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Astro Boy is among my favourite things in the whole world and I really, really hope that this time they finally do justice to the potential and depth that the characters have.

Looks intresting from a non fan perspective, If they are going to do fully cell shaded 3D stuff a bright colour pallet and simple iconic shapes it is hopefully going to avoid some of the weakness of the technique. Also am I mistaken or Is it a French studio animating it? If so maybe that's a good thing a bit of distance from the source material might allow them to take the best from it without feeling they have to retread every bit of ground.

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It's a France/Monaco/Japan coproduction, which frankly makes me more excited about it.

 

 

Also, I finally started watching Watamote. I like it more than I expected to.

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My perception of Watamote straddles "laugh at the social anxious kid" and "laugh with the socially anxious kid" and could be really mean spirited or comforting depending on how you relate to the main character.

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My perception of Watamote straddles "laugh at the social anxious kid" and "laugh with the socially anxious kid" and could be really mean spirited or comforting depending on how you relate to the main character.

 

I mean, my opinion on WataMote is that it is so unwilling to give Tomoko even one moment of true happiness, free from her anxieties and delusions, and so unflinching in showing how pathetic and miserable a life like that makes her, that it really doesn't qualify as laughing at the misery of others. As much as possible in animation from a publicly owned company airing on broadcast television, the audience is down there in the trenches with her the whole time, which I'd argue to be the important distinction that keeps anyone (at least, anyone reasonably self-aware) from establishing the sense of superiority necessary to look down on her in a dismissive or demeaning way.

 

Basically, anyone who spends the entire anime laughing at Tomoko creeps me out, because the anime gives me way too much information about her situation, whether or not I sympathize with it, for me to be comfortable doing that.

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I like Watamote a lot, but it genuinely depresses me at times. It feels like someone took their social anxiety, and how it made them feel alone and inadequate amongst their exceedingly normal peers, and actually treated that as canon. Tomoko's very world is narrated by the voice in your head that tells you you're worthless when you commit a minor social faux pas. The thing that gets to me the most about it isn't the absurd situations she gets into (I think these do qualify as bleak humour), it's that nobody around her seems to notice or care, save for that one helpful girl later on. That, to me, stings more than the scenes where she actually gets a reaction.

 

I had a conversation with someone who didn't understand how I could find the show depressing. Specifically, the scene where Tomoko begs her brother to come and watch her light a sparkler so that she doesn't have to end her summer alone was soul crushing to me, whereas they found it charming and hopeful. This wasn't a person who sniffs at social anxiety, so I just had to conclude that it was a difference of personality that lead to those different takes on it.

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I had a conversation with someone who didn't understand how I could find the show depressing. Specifically, the scene where Tomoko begs her brother to come and watch her light a sparkler so that she doesn't have to end her summer alone was soul crushing to me, whereas they found it charming and hopeful. This wasn't a person who sniffs at social anxiety, so I just had to conclude that it was a difference of personality that lead to those different takes on it.

 

There is a definite school of thought that finds hope somewhere in WataMote, but I literally cannot understand where that's coming from. There are scenes, usually at the end of each episode, that are framed using tropes from more positive media, but they're part of the black humor. Their presence doesn't make the scene itself positive. The only possible exception comes in the final two episodes, leaving out the OVA.

 

Tomoko meets Megumi, the "helpful girl" you're talking about, Badhat. Megumi seems to see Tomoko almost like Tomoko sees herself, which provides this ray of hope that Tomoko's not just always going to be trapped in this prison of misery by her anxiety and delusions. There are people who'll be able to tell that Tomoko has an inner life, work hard to bring it out, and make themselves a part of it. Of course, because it's WataMote, Tomoko is denied any awareness of this, and even though the Wikipedia synopsis of the final episode claims that she laughs while rereading the definition of an ugly girl in the final scene because she "has apparently learned to be happy on her own terms," I'm pretty sure she is laughing because she realizes that the definition and the behavior it inspired, like everything else in her life, is pointless to the point of humiliating.

 

It's an incredibly ambiguous ending, although I know my readings tend toward the darker end of the spectrum, and I wish I could have a fuller discussion about it with someone. The search for hope in such a grim and pathetic anime is just so interesting.

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Tomoko's very world is narrated by the voice in your head that tells you you're worthless when you commit a minor social faux pas. 

Knowing absolutely nothing about this show, this sounds vaguely interesting, given the context of Japanese society and the societal expectations.

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Oh God..... Watamote, I identified with the show more that I'm comfortable to admit....

 

 

 

The only anime I've been watching (or re-watching) is Sailor Moon and it still gives me the feels.

 

Since I watched it in Europe, I got the LGBT friendly version, I might have been too young or stupid to understand the LGBT elements, but they planted the seed so I would in understand it easier later. 

 

Anyway, since I'm reaching the end, I'm wondering... has anybody seen Pretty Cure? I've heard it's a magical girl show.... but for a male audience? That kinds worries me. Is it any good?

 

Also, what is that anime with with magical boys? 

 

Is it obvious that I need some magical girls to fill the upcoming void? XP

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Knowing absolutely nothing about this show, this sounds vaguely interesting, given the context of Japanese society and the societal expectations.

I feel like a lot of the reason why it's good is because the plot of every epsiode moves forward with the main character trying to fulfill an expectation/ritual in her society and how they don't necessarily fit her and her happiness because of the way she is. Stuff like having the whole "whoops I forgot my umbrella let's share one and get to know each other" plot fall apart highlight how much social dexterity is required for some people to do something that is viewed as easy/natural, and operate within the expectations of society.

It also does a lot to reverse/subvert normal slice of life motifs, and give the "quiet dark haired girl" trope some more depth. It's a kind of pandering to a less mainstream, nerd audience that seems less therapeutic and a more "face your problems, they're real" kind of thing.

Come to think of it when I watched it originally I really liked it. I think my postreflective detesting moe is tampering with my original reaction to the show, and it's been a while since I watched it.

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yowapeda if you end on another cliffhanger this close to the end i shall be SO CROSS WITH YOU

 

GO GO SAKAMICHI GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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OH GOD WHAT ASSHOLES THEY JUST FINISHED AND IT DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME WHO WON FUCK

 

as a side note i'm going to complain about something else EVERY TIME I GET TO THE END OF AN EPISODE OF YOWAPEDA I'M GREETED WITH THIS SHIT

 

nsfw

whywhyfuckwhy.png

 

the tone of the anime is LITERALLY NOTHING LIKE THIS and yet there it is right there what the fuck japan i'm so sick of your shit goddamnit fuck, and it's been way less obscured than that in the past (it being the area covered by the giant text)

 

i know a lot of anime does this but usually i don't see it 'cause i don't watch the post credits scenes... yowapeda's post credits scenes are fucking hilarious

 

ahem

 

besides that i am just going to repeat my complete and utter love of dumb sports anime

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there was some anime a few years ago about a mahjong club and I don't even care/know about mahjong but I was super into that terrible anime because it was really good

 

i will watch this sports anime and care about another sport for a little while

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Sounds like you were watching Saki, which is/was shit. If you ever want a great mahjong anime, I'd highly recommend Akagi or The Legend of Koizumi. I'd doubly recommend koizumi as it's only 3 episodes long, and each episode is 10 minuets at that, and it's hilarious.

 

Also Twig, there's no way that they'll leave it on such a cliff hanger. Next week's episode is going to be the bomb. I can't wait. As the internet has destroyed my mind, all I can say is 'so much feels'. That episode was a rollercoaster of emotions. Mainly insanely happy ones that sports animes gives me more than any other XD

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Oh haha I just meant a cliffhanger for that episode. As far as I know, there's no more seasons planned, so I'm not concerned.

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Oh right! I see. Yeah, the manga apparently isn't that far ahead of the anime, so who knows what's going on with that. I reckon we'll probably be waiting a year or two for the third season, regardless of how popular the anime is atm.

 

btw, did you see these Yowapeda valentines cards? They're pretty hilarious/ace.

 

yowap2_original.jpg

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I just saw the final FINAL episode of Sailor Moon....

 

usagi_crying.gif

 

I am big dumb cry baby like Usagi... 

 

Who will fill the Usagi shaped hole in my kokoro? T^T

 

Seriously, I need more magical girls or big dumb PRECIOUS BABIES like Usagi to will the void. 

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I just saw the final FINAL episode of Sailor Moon....

 

usagi_crying.gif

 

I am big dumb cry baby like Usagi... 

 

Who will fill the Usagi shaped hole in my kokoro? T^T

 

Seriously, I need more magical girls or big dumb PRECIOUS BABIES like Usagi to will the void. 

 

I've been watching Sailor Moon as it gets uploaded to Hulu every week. (And listening to Sailor Business, which I also adore.)

I'm going to be so so sad when it ends, and am somehow unspoiled for a show that's over 20 years old.

Sailor Jupiter 4lyfe.

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It's 200 episodes, you have a long way to go... Not to mention the OVAs, which I'm not sure Hulu will get, the musicals, the real life show...

 

JOIN US! JOIN US!

 

:devil:

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I watched the dic dub on cartoon network right before Toonami when I was a tiny baby child and loved it more than anything else in the world, so I'm thrilled to have it back in my life, and I'm trying to savor it as it happens. They just started adding Sailor Moon S to Hulu. I'm also watching Crystal as it gets added, and continue to add the manga to my christmas/birthday lists until someone buys it for me.

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Seriously, I need more magical girls or big dumb PRECIOUS BABIES like Usagi to will the void. 

 

Try Puella Madoka Magika. It's ace, and has just what you want. honest

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Try Puella Madoka Magika. It's ace, and has just what you want. honest

 

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is also a good candidate. Honest.

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Try Puella Madoka Magika. It's ace, and has just what you want. honest

 

I'm way "a-head" of you, I already saw it... T^T

 

I need something adorkable, something with less... "bite".

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