Finished Black Lagoon the other day. Really enjoyed the series. The last episode was really good, but it felt more like a season finale, than the final episode to a series. It left me wanting more.
My club definitely wanted more after that. But unfortunately they didn't even make any OAVs or other things to help conclude the series. XP
jmdanny wrote:Finished Black Lagoon the other day. Really enjoyed the series. The last episode was really good, but it felt more like a season finale, than the final episode to a series. It left me wanting more.
My club definitely wanted more after that. But unfortunately they didn't even make any OAVs or other things to help conclude the series. XP
Well, that answers one question I had for Wednesday. Drat. 
And gang, I got to see the first episode of Aquarion, and I'm hooked. Imagine Evangelion and Escaflowne got together with Voltron in the boy's secret clubhouse instead of the girl's tea party and got Yoko Kanno to do the soundtrack.
I can find several more episodes online, but they're not subbed in english. While I like the ironic concept of watching a show in two languages I can't understand at the same time, it does make things a little hard to figure out.
Well, that answers one question I had for Wednesday. Drat.
And gang, I got to see the first episode of Aquarion, and I'm hooked. Imagine Evangelion and Escaflowne got together with Voltron in the boy's secret clubhouse instead of the girl's tea party and got Yoko Kanno to do the soundtrack.
I can find several more episodes online, but they're not subbed in english. While I like the ironic concept of watching a show in two languages I can't understand at the same time, it does make things a little hard to figure out.
XD I'm glad you enjoyed Black Lagoon. It's amazing, and not to mention the opening is great.
Aquarion... Hmmm... Let me get back to you on that one.
Oh~ By the way, I finished Samurai 7 downloading for you, so I should have that for you on Wednesday.
... and there was much rejoicing! Time to kick a little Nobuseri butt!
Anime fan here myself. Sorry I'm late to the party.
Aquarion:
Didn't turn out like I hoped. While it starts out good in the first two eps, it quickly goes from Escaflowne + Voltron to be more like Power Rangers + every other Campy Sentai series + alot more obvious sexual undertones than Mai-Hime is said to have. Of particular note is of the union sequence of transforming into Aquarion itself, with magic girl-like transformation but with guys thrown into the mix for the pilots including "intense feelings of joy" when the union takes place.
Mai-Hime:
A good example of a series that starts out looking like it's following one theme only to completely swerve to another far more compelling one right about mid way. Starts out looking like a magical-girl series, then upgrades to a mecha Sentai series, then just when what was thought to be the main plot line gets finished, goes off the cliff into much darker and angst mode. Pity the ending was IMHO weak. The Action scenes never suffer throughout however. Overall highly recommended.
Denno-Coil:
An exploration of children/teens raised in a time of technology. To a point that it's not just a tool or entertainment but an integrated part of life, relations with others and growing up. The Technology in question here is augmented reality (AR) where virtual objects representing codes and programs are superimposed over normal reality. Impressionable as kids are (and some adults) this eventually calls into question just how "real" virtual objects can be or how fleeting "real" things are. And of course kids come up with make believe stories and myths to entertain themselves all the time. But what happens when these myths become real only in their virtual world? Are they any less make-believe then?
Currently watching
Claymore
So far it looks to be exactly what I expected it to be: Wispy looking armor clad girls wielding freaking huge swords going around killing monsters with liberal amounts of gore and flying limbs. Pretty good already and I suspect that it will only get better as a real plot develops.
Claymore
So far it looks to be exactly what I expected it to be: Wispy looking armor clad girls wielding freaking huge swords going around killing monsters with liberal amounts of gore and flying limbs. Pretty good already and I suspect that it will only get better as a real plot develops.
I was pretty skeptical about Claymore until episode 8, when it managed to win me over with one awesome bit. The manga's even better though.
Has anyone seen Elfen Lied?
One of the guys in my RPG group has been watching it. The way he describes it is pretty gruesome. Very bizarre and it doesn't sound like something I'd want to watch. I'm curious if any of your feelings match up with his.
Elfen Lied is another f*cked up, but intriguing(sp?) story. However, it is full of gruesome violence, nudity (frequently underage), and some character backstory that is incredibly dark. And torture. Lots of torture of young girls. You really have to weigh whether or not you are ok with this content because its pervasive. Put it to you this way, if the first episode really, really grabs you then continue on. If not, then put it away because it only gets more intense.
edit* Oh, if you were looking for plot, its about a possible next stage of human evolution and what that means for the rest of us normals. Dun, Dun, DUN!!!
Elfen Lied is pretty out there. Kind of like the end of Eva threw up on a dating sim. Needless to say, I enjoyed it, and know several who didn't.
Glad to see all the love for Black Lagoon out there. It's really too bad that it never saw a full, proper release state-side with Geneon US shutting down.
Currently watching blog'ish part:
Tsubasa Chronicle - Almost done rewatching the series after catching a couple of the current OVA series being made (Tokyo Revelations.) Have further confirmed what a sucker I am for this stuff. 
Minami-ke Okawari - Still having fun with it, and recommend it for anyone in the mood for a slice of life comedy. Best to start from the first season though, as the current season continues to build upon the characters and jokes established in the first.
Shakugan no Shana - Season 2 - I'll be frank. As much as I like the show, compared to the first season the second is a mess. Waiting until halfway through a season to do much of anything, and then cramming what should have covered the first half of the season into less than a handful of episodes, is not cool. Serious pacing issues aside, I'm glad the story finally appears to be going somewhere once again.
Spice and Wolf - Great show so far. Recommended for anyone looking for something a little different to watch. So few shows manage to strike me from the very start, and this is one of them. (Warning: Slightly NSFW due to anime / barbie style nudity.)
Mnemosyne - New OVA. Bloody, brutal, and beautiful. It's a shame it's only going to be 6 episodes in length.
Because I am a horribly superficial aspiring graphics designer I find I can't watch animes (or read comic books, for that matter) unless the artwork is absolutely gorgeous. On that note, Gurren Lagann is both highly entertaining, and has some of the most beautiful, fluid animation of the few anime I've seen.
Because I am a horribly superficial aspiring graphics designer I find I can't watch animes (or read comic books, for that matter) unless the artwork is absolutely gorgeous. On that note, Gurren Lagann is both highly entertaining, and has some of the most beautiful, fluid animation of the few anime I've seen.
I agree. Gurren Lagann is amazing. I love the series.
Cool. I'm going to check out Gurren Lagann. Looks like a good series!
Personally, one anime I would recommend is Utawarerumono. The ending is a bit odd but overall it's a great story with interesting characters. The animation, style, and music were all top notch too.
Good news everyone! I've taught the toaster to feel love.
Trigun Movie coming in 2009. More info here.
Also, I guess this would be the best place to put this instead of starting a brand new thread. I absolutely recommend (see: rent) the Naruto: Rise of a Ninja game for 360 to anyone who likes the series. Make sure to download the free DLC Japanese audio track before even popping in the disc for the first time.
The game is essentially an Action/Platform/RPG, but the "random" encounters go into a 3d 1on1 figting game (ala Tekken/VF/DOA/etc). Overall, the game is what I'd call a perfect rental. The platforming is actually pretty fun. It has a bit of a Crackdown-esque feel to it as there are a bunch of "hidden" coins scattered around on top of the buildings and such. The only thing that can get a bit tedious/annoying is the races due to the camera not being that cooperative (although not terrible) at times. You can shoot through the main/side quests in about 10 or so hours, and there a bunch of delivery/hide-seek/races scattered around Konoha as well. There's also the mandatory versus mode for 2 player action, as well as, online versus which would be awesome, if it weren't for the terrible connection issues that kick you out after every 2 or so matches.
Major kudos and ramen to Edwin for suggesting I try it.
As long as he's pronouncing the word "ramen" correctly.
I'll give an even stronger recommendation for the game, and doubly second the suggestion with the Japanese language tracks. The english tracks are the worst I've ever seen. Naruto isn't too bad, and neither is Kakashi. The rest are truly horrific. Iruka is awful; the worst is Teiuchi Ichiraku, who cannot pronounce the word "ramen" correctly.
Personally, one anime I would recommend is Utawarerumono. The ending is a bit odd but overall it's a great story with interesting characters. The animation, style, and music were all top notch too.
I loved this series. Most people call it a banal, unoriginal fantasy, and it is pretty standard in some ways but that's one of the reasons I liked it. It gave me a very strong "Shining Force" vibe.
Mnemosyne - New OVA. Bloody, brutal, and beautiful. It's a shame it's only going to be 6 episodes in length.
I've been watching this and I'm conflicted. It's undoubtedly cool and the art is excellent. People who shy away from nudity or violence should probably keep their distance. The second episode just came out and I haven't watched it yet but I'm curious to see if it continues the hardcore S&M theme of the first episode. I'm really, really hoping it doesn't, but the fact that the ending credits shows the protagonist naked and wrapped in barbed wire isn't encouraging. The torture scenes in the first episode just made me feel uncomfortable and it'd be a shame if I couldn't bring myself to watch the rest of what looks to be an awesome story just because of that.
Oh, and it's got zombies. 
Has anyone seen Elfen Lied?
One of the guys in my RPG group has been watching it. The way he describes it is pretty gruesome. Very bizarre and it doesn't sound like something I'd want to watch. I'm curious if any of your feelings match up with his.
one of my most favorite animes ever! NYU!
tearbreak wrote:Personally, one anime I would recommend is Utawarerumono. The ending is a bit odd but overall it's a great story with interesting characters. The animation, style, and music were all top notch too.
I loved this series. Most people call it a banal, unoriginal fantasy, and it is pretty standard in some ways but that's one of the reasons I liked it. It gave me a very strong "Shining Force" vibe.
LupusUmbrus wrote:Mnemosyne - New OVA. Bloody, brutal, and beautiful. It's a shame it's only going to be 6 episodes in length.
I've been watching this and I'm conflicted. It's undoubtedly cool and the art is excellent. People who shy away from nudity or violence should probably keep their distance. The second episode just came out and I haven't watched it yet but I'm curious to see if it continues the hardcore S&M theme of the first episode. I'm really, really hoping it doesn't, but the fact that the ending credits shows the protagonist naked and wrapped in barbed wire isn't encouraging. The torture scenes in the first episode just made me feel uncomfortable and it'd be a shame if I couldn't bring myself to watch the rest of what looks to be an awesome story just because of that.
Oh, and it's got zombies. :D
Utawarerumono is definitely worth a watch in my book. Was interesting to watch something where the main character was more a leader who relied on others than an uber one man army.
I haven't watched the second episode of Mnemosyne yet, but I'll be sure to post about it once I do. Perhaps later tonight or tomorrow.
Oh, and Trigun Movie = I just wish they'd release a TV disk set with decent video authoring. I could be wrong, but it didn't sound like they improved on the video quality any with the more recent DVD's.
Elfen Lied was a bit much for me. People get torn apart a lot.
FuRi KuRi Forever!
lol 6 episodes, one great tale
and Naruto Shippuuden isn't so bad from what I've been hearing from the online manga gurus of late.
Well, my club has come to the end of what is available of Clannad before episode 20 is released next week. They really enjoy that series and are pretty eager for the next installment. This morning one member wanted to watch Ouran High School Host Club. It's an interesting series but not many guys are willing to watch it but it has it's entertaining points.... Then again, I know a lot of guys that like cutesy, shoujo series. But we do need a nice balance between shoujo and shounen anime in our club.
I wonder how much of it is because of the fact that most of those are set in high schools? Most shounen may be using characters of that same age, but they're usually off blowing something up rather than machinating in the halls like regular school. It's been a while, but I remember back when I was in school "Fame" and "21 Jumpstreet" were endlessly fascinating to me. Now I wouldn't watch that stuff on a bet.
I can't compare anime because back then, almost all the anime available to me at that age was that Harmony Gold stuff they showed on TV like Robotech and Captain Harlock, which is bishoujo tending hard towards shounen in my categorization (especially the English TV cuts). Even Akira didn't hit here until I was in college.
Something to ponder, anyways.
And I just realized yet-a-fargin'-gain today how old I am. Sheesh.
I just re-watched the Appleseed (CG Cell Shaded) movie again in preparation for the release of the new movie next week and I have to say that it's a lot deeper than I remembered it being. (Although I think the last time I saw it, I had the dubbed version inflicted on me).
Granted, I found most of Ghost in the Shell to be an utter delight in Sci-Fi/Cyberpunk introspection, but I'd at least suggest Appleseed for a nice 90 minute romp.
Anyone have anything good to say about Freedom? I've only been able to see the first two episodes and I'm enjoying it quite a bit so far (partially robotic performances notwithstanding) has anyone seen the entire series, and do the quality of the story/visuals continue to hold up?
Elfen Leid is a rough one to suggest, but I enjoyed the way the story worked out at the end. Despite it being a continuously unnerving bloodbath with lots of nudity it came through in the end with some really emotional scenes that make the story come together. Same goes for claymore, it's more than your typical Shonen action show with some great character development and awesome fight scenes. The combat arcs like a dungeon crawler, the hero starts out basically fighting rats and ends up the first season fighting Mephisto (for all intents and purposes..) quite cool.
Popping in Paprika now and settling in for what I hear is quite a treat!
Well, my club has come to the end of what is available of Clannad before episode 20 is released next week. They really enjoy that series and are pretty eager for the next installment. This morning one member wanted to watch Ouran High School Host Club. It's an interesting series but not many guys are willing to watch it but it has it's entertaining points.... Then again, I know a lot of guys that like cutesy, shoujo series. But we do need a nice balance between shoujo and shounen anime in our club.
Push for Ouran. You must do it. It's an interesting show, because you look at it and think, 'it's a bunch of dudes catering to women'. But the thing is that it's way beyond that. It's totally hilarity at it's finest.
Lobster, All: Just got done watching the second episode of Mnemosyne. Less torture this time, Lobster. The scene in question this time is much shorter and less involved. Still, overall, theres a healthy portion of lesbianism, oogaba, blood, and violence to go around.
To be frank, I'm not as high on the series as I was after the first episode. It seems like some of the things they're throwing in are rather puerile, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for now. It looks like there are some more interesting developments down the road, so I'm still looking forward to the next episode.
Has anyone seen The Legend of Galactic Heroes? Its an excellent series. It might be too talky for some, along the lines of Crest of the Stars. Nonetheless, its worth watching for anyone that likes the grand space operas.
Elfen Lied was a bit much for me. People get torn apart a lot.
Yeah, that series took entirely too much pleasure in torturing little girls. I bailed after the second episode.
Lobster, All: Just got done watching the second episode of Mnemosyne. Less torture this time, Lobster. The scene in question this time is much shorter and less involved. Still, overall, theres a healthy portion of lesbianism, oogaba, blood, and violence to go around.
To be frank, I'm not as high on the series as I was after the first episode. It seems like some of the things they're throwing in are rather puerile, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for now. It looks like there are some more interesting developments down the road, so I'm still looking forward to the next episode.
My feelings are exactly the same. No zombies this time, but instead a baffling and nonsensical storyline about... postage stamps. It's approaching hentai levels of willingness to make all women bi or lesbians and use sex as motivation or plot element. Uh oh Rin, you need some information! Get ready for some lesbian sex! Oh noes, there are angels, and Rin just wants to have sex with them (and stab them). There's a good story in there but it's getting muddled in an attempt to throw in more sex and violence.
LobsterMobster wrote:Elfen Lied was a bit much for me. People get torn apart a lot.
Yeah, that series took entirely too much pleasure in torturing little girls. I bailed after the second episode.
I was compelled to take a break after Nyu and the main character's history was revealed.
Right now, seeing as I just got Netflix, I'm sloghing my way through all the Gundam I've missed. I've already seen all of Gundam Wing in college and caught most of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, so I started with happy-go-lucky G Gundam and will be moving on to emo Gundam: Gundam Seed. Why? I trust the Gundam name. But with you're help, I'll start branching out soon.
I've also been tempted to check out Ninja Scroll: The Series, but I'm afraid it might shit all over one of my favorite movies. Anyone seen it?
I've also been tempted to check out Ninja Scroll: The Series, but I'm afraid it might sh*t all over one of my favorite movies. Anyone seen it?
Don't bother.
I've also been tempted to check out Ninja Scroll: The Series, but I'm afraid it might shit all over one of my favorite movies. Anyone seen it?
NO! NO! NO! Save yourself and go straight to Samurai Champloo.
(Then again, I didn't like the movie either.)
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