Eater: I agree with Shiro on Excalibur.
Strike Witches: Fun times. People worry too much.
Birdy the Mighty Decode: Love the ED.
Zettai Karen Children: More subs. Good times.

Teh subbies:

- Bounen no Xamdou - Bones does Guyver. This show is just amazing and it's only the 1st two episodes, leave it to studio Bones to bring the awesome.
- Blade of the Immortal - Bee Train does samurais. Not completely dissapointing but I just know this is not going to live up to the manga series.
- Slayers Revolution - Old skool adventuring and destruction with Lina and friends.
- Sekirei - Best fanservice harem action boob show ever? Probably the only one but at least I'm getting a kick out of it.
- Code Geass R2 - KALLEN PUNCH!! CC needs a good smack to the brain.
- Macross F - Ranka Attacku!!
- Soul Eater - Crazy awesome fun!
- D.Gray-man - Rock raise, everyone lives?
- Blassreiter - Why am I still watching this show?
- Persona: Trinity Soul - Finished, this show could of been good but just turned out to be way too damn boring and conveluded. I think I'll just stick to the games.
- Real Drive, Nijuu Mensou no Musume - Way behind on these, at least 20 Faces is getting more subs out.
- Strike Witches - Dropped. Just say no to no pants!

Teh Discies:
- Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage, Vol. 1 (8/19) - Thank you Funimation!
- Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Part 1 (08/05) - Geass Hut begins. I'm really curious to hear how the dub is.

Well.

1. ... there is a theme of friendship in Mushishi?

2. See, this is exactly what I am talking about.

It would be the best, though the third Ikkitousen series shows nipples!

Was there? It's been a while, seriously. But I am sure the theme is not as strong as that of Natsume since every episode of this show has been and will be about of friendship as a core concept.

In this case, it's not bad a thing. Honestly, give it a try.

Manga I picked up recently
Fujoshi Rumi: Hilarious stuff that I found by accident. It makes me cringe and giggle at the same time.

You mean, "Honestly, give this anime that I tried to pair with a phenomenally produced travelogue of mystical, rural Japan and failed largely a try"?

I pass.

There was some talk of it in the Otakon thread, but it was inconclusive.

Your loss. Well, can't say I didn't try!

I know it is my loss. It's always my loss. Too bad it is not your gain.

Ah, only if the rest of the world understands how profound that statement means in the context of IP.

Current
Chi's Sweet Home: I'm almost confident that I have not seen an episode within the past month. Oh well.
Code Geass R2: Feeling really Gundam Seed Destiny at this point. The stupidity is actually getting to me now.
Golgo 13: ....
Hidamari Sketch x365: Liking it better than season one, possibly because subs are coming out regularly and the episodes are slightly faster paced.
Koihime†Musou: Junk food anime. Tasty but forgettable.
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki: Fun to watch-- a curious mix of serious stories with comedy-like execution.
Macross F: Uh, I have no idea what this show is about anymore, I just like Ranka Lee. Sheryl can die in a fire etc.
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: I support anime about hot otaku girlfriends.
Sekirei: My Kanokon for this season-- well produced fanservice fluff.
Slayers Revolution: Fun fantasy series-- want to get around to the originals eventually.
Strike Witches: DELICIOUS FLAT CHESTS CROTCHES AND PANTIES ALL OVER DEAR GOD BEST OF THE SEASON
Telepathy Shoujo Ran: Ok kids thing. Have three episodes waiting to be watched-- if they suck I'll drop it.
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode: I liked the first two episodes... where's the rest??
To Love RU: Why can't THESE types of Jump shows run for 100+ episodes?
World Destruction: Has turned into a surprisingly fun adventure/fantasy series. Completely disposable, but I like it.
Zero no Tsukaima ~Princess no Rondo~: Girls, girls, GIRLS!
Zettai Karen Children: Watching it raw at this point. Hopefully Chihiro will continue on with it now that Deculture has folded.

Dropped Natsume Yuujinchou because it sucked.

Sitting on a bunch of DVDs and manga, too.

Man, so much anime, so little time. I work 40 hours a week, dammit!

This post has been edited by wildarmsheero on Aug 1 2008, 03:24 PM

I saw subs of two new episodes from them. Are you sure about that?

They had 12 and 13 translated already.

Oh. thanks for the info. :3

Plenty of not-flat chests too. As episode 5 has clearly told us.

Anyway, watching:

Strike Witches - I think my brain is really filtering out a lot of the fanservice in this series. Enough that it doesn't bother me, anyway. It's a fun series. The plot is nothing to write home about, but still I'm enjoying it well enough. Good music, good art, good animation (far better than I was expecting, really, for all three of those). Honestly the series is turning out far better than the OVA had lead me to expect.

Hidamari Sketch x365 - More Hidasketch. Who could object to that?

ToLoveRu - I watched episode 17 and the first 4 or 5 episodes, in that order. It's funny, and Lala is very pretty. If I remember to get back to it sometime when I'm in the mood for it I may watch the rest. Or I may not, and it won't really be a big loss either way.

Witch Hunter Robin - NEED TO FINISH REWATCHING. Must beat self over head until I stop getting distracted, and finish.

Some other stuff too, probably. I may remember to mention whatever it is at some point.

I wish I could explain it but I probably couldn't do a decent job of it either. It just reminds me of Mushishi. I'd recommend it over anything else on my list, though I guess I'm just upset that nobody is ever watching the (in my opinion) real gems of each season. Even Shiro isn't watching it ;_;

Mission-E and now Zettai Karen... What's up with all these shows finally subbing after I give up waiting and start watching raws?

The most direct method is, you know, WATCH the thing for an episode or two. But this one won't even take a sip. Crying shame, I know.

I was gonna check it out once a few shows ended, though from what i've heard in this thread, i'll give it a check out this weekend.

I have to now you've said that!

If you don't like it, I'll probably cry.

That's my point

This post has been edited by roast-beefy-weefs on Aug 1 2008, 07:02 PM

Don't be silly. Shiro likes everything.

See, that would explain it. I switched to the dub for a bit in episode 3, in a part with a lot of Pacifica dialogue. Maybe I should give an entire episode a try? Meh, her voice irritates me enough that I'm fine sticking with the subs~

Someone lied to you.

Watching the first two episodes of Dennou coil last night (museum-sore feet propped up), I was reminded of how good the start of that series was -- all that happy babble in the forums was warranted. So, I've only seen the first six or so episodes before, but I already see effective foreshadowing of what is coming.

Started watching the first season of HidaSketch today. Since you guys were all agog about it and started on the second season, I figured it was probably worth checking out...

Also found that I had acquired the first season of Gurren Lagann sometime along the way, so I started watching that as well..

Yes, yes, I know I'm behind.

Pretty much gave up on Strike Witches... didn't really draw me in after the first couple of episodes...

I WILL BUY PLANETES NAO DAMMIT D:

Denno Coil... hmm.. :3

So the new installment of Mai Otome 0 ~Sifr~ finally got subbed. Fancy getting the plot device mis-explained by the villain character (it's only half true, Garderobe thinks Sifr is a liability in the wrong hands, and King Bruce is obviously the knight in shining armor). M-9 is the goddamn Terminator, kicking Otome ass - and speaking of Otome, this episode nearly reached critical mass with no less than five + the two androids in the same spot. Which all got overruled by the plot device, hurhurhur.

Elliot Chandler in strip poker scenes was the lulz.

[edit]: The first act of Eve no Jikan aka Are You Enjoying The Time Of Eve also made it through subbing. The non-discriminatory cafe is an almost perfect clone of Aquatic Language. The musical score is totally barking mad . In a good way. And a perfect demonstration of good directing: the 15 minutes fill the action quota of almost two 25-minute standard episodes.

This post has been edited by wordwarrior on Aug 3 2008, 06:52 AM

Hell yes! Someone who shares my name! Nobody has it over here in the states.

Just watched Ep13 of Allison and Lillia .... zomg plot x_X

So many questions now...

• Code Geass R2 - lost much of its appeal with the gutting of C.C.'s personality. The relentless suspense-building/every-episode-cliffhanger is also starting to wear.
• Hidamari x365 - Miyako~
• Mnemosyne - Watched the first 3 minutes of ep 5 and got called away, haven't come back to it yet. The way they casually kill off likeable characters irritates me, though - half of them aren't even doing anything particularly noble with their death - this isn't real life, you know, people should be dying for a cause or a reason!
• Special A - Can't give this up because I'm gay for Jun Fukuyama's voice (Takshima/Zero) and because now I have some weird obsession with seeing an Akari/Tadashi TRUE END.
• Itazura na Kiss - Picked this up because Special A's subbing group does good work. Have been steadily catching up this past week but have been halted in my tracks by episodes 13/14, which are such a stunning reversal in terms of direction and pacing - especially ep 14, what the hell - that I'm basically happy to conclude it there. Seriously, if anyone else watches this, is there any real reason to continue after ep 14?
• Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu - Eh, it passes the time. I could do with less supporting cast, though.

This post has been edited by Reia on Aug 3 2008, 09:19 AM

Still watching Black Lagoon Dub......And anything on Adult Swim.

Not readin anything really, maybe just some Bleach, but that's bout it.

Hidasketch is great! Just finished the second episode.

Despite this being a slice-of-life anime based on a manga of the same type, I was still thrown by the sudden switch in seasons between the first and second episode.

Yoshinoya-sensei is hot, if a little daft. She reminds me of Yumiko from Azumanga Daioh... what teachers sends their students pictures of themselves in a swimsuit?

The real show stealer is Miyako. She's like a voracious chihuahua.

The animation transition between regular and deformed is wonderful.

Wide face is wide.

Definitely going to finish the first season and watch the next...

When's the next AGP by the way?

The episodes are no in chronological order, just to warn you. It really doesn't matter much, since generally characters are introduced properly when you need to know them, and you can pick up all important information from the first episode anyway.

Probably early 2009.

This post has been edited by Random Wanderer on Aug 3 2008, 04:02 PM

Currently Watching:
Code Geass R2: yes, the writing can be ridiculously stupid, but still fun when you're tired from work and have nothing better to do.
Koihime Musou: I have no idea why I'm watching this. None at all. I just am. Being half-Chinese and a big fan of the novels, I should be twitching violently with every second of this. But I'm not.
x365: still as wonderful as ever, even if my schedule means I don't keep up very well. Then again, the show is meant to be taken at a slow, leisurely pace anyway.

Not much else. Current schedule and work means that I can't watch as much as I want to. For crying out loud, I haven't even finished ef - A Tale of Memories yet, despite having had my copy of it for a month now. I never take this long to watch a 13-episode show that's not currently airing.

This post has been edited by Kanako666 on Aug 3 2008, 06:47 PM

Watched that Clannad OVA. emo shit.

Finally started on Kurenai this week. At first, it was to obtain the reference material for voting in SaiMoe. But the great imperial banlist has grown larger since last year and none of the networks I have access to can post now. So I'm forced to be a spectator. (more on this later)

Regular continuing shows I watch (subs permitting) are: Code Geass R2, Amatsuki, Kaiba, HidaSketch x365 and calendar, Wagaya no Oinari-sama, Kara no Kyoukai, and SoraMahou.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu is a guilty pleasure for me. I try to avoid things like this but can't manage to do so here. Helps that it's not nearly as fanservicey and has dispensed with a lot of the relationship BS.
Slayers Revolution... 100% nostalgic heroin. Okay, a bit of a let-down that they're so blatantly recycling the plot. Well, it'll save me the bother of having to rewatch the earlier series to refresh my memory. The important thing is Lina is still Lina, Goury is still a wet fish, and Xellos is still Xel. I've also got a little game where I count how many different facial expressions Lina makes each episode.
Candy Boy needs more episodes NOW. Release schedule for this show is such a frustrating disappointment. And it's reflected in Yukino failing to make the cut for SaiMoe. This epic failure has really drained much of my interest in the tournament. In fact, speaking of which...
The Daughter of 20 Faces has managed to survive the first round of fillers mostly intact. Yet despite the excellent writing, consistently good quality animation, and endearing acting by Hirano, Chiko still gets eliminated from SaiMoe. What the hell, Japan?

(ps. they also didn't vote Chroniko in, those bastards)

I've recently finished watching:
Mnemosyne: Everything I expected, which is to say, I had no fucking clue what was going on until the very end, and even then it'm not so sure.
Naisho no Tsubomi: Yeah, try watching those two OVAs back-to-back. Such an adorably sappy coming-of-age tale and with an obvious-from-a-mile-away ending. But it's fun and the Shiraishi Ryouko character is awesome.

I'm no longer following Macross F or Allison&Lillia. I might try to catch up later, but I'm so far behind and have grown doubtful that either would really be worth it for me. (If it was, why did I stop in the first place?)

I had also stopped watching Itazura na Kiss because fillers are filler. Just grabbed the wedding and honeymoon eps. And a bit of the Kate... err, I mean Chris side-story. Now I'll tune-out again until Kotoko has the baby (guessing) or whatever the next significant thing that happens is.

Reading.

Beast Wars manga. (Transformers)

and The Dark Tower. (Stephen King short story adaptation by MARVEL, of Stephen's The Gunslinger Born short story series.)

So, my Last Exile soundtrack arrived today. And thanks to it I also have a spare copy of the first DVD, and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it.

whatever the inflight movie is goin to Wales

you're going to send it to Omo as part of next years AGP prize? If the prize-winner already has it, they can send it on for the following year's prize.

The gift that keeps on giving~

Like the clap... but MUCH prettier.

Well some poor sap like TheBigN will win the AGP one year and realize he doesn't have a lot of the stuff in the package! it's all good.

I finally watched 5 Centimeters Per Second! Starting from the critical side of things, it was definitely the most well-paced of Shinkai's films as well as featuring the best cinematography (I liked the art in Place Promise but hated the shots, 5cm does away with that). I thought it also worked out much better without a sci-fi element, since at least in Place Promised it as just flat-out cumbersome.

But that stuff's not important. This film was very nice, very pretty, and I liked it. The first story made me dawww, the second story made me worried, and the third story wasn't long enough to make me cry but I suspect I'll get pretty emo soon. I knew that the movie was going to make me think about my past relationship, and I was trying to not let it get to me, but the lyrics to that song at the end were too much. I know for a fact I'll start thinking about it too much and end up sad.

I did think the main character was overdoing it a little being as depressed as he was that far in time, but I guess it depends on how life's treated you. I know I was pretty lucky to have ever gotten out of my depression and was only able to because of the pure strength of my beliefs, so without that, I can see where his world would be harsh.

My favorite thing about the movie is probably the way it's calm, not really dramatic, and sort of anti-climactic. The movie sort of embodies the relationship it tells the story of in that regard - a lot of thinking, a lot of waiting, brief moments of passion separated by long periods of angst and in the end the longest one which you quickly realize will trail on forever. Dammit. I'm gunna go find the nearest 'so ronery' thread and baww.

The novel expands much more on this aspect of the third story and makes things a little clearer (some translated notes can be found on Xcomp's blog).

I don't think Takaki is necessarily still depressed about Akari, per se, but rather he holds her up as some impossible ideal that no subsequent relationship can match. Shutting himself off in this way has led to a cycle of decline in both home and work life.

Takaki's attempt to dig himself out of this hole is only hinted at in the final section of the movie, but is explicitly stated in the novel. Seeing the girl on the railway crossing is the final step to letting go of the past and moving on.

The fact that that makes it even closer to my own expeience just makes me feel more emo, lol. It's the kind of thing that makes me want to change my life... i.e. get a girlfriend....

to the disappointment of olf?

Joking aside, I think it was blatantly hinted. at least it was quite obvious to me.

I figured it was something like that as well.

2008digitalboy, I've found that one of the reasons people like Makoto Shinkai is that they can relate to some degree or another. Of course, with 5cm/s that means you feel mopey and sad (and regretful if it's close enough) for some unspecified time afterwards. I seem to recall it being at least a week in my case. Blah.

I hope you watched it at some level of high definition, because anything less 720p makes me feel like I'm insulting the film's artwork.

I talked about 5cm per second during last month's "What Are You Watching?" thread...

Perhaps that's what Shinkai is trying to accomplish... touching those people that are trapped in that loop of regret and helping them see that it's possible to break out of it.

It was very moving for me, just as it is for digitalboy and probably several of the rest of you, mostly because I've had that relationship that never worked out due to circumstances beyond my control, and that person that I've put on the pedestal instead of understanding that, by doing that, I'm making it impossible to actually pursue the person.

I found the way Shinkai hinted that he had, perhaps, finally doused the torch he'd been holding for Akari all those years with the railroad crossing to be incredibly moving. It's nice to see people that are able to overcome such things. It reminded me of myself.

Unfortunately, I don't have HD, but I'm definitely planning on getting one when I get out to Washington, so I'll have to grab it if and when it comes out on Blu-ray, along with Paprika (I know it's already out on Blu-ray, but I don't see the point in buying it if I don't have big HDTV :V)

Probably why I really like the first of the three stories the best, as it's just that feeling of longing that connected with me.

Also probably why I didn't really get into Voices of a Distant Star or Beyond the Clouds that much either.

You mean, you don't have a cell phone?

No. Which is why searching for you back in March was a kind of worrisome bit for me.

It's a shame to see Amatsuki end, especially when it wasn't even an end, it was a damn cliffhanger along with the last episode giving more detail on the plot that would take place after this episode. With an ending like that, it has me hoping even more that they plan to carry this on at a later date. Either way, i'll be checking out the manga now.

Paku's role as Kuchiha was splendid, easily one of her best performances in a while.

>You mean, you don't have a cell phone?

Haha, zing.

Wait, why don't you have a cell phone, TBN? That seems impossible in today's society.

My mom and stepdad don't have cell phones...

I guess there are still a few people that don't need them...

Hell, some just don't like knowing that people can find them wherever they go, so they just don't use them...

"Bah. We don't need any of them newfangled com-uny-cate-shon deevices here, no sir! When I was a kid we wrote our letters on paper and sent them by muleback over the mountains and felt grateful for the privilege!"

Actually, the only reason I got a cell phone was because my family had three of us with three different jobs, but only two cars, and we needed ways to coordinate pickups in case of scheduling trouble. If it weren't for that I probably still wouldn't have one myself. I hardly ever use it.

This post has been edited by Random Wanderer on Aug 5 2008, 06:09 PM

I couldn't function without my cell phone, so YMMV.

to continue the derailment, I too am surprised BigN deosn't have a cellphone.

To derail the derailment (in before multi-track drifting?!) I'm starting the second season of Maria-sama ga Miteru, which should (hopefully) contain plenty of tea drinking, walking slow, "Oneesama~" and again, hopefully more Yoshino.

On a lark I picked up Sekirei, and it's predictable, campy, and total crap. in the words of the Dancing Moon Princesses, "Stuff happened and there were boobs." not a whole lot else to say, though big-boobed tsundere is tsundere. Also big-boobed. (It beats watching Blade of the Immortal, though. Fractionally.)

cellphones are doctors' bane, so I think he's got the right idea.

I second the Sekirei assessment, would watch it if i had the time.

Sekirei is worth watching because it has a character type for everyone, and i mean everyone.

I'm loving the series, though no surprise there.

Shiro's a boob man?

I dunno, what's-her-name's outfit is pretty lulzy. Shrine maiden top, an obi, and a skirt? I think they're reaching, just a bit.

I don't have a cellphone... never leave my house, when I do, someone else has a cell, never necessary for me.

5cm made me feel off but wasn't really depressing for me if just because I've gotten depressed over things enough times with other shows (Iriya no Sora was the worst) and I'm pretty good at resisting it now.

Watched the first episode of Sekirei...

The guy makes Keitaro's whiny male lead look like Conan the Barbarian. Still, for what it is, it's more fun, and "might" have more to it as far as plot than Ikki Tousen. I'll probably keep watching, depending on how much time I have.

Also, finished the third episode (in order) of HidaSketch... I always feel happy after watching one of these. I was even humming the opening song today at work.

I spent all night reading six volumes of the manga Hen. It's a shame this title gets shot down by a lot of people because of it's use of nudity and sex. Deep down the yuri element is quite possibly the best i've ever seen in a series, along with twist and turns that just keep on appearing out of nowhere. It's a well written piece, and i can't wait to see how it ends.

I actually see it as more of a trainwreck. But obviously I need to read more of it.

Watched the ARIA the ORIGINATION DVD special, which was awesome as always. I had a smile on my face from the start to the end of the special. Akatsuki has to pay more attention to what he's doing. :3

Like i mentioned i would early in this thread, i finally got around to checking out Natsume Yuujinchou.

Straight away i can see why people would say it's like Mushishi, though i don't think you can get away with telling people this, and that being their only reason for checking it out. It just won't work.

I guess what i like most about the show is it's charming personality. That and it's always a pleasure to hear Kobayashi Sanae. I look forward to seeing more flashbacks of Reiko.

Edit: That's it, this is easily one of my favorite shows this season. Second episode was absolutely beautiful.

This post has been edited by Shiro on Aug 9 2008, 11:20 AM

By the way, on the subject of 5cm, did anyone notice the news that ADV has dropped the licence to this movie in North America...?

I just started Legend of Galactic Heroes and I love it.I am on the 26th episode ...sad so sad.

I am also watching Dragon Ball Z becouse I never actually finished it when I was a kid and so wanted to know how it ends.

Kircheis...

Ep 25 of Shugo Chara and I have to admit....I really fell into the trap and got Alto-ed.

Today i finally begin the epic rewatch of Touka Gettan, one of my fav' shows from last year. I was planning to watch it this time in the correct order, though i'll get around to that sometime next year (maybe).

As for something Utena related, i've just ordered the new CD boxset that's being released. Yay for 10th Anniversary's.

http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/utena/cd.html

So, they did eventually reveal the truth about her/him? Something I found rather amusing is that people have drawn porn of said character that was clearly made before the reveal.

black lagoon manga came in this weekend...

SS Astro... another 4-koma largeprint (Suzunari and Hidemari came out a few weeks ago).

Because the manga came first~

I think you missed my point. As in, the reason I could tell said artwork was drawn before the reveal was because it depicted the character as the gender he appears to be, rather than the one he truly is.

This post has been edited by Random Wanderer on Aug 10 2008, 04:21 PM

Well, back from Ota, and I bought lots of *ahem* reading material, and built up a good anime queue in my absence. I need to watch Princess Tutu now (maybe I'll rent it). Also watched the first episode of Bartender with Link and Wildarms with a good bit of running commentary and a whole lot of laughing at how awful it was.

\o/

Shiro: What's the avvie?

Now go watch the whole series. You're not a true man until you can say you've seen it all.

Fey, from the manga Shina Dark. There's an anime that's supposed to air this year, directed by Shinbo.

Should give the manga a check out though, i love it.

SEE, HE MAKES THE BAR TENDER. TENDER MEANS KINDNESS

If anyone wants to see a conversation between Amuro and Char, make sure you watch episode 05 of World Destruction. :3

Oh shi--

I have to catch up.

As for Bartender... my favorite episode is the Hemingway Daiquiri one.

I finally watched the first episode of Detonator Orgun. I knew i was going to love this just from looking at the boxart image. It's very Tekkaman Blade (well i should have that the other way around), meaning i loved every single second of it.

This post has been edited by Shiro on Aug 11 2008, 08:56 AM

Woo finally. I first came across Orgun while playing SRW, where he appears after Tekkaman Blade goes berserk, and beats him up sober. Awesome stuff.

The main theme is awesomely dark and foreboding.

I just read about that. I'm gonna have to search for some footage at a later date.

Yes indeed. The whole show is pretty dark compared to something like Tekkaman Blade, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays along side the fight scenes as they get more intense. Though first battle in the city was .

Also i'm glad to see this show has some lovely looking ladies, and i lol talking computer.

If you know anymore shows like this, please let me know.

This post has been edited by Shiro on Aug 11 2008, 09:08 AM

Finished Detonator Orgun. It was a decent ending, though the amount of material Tekkaman Blade used from this show is pretty high.

Orgun using a lance made my day though, that was wonderful.

Very belatedly just watched the second (third?) episode of Candy Boy. More twincest yuri sisters and creepy stalker makes for a warm fuzzy heartwarming experience. No, really, it does.

Creepy stalker girl continues to achieve new levels of creepiness each time I see her. If she wasn't so damned cute and forthright about everything, she'd really be unsettling me by now. Really. Seriously. She needs help.

But hey, she's still cute and she hasn't tried kidnapping and molesting Kana yet, so it's still good.

Isn't today a hidasketch day?

Not exactly what I was looking for, but it works.

...Why doesn't anyone remind me of these things earlier?

I'm in the final stretch on "Dennou Coil". Watching the "filler episodes" in rapid succession, rather than weekly turned them into character development and interesting background, for me.

This has nothing to do with the story, but I liked what they did with Fumie's little brother in the recap episode.

Yes, at this point it looks like a ghost story, but they're doing the spooky stuff well. It must havebeen frustrating to watch at broadcast-speed, with the succession of cliffhangers.

Every day is Hidamari Sketch day!

Just watched the Battle Angel Alita OVA which was good but a little disappointing. The first episode pretty much tried to cover the entire first volume of the manga with characters who don't appear yet and a lot of details removed, which is okay, but having recently read the first volume, didn't do much for me. The second episode was much better, which could just be because I'm not far enough in the manga, but still not really something to write home about. I don't regret buying it (was cheap) but I did expect more.

Watched episodes 3 and 4 of Kokoro Library. The girls are very mean to their poor delivery truck guy. But hey, he's comic relief, I'm sure he'll be fine by the next episode.

This seems to be the sort of fuzzy, warm anime where things always turn out well in the end. Where biker gangs pick up little girls who are walking along nearly abandoned roads and politely give them a ride in to town. Where honest and sincere feelings are all anyone needs to overcome any obstacle.

In other words, exactly the sort of show I tend to like.

...In moderation.

The first of three Negima! OVA's is pretty darn satisfying. Still it's a shame anyone not reading the manga is not going to know what the hell's going on.

I'd make a thread, though i don't think there's that many people around here who's still reading the manga.

If only he wasn't there. >_<

He was actually probably the only sour point of the show for me.

For the 20th anniversary of "Bubblegum Crisis", a French editor released a special edition of the OAVs. To celebrate it, I took a pause from "Higurashi" and rewatched BGC.
Episodes 5-6 are still among the best things ever produced in the genre. Sylvie~

...plus Vision, of course.

*shrugs* Aside from being a male interfering with my show about cute females, I haven't had any real problems with him. He seems a rather typical male character.

But then, I've only seen four episodes. I may get sick of him as things go along.

hum, bought Code Geass on a lark at BB last week (discs 1+2 pack on sale for 26 bucks) and just got around to watching it last night. oddly enough, i think im hooked. despite the royal melodrama, the political/military chess games these people play are highly enjoyable.

plus, its a better cat and mouse for me than Death Note as I could never sympathize or identify with Light.

i can use a re-release of that...

good reason to rewatch it.

just finished Gunbuster. What a great, if absurd ending. Lovely show that kept me on the verge of tears the whole second half.

You've now experienced the Coach. You can die a happy man now.

indeed. probably the best of his kind ever.

The Coach has always been my favorite Wakamoto character.

oh shit, I didn't even notice it as him. Damn, his voice has changed over time. Or maybe he was just going for a different sound for once XD

I think he did that voice before he really developed his shtick

"Okaerin!"

*holds back tears*

Coach is pure epic.

Wakamoto's best role is Dracula in Castlevania SotN.

He was the narrator from Hayate no Gotoku, wasn't he? Interesting sounding guy.

For some reason, I felt like re-watching all of Marimite, so I am. I'm frightened by the fact that some of the things I see in terms of inter-character relationships in the show are similar to ones I see in life. But far less ideal.

Trying to keep things fresh by watching Geass and Koihime Musou in between. x365 is on the waiting list until I finish something else.

This post has been edited by Kanako666 on Aug 14 2008, 01:39 AM

You can't call yourself a fan of Wakamoto if you didn't notice he voiced Coach.

Trying to see if I can pick up Shugo Chara again. I stopped right in the middle of what Link told me was a run of filler episodes, so I may have some difficulty getting through that to the important stuff. But I've let it sit for far too long, considering how much I liked it when I was watching it before.

I keep telling myself that i'll catch up with Shugo Chara, though manga titles that i keep wanted to check out keep getting in the way.

At this rate i may just wait until it's finished.

Just watched Eve no Jikan. Good stuff although so far it's riffing on familiar themes. It looks great as well, as expected from the studio behind Mizu no Kotoba and Pale Cocoon.

>Trying to see if I can pick up Shugo Chara again. I stopped right in the middle of what Link told me was a run of filler episodes

Go catch up now! The filler grew on me and the series gets better. If you don't watch Shugo Chara, Amu will be angry at you.

I'm on it, but it's been six months since I last watched Shugo Chara. I watched one new (new to me) episode, then headed back to the beginning to refresh my memory a bit. I've already got something like 30 "new" episodes to catch up on. That's intimidating enough that adding the 15 I already saw doesn't really scare me any more.

Finished Dennou Coil. I was a bit aggravated that they introduced new characters critical to the plot more than halfway through (even if Isako had been talking to one of them on the phone all along). Like, where did Mayumi (Yasako's abandoned friend) come from? There was a tiny bit of foreshadowing in an early episode --- Isako, I think, speculates that Yasako has moved to the new town because of a bullying incident --- but otherwise her introduction at the end was somewhat abrupt.

But otherwise, I liked the series tons. It's sort of like a mirror-image of Lain, which had its human elements almost buried under the technical gee-whizzery --- it's been long enough that the technology is just an extrapolation of a familiar part of the audience's life, so they can focus on the human elements.

Started up Natsume Yuujinchou. I think I'm going to give this one a three-episode test, though from episode one the setup as a reverse-card-collector game ("gotta give 'em all back!") is amusing.

Reading:

Halo & Sprocket v2. Short, but sweet, and consistently amusing stories about life with a clueless robot and an angel. A sit-com, basically.

The Third. With v2, the manga is just feel-good adventure of the week. The anime (what I saw of it), was better. It reminds me a bit of Read or Dream in a lost-cat-finding sort of way, but I don't find it nearly as satisfying.

Me2, a case of being taken in by a pretty face. One glance at the cover of this manga by artist Sho Murase makes it pretty clear why I bought this, especially since the promise of the cover is born out by the art in the book, as I noted after thumbing through it.

Oh, but the text: dreadfully emo (including examples of teenage poetry, thoughts of suicide, and a recommendation for Edgar Allen Poe!). Sigh.

Aki is a picked-on girl dealing with the loss of her idolized older brother. A childhood accident has left her with a fear of water and a scar on her face that's won her the nickname "stitches". Her only friend is a plush black cat named "Kuro".

She suffers from occasional blackouts --- blackouts that leave victims, notably the "Triple As", the "Heathers" of her high-school, who don't approve of the way the school prince (student council president and swim-team captain) likes Aki's poetry.

Maybe instead of Poe, the recommendation should have been for Robert Louis Stephenson --- the creator of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Even her parents think she's nuts.

The art is good enough that it almost makes up for the weak writing. A fine strength of line and stark contrast suits this emo-gothic tale. The author is setting up a bit of a mystery. Aki's alter-ego, apparently named Kia, in addition to over-coming Aki's self-perceived weaknesses and getting revenge for the bullying and other slights she's suffered, is starting to work on the mystery of her brother's death.

I don't know if I'll continue with this series or not.

King City. If Neal Stephenson got sidetracked on the way to Snow Crash and did a graphic novel, it might be like this. If Samuel Delaney put down Finnegans Wake and Foucault and Baudrillard and picked up Scott McCloud and a grafitti spray-can, then undertook a re-write of Dhalgren, it might come out like this. Maybe it's a little bit like a particularly obscure Bob Dylan song in graphic novel form.

Joe's a loner --- he travels only with his cat, which can transform into anything, given the proper injection. He's returning from his training on "the Farm", where he became a Cat Master.

Back to King City, where there are a million stories and a million tears to go with them. A hard-boiled noir setting with a skateboarder style. He's got his friend Pete, misses his girl Anna (who's living with a disabled vet from the zombie wars), and he hides out in a secret hotel called Nowhere run by a sasquatch named Lubavetch.

Tons of imagination. A page-turner, not from tension, but because you want to see what Brandon Graham is going to put on the next page. I haven't enjoyed a graphic novel as much since the last volume of Scott Pilgrim. The art's okay, and has, to my eye, a sort of grafitti-influenced style, but that could just be because I don't know how to describe it any better.

This is definitely a series I'll continue to follow (assuming it is continued at all).

Ha, I'd never thought about it that way, but I guess that's because it doesn't really work. In the original setup, take CCS for example, while the monster will sometimes come to Sakura, she usually has to chase it out of hiding before she captures it. In Natsume, they all just come straight to him, but instead of forcing him to give them their names back, he usually obliges or tells them to come back later when he isn't sleepy, and most of them are happy to comply.

That part of it wouldn't work in reverse. A Pokemon series where the monsters silently climb into the pokeball without a fight would be depressingly bad. The difference here is that the show isn't about the name-giving at all, but instead is about the relationship between the human and the monsters. Amusingly enough, that's probably why I related it to Mushishi. One man who can see these things when nobody else can, and has a relationship with them that you wouldn't quite expect, but absolutely love to watch.

Anyways, I've got a lot more to say, but I'll do it in the series thread some other time.

Want.To.Buy.

does it have a lot of random sex scenes?

to be honest that kind of comparison is rarely warranted. but whatever.

Picked up the first volume of a manga called Kieli yesterday, another little release by Yen Press. Must say it's the art more then anything that had me buy this straight away, though the setting/story is interesting enough. Shame it's only two volumes though.

Yes, the comparison is a bit over-the top, but I really did enjoy it's random-walk through creativity in a post-crash down-and-out urban setting. Snow crash is a bit of a bad comparison, since there's no virtual-reality stuff. Maybe it comes closer to The Big U.

No random sex scenes, but neither have most Bob Dylan songs (the comparison there is the disjointedness coupled with interesting imagery) nor (that I recall) Snow Crash. Dhalgren probably had a few, certainly everything Delany's written since seems to...

>Maybe it comes closer to The Big U.

Does this mean I should stay away from it, since The Big U was horrible?

There is such a thing called The Big U? I thought it was The Big O for a second.

...wiki'd it and the author seems to hate his own work himself. Wut.

It's a fine first novel, and shows a lot of the promise that materialized in his later works like Zodiac, The Diamond Age and Snow Crash.

It helps in my assessment that it's a bit of a roman a clef, with places and people pretty clearly recognizable to anyone from around Boston.

This post has been edited by dm on Aug 17 2008, 10:56 AM

Zodiac is a shoddy mess, which is a shame because I had hoped it would build on the potential from Cryptonomicon. The Diamond Age was pretty good until the ending. All that nonsense with The Drummers and rewriting society with nanotechnology was idiotic, though I don't think Stephenson has written a decent ending for any of his novels yet.

This post has been edited by Link on Aug 17 2008, 11:57 AM

Fie on you. I thought the Drummers were a neat part of Diamond Age and I occasionally think of them (and the sand-benders, with their laptop case-mods).

It's true that Stephenson takes you on a fun ride that just sort of... ends.

Zodiac is his second novel, so building on the potential of Cryptonomicon would require prescience or time-travel.

Zodiac was an okay book and you can see he took notes when he wrote Snow Crash. Anyways, over the top comparison aside it's just a hax.

i'll find a borders that has it in stock and take a peek first i guess.

I meant The Baroque Cycle, not Zodiac. I'm not remembering anything about Zodiac, yet I assume it was better than that Baroque Cycle trash. It's hard to stoop that low.

A random feeling has lead to me starting to rewatch Haibane Renmei again. Not sure how far I'll get before I no longer feel like it, but I'll keep going as long as I can. This is the first time I've rewatched it since seeing Aria, or for that matter anything else with Hirohashi Ryo in it. I can catch traces of the voice I know when Rakka speaks, but there's still a distinct difference there. How much is due to deliberately using a different "voice" and how much is due to Haibane being several years earlier than the earliest of all the others, I do not know.

Just finished Beyond the Clouds BRD. It was nice to see that film again in high quality but it definitely shows its age on that format. at the same time because the visual requirements were lower, the whole piece felt much more consistent than 5cm and you can tell more effort was spent on character animation and CG.

and this time I watched it paying the music way more attention than i ought to :3

Clannad - Rewatching
Koihime Musou - Pure win
Strike Witches - This is relevant to my interests

It's somewhat strange to alternate episodes of the original Birdy the mighty (which I'd never seen --- for some reason, I'd always assumed it was a basketball anime) and the new Tetsuwan Birdy Decode. It's interesting to see the stylistic changes (Tsutomo looks more like his age in the newer series, while otherwise the character designs seem consistent) and story changes (is Tute from the original manga?); and interesting to see what's remained the same.

Both series stand up well in the comparison, at least so far.

Of course, I'll run out of episodes of the original, soon enough (Netflix willing).

ANN Encyclopedia promises a Decode season two. I'd missed that news.

You were fine up to the the "than i ought to" bit, I think.

This post has been edited by dm on Aug 19 2008, 06:53 AM

If you mean the OAV, it's only 4 episodes long.

Due to some forum bickering regarding the Hime/OTOME franchise, I've started My-HiME, and this far (six episodes) I like it.

Now I need to get back to the backlog of Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, seems like it's raining cats in the last three (subbed) episodes ...

Yeah he is. His death scene in episode 3 was a brilliant scene, easily the best part of the series so far.

I quite like the changes in plot that have been made to Decode. It means fans of the original like myself can have more fun with it each episode. & yeah, second episode was announced last week.

Also, Maaya. <3

This post has been edited by Shiro on Aug 19 2008, 07:11 AM

You were fine up to the the "than i ought to" bit, I think.

The funny thing is, if you really pay attention to the music you realize it's actually not really that good. The editing and applying of the music was a little too simple.

I have the soundtrack anyways, so what you think is the issue is not the issue.

As said, I'm really behind with stuff. Need to watch more new things and catch up. Hopefully I can do that this week...

What do I know? I seem to listen to a lot of Touhou arrangements. Talk about simple-minded and repetitive... Tenmon is Brahms in comparison, and I find myself listening to the music when it comes around on the shuffle.

Well, I'm not sure that's a function of Tenmon or Shinkai. The compositions themselves are fine, but as applied I am not so certain they have been done so perfectly.

Been reading a lot of random manga. Just sampling because I'm kinda new at reading it. Mostly I watch Descendants of Darkness, Inuyasha, Bleach. Stuff like that

Currently rewatching Boogiepop at one episode a night and blogging it episodically as in-depth as humanly possible - I'm 2 episodes in and I gotta say it's some of the most fun I've had watching anime and blogging. If I get a positive reaction to this (or any reaction whatsoever) I'll probably do it with more series (I DO need to rewatch Paranoia Agent....)

Started on Jojo's Manga.... have a lot to burn through~

Watching Soul Eater, Hidamari, CGR2~

Slipping the first Gurren Lagaan disk into the DVD player last night had the perverse effect of causing me to pop it out and stick Mushishi in, instead (it was the trailer for Flag that did it --- reminded me that I have a lot of series that I need to catch up on, and that GL could probably wait until I have all the disks in hand in a few weeks).

I was digging through the books I brought with me to college (I forgot to bring Sunshine Sketch ;_; ) when I found the Kino novel I bought when I was out looking for Shina Dark. I imagine I'll enjoy it when I start reading it tonight, and maybe it will compel me to watch the series again for the third time this year.

I just watched Kamichu again, this time on my ipod. Portable Yurie-sama ftw. Sadly I just noticed that most of the episodes have a slight progressive audio delay that kicks in 2/3rds of the way through, and I already deleted the original files. I'd just fix it myself, but I don't want to cause any compatibility issues during the process.

The manga hasn't been licensed (sure you already know). Have you started reading it yet?

Finally bought the first volume of the Hatenkou Yuugi manga, and i'm very delighted with it. The dialogue between Rahzel and Alzied is everything i knew it would be. This is really a treat to read.

I also have the Utena manga to read. I'm looking forward to the changes made compared to the tv series.

Search leads me to conclude that I never mentioned my reading of Tetragrammaton Labyrinth. It fulfills my initial impression of Venus vs Virus pushed up to 11 --- it has great art, particularly in the action scenes, and the story is much stronger than V^3 (the VVV manga is much, much better than the anime was, though still weak in comparison to this).

It starts in Victorian London, and involves a nun and her immortal (possibly a vampire) colleague (a twin-tailed loli to go with the goth) who hunt demons. Volume three has a cameo by another immortal --- Gilles de Rais, adding a bit of Baccano! to the Chrno Crusade-like plot. From there, we have a flashback to Nepal (showing how the two main characters met) followed by the two main characters journeying to Central Europe.

The art is consistently complex and well-done, with attractive character designs and reasonable creepiness. The nun's immortal companion can take Baccano!-like hits and still come back to deliver a killing blow, but I never found the depictions of this particularly gruesome.

The relationship between the two main characters is an interesting mix of parental and sisterly (as the nun ages from an orphaned child to a young adult, their roles appear to reverse).

I'm looking forward to volume four in a couple of months.

Color me dumbfounded. Maybe now I won't feel like the stupidest man alive when I buy volume 2.

Nope. I just went to the bookstore, saw they didn't have it, figured it wasn't in stock, and went back home. I forget scanlations exist sometimes :V I'll start it tonight too.

You better not say anything bad about it, i love it to much. D:

Everytime dm makes a post in this thread, it reminds me that i gotta start buying the Venus vs Virus manga very soon.

I like V^3 well enough, but I'd go with Tetragrammaton Labyrinth first....

I just read the first volume, and I love it, so don't worry. Now I'm all hyped for the Shinbo/SHAFT adaptation. :3

Which I imagine wont have as much tits ;_;. But that's not important.

Hmm, i quite like the cover art. I'll see if i can find it while i'm out and about tomorrow.

Glad to hear you love it. It really is a wonderful manga --- a favorite straight away for me. I just love everything about it. :3

Depending what kind of Shinbo we see, we may just have the amount of breasts that we do in the manga. Though going by the four PV's that have been released, it won't be completely crazy Shinbo.

Glad to hear you love it. It really is a wonderful manga --- a favorite straight away for me. I just love everything about it. :3

Depending what kind of Shinbo we see, we may just have the amount of breasts that we do in the manga. Though going by the four PV's that have been released, it won't be completely crazy Shinbo.

if that's true, I can't see it being something I stay with. I'm sorry to say it, but I hated the first chapter of the manga I read. I was hoping the magic of Shiinbo/shaft would make up for it, but if it' not crazy enough, I can't see getting too into it... after all I'm that guy who doesn't like Tsukuyomi... at all.

it's funny how this whole page is people saying good things about manga I can't stand XD EDIT: Asidde from Dazzle. Good shit.

This post has been edited by 2008digitalboy on Aug 20 2008, 04:43 PM

I thought you were all agog about Tetragrammaton Labyrinth (at least until you said you hadn't gotten to v2 yet).

I may pick up Dazzle if I ever get around to appreciating Hatenkou Yuugi.

This post has been edited by dm on Aug 20 2008, 05:09 PM

wrong guy? When you first brought it up in the last thread I said....

EDIT: I say 'wrong guy' because I very rarely use the word 'wonderful' so I think you got somoen else. EDIT 2: Wait that's what shiro siad 1 post up. now im confused.

----------
yay! It's about time someone else took interest in this! I was beginning to think I was the only one reading this when I had to write the Wiki article on it. Unfortunately, I have to forworn you that it's fucking horrible. Easily the worst manga I own. However, it definitely has the 'so bad it's good factor' and lesbian loli vampires frequently nude who get torn in half, entrails spewn across the ground, and KEEP FIGHTING.

It was worth it just to have a yuri manga with 2 of my 5 favorite words in the title.

This post has been edited by 2008digitalboy on Aug 20 2008, 04:54 PM

Hmm. Guess I blanked out on the "I have to forewarn you..." bit and just remembered "It's about time someone else took interest in this!" (and "two of my five favorite words"), especially after I read the manga. I don't see "horrible" in it at all. I could see someone dismissing it as derivative --- the supernatural ally, the eccentric doctor and his new weapon prototypes, the weird "church" setting have all been done before, but that's mere mediocrity, not "horrible" (I think it's better than that). And I think they do that stuff okay, with the art making me overlook the shortcomings in the writing.

But my edition left out the "frequently nude" bits, too, so who knows what else I'm missing...

Shiro: the promise made by the covers is kept in the books themselves, at least in terms of the art.

This post has been edited by dm on Aug 20 2008, 05:19 PM

The manga changes quite a lot after a few chapters. At least give it another shot.

It was quite difficult going from the character designs in the anime then the manga, though one chapter in and that didn't bother me anymore. I still say the anime is one of my fav's so far this year though. Brilliant little series with so much good going for it.

That's good to hear. I'm sure i won't miss those covers if i see them tomorrow.

actually, you said something like this in the other thread too, and I corrected myself saying by 'frequently nude' I meant 'some boob shots' and that I found it horrible because I hate all the talking during fight scenes, that it ruins a lot of manga for me, and that my standards were probably too high. I also need to reread volume one.

@Shiro: ... I guess I can try ...

Sigh, I should use the titles of manga when I give my reactions to them --- it makes using the search function to conclude I hadn't written about it before a lot more effective.

I think that might be a better condition.

Started watching the first episode of... something... that calls itself Potemayo. It's cute. But I have yet to meet the adorable purple-haired chibi critter that made it into the AGP, so I must keep watching.

One of the best shows of last year.

Have fun with it, though it's humor is unique. :3

It does seem that way. Still rather amusing though.

Guchiko for the win.

Really? I thought the humor is just your standard family slapstick comedy that I see if I watch, say, CN.

True. I apply it in terms of the character designs, as in it doesn't initially look like the type of show that would do that.

I mentioned when I first started watching that for some reason the humor reminded me of Dokuro-chan. I'm not sure if I still feel that way.

Weird, it felt like that to me immediately. Maybe you need to watch more di gi charat or something.

Probably. I don't have too much experience with shows like that, as far as I know.

Guchiko (Guchuko?) is the cutest thing EVER.

At least until the next thing that I find really cute, anyway.

Hmm, i never thought of it as Dokuro-chan humor.

Potemayo does have some great humor though, especially the scenes that don't include Potemayo or Guchuko. Hands down the best comedy show of last year. I'll never forget some of the gay jokes surrounding Mudo and his friend towards the end.

Couldn't find any Tetragrammaton Labyrinth today, so i'll order the first volume at the weekend. Did pick up the first issue of Yen Press, and the ever so wonderful Faust. I'll be reading Kara no Kyoukai tonight!

I want a Guchuko! So.. very... adorable...

The characters in this series may well be too cute for their own good.

This post has been edited by Random Wanderer on Aug 21 2008, 02:06 PM

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Hush you.

Oh, and the OP and ED are, for different reasons, both wonderful.

IMHO Potemayo was responsible for one of the best three screencaps of 2007:

But it's a recurring theme!

Indeed. I favored the ED myself.

It'll be interesting to hear what Random Wanderer has to say about the later story involving Sunao Mother. Personally my favorite part of the show.

Su-na-o~

Potemayo's one of the most underrated series of the past year. It hit some of the right buttons for me from cuteness to humor to appealing animation.

I have no idea why it isn't licensed yet, though that's true of too many series in the flagging anime industry.

This post has been edited by Link on Aug 21 2008, 04:56 PM

Episode 19 of Itazura na Kiss, wow. Everyone should be watching this series just to see this episode. Drama at it's best --- i've been interested when people have been saying that the story is the Mother of all shoujo, and you can really tell why after this episode.

This post has been edited by Shiro on Aug 21 2008, 05:12 PM

indeed, Potemayo was some seriously funny stuff (and I'm the guy who nominated Guchiko!) probably one of the biggest love-polygons ive ever seen.

EDIT: Well, everyone says Nanoha gets better about halfway through, there's been a string of constant threads on /a/ about the awesomeness of Terre e... and how once you get past the shittastic first 4 eps the show rocks hard, and major pain is doing a good job of selling mars daybreak. I'm about to marathon all 3 as a lesson to myself about judging shows too early.

This post has been edited by 2008digitalboy on Aug 21 2008, 09:15 PM

It's true that after the first four episodes of Toward the Terra it's a whole new cup of coffee, though you need the first four episodes to prepare yourself for such a change.

Silly people.

Hmm... A lot of people in some places that discuss Potemayo seem to hate Nene. And I can see why, given that she's something of a jerk, and her voice could shatter crystal. Yet, in direct violation of my standards for characters, I find myself liking her quite a bit. I don't know what, but there's just something really great about her.

And it's not just the hair.

Guchuko is still love. She needs much more screentime.

Likewise. But the OP is one of those great, energetic songs that one can't help but listen to over and over as well. Something about it keeps making me think of Kyouran Kazoku Nikki...

The ED is calmer, but it has more... power, I guess you could say.

lol Nene is awesome! She is masterfully unflinching and combined with her wealth, near all-powerful. She's perfect! Like the show's 'Guu' but with money instead of crazy-ass powers.

Just saw Ocean Waves which might be my new favorite Ghibli movie. Beautifully told, great characters, and it just all-around appealed to me in just about every way. This is surely what should be considered a timeless classic.

EDIT: Question - if I hate love triangles, can I still appreciate Kimagure?

This post has been edited by 2008digitalboy on Aug 23 2008, 05:41 AM

It is a timeless classic.

No. You'll hate the brilliant 80s show that is so very 80s.

This post has been edited by Shiro on Aug 23 2008, 07:57 AM

I'm confused. Are you saying I'll hate it because it's a love triangle, or because it's very 80s? Because I love 80s anime, so that's no problem. I saw the first ep a while back and liked it enough, but forgot about it for a bit, and I found out it's a love triangle... and have stalled. Though I guess if it's 'the best' love triangle it's probably worth a try anyway.

Of course i'm saying it because you dislike love triangles. It being very 80s is just one of it's awesome points (for me anyway).

Watching:
Macross Frontier
Gurren Lagann - Just finished
Mushi-shi - Just finished
Darker Than Black

Still Reading:
Claymore
Gantz
Naruto
Bleach

To me it's not really a triangle. Two characters are definitely attracted to each other from the start and the third is just in the way spoiling things. So you might like it.

I'm also certain he'll find something to bitch about it.

See: "it's a misunderstanding!"

Kimagure Orange Road is a staple classic and you'd be foolish to miss out on it. Required watching for all anime fans.

Just finished Kimi Nozo... I can't remember the last time it hurt like that to watch an anime. Seriously, that one did some damage. ;_;
[SPOILER]

[/SPOILER]

I'm going to have to rewatch the hell out of Kodocha, the one I watched right before this. (Helluva transition.) Sana-chan is the best possible medicine for the heart... world's most adorable spazbutt, at least in the sub.

I disagree with this.

Watched the first disk of the first season of Code Geass. Watching five episodes in one gulp is probably a good way to approach this series --- it has the same compelling stupidity that I found in Mars Daybreak and Burst Angels. So well done, but seemingly to so little purpose.

Also watching Mushishi. What took me so long?

Need to catch up on all those shows that aired when I was out of the country, but my bit-torrent computer is flaking out on me, so I'm behind even on catching up.

>I disagree with this.

KOR is the iconic romance series. What's to disagree with, unless you have a counterexample? Maison Ikkoku certainly doesn't count, since the anime is weaker than the respective comic.

I think it's not something everyone should see. It's not really all that relevant this day and age as that style of romance stories are mostly abandoned today. It was definitely a very groundbreaking show back then though.

In a way it's only classic because back in the days everyone saw it. It isn't even like Patlabor which influences anime creators even today, despite being equally (probably more so) unique. I just didn't think of it very much beyond the story, and if you want shonen romance stories, you ought to be reading manga.

I'm midway through Please Save My Earth. I'm loving it so far but I can't help but feel like it's a little familiar - 2 related groups of 7 people, shoujo designs, apocalyptic themes, crazy psychic powers, prominence of Tokyo Tower, mild symbolism - it's like an early version of X/1999! And like X (tho movie at least), it's damn great. I'm definitely interested in how this all turns out - in addition to X it kind of reminds me of the Watchmen in the way the plot slowly comes together around daily occurrences and strange events revolving around an ensemble cast of characters. Good stuff indeed, and keeps you guessing.

I have just finished Legend of Galactic heroes (Ginga Eiyu Densetsu) .
It will, with no doubt, be one of my favorite series of all time.


I would now gladly die in the name of the Kaiser!

Just finished Strait Jacket OAV, and it was just trying to squeeze too much epic into rather narrow pants . It was disappointing to see such visually satisfying retro-futuristic art getting wasted by cod philosophy, an open end, and generally a rushed plot. A 13 episode series would have been better.

Now back to The Skull Man - this one is, at least, trying to tell a noir/mystery story at consistent pace.

This post has been edited by wordwarrior on Aug 25 2008, 04:23 AM

im readin My Balls

I caught up on Birdy. It's enjoyable because it's like the many faces of Chiba Saeko or something. Very dynamic character role that gets shafted because she's in the show only half the time D:

Arita Shion de arimasssuuu~

that's such an awesome alter ego.

Yeah. If i hated this show (which i don't), i'd watch it just for the Shion previews.

Sounds like it's time for me to catch up on Birdy. Is Kanae Ito's character featured enough?

Enough to notice her. She has some pretty cute scenes. :3

Chiba really is on top form in this one, though Maaya steals the show for me yet again.

This post has been edited by Shiro on Aug 25 2008, 06:58 PM

I like Maaya and I think she plays a very solid role here, but she sticks to the role and the role is not what I'd say is likable. Ito's character is more fun.

But it all pales to the LOLOLLLLOL of Chiba's roles.

I've just resolved to just catch all of Birdy later. I've fallen too far behind.

This post has been edited by wildarmsheero on Aug 25 2008, 08:03 PM

watching ryoko's case files. there needs be a golgo 13 crossover or something or it's getting a little too dry. cute tart is cute but is also tarty. need more laughs for a show like this.

kind of amusing to see houko playing a comic relief type role. guess she isn't really funny either

I was beginning to think I was the only one here watching Ryoko's Case Files, even Shiro isn't watching it.

Anyway Hitomi Nabatame's voice makes Ryoko so damn hot and sexy I sometimes think my monitor's going to melt. Izumida's an idiot and needs to get a clue fast.

Needs more pirate dolphins? It couldn't make it any more silly.

Bad dm...

I had some time off over the August Bank Holiday and watched xxxHolic Kei and IDOLMaster Zenoglossia.

I know Shiro thinks I am a Watanuki hater, but after all he has been through with Doumeki, by a third of the way through the second series it all just looks so forced. Otherwise, Yuuko is hot and the Zashiki-warashi is still the most moe.

Idolmaster is good old Sunrise daftness, but its a decent enough, especially considering its roots. More solid than your Code Geass and Mai-Hime/Otome stupidity, it has nothing like the memorable elements that made both of those so talked about. Doomed to obscurity (but I'll be voting Yayoi come her turn in Saimoe).

I can't watch everything. D:

Though i've heard some good things about it, so i should check it out this weekend.

Yeah i do think they've taken Watanuki a little bit to far in the anime, i'll agree with you on that. Kei is worth watching just for episodes 11 and 12 though.

Yukiho-chan~

She was the only good part of the show until I dropped it out of sheer boredom. All it made me want to do was play the real Idolmaster game.

Sounds to me like they've succeeded with their mission.

I need to finish it sometime, haven't got a reason why.

Yukiho is just a Siesta/Shiori clone, except... spoiler blah blah.

It does flag around the 1/3 point, which is where I dropped it first time around, but it does pick up.

This post has been edited by lastarial on Aug 26 2008, 05:30 AM

Those tricky cunts!

Eh, I don't got time for it.

It's not something I'm really recommending. There are probably 86 better shows to go back and watch than this one.

I must really catch up now.

I like Wang better than Reinhard, though the Alliance is is just shitty compared to the Empire.

For xenoglossia, I watched the first couple eps AND JUMPED TO EPISODE 17.

Har har. it wasn't bad at all.

Very slowly catching up on Shugo Chara. This series has a disturbing habit of making me feel depressed about my own life if I think about it too much. It's making it hard for me to watch a lot of it at a time without some sort of distraction.

I also picked up four volumes of the Shugo Chara manga. I'm actually having trouble with it... Things seem to move so fast that I don't think I could make sense of any of it if I hadn't already seen some of the anime. My vast manga experience (I've read four or five, total) has never included one like this, so it's... difficult. But people insist it's good, so I'll go on and keep reading it.

EDIT: Seems to get better as it goes along.

This post has been edited by Random Wanderer on Aug 26 2008, 12:59 PM

I uhmmm... I just finished watching the entire series, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann...my soul has been rocked shattered and reformed into some strange essence of pure awesome.

O_O

Galaxy shurikens...Galaxy #$$%# Shurikens...

and of course Giga Drill Breaker!

[edit] spellin

This post has been edited by Tech Knight on Aug 26 2008, 03:09 PM

everytime someone else talks about finishing this I want to watch it again. DVD 3 coming soon : D

YEAH!

Fav episodes
6: for obvious reasons
11: Simon overcoming his Heroic BSOD was an occassion for the spilling of MANY manly tears.
Everything after spills over with so much awesome its impossible to define any one single episode. Truly I have felt my very soul ascend to a higher place.

[edit] dammit mispelleins again!

This post has been edited by Tech Knight on Aug 26 2008, 04:21 PM

Especially the clothes.

lol, I'm not sure whether these means the style in general or is in refrence to one particular well endowed femme fatale.

Man, I still haven't watched DVD 1. At this point I may just hold out for the bilingual release with all the specials

I'll second omo's saying that Xenoglossia was okay at episode 17 and later, which is also where I picked up the series. The show was extremely forgettable that I hardly remember what happened.

But hey, Yukiho is cute, even though she was little like the Idolmaster clips I've seen on nicovid. I am continually saddened that we'll never see Idolmaster in the US for obvious reasons...

This post has been edited by Link on Aug 26 2008, 06:57 PM

The Alliance is democratic... by the end of the show you despise democracy!





I have also finished Shakugan no Shana, the show wasn't what I had expected, the only thing I liked about the show was watching a shy and nervous Shana .

This post has been edited by Argui on Aug 26 2008, 08:31 PM

Did you finish both seasons or just 1? I thought it was an OK show, but Yuji was a real jerk. He talked a lot about protecting people, but the only times he really took action were when he was attacked himself. Add to that his inability to man up and choose between Shana and Yoshida and he's basically a complete wuss. Given that I don't think he was intended to be portrayed that way, the show left me with a bad taste.

No, only the first season, I just didn't like any of the characters except for Shana and Wilhelmia (sp?). The rest of the characters where irksome to watch, specially Yuji,his mother and Yoshida. The story itself wasn't so bad.

As far as I'm concerned, Shakugan no Shana ended with season 1. Mostly because of one thing I read concerning season two that convinced me it was not worth my time. End of season one, when Shana thought she was going to die, she confessed her love to Yuuji, who RESPONDED IN KIND. Come season two, and it seems the writers decided HE DIDN'T FREAKING HEAR HER. WTF. How desperate are they to maintain the relationship situation and keep stretching out the potential love triangle? Have to freaking retcon things just so they can maintain the current relationship dynamics.

Grrr.

Anyway, THE ONLY season of Shana was... average. It started off potentially better than average, but they wasted their best villain in the first half-dozen episodes, and they never recovered. Lots of fire and action and a cute tsundere, but really there wasn't anything in the series to make it stand out as something I would recommend to people. It was just... purely average.

Shana is a terrible character, both in design and concept. Bad dandruff too.

I guess Kazumi's design was the only half redeemable aspect of Shana, but it's not much. I really don't know why I watched the series, but I marathon a decent quantity of dumb shows when I'm in the mood.

This post has been edited by Link on Aug 26 2008, 08:46 PM

Yep, and they stretch the thing all through the second season, too. In fact, it ends with Yuji being FORCED by the two to choose between them, and a final shot of Shana beaming with delight. Pretty clearly they planned to leave it open to retcon for a third season.

But yeah. Average.

I just recently finished Shoji Kawamori's Getta Robo-vangelion, AKA Aquarion. Damn that mecha show was goofy but at least Yoko Kanno's epic music greatly makes up for it. However by the end they still never have really told who Commander Fudou is, but then again he is almost god-like. And then what's the movie and the "Wings of Betrayal" OAV about? Any word if Funi's going to release those?

I can't believe people are still watching the first season of Shakugan no Shana. Just watch the far superior movie version.

This post has been edited by Shiro on Aug 27 2008, 04:51 AM

I cast my vote for avoiding it altogether. Though the movie was good. And I'll be watching the third season too. I just wont like it.

Which reminds me, why am I still watching ZnT? This shit is terrible.

I'm glad i'm still watching it. ZnT is enjoyable tv at it's best.

wow, "enjoyable tv" must suck on average then.

Seriously? I can't see it. ZnT isn't even "so bad it's good". It's literally the same joke ad infinitum, and the only redeeming quality (the fanservice) is being censored out in the third season. And cute girls don't do much for you once you're sick of them, and that happened back in season 1, or in Louise's case, after a few episodes. Watching ZnT is like being punched in the nuts.

Went to "Higurashi no naku koro ni kai" which download dot-anime currently sells for cheap. \o/
I ordered the DVDs through a friend but since the last one was only released last Friday, I wouldn't have been able to get them all as I completed "Tsumi horoboshi hen" so I decided to buy the d/l edition as well.
Reading the matching sound novel chapter now. If it follows the previous tendency (sound novel >>>>> anime), I may have a heart failure due to sheer awesomeness.
"Tatarigoshi hen" made me love Satoko, "Meakashi hen" made me fall in love with Shion and "Tsumi horoboshi hen" made me fall in love with Rena but this one may make me fall for Miyo.
ufufufufufu~ Her in black military uniform and smiling insanely sure is beautiful~ ufufufufufufUFUFUFUFUFUFU~

Pretty much.

watchin Death Note now, wished I had a death note of my own

bilingual huh? I dunno, I don't know if ANYONE can match Kamina "OHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

I don't give two shits for the dub, I just want the awesomebox.

Bleh. Agreed on Yoshida, but Yuuji's first defining moment of "i am who i want to be even if i don't last more than 1 day" (though that part of him sadly waned in the rest of the show) and his mom (intelligent and adaptable) were actually quite refreshing compared to most anime stereotypes.

This post has been edited by Dje on Aug 27 2008, 10:47 AM

>Which reminds me, why am I still watching ZnT? This shit is terrible.

The first season of ZnT was enjoyable fluff. The second season was horrid trash that I dropped three episodes in, so I'll agree with you there.

>I'm glad i'm still watching it. ZnT is enjoyable tv at it's best.

I'm glad that you have insanely low standards and a complete lack of taste.

This post has been edited by Link on Aug 27 2008, 12:18 PM

Yeah because i can stand the drama, the jokes and the fanservice.

I can stand going to the dentist. Doesn't mean I like it.