anime

[Twig]

mushishiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

 

is probably not on netflix or hulu

 

EDIT: ACTUALLY IT IS

 

http://www.hulu.com/mushi-shi

 

it's nothing at all like attack on titan

[N1njaSquirrel]

I for one quite like AOT. I know a lot of my friends disliked it because they said it was slow, but I just think that's because they read the manga, and it's a pretty easy and fast read, as it's not that word heavy. I dropped the anime because I was on holiday and had already read the manga.

 

It's also kinda hard to recommend something like AOT because it's pretty unique. I would say if you liked the sense of despair and suprise/suspense, Kaiji is really great. I enjoyed it a lot. It's about a guy who's in massive debt and gambles with his life to get out of said debt. It's ace.

 

Hunter x Hunter is another show that's really accessible and fantastic. Whilst it's a shonen (it's aimed at young teenagers), it's different from usual shonen affair, as it's not all about being the best at something, but it's really long running (episode 137 came out today), which can be a turn off for a lot of people. The animation is constantly fantastic throughout, and the story and characters are deep and involved. If you're going to watch this, there are two Hunter x Hunter's out there, one which is about 50-odd episodes long, which is the old anime which aired in 2000's and ended because the author went on hiatus. They then re-booted the series in 2011, and it's fantastic.

 

Durarara! and Baccano are also two shows that are fantastic, filled with suspense and mystery. Baccano is the spiritual prequel to Durarara!, and is one of my favourite anime. I'd really recommend it. It's super confusing until about half way through the series, where everything beautifully fits into place and is tied up nicely. It's also mainly set in the 1930's, which means everything is mobsters and stuff. Super stylish. Durarara! is written by the same author as Baccano, and is set in modern day, Tokyo. It's also really good, but Baccano is just much better.

 

Fuck I just remembered how great the opening to Baccano is. God damn. 

 

 

Now I want to watch Baccano again.

 

I had others, but just remembering how good Baccano is, it seems useless to mention them.

 

as Twig said, Mushishi is good, but completely different from AOT.

 

Uhhhh Evangelion is great, if not a bit slow, Madoka Magica is great, if you can look past the saccharine, I really liked Jellyfish Princess, but is again completely different from what you're previous shows are like, and a new anime this season, Tokyo Ghouls is also something that you'd like, as it feels similar to AOT in certain aspects.

 

Go watch Baccano dude.

 

Oh, and before i forget, Crunchy Roll is a website which streams anime legally and is really good too, as well as free. Baccano is probably on Netflix/Hulu, it's pretty old. Failing that the DVD box set for baccano is probably quite cheap.

[N1njaSquirrel]

Follow up: A quick google suggests that Psycho Pass, Knights of Sidonia and Shinsekai youri are very similar apparantly. I haven't watched them. (sorry for the double post)

[Zeusthecat]

Hey, thanks for the recommendations! I'll try to check out whichever of those I can find on Netflix or Hulu and I'll be sure to post back here after I've had a chance to watch some stuff.

 

On another side note, something completely unexpected and amazing happened with AOT. My wife had gone out with some friends on Saturday night and when she came back I jokingly asked her to sit down and watch the first episode with me. Despite the fact that she has zero interest in anime, she said okay (after rolling her eyes) and laid down on the couch, expecting to fall asleep while I had my stupid show on. To my amazement though, especially considering we were watching the subbed version with no English dialog, she became completely hooked and has since watched the following 3 episodes with me. This is just the best and I never imagined it would even be remotely possible to get my wife into any of these types of shows.

 

I've also been wondering what it is about anime that makes it so much more appealing to me than typical 'western' television and movies. I generally don't watch any TV and prefer to spend my time playing video games but whenever I have managed to get into a good anime series in the past (again, I've only seen a few shows), it tends to completely absorb me and I have a hard time tearing myself away from it to do anything else. There just always tends to be such a strong sense of style and emotion that is communicated through the art and voice work that makes a lot of other stuff look dull by comparison. That, and I feel like characters tend to be more honest and direct about things than I am used to seeing in other types of shows. I dunno, maybe I'm generalizing a bit too much. I'm just excited to be excited about watching some cool shit that I've more or less been ignoring over the last decade.

[Codicier]

Follow up: A quick google suggests that Psycho Pass, Knights of Sidonia and Shinsekai youri are very similar apparantly. I haven't watched them. (sorry for the double post)

Stay away from Knights of Sidonia unless your a fan of really, reeeeeeealy badly done cell shaded 3d.

The other two are solid (in particular the later) but very differently paced from AOT.

Probably the closest anime to AOT is Berserk although frankly I find certain parts of it nearly unwatchable these days.

[Ucantalas]

So I recently started watching "Sword Art Online". It's kind of neat, though I heard from a friend that it apparently goes way downhill after the halfway point.

Although I'm curious, does it ever explain how they survive in the game? In the first episode it heavily implies that they need to feed themselves IRL, but by the point I've reached they've been in the game for about a year without being able to leave. How do they feed themselves? Is everyone just hooked up to IVs?

[syntheticgerbil]

I think you'd enjoy Mind Game, Zeus. Probably will have to download it. It has the gags you will like.

[N1njaSquirrel]

So I recently started watching "Sword Art Online". It's kind of neat, though I heard from a friend that it apparently goes way downhill after the halfway point.

Although I'm curious, does it ever explain how they survive in the game? In the first episode it heavily implies that they need to feed themselves IRL, but by the point I've reached they've been in the game for about a year without being able to leave. How do they feed themselves? Is everyone just hooked up to IVs?

 

I really don't understand the popularity for this anime. I find it total garbage. I watched a good 5 or 6 episodes, and it was total garbage. The things you asked in the spoilers I was also wondering, but just assumed that they're too lazy to explain this at all. I stopped watching after a murder arc was concluded.

The murderer was identified, he had killed his wife, killed his friends, and yet his remaining friends not only let him walk free, saying 'oh well sure you're a murderer, but forgive and forget eh? NO. and then they let him continue being the head of their guild! Like nothing happened at all! I could forgive it's generic crapiness up until that point, but that really rubbed me the wrong way and I stopped watching. If it gets better, I'd be interested to know why.

 

I feel bad for crapping on an anime that other people enjoy. Do please take my scorn with a pinch of salt.

 

I've also been wondering what it is about anime that makes it so much more appealing to me than typical 'western' television and movies.

 

I personally think it's because of the frame of reference and knowledge and understanding of tropes and memes and stuff are so wildly different between the eastern and western cultures that when first introduced to anime, it all seems so fresh and new and original, and that's what sucks people in. Certainly after a while of watching anime, the magic wears off as the more common tropes get internalised, but I still prefer the eastern tropes to the western ones. I also feel that the way manga is published and serialized helps massively in keeping the series interesting (basically by a public opinion poll every week, if a particular series is falling behind, it gets dropped (although this isn't always the case, depending of the type of manga it is)). Although it's also a double edged sword, especially for fighting manga, where it usually becomes very generic as they fight to stay published.

[Twig]

NOOOOOOOOOO if you're gonna watch a recent MMO anime watch Log Horizon it's the best one ): ):

[Merus]

Wait, if we're talking about whether Zeus should watch Evangelion, what about Cowboy Bebop? I also really like Stand Alone Complex, but it's a bit more cerebral than something like Attack on Titan.

[Twig]

I don't think anyone should ever watch Evangelion. It's complete garbage.

 

Cowboy Bebop is a really good choice, though! So is Stand Alone Complex!

[Codicier]

Wait, if we're talking about whether Zeus should watch Evangelion, what about Cowboy Bebop? I also really like Stand Alone Complex, but it's a bit more cerebral than something like Attack on Titan.

 

My problem throughout all of this is that there are certain aspects of AOT I really dislike (I have a whole lot of problems with its production, and i feel it's violence is gratuitous in the worst most juvenile kinda way) the only saving grace it has for me is it's kineticism.

 

So my thoughts immediately go to other shows that share that which if Zeus likes the theme's isn't gonna help at all.

 

Although after reading some of what Zeus says I wonder though if (sorry if this sounds a little patronising) I felt about things like Berserk when i first started watching anime years ago that he is about AOT now

 

I've also been wondering what it is about anime that makes it so much more appealing to me than typical 'western' television and movies. I generally don't watch any TV and prefer to spend my time playing video games but whenever I have managed to get into a good anime series in the past (again, I've only seen a few shows), it tends to completely absorb me and I have a hard time tearing myself away from it to do anything else. There just always tends to be such a strong sense of style and emotion that is communicated through the art and voice work that makes a lot of other stuff look dull by comparison. That, and I feel like characters tend to be more honest and direct about things than I am used to seeing in other types of shows. I dunno, maybe I'm generalizing a bit too much. I'm just excited to be excited about watching some cool shit that I've more or less been ignoring over the last decade.

 

Perhaps there's a case to be made that subtitles actually help with engagement, I mean there's no temptation to do things like check  your smartphone or ipad when your watching something that is subbed, reading the text on screen requires you attention in a way a show with English dialogue wouldn't.

 

I think what annoys me about AOT is it acts like there has never been a action anime before it, that freeze frame emotional moments, supporting character deaths, 'dramatic'  plot reveals, & 'cunning' plans, are something new.

Which of course if you've not really seen many anime before they might well be, it's just it feels to me almost galling that anyone could choose to do such clichéd things with such absolute and utter seriousness and conviction.

 

Rant over, to make up for my overwhelming negativity I'm gonna throw out a couple of anime with a really nice sense of movement hope maybe there's something in there which works for Zeus even though i don't share his love for AOT:

 

Evangelion 1.0, 2.0 & the first few mins of 3.0:

The Eva films have the budget to do some outstanding stuff at times, the 2nd film in particular does a great job getting across the scale of it's giant participants in a way that only a production which can afford to throw dozens of animators at a sequence can.

 

Eureka 7:

Ok this is really NOT a good anime in many ways, but like AOT the one thing they get right consistently is that no matter how bad you may feel other parts of the plot is you can't get away from the simple baseline fact that their take on aerial combat looks really really cool. I mean surfing in the sky in a giant robot, that's cool right?

 

Cowboy Bebop:

Not about movement in quite such a overt way but does a superb job showing us stuff about it's characters by the way they move or fight.

[N1njaSquirrel]

I don't think anyone should ever watch Evangelion. It's complete garbage.

 

Cowboy Bebop is a really good choice, though! So is Stand Alone Complex!

 

YOU'RE COMPLETE GARBAGE.

 

I guess people could easily sit down and watch the latest films (the "you are ..." series) and enjoy it without any prior knowledge, but some of the intricate details will be lost. IMPORTANT INTRICATE DETAILS.

[Zeusthecat]

I think what annoys me about AOT is it acts like there has never been a action anime before it, that freeze frame emotional moments, supporting character deaths, 'dramatic'  plot reveals, & 'cunning' plans, are something new.

Which of course if you've not really seen many anime before they might well be, it's just it feels to me almost galling that anyone could choose to do such clichéd things with such absolute and utter seriousness and conviction.

 

Even with my limited experience watching anime, all of the stuff you mentioned is also stuff I've seen plenty of in Trigun and DragonballZ. I guess with me those ideas still more or less feel like novel concepts and I'm still at a point where I eat that shit up. Plus, the HD visuals and soundtrack really elevated the whole experience for me and were quite a step above the stuff I've watched before.

 

I figure it's also worth mentioning that I have checked out a few other shows over the last few days as I've been searching for something else to get into. First, I watched the first episode of Full Metal Alchemist since that's a show that I've generally heard good things about for years now. It seems like a pretty cool concept and I definitely plan to watch more but it seems a little more lighthearted than what I am currently in the mood for so I'll probably come back to it later. I also managed to watch the first two episodes of Steins;Gate after seeing pretty much unanimous praise for that show and from what I saw it felt really underwhelming. I think I'm going to keep going though because I really like the concepts and it looks like it is ripe for some really cool stuff to eventually happen.

 

I browsed through Hulu last night and saw that they have a pretty good selection of anime, including a lot of stuff that has been recommended here so I'll start from Twig's post at the top of this page and work my way down through the recommendations. Do you guys think I should put Steins;Gate on hold and just jump straight into Mushishi or should I continue on with that show before moving on?

[N1njaSquirrel]

I think what annoys me about AOT is it acts like there has never been a action anime before it, that freeze frame emotional moments, supporting character deaths, 'dramatic'  plot reveals, & 'cunning' plans, are something new.

Which of course if you've not really seen many anime before they might well be, it's just it feels to me almost galling that anyone could choose to do such clichéd things with such absolute and utter seriousness and conviction.

 

Sure, but I think you could level that complaint at most if not all action anime.

 

Also AOT was and is super popular. Even before the anime, the manga would sell up to a million copies per volume, (which doesn't sound like much, but it's huuge in comparison to other manga sales). The numbers AOT are getting are even rivalling Shonen Jumps' manga sales, which is pretty much unheard of. The anime attracted a crowd that would usually never be interested in anime, especially given it's timeslot (like past midnight). So whilst it's acting like there hasn't been an action anime before it, it wouldn't surprise me that for a lot of viewers (at least in Japan), this probably was the first action anime for them, or at least in a very long time. Keeping it like that garnered it's popularity, and it's sales. All I'm saying is whilst that's a fair point, it's almost definitely a concious decision that the author/director made when producing the anime. And it paid off, as the AOT DVD holds the record in Japan for having the highest number of preorders.

 

My main complaint about the anime was them tarting up Mikasa.

[Twig]

YOU'RE COMPLETE GARBAGE.

[N1njaSquirrel]

I figure it's also worth mentioning that I have checked out a few other shows over the last few days as I've been searching for something else to get into. First, I watched the first episode of Full Metal Alchemist since that's a show that I've generally heard good things about for years now. It seems like a pretty cool concept and I definitely plan to watch more but it seems a little more lighthearted than what I am currently in the mood for so I'll probably come back to it later. I also managed to watch the first two episodes of Steins;Gate after seeing pretty much unanimous praise for that show and from what I saw it felt really underwhelming. I think I'm going to keep going though because I really like the concepts and it looks like it is ripe for some really cool stuff to eventually happen.

 

I browsed through Hulu last night and saw that they have a pretty good selection of anime, including a lot of stuff that has been recommended here so I'll start from Twig's post at the top of this page and work my way down through the recommendations. Do you guys think I should put Steins;Gate on hold and just jump straight into Mushishi or should I continue on with that show before moving on?

 

 

For what it's worth Zeus, if you're watching FMA, watch FMA: Brotherhood instead of FMA. I say this because Brotherhood follows the manga, whilst the original FMA series goes off into the deep-end and makes their own ending and story really early on, and it's pretty crap. If you're going to watch FMA, watch Brotherhood first, as it's a complete retelling, but copying the manga. Then watch the old FMA. for what it's worth, I couldn't connect with FMA at all. I didn't like the main character or the setting or anything. :/

 

Steins;Gate is excellent. It's a bit slow at first, but give it a couple more episodes and you'll be hooked. I'd say to stick to Steins;Gate before jumping onto anything else as the plot gets confusing if you're dipping in and out of it.

 

Also Baccano is on hulu: http://www.hulu.com/baccano 

[Zeusthecat]

For what it's worth Zeus, if you're watching FMA, watch FMA: Brotherhood instead of FMA. I say this because Brotherhood follows the manga, whilst the original FMA series goes off into the deep-end and makes their own ending and story really early on, and it's pretty crap. If you're going to watch FMA, watch Brotherhood first, as it's a complete retelling, but copying the manga. Then watch the old FMA. for what it's worth, I couldn't connect with FMA at all. I didn't like the main character or the setting or anything. :/

 

Steins;Gate is excellent. It's a bit slow at first, but give it a couple more episodes and you'll be hooked. I'd say to stick to Steins;Gate before jumping onto anything else as the plot gets confusing if you're dipping in and out of it.

 

Also Baccano is on hulu: http://www.hulu.com/baccano 

 

I will follow this advice. After Steins;Gate I'll check out Mushishi then Baccano.

[Codicier]

Sure, but I think you could level that complaint at most if not all action anime.

 

Also AOT was and is super popular. Even before the anime, the manga would sell up to a million copies per volume, (which doesn't sound like much, but it's huuge in comparison to other manga sales). The numbers AOT are getting are even rivalling Shonen Jumps' manga sales, which is pretty much unheard of. The anime attracted a crowd that would usually never be interested in anime, especially given it's timeslot (like past midnight). So whilst it's acting like there hasn't been an action anime before it, it wouldn't surprise me that for a lot of viewers (at least in Japan), this probably was the first action anime for them, or at least in a very long time. Keeping it like that garnered it's popularity, and it's sales. All I'm saying is whilst that's a fair point, it's almost definitely a concious decision that the author/director made when producing the anime. And it paid off, as the AOT DVD holds the record in Japan for having the highest number of preorders.

 

My main complaint about the anime was them tarting up Mikasa.

 

Yeah as i think you address in the paragraph it's not a problem unique to AOT, far from it. Its that it's utterly un-unqiue but the show treats it as if it is which particularly bother me, even if it is a concious decision.

Its almost as if the show has stepped back 10 years utterly ignoring anything progress that has occurred in the mean time.

[tegan]

Oh man, Steins;Gate. That show had interesting ideas, but I ended up stopping because it kind of treated its trans character like garbage.

 

Zeus: here's some anime I remember well enough to recommend:

• Summer Wars. A standalone film, and among my favourite films ever. A mathlete is stuck pretending to be his crush's fiance during her family reunion out in the country. After only one night he wakes up to find that he's been framed for a wave of cybercrime in a futuristic version of the internet. Spiritual successor to that one part of the Digimon movie, of all things. Really super fun summer movie that hits the nail on the head in just about every possible way.
• Redline. Another standalone film. Set in a future where interstellar travel has become commonplace and humanity has integrated into a melting pot of alien cultures, JP is a down-home kinda guy with a knack for illegal racing, a crush on a girl who doesn't even remember him, and dues to pay to the mafia; all of which come to a head when he finds himself entered in the Redline, a lawless race against the best in the universe. Stylish, over-the-top action sequences belie a complex web of fascinating characters.
• Princess Tutu. 26 episode series. A magical girl series drawing heavily from fairy tales in which the cast slowly wakes up to fight fate and break free of the roles they've been given. Uses ballet as a visual metaphor for conflict. I swear this is so much more badass than I'm making it sound.
• Gurren Lagann. 27 episode series. In a future where humanity has been forced underground by monsters on the surface, a ragtag team of heroes starts commandeering giant mecha and using them to reclaim the Earth for their own. Gets escalatingly more ridiculous and fantastic. You've probably heard of this one.
• Puella Magi Madoka Magica. 12 episode series (now being remade and expanded into 4 movies). A magical girl series where nothing is as it seems. Look up nothing about this series when just starting. Everything is a spoiler. Takes three episodes to really start showing its true colours.
• Fullmetal Alchemist. This has already been covered, I just wanted to second it. I don't think there's an ideal way to enjoy it outside of the manga, though. The original series starts going downhill after the first half (where they had to start making things up) while Brotherhood glosses over the first half too quickly (to get to the new content). Really excellent series overall though.
• Neon Genesis Evangelion is extremely hit or miss, but probably something you should see for pure cultural awareness, if nothing else. Has a lot of really strong ideas that aren't always executed well, and a fascinating barometer for director Hideaki Anno's increasingly self-destructive depression and eventual recovery. I'm mainly recommending this because I saw a lot of early Attack on Titan impressions use Eva as a comparison, though I have no idea how that holds up.
• The usual Studio Ghibli stuff. My Neighbours the Yamadas is the secret best Ghibli movie, Nausicaä is a favourite, everyone loves My Neighbour Totoro, I have a certain fondness for Whisper of the Heart and the vaguely related The Cat Returns.
• Cowboy Bebop somehow still holds up after 16 years.

 

...So, has anyone seen the new Sailor Moon?

[Bjorn]

For what it's worth Zeus, if you're watching FMA, watch FMA: Brotherhood instead of FMA. I say this because Brotherhood follows the manga, whilst the original FMA series goes off into the deep-end and makes their own ending and story really early on, and it's pretty crap. If you're going to watch FMA, watch Brotherhood first, as it's a complete retelling, but copying the manga. Then watch the old FMA. for what it's worth, I couldn't connect with FMA at all. I didn't like the main character or the setting or anything. :/

 

I bounce off of an awful lot of anime, but the original FMA is the only one that I've watched start to finish (tend to watch a few episodes of stuff here and there without ever dedicating to a series).   Weird.  I need to get into Brotherhood at some point and check it out. 

[N1njaSquirrel]

Redline and Summer Wars - hells yes.

 

I saw the new Sailor Moon! I never saw the original, so I don't know how it compares, but oh boy has it aged. And not in a hilarious way like the first 2 JoJo arcs, but kinda in a cringey way. Also the 3D CG bits were disappointing. They must have so much money for this project, it's a shame that they decided to change the transformation scenes into 3D. Particularly because it stands out so darn much and is so darn ugly. 

 

Saying all that, there was a charm to it that makes me want to keep on watching it. Partly because of it's fame, and partly because I want to see how they handle this scene:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DU9sQi_wnQ

 

Anyone seen Space Dandy S2? I thought the new episode was fantastic. I can't wait for the next one.

[Twig]

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/07/pokemon-had-a-baby-with-attack-on-titan-and-its-awful/?ncid=rss_truncated&cps=gravity

 

this is terrifying

[Brannigan]

There's a person on AVclub with pikachu with a dick for nose for an avatar, Those images you linked are worse.

[Ucantalas]

I really don't understand the popularity for this anime. I find it total garbage. I watched a good 5 or 6 episodes, and it was total garbage. The things you asked in the spoilers I was also wondering, but just assumed that they're too lazy to explain this at all. I stopped watching after a murder arc was concluded.

The murderer was identified, he had killed his wife, killed his friends, and yet his remaining friends not only let him walk free, saying 'oh well sure you're a murderer, but forgive and forget eh? NO. and then they let him continue being the head of their guild! Like nothing happened at all! I could forgive it's generic crapiness up until that point, but that really rubbed me the wrong way and I stopped watching. If it gets better, I'd be interested to know why.

 

I feel bad for crapping on an anime that other people enjoy. Do please take my scorn with a pinch of salt.

It's kind of funny you mention that, because the conclusion of that murder mystery was where I left off the other day. I just started watching it because I needed something from Netflix to occupy time and it looked interesting.

Though the more I've thought about it, the more disappointed I am in how there's no action. I mean, it doesn't have to be Dragon Ball Z levels of huge fights every episode with little bits of plot tossed in, but in the second episode you get this big fight with a boss monster against a group of people, and it's cool. And then there's nothing like that again.

In fact...

There's one part where the main character goes off to fight this demon Santa Claus guy for a special event (he had some stupid MMO name like "Nicholas the Terrifying" or something), and the fight starts... and it cuts back to a friend of the main character, and the main character walking up and tossing him the super rare item drop. The fight is not shown.

I wouldn't be as upset by this lack of action if they hadn't basically made such an early episode focused around a battle like that and made it seem like something it isn't.