What are you watching/reading 2023?

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

Nah, I don't watch that channel....there's too much content out there anyways, so I try to avoid the temptations of a myriad rabbit holes.....

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

The last chapter of the manga Insomniacs After School ended. What a nothingburger ending. People say that an "open ending" is the mangaka's style, but I call it lazy.

[S1arburst]

The last chapter of the manga Insomniacs After School ended. What a nothingburger ending. People say that an "open ending" is the mangaka's style, but I call it lazy.

Seriously? It's over without anything exciting happening? That's disappointing. I got into it and read up to chapter 124. What with the reveals of why they couldn't sleep and the surgery and all, it felt like it was going in an interesting direction.

Edit: Okay, read the end. Sheesh, I wouldn't have guessed it was going to end already.

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

I figured there was going to be a time skip, but it looked like they weren't even a couple anymore, much less married. WHY? It would've been a better ending if she died on the operating table, IMO.

[S1arburst]

I figured there was going to be a time skip, but it looked like they weren't even a couple anymore, much less married. WHY? It would've been a better ending if she died on the operating table, IMO.

You're right, it does seem that way. I think it's way more likely that they would have gotten married than to meet up with all their astronomy friends 12 years later. I mean, stuff can happen, but they had things in common, like they were both honestly getting into astronomy and photography, and they cared about each other so much. He was seriously going to be a nurse just to understand her better and maybe help her. Did he forget about all that? And they had SO much fun together. They were each other's biggest cheerleaders, which is the foundation for the best relationships, rather than, "Oh you're so pretty/handsome."

More than what happens to them in the distant future, I'm almost more disappointed that we didn't get to see what happened in the short term, say the next 4 years or so. While they were closer than most shojo manga couples, we never actually got to see them go out together. Even if they'd wound up married, I'd have felt like I was missing out. As someone who wound up married to their best friend, I know the romance season is really sweet. I wanted to see them do normal couple stuff, like say that they liked each other, and go on dates, and kiss. I wanted to see him and his dad start to talk more, and maybe even meet his mom. So they were going to different universities. So what? I'd say they shared enough to take them through at least 2 years without half trying.

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

I'd forgotten about his mom. That was a loose plot point that needed to be fixed or resolved. Even if he and his mother never got close again, they should've hashed it out so he'd understand it wasn't his fault she left in the first place. That might've taken two chapters.

As someone who also married his best friend, it boggles me that they ended up like that, especially after the emotional investment they gave to one another. I get it, sometimes things happen, and you grow apart, but if that was the case, why even bother to meet up after all those years, and see the eclipse?

It feels like the mangaka got the money from the anime and the sales bump from the manga, and decided to end it there. A case of burnout, perhaps? Why not take a hiatus? The readers deserve better, IMO.

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

Sometimes I go through manga sites, see a cover that catches my eye, and if the synopsis intrigues me, I'll read it. The latest for me is 4-punkan no Marigold (Marigold in 4 Minutes). Although there is one big caveat,

SpoilerShow

stepbrother/stepsister relationship

it's short(27 chapters) and a good read. I've only seen 22 chapters translated, though, hopefully it lands the ending.

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

Picked up a new manga, one that was in the running for best Next Manga Awards. I have a feeling Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata (The Summer You Were There) is going to wreck me.....

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

While perusing MAL comments after watching the latest ep of Masamune's Revenge R, I found out they are doing a manga of the gang's college life. Intrigued, I checked it out, and it's still the same magnificent train wreck the original was.

[Murren]

It's been a while since I've been here. I stopped watching anime for about 2 years. Starting to get back into it again.

Just started season 2 of Darker than Black. Looks very compelling and good.

Started watching Gatchaman Crowds. When I first checked it out 5-6 years ago, it looked like the perfect show for me, but now (about 3 episodes in), it feels kind of run-of-the-mill (for lack of better words). Not dropping it, but not sure if it will end up in my "On Hold" purgatory with 2 dozen other shows.

Other updates that I don't think I ever posted here:

2 years ago I watched Monster. It was recommended to me as an all-time great anime, and I have to say I agree. It was incredible.

2 years ago I watched the first season of Evangelion. I thought it was very good.

Spoiler Evangelion Season 1Show

I remember I was high during the trippy part when they see alternate universes, so that was a huge trip for me. Maybe this isn't really a spoiler, but just being careful.

Oh yeah, I forgot. Within the past year, I watched season 1 of Psycho-Pass. Someone recommended it to me as a must-watch, and while I didn't feel it was a must-watch, I thought it was a very good show and that it contained interesting explorations about futuristic society.

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

Hi, Murren! Always glad to see another face around here! Believe it or not, I haven't watched any of the shows you listed above. Monster is on my short list of "must watch" shows, P-P is another I need to watch someday.

I've started watching Welcome to the NHK as time allows; it looks like it's going to be a trainwreck type of show, but it's pretty good.

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

Finished Masamune-kun no Revenge R. The manga is still kinda going, with the MCs in college, but I hope the anime gods lets this one die. The whole series was built on a foundation of superficial drama, and frankly, it got old at the end of this season.

[Zandra]

I just finished bungo season 5. it was great. ALot of twist and turns. Is fred still working on the comic? Or is it officially dead now?

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

I agree, Zandra, Bungo S5 finished hella strong! How many years now until a season 6? The anime's caught up with the manga....

I don't know if you mess around with Twitch much, but occasionally you can find Fred here. No Prime membership needed!

[cidjen]

In the vast treasure trove of the bootlegs
I found The Goddess of G Spring
And gobbled up the available chapters
In one go

41.5 of them.

Which is weird because
First (and last) anime mecha show I ever watched
Was (Fighting) General Daimos

(Brackets because that was how it was translated into polish)

That apparently aired first
The year before I was born...

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

Finished Horimiya: pieces. Maybe it's recency bias, but I think I liked this season better than the first one.

Also finished Forgetful Glasses Girl. It's not as bad as the Gohands haters say it is, but it needed a little more oomph to it. Perhaps Bokuyaba spoiled me; I'm sorry, but after over six months, even the most dense MCs should clue in when their crush actually likes them.

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

Forgot to add that I also finished Welcome to the NHK. I empathized with Sato to a point, but I still didn't like him very much as a person until the very end. Very good show overall, recommended.

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

New season! My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer started off simple, if a little bland. Hopefully, things will pick up a bit, and not stay more of a SOL.

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

Madhouse absolutely knocked it out of the park with Frieren. Evan Call's OST is amazing too; the only complaint is Yaosobi's OP, which doesn't fit the theme, IMO.

[S1arburst]

Yl33 D4 N00b, I've been checking out the Manga you've read from your MAL profile lately, as an alternative to reading at random, and some of them I really like!

ReLIFE was incredible. There are some stories I've read portraying Japanese high schoolers as super sweet and innocent, and others with practically every character as a delinquent who has sex with a dozen people. I suppose the reality is somewhere in between the two, but I prefer the more wholesome portrayals. Anyway, the concept of ReLIFE was extremely well done, I loved most the characters, and the ending was so perfect that I wasn't even sad the series was over despite enjoying it so much. There were a couple of plot holes here and there for people who care (I always do), but I'd give it a 10/10 regardless.

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto is another favorite. I have some medical education, and I loved Sherlock Holmes stories growing up. The medical mysteries in Kusuriya are fascinating, and well played out. I love Mao Mao's character. I would have expected a story set in a Chinese emperor's harem to be smutty, but it's really not. Mao Mao isn't even interested in romance, with her mad scientist vibe always in full gear. I prefer this series to Conan. The mysteries are always fun, and unlike Conan, there's main plot development faster than 1 clue every year.

I also just this last week caught up with the Frieren manga. Very nice. The atmosphere is somehow very sweet and calm in general, despite all the epic boss battles. I really like the artwork. I'll be following this one too.

[Yl33 D4 N00b]

Wow, someone actually read my MAL profile? S1arburst, you probably already know that Frieren and Hitorigoto have anime debuting this season, right? As said above, the Frieren anime is amazing, Hitorigoto looks almost as promising.

ReLIFE's anime also had an excellent first season; the second "season"(actually a 4 ep OVA) was rushed(it covered as much material as the first season), but it was still great.

My favorite manga I'm currently reading(besides 3 Gatsu no Lion, which is GOATed, IMO) is Hirayasumi. The depth of the characters rivals 3 Gatsu's; a lot of people don't like SOLs, but the characters are so incredibly normal and human that I root for them far harder than I ever would a Shonen Jump protag.