So, Anime You Like Lately

Hicks · Post by **Hicks** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:44 pm

Anybody know where I can get a copy of Gunbuster (aim for the top)?

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:06 am

When you say copy, do you mean a physical legal copy? If so, that's probably going to be 100-200 USD.

If you do not mean a physical legal copy, you'll be happy to know the owners of the property are not being particularly litigious over it, so "bakabt aim for the top" would be a helpful google search. Pick your preferred release over there on the right (which is obviously 1080p blu-ray, though if for some reason 2 gigs per episode offends you and you're watching on an ordinary computer monitor 720p isn't that much of a downgrade for half the size) and voila.

Other option: there is the U.S. BD release Gunbuster vs Diebuster: Aim for the Top! The GATTAI!!, which includes theatrical edits of Gunbuster and Gunbuster 2 and a bunch of special features or whatever. But they are theatrical edits, not a simple remastering of the original OVA's. I don't know how true these theatrical edits are to the originals, but considering they are shorter than the OVA series that spawned them they simply can't have all the same content.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:49 am

I got into Senran Kagura yesterday. The first two episodes have been subbed so far. The art is good quality, and it's both funny and cute. Oh, also, sexy.

Basically it's about ninjas*. And underwear. Oh, and boob-grabbing. One of the characters is addicted to fondling another character's boobs, though I can't actually blame her.

*I know any mention of ninjas requires the "what type?" thing. Big-boobed schoolgirl ninjas in teams that work together to do ???, but that still doesn't tell you how stealthy, magical or violent they are. They have stealth tricks, are awesome martial artists (with varieties of weapons) and can summon giant monsters. Also they can transform into more powerful less-clothed versions of themselves. So they're martial artist stealth-trick summoner magical girls. I'm sure episode three will reveal them to be psychics and robots who can shit unicorns.

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:52 am

Seems to be your typical, average anime. Sounds good.

rampaging-poet · Post by **rampaging-poet** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 3:22 am

Mandatory UVic Anime semester report. We'll be watching the first episodes of everything next week, but I've already seen half the series so I'll comment now.

The first anime of the night will be Dennou Coil, which I am surprised I didn't mention before. It takes place in a near-future city encompassed by an augmented reality network. The main characters are children that spend much of their time exploring the network's eccentricities. Meanwhile, the corporation that runs the network is increasing security and artifacts of the network's original form continue to surface a wreak havoc.
My only real complaint about Dennou Coil is that most of the filler episodes occur back-to-back in the middle of the series. It's like they had this great story but were given more space to tell it than they needed. It's all great filler that fleshes out characters and the world, but it didn't have to be structured that way.

We will also be watching Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka? (Is this a zombie?). It's a harem-comedy with some serious, plot-filled episodes. Aikawa Ayumu tried to interrupt the serial killer that had been plaguing the neighbourhood, but was killed himself instead. He was raised as a zombie by the necromancer Eucliwood Hellscythe, who proceeded to move into his house. By the end of the first episode, he has accidentally absorbed the powers of a magical girl (who also moves in with him) and must occasionally use them to save the city from rampaging monsters in her stead. Rounding out the core cast are Serraphim, a well-endowed vampire ninja assasin who becomes Ayumu's servant after he defeats her, and Ayumu's close friend Orito Tulio who believes himself to be the main character despite all evidence to the contrary.
I highly recommend watching this series, but you should be aware that the second season ends midway through a major arc and no third season has been announced. The first season can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story anyway.

Next up is The Vision of Escaflowne, a classic series in which a high-school girl is transported to a magical planet with giant robot armour. I was somewhat disappointed when I watched it because the giant robots weren't as important as the first few episodes suggested, but I'm sure it would be fine if you went in knowing it's really a love story. The series does have a few pretty good episodes though.

Casshern Sins is a post-apocalyptic story set several hundred years after the metaphysical source of the planet's life was slain by the robot assassin Casshern (pronounced Ca-shawn). Birth rates dropped, little grows, and most robots rust and crumble when damaged, preventing repairs. Now, Casshern himself has awakened with no memory of who he is or what he did.
I've watched the first half of the series, but I never got around to watching the second half. It wasn't a bad series, but the pace was slow and I just never got back to it.

The other series we will be watching are Genshiken Season Two, Eden of the East, and Bakemonogatari. I haven't seen any of these, so I won't comment on them now. The latter is apparently by the same creators as Katanagatari, so I'm expecting good things from it.

Shiritai · Post by **Shiritai** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:46 am

Shin Sekai Yori has been pretty amazing, especially with the latest episodes. It's kinda like if Margaret Atwood directed Akira ; not something I ever thought I'd say. The only glaring deficit is a lower animation budget, but it's plot and character driven so that doesn't detract much from it.

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:17 am

rampaging wrote:... Bakemonogatari. I haven't seen any of these, so I won't comment on them now. The latter is apparently by the same creators as Katanagatari, so I'm expecting good things from it.

There aren't any real spoilers in this (arguably some, but they're super minor), but it's about Bakemonogatari and I'm going to spoiler it incase you'd rather go into without my opinion tainting the experience:

At its core, Bakemonogatari is about the witty banter, emotional interaction, and sexual tension between a relatively normal boy with relatively useless superpowers and a bunch of different women with supernatural problems (that he saves them from, with a combination of his relatively useless superpowers, good old-fashioned TRYHARD, and plot). That sounds like the description of your generic harem, but it is actually a fairly unique and well-told experience because Nisio Isin seems to have a knack for building interestingly non-conventional stories out of cliche elements. It helps that his fun, witty banter is actually fun and witty, and he writes emotional scenes very well instead of like his characters are retardedly dysfunctional/dysfunctional retards (which is surprisingly common, for some reason I will never understand).

I feel like Nisemonogatari has significantly less of the original's unique charm, and significantly more of the Harem For Hipsters feel, and so it disappoints me. I have not yet watched Nekomonogatari Black, and I don't know if I will. I am very much looking forward to the prequel film, Kizumonogatari.

rampaging-poet · Post by **rampaging-poet** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:51 am

Thanks, that's good to know. If I like it (or horribly dislike it), I'll post again in a couple months when we actually watch it. For now, it sounds like something I'd have watched myself if I'd heard of it.

MGuy · Post by **MGuy** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:13 pm

Bakemonogatari is an oddity for me. Normally I don't like harem anime much but this one caught my attention for the outlandishness of the scenes (and possibly because I had seen katanagatari). Casshern Sins is worth the watch and vision of Escaflowne was ok.

I did not enjoy Kore wa Zombie myself though I've had friends recommend it.

Recently I've just started watching Rose Maiden and Macademy Wasshoi. Neither have impressed me yet but I haven't been driven to stop watching them.

I highly recommend My Wife is a Mermaid for anyone who hasn't seen it. It is hilarious.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:36 pm

I've been told Bakemonogatari is awesome, and that the cat is a master troll... who is known to spout Internet memes. Including "a cat is fine too".

MGuy wrote:Rose Maiden

I assume you mean Rozen Maiden, in which case...

DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU

Meikle641 · Post by **Meikle641** » Fri Jan 18, 2013 1:16 pm

Stahlseele wrote:/me does not approve of what they did to the lesbian stripper ninja in this one <.<
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... ch-in-2013

I don't mind the body and clothing changes, but changing the hair? No. Just, no.

nockermensch · Post by **nockermensch** » Fri Jan 18, 2013 1:54 pm

Meikle641 wrote:
Stahlseele wrote:/me does not approve of what they did to the lesbian stripper ninja in this one <.<
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... ch-in-2013
I don't mind the body and clothing changes, but changing the hair? No. Just, no.

Then again, Motoko is a living brain inside the a spendable cyborg body. With GitS heavy on addressing identity themes, I'd not mind if Motoko was using a newer body and freaking out everybody used to her old appearance.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:19 pm

The hair is a big Problem, yes. And the Eyes are wrong too.
And the Face is different too.

She doesn't look like Motoko i know and like any more, that is my problem . . .
She looks more like something out of the Metropolis Anime x.x

Meikle641 · Post by **Meikle641** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:19 am

Well, the style is more like the old movie, so it is familiar at least. I just don't care much for the style change. But yeah, Nockermensch does have a point.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:47 am

I was about to say, as someone who's only seen the first movie, it's not that different.

Voss · Post by **Voss** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 1:38 am

MGuy wrote: I highly recommend My Wife is a Mermaid for anyone who hasn't seen it. It is hilarious.

Started watching this one. The family interactions are crazily amusing, and it doesn't take itself so seriously. The mix of anime-comedy-cliches and elements that just kick them to the curb is fantastic.

Someone clearly studied the Rumiko Takahashi style of family dynamics, and tried to make them coherent and actually funny.

Koumei wrote:I got into Senran Kagura yesterday. The first two episodes have been subbed so far. The art is good quality, and it's both funny and cute. Oh, also, sexy.

It tried watching this, and forced myself to grit my teeth through the first episode. Its fairly trite, regardless of what the plot actually turns out to be. The panty shots and big floppy tits don't do much for me, and the horrible team kills my interest: the borderline incompetent main character, the ditz (with secret powers! no less) the prodigy (who only cares about the ditz), the lecher and the 'well-mannered' one.

Just too much thats been done before, and add in 'ninja battle space' so normals don't notice (even though they walk around ninja-ing and talking about ninja stuff openly and people don't notice anyway), and its just a bit too sub-par.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 1:46 am

Voss: I'm shallow. I'm in it for the good art quality, pretty faces, panty shots and the boob-grabbing.

Meikle641 · Post by **Meikle641** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 3:36 am

Koumei wrote:I was about to say, as someone who's only seen the first movie, it's not that different.

Well, you should try and watch GitS: Stand Alone Complex, and 2nd Gig. It's like Law and Order, if they were cyborg spies. Lots of T&A with the Major there, and she has the nice bob haircut then, too. Her outfits are generally rediculous, though.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 5:23 am

Actually, I also got into the manga - amazing, ridiculously good quality. Full colour, it's just stunning. And full of fan service as it should be.

SAC is one of the things I've been meaning to get... but never got around to it.

Meikle641 · Post by **Meikle641** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:41 am

If it helps, SAC was condensed into a movie, as was season 2. All killer no filler, as it were. Pretty sure they're like 3 or 4 hours long, though. Still, shorter than a series.

Voss · Post by **Voss** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:23 am

Koumei wrote:Voss: I'm shallow. I'm in it for the good art quality, pretty faces, panty shots and the boob-grabbing.

It's fine. Though maybe it was the stream quality I found, but the art quality was overly dark and grainy.

I also though the character designs were a bit derivative. The main looked a lot like the girl from Battle Athletes and the lead from CLAMP's robot fighting thing (Angelic Layer). The only one I liked was the ditz... except for the weird pink first aid crosses in her eyes.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:05 am

It sounds like the quality of the stream you watched.

And yeah, the pink crosses in the eyes are indeed weird.

Oh, and technically I was lying about panty shots. For some reason they're all wearing swimwear as underwear, so they'd be... bikini shots?

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:44 am

You SHOULD watch the series for the Tachikomas at least.
And especially, the after episode Tachikoma Day shorts ^^

Massive Spoilers regarding the End of Seasons 1 and 2

I really hate that the Tachikomas get killed (yes, killed, not destroyed) in both Seasons <.<;,
In the first season, all but three get dismantled and experimented on as they show signs of evolving a conscious.
Only three remain whole. And these three get relegated to other things, like roadworks. In the end, when they find out that their old unit has been disbanded by force, they try to find and help them. And in the end sacrifice themselves against military grade opponents.
And the second Season Death of the Tachikomas is pretty sad too.
Even worse than Optimus' first death in the only Transformers Movie i am going to accept.
A Nuke gets launched and the Tachikoma send Sattelites from Orbit to ram the Missle before the Warhead gets armed to stop a catastrophe.
One of the Sattelites is the one that houses their conscious. Their Memories. Their "Ghosts". Basically, they group suicide knowingly into a Nuklear Bullet that would have meant a new War for at least Japan and thus millions of People. All the while singing a Childrens Song.
this is sadly only the dubbed version, and not the whole thing either, so it loses quite a bit of impact in my eyes, but if you watched the series and the tachikoma days, then this is still enough to make you sad
Season one end:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n55hwhRlPXo
Season two end:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UEkrUVmPIc

Meikle641 · Post by **Meikle641** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:08 am

"This video contains content from Starz Media LLC, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds. " Well, fuck you too, Starz.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 8:31 am

what?
it works that way too? o.O
usually, it's me in germany having to deal with blocked stuff everybody else can see . .