Anime, anyone?

[juliaguliaxo94]

Trigun?

 

[The Sad Punk]

I watched Paprika the other night. Great stuff.

Though if you're talking more about series, I can't say I'm following any at the moment. Recommendations would be nice. ... Lance?

 

[Lancemc]

I'm all over this thread. Downloading Ergo Proxy this week. Should be decent.

 

[lazarus]

I was reading up on Satoshi Kon (I'm showing Millennium Actress to friends tomorrow), and was wondering if anyone had seen Paranoia Agent. Worth the effort?

 

[Lancemc]

Paranoia Agent is pretty disappointing. Then again I'm not as on-board the Kon hype-train as some. But yeah... it's just... eh, I wouldn't recommend it. At least not before a couple dozen other series.

 

[lazarus]

I was gonna DL the first season/disc and see but hmm. Then again, I really like Kon a lot.

Have you seen all of his features?

 

[Lancemc]

I have. I like most of his feature work to an extent, even if I don't think he's all that great. But P.A. was still quite the step down I thought.

 

[lazarus]

YouTube - The real folk blues - Seatbelts Live

 

[Lancemc]

Yeeeeessssssss.

Also "Blue" and "Space Lion" FTW.

 

[Lancemc]

I'm not quite half way through Ergo Proxy now, but it seems to be doing the trick. Deft storytelling with a fairly grounded style as far as character designs, writing and voice acting and those sorts of things. Muted color palette compliments the sci-fi setting, and the artwork is pretty solid for the most part. It also has this gothic chic thing going on (most immediately with the main character) which was a little off-putting at first, but even that is beginning to come more into focus as the story seems to be taking on a sort of Greek tragedy of the gods type arc now.

Point being it's not shabby, and I think Laz might dig it.

Next on the plate:
K-On!
Wolf's Rain
Darker than Black
RahXephon

 

[bigbang]

Anime's the reason I'm a U2 fan. There was a fan-edited music video combining Tenchi Muyo in Love
with the Rattle & Hum version of "With or Without You." Saw it in 6th grade and instantly fell in love.

U2 also has some ties to anime. They contributed "One Minute Warning" to Ghost in the Shell.
I read somewhere back that Adam said Popmart was influenced by anime, amongst other things.
Then there's that picture of the band in front of a Sailor Moon S poster in Tokyo...

 

[Lancemc]

Several episodes into Monster. I know Laz started watching this at some point. Really fantastic stuff so far, though its extremely-serialized nature means the pay-off only really comes with extended investment, which I'm happy to provide.

 

[lazarus]

Man, I am so far behind on that one. I can't remember where I left off, or what was happening exactly when I did. Some organized crime storyline, maybe? I was probably up to Episode 20 or something.

I'd need to read synopses until finding one I didn't recognize.

 

[Lancemc]

Five episodes into Shinichirō Watanabe's new series Kids on the Slope, and it's already one of the better anime series I've seen. It's world's apart from his other two long-form works, Bebop and Champloo, in that it's almost naturalistic in its style, reminiscent of Edward Yang or Japanese New Wave live-action cinema in its setting and aesthetic, and a far more nuanced and rich character piece then he usually tackles. The emotional range and dramatic sophistication after just these 5 episodes is incredibly impressive. Watanabe times his moments with a master's precision, and manages to avoid almost all the pitfalls typical high school-set anime series nearly always suffer from. It's also gorgeously animated. The jazz sessions have as much energy and formal precision as any of Bebop's action sequences.

It's impossible to say at this point where it stacks against his other work for certain, but it's definitely strong than Champloo at this point in its cycle, and maybe Bebop (though episode 5 is where Bebop jumped from a very good series to an all-time-great, so we'll see where this all goes).

 

[bono_212]

I'm about to start summer break, so I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands. Definitely going to finish Clannad, and then I'll have to dig through some more or your recommendations, Lance, because you most certainly did NOT steer me wrong there.

 

[Lancemc]

Did I ever rec Clannad? Because I haven't seen more than a couple episodes of it myself, unless you're talking about something else.

I don't really know what your exposure to anime is, or what your particular tastes are. For somewhat well-rounded not-too-insane series, you can't go wrong with the aforementioned Watanabe's two major series Cowboy Bebop or Samurai Champloo. Sticking with somewhat actiony series, Black Lagoon is great, Rideback, Birdy the Mighty, Planetes, Monster, Full Metal Alchemist, Ghost in the Shell, Night Raid, Baccano...

More down to earth series I'd suggest are Mushishi, beautiful and episodic, very Japanese in aesthetic and ideology. Haibane Renmei, Spice and Wolf has some of the best character-writing in all of anime, K-On! is great and musically focused.

Then you have the more out-there stuff that tends to riff pretty heavily on anime and otaku conventions. GAINAX studio does some of the best work in the business. Neon Genesis Evangelion is kind of the landmark work. Absolutely harrowing, but definitely not a place to start. Their more recent Gurren Lagaan similarly riffs on mecha anime conventions but takes things in a comical direction instead. Also brilliant. Then you have something like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya which is sort of indescribably eccentric, but also one of the most beautifully animated, humorous, and delicately human series I've seen. One of my favorites as well.

 

[bono_212]

Someone on here recommended Clannad to me...I guess in my memory any anime recommendation defaults to having come from you.

I've never been a HUGE fan of the cartoon network anime's, not that I ever watched more than few episodes of Cowboy Bebop, and I never did watch Champloo. I like Full Metal Alchemist, and in spite of everything, Inuyasha. I really don't have a huge background in any one series, though, despite my best friend being a huge fan of nearly every series and trying for ages to get me into them all.

 

[bono_212]

Ah, here we go. I wouldn't say you exactly recommended it to me specifically:

I'm loving the fact that so many anime series are now streaming on Netflix. I've always been interested in the genre, but never followed much of anything, save your standard DBZ and Inuyasha stuff that was on Cartoon Network so much you couldn't avoid it. I've just never known what shows to watch or where to find them. Now, of course, Netflix helps there.

Yeah, it's pretty nice. I'd strongly suggest checking out Mushishi, which I saw was on there, though I haven't checked out the quality of the English dub (all the ones on netflix seem to be the dubbed version, which is rather hit or miss). That's also one though, which I can't really imagine watching in English, since it's so very culturally and stylistically Japanese. Full Metal Panic! is there in its entire three seasons, which is neat. I'd also recommend checking out Fruits Basket, Clannad, Baccano!, and the rather excellent Eden of the East, all on netflix last time I checked.

 

[ladyfreckles]

I have watched a lot of anime over the years, and spent my middle-school years obsessed with it (meaning it was the only thing I watched, ever). This is my list of approved anime:

• Rurouni Kenshin (great for comedic relief, dubbed is actually better than subbed, and if you want something serious check out the OVA)
• Yu yu Hakusho (watch dubbed with subtitles)
• Wolf's Rain (subbed)
• .Hack//Sign (subbed only, one of my favorites)
• Planetes (subbed only)
• Mushishi (subbed)
• Full Metal Alchemist (Dubbed)
• Full Metal Alchemist: The Brotherhood (subbed)
• Elfen Lied (subbed, uh, mature audience only)
• Inuyasha (subbed, while everyone makes fun of this anime, it's one of the few long ones I can actually tolerate for comedic humor)
• Trigun (subbed, though it drags a bit towards the latter half)
• Ghost in the Shell (either subbed or dubbed)
• Paranoia Agent (subbed)
• Lain (subbed)
• Cowboy Bebop (either or)
• Berserk (subbed)

Are there some mainstream ones in there? Yes, but you'll note that there is also a blatant lack of many popular mainstream ones. They are excluded for a reason.

 

[lazarus]

Five episodes into Shinichirō Watanabe's new series Kids on the Slope, and it's already one of the better anime series I've seen. It's world's apart from his other two long-form works, Bebop and Champloo, in that it's almost naturalistic in its style, reminiscent of Edward Yang or Japanese New Wave live-action cinema in its setting and aesthetic, and a far more nuanced and rich character piece then he usually tackles. The emotional range and dramatic sophistication after just these 5 episodes is incredibly impressive. Watanabe times his moments with a master's precision, and manages to avoid almost all the pitfalls typical high school-set anime series nearly always suffer from. It's also gorgeously animated. The jazz sessions have as much energy and formal precision as any of Bebop's action sequences.

It's impossible to say at this point where it stacks against his other work for certain, but it's definitely strong than Champloo at this point in its cycle, and maybe Bebop (though episode 5 is where Bebop jumped from a very good series to an all-time-great, so we'll see where this all goes).

Will def be checking this out.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I've tried watching Mushishi but I just can't get into it. The concept is pretty cool, it's just failed to grab me. I guess I'm not huge on the visual style, either.

No surprise given my only post in here was about Paprika, but I love Paranoia Agent. Crazy series. The animation is so damn good and yeah, the title theme is pretty incredible too.

Paranoia Agent Opening - YouTube

I think it packs as much into 13 episodes as any anime I've seen, while still having room for stand alone stories.

I'll check out Kids on the Slope too. Bebop is great stuff.

 

[ladyfreckles]

Rurouni Kenshin is getting a live action film. Japanese actors and everything.

 

[mobvok]

I picked up a thread of nostalgia and checked out the last episode of Gundam Wing, only to find that did NOT age well. I ignored all the pretension in the dialogue as a kid, and I may be able to put up with it today, except the actual voice dub itself sank it-everyone sounded so bored or sedated!

I still love giant robots, though. Are there any big Gundam series to be sure to see, or do they generally plateau in quality?

 

[LJT]

Gundam Seed I remember being much better than Wing, there are two main Gundam Seed series, less pretentious nonsense than Wing, but then again it's also been a few years since i've seen it.

Code Geass is fun in giant mech terms, very emo and over the top, but enjoyably so.

 

[Lancemc]

Popping in to say after 7 episodes Kids on the Slope is shaping up to be one of the all time greats.

 

[Lancemc]

I still have the last three episodes of Kids on the Slope to watch, as apparently that's the end of the series entirely, but I hear it finishes strong. And going off the first 8 or 9 or however many episodes I watched to far, really did turn out to be one of the best.

Anyway, really came in because of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, the latest feature length installment in the Haruhi series. Won't drone on much about it, since it requires familiarity with the previous 26 or however many episodes of the series to mean anything, but this is a remarkable somber, beautifully rendered and cinematic counterpoint and companion to the series. Fluid movement in nearly every moment of its animation as well. Fucking gorgeous and thrilling. Maybe elevates Haruhi on the whole to being my favorite anime series of all. Maybe.

 

[bono_212]

Holy shit, that's gorgeous.

 

[Lancemc]

Deeps thoughts on recent shit.

Attack on Titan
The Devil is a Part-timer
Tatami Galaxy

 

[Lancemc]

Garden of Words short film
Wolf Children feature

 

[Lancemc]

Still watching:
Nichijou
Maison Ikkoku
Steins;Gate