Discuss Anime and Mang

[Fierce Muffin 490]

(I did read your post, Teto, but it's full of stuff I already knew, except for the Porco Rosso:The Last Sortie, which seems cool.)

 

 

More like Space Dandy wishes he was JP. I even made this evolution chart for him:

 

 

Last guy is Shunji Nagira from Witch Hunter Robin that Nabe, Double, and I decided was JP after 20 or so years.

[Agent Zako 153]

http://wrongeverytime.com/2014/02/10/once-more-with-fury-rebuilding-evangelion/

 

I thought this was really interesting. It definitely made me appreciate Eva 3.33 a lot more. Give it a read if your that far into Eva

 

I'm definitely feeling much more positive about 3.33 than before, not that I disliked it much in the first place. When I saw the movie I was able to clearly say what I didn't like about it, but for the life of me I had no idea how to word what I considered the movie's positive traits, and this article does that wonderfully.

 

All I could think about at the time was plot and character development, but not themes, which is the most important part of Eva to Anno, and basically why it exists (besides makin' dat money). Seeing how the Rebuild movies were carefully made as a response to reactions to Evangelion was eye-opening, and makes the whole Rebuild series seem more worthwhile, even if not completely excusing the incredibly poor storytelling in 3.33. I'm now looking forward to the fourth movie, and hopefully now that I've read this I'll be able to understand it when I see it, and not need it explained to me a year later.

[Sahaqiel 1232]

I thought it was p. well-established that the Evangelion characters were pretty much satires on the state of the anime industry. I still haven't seen 3.33, and without it it's kind of hard to see that 2.22 wasn't just a blockbuster action film.

 

I disagree that people should be ashamed to read cartoons, or I guess? even porn, in public, but I do understand him on the grounds that the anime industry has fallen into a really superficial state. But I think that's an inevitability that comes with accessibility. If everyone has access to an art, then it's going to be full of mostly people who have half an idea of what they're doing.

[Teto 2609]

The hot-wheeling destiny twins of Masaaki Yuasa anime.

 

 

 

 

Ping Pong

Smile and Ota hanging out was my favourite bit. Ota and Smile warming up to one another a little was one of my favourite sub-things in the manga.

Also FORESHADOWING??? Who knows.

[Fierce Muffin 490]

I guess Ping Pong isn't completely about the crushing of everyone's hopes and dreams. The way all the characters are built up is really nice. It's so nice to just see how they all develop from what's happening to them. Is Wenge gonna make a comeback?? Is Peco going to become King Ping?? Will Smile find love even on the battlefield??

 

Also, what was with the sudden development with Kazama's friend flirting with Yurie and also being all like "She is mine! I am taking this from you!" It seems like he's upset that he doesn't pay as much attention to her that he should be. I mean, it did show hints of it I guess in previous episodes, but it still seemed kind of out of nowhere. Maybe I'm just a dumb though.

 

 

And then you post JUST before me... I also enjoyed that part. Same with Peco and Obaba. It's really enjoyable to see them having fun and joking around.

 

Also also, I know this probably doesn't concern you, Teto, but if anyone else enjoyed Welcome to the Space Show: Welcome to the Space Show North American BD/DVD release

[Teto 2609]

I'm not sure about the Sanada and Yurie (?) and Kazama thing, so my idea isn't really a spoiler. I think it's the fact that Kazama takes everything on his shoulders; like the coach was going on about how the honor of his family, his team, and, to an extent his country weighs down on Kazama. He feels like he needs to live and breathe ping pong, and doesn't give himself time for anything else. That's why he spends time cooling off in a cold silent cubicle before every match; he feels like he needs the time for himself to gather the strength to continue to fulfill what he sees to be his duty; kick ass at ping pong and earn respect for his family (from the rest of the family) and his team. Sanada sees how much it takes its toll on Kazama, and takes strides to force Kazama's hand, to do something for himself for a change.

 

Sanada doesn't have feelings for Yurie I'm guessing (or he would have confessed rather than giving that bit of "I just want to make you aware of me") - suddenly conjuring up a love triangle subplot would be silly. It all relates to Kazama's attitude toward the game, since that's what the show is about. It explores the attitudes and motivations of competitive players; their work input and inherent talent; and how it effects them emotionally.

 

 

Smile is probably another example of motivation and reason - he's not in it for the winning or the money, but just because he enjoys the game. He doesn't want to be the best like Peco, Sakuma, or Kong, and Kazama doesn't want to be the best for the same reasons as Peco, Sakuma, or Kong. Peco was an example of relying on talent, while Sakuma was an example of the futility of work without talent.

 

That's how I'm seeing it for now anyway. I'm not so sure about how to separate the different players as characters though, and how exactly they feel about the game. Smile most of all.

 

 

nd then you post JUST before me... I also enjoyed that part. Same with Peco and Obaba. It's really enjoyable to see them having fun and joking around.

 

Also also, I know this probably doesn't concern you, Teto, but if anyone else enjoyed Welcome to the Space Show: Welcome to the Space Show North American BD/DVD release

 

Find it a bit strange that it isn't out in North America actually. Been out for maybe a year or two here? Also in case we're not aware, and in case I didn't post about it (I probably did), Masaaki Yuasa did a bit in Welcome to the Space Show too (I also imagine this is why you posted about it in the same post as Ping Pong commentary). I like an excuse to post videos.

 

[Fierce Muffin 490]

I can see what you're saying. Still, I think there is something going on with that statement he says after being given the chocolate. I wonder what he'll think when he says the fist imprinted into it though.

 

(I didn't post it because of Masaaki Yuasa. I wanted to post it because of you, but then I remembered you don't live in America. I posted it anyway in case anyone else likes the anime. Also, I need to watch it.)

 

 

 

Watched three anime the past few days, those being Persona 3 the Movie 1: Spirit of Birth, Chaos;Head, and From Up on Poppy Hill. I'll start out with the worst of these first, which is Chaos;Head.

 

 

Chaos;Head:

 

For those that don't know, Chaos;Head, Steins;Gate, Robotics;Notes and more are all part of the "Science Adventure" franchise that all originate from visual novels. Each main one has been adapted to an anime and, as most know, Steins;Gate's was a massive success. Chaos;Head wasn't. The reason why one was and the other wasn't is most likely due to the horrid adaptation the Chaos;Head anime is. Without going into specific details, they majorly gloss over massive character developments or even skip major plot points altogether. I don't even understand what they were thinking when they made this. The VN had this amazing atmosphere to it that kept me scared of what might happen next and to who and why. The anime didn't even seem to try and capture this at all. I feel like if someone watched this without playing the VN, they would have no idea what's going on and think the characters are acting too fast, especially at the end where serious character developments are had that explain a lot of things. I dunno, man, it's just bad. On the bright side, several events were animated that I kind of wanted to see, so there's that.

 

 

Persona 3 the Movie:

 

Decent adaptation. The art for the whole movie was really nice and the characters were the same ones I loved from back when I played the game. As with all adaptations that stem from RPGs though, the fights were kind of bad, especially the final fight. Honestly, the final part of the movie was really bad and stupid and cliche, but the rest of the movie was nice, so I forgive it. It wasn't so bad that I hated it, but it was just really mediocre.The character interactions were nice though, thinking on it now. The movie relied too much on people knowing exactly who the characters are and also assuming that Makoto Yuki(Protagonist) is social linking in the background.

 

Watching it really made me want to play the game again, since, sadly, the movie skips over all the social links. It does show some of them, like Meiko, the bookstore couple, and Noizumi from what I remember. I'm not saying I'm particularly hyped for the next movie, but it has Aigis and it's P3, so I'll definitely be watching it.

 

 

From Up on Poppy Hill:

 

The best of the three right here, but it's a Ghibli film, so it's not really a fair comparison. As always, animation, art style, characters, music, everything was great. Ghibli stuff just always has a certain charm to it that feels right at home, especially the ones that take place in the real world. This time around though, they seemed to overflow the movie with lyrical songs, but they were all really enjoyable and half the time were even sung by characters right in the movie. One part of the story that involved trying to stop the demolishing of the main character's school club house, an actual house and not a treehouse, was particularly lovely. In two quick reviews I read of it, they mentioned the side characters and how much they added to the film and I really have to agree. There was so much enthusiasm with the characters in that section of the film, it was hard to not be overjoyed or upset with the next development. It really is a strange kind of film though, since several things are all happening, but none of them are really connected at all besides the characters, it just works.

 

I guess Hayao left his mark on Goro, since the females definitely try and take over the guys' spotlight at points, but in a good way, I think. I like how the women in Ghibli movies are always active and trying to make their presence known, even the secondary and background characters. The characters always have down to earth reactions to things, too, most of the time anyway, which is what really makes me like something.

 

I really liked the film. It was slow and not much happened, but in that slowness was a nice, calm romance that turned out to be quite an enjoyable movie. Probably isn't most peoples' favorite Ghibli, but it's definitely not a bad movie.

[Teto 2609]

From Up Poppy Hill was a nice movie. I enjoy the more realistic Ghibli movies. Porco Rosso and Kiki's Delivery Service have a special places for me out of Miyazaki movies, and Isao Takahata movies I enjoy consistently. Somehow whimsy feels a bit like chewing gum, while down to earth stories involving real people and situations are often a lot more substantial. Pom Poko is probably my favourite for the balance it strikes between the two; it's fantasy subjected to reality and I like that.

 

Porco Rosso and Kiki's Delivery Service are both pretty much just pure reality, but differing in one key aspect that's only relevant to the main character, really. Kiki hardly even feels like you would call it fantasy, because Kiki being a witch doesn't seem all that important to the story for the most part, I felt. It's just a natural thing and not treated with much whimsy.

 

Porco Rosso would be pure reality if the pig thing was just for symbolic value to the viewer, but then characters go and recognise it. Porco Rosso is a bit surreal in how little it addresses Porco's condition, but somehow it doesn't feel lacking because of that.

 

At heart I enjoy the more down to earth Ghibli movies, but the whimsical ones are easier to recommend to others, because I feel I get more emotionally involved in 'real' stuff. It strikes a chord I prefer not to share with other people. Whimsical ones touch on more superficial feelings, so they're better when watching with others.

 

I've gone and ordered the book for When Marnie was there. Not sure if it's been done before, but this one will be the first Ghibli movie with dual female leads, and I think we can count out romantic subplots there considering it's a classic English children's book.

 

 

And wooo I was wondering when that P3 movie would be out. I'll have to give it a look.

[Fierce Muffin 490]

Yeah, the Ghibli films I've seen are just so down to Earth, as I said, and I really like that. When characters act without any reason that's been shown to make sense in anime, it just makes me upset. If they've been built up to do that, fine, but when it's just out of nowhere, I don't know.

 

And yeah, the P3 movie just came out on Bluray. Surprisingly, Aniplex released it a few days after the Japanese release, with a dub, I'm pretty sure. Crazy stuff, wish more releases were like that.

 

 

Anyway, I've watched more movies and I've got more opinions. Today's are Neo Tokyo, 5 Centimeters Per Second, and The Animatrix.

 

 

Neo Tokyo:

 

What a trip the first part was. I thought in my head, "This is one of those things where you have absolutely no idea what's going on and it's never going to be explained either." I was mostly right, but despite all that, it had better animation than most anime made these days. All three parts did, actually. Like, if there were someone who absolutely hated anime, but loved animation, they would love this without a doubt. Honestly, even I was surprised with the animation at times. There was so much detail in it that anime is severely lacking these days. The best of which, in my opinion, was the second part which focused on the top racer of an F-Zero-like racetrack. Didn't really have a story to speak of, same for the first, but the animation alone made it really entertaining and interesting. Like I'll mention in my mini review of 5 Centimeters Per Second, there are a lot of small things that get animated that really helps to complete the experience. The last of the three parts immediately reminded me of Stink Bomb from Memories and Akira. It was also the only one that really had a decent story where a guy is sent to stop a construction job out in the jungle. The way Katsuhiro Otomo's works always have so much life in them is crazy. Even with this one where most everything that was moving was a robot. The main robot was even constantly animated to show how out of repair it was.

 

So, pretty much it's a really good watch just for the animation alone, but don't expect much beyond that. Music is alright, uses Gymnopedies No. 1 by Eric Satie which is always welcome, and the rest works as well. I only gave it a 7, but the animation alone deserves a 10. Sadly, I need a good story and good characters to really get me going on something.

 

 

5 Centimeters Per Second:

 

I guess I was expecting more from this and it just felt kind of bad because of that. I'd probably say the reason is because I can't relate to the characters, but I found a lot of enjoyment in my viewing of The Garden of Words which I also couldn't really relate to. Maybe it's the difference in the personality of the main characters though. While the character in this one was blind to anything besides the girl he loved and didn't do much else, the one in Garden of Words strived towards his goals while becoming intrigued by an interesting woman. The second part of the movie was actually pretty captivating and the highlight of the movie for me. Maybe it's because I actually could relate to her unlike the other two characters. She just seemed more interesting though and, like the main character in Garden of Words, she was working on something else while trying to impress the person she liked. Maybe I'm just not a fan of characters that don't really do anything, but I'm sure I'm just making up an excuse not to like him and could find someone in my list of favorites that has characters that do nothing. Don't think I've ever really thought about "relating" to a character before either, so I probably am just making up excuses. Still, the second part was the only thing that was really interesting to me.

 

The animation and quality of the characters was top notch, as anyone would expect from one of Makoto Shinkai's works. The only problem I had with it were the faces, especially when they'd have no details at all and the character would look down to show deep and broodiness, a classic anime trope, but one that I really dislike. It seems to just be a problem with the time it was made, when those sorts of faces were poplar and the trope was as well. But really, the animation and attention to the little details is Shinkai's thing and something a lot of anime miss out on, even movies that have a bigger budget/time frame, so I can't fault him too much even if every story he makes is about love not working out.

 

 

The Animatrix:

 

Just a note, the file I torrented is probably from some US release of it that took quite a few liberties in editing the script. They added and removed dialogue cut from the original Japanese and the subtitles were only for the English dub, so that was a strange experience and kind of upsetting, but each story was around 10 minutes each and didn't really kill my experience.

 

At the start, I wasn't expecting much and a review I read even commented on the first part being the weakest entry in the collection. After that, each subsequent one started getting more and more interesting as it explored the world The Matrix laid down. Not only that though, most all of the parts had amazing and unique animation. The second and third segments which were two parts of the same thing brought up an interesting backstory to the whole world. I'm bad and don't remember much of The Matrix even though I've watched all the movies, but I'm pretty sure it didn't really give a backstory for why the world was like it was. Although, I'm probably a baddie and can't remember that it did. The one proposed in those two segments were pretty cool though.

 

The next three parts had really interesting art styles to them that really got me into the collection. I was reminded of Mononoke/Gankutsuou and Redline while watching Program and World Record. Looking it up now, the guy who worked on The Running Man, the racing segment in Neo Tokyo, did work on them. And as expected, the director of World Record also worked on Trava and Redline. His style is something I love and want to see more of. I'm pretty sure some guy from Mononoke/Gankutsuou worked on Program though because of its slight use of wallpaper in place of colors on characters and such, but Wikipedia says no from my quick skim. Beyond was also neat and reminded me of Birdy, which I need to also watch, and was just a nice and cute premise that would make an enjoyable series if it didn't have The Matrix's harsh world. And finally, there was Detective Story. Probably my favorite, because it managed to perfectly replicate the film noir style in animation perfectly. The characters as well. If there were an entire series based around this style, I don't think I could handle how good it is. The guy who worked on the animation was also the guy who did the animation for Kill Bill volume 1 which was also amazing. It's great.

 

There's also one final part after that, contrary to my "finally" back there, but it wasn't really that special to me. So, besides the opening and ending sequences, this was a solid watch. These compilations don't usually have much immersion or well developed characters, but they always deliver in the animation. And I think most people can appreciate well done animation.

 

 

 

So, yeah, they all basically had amazing animation and that's it. HEH. The animation is no laughing matter though. Most all of these works' animation were not something to just pass off as "good". It's clear the people that worked on these love what they do or at least wanted to make something truly amazing and I like that.

 

So many words.

[T1g 1503]

Sahaqiel has shown me Nyanners

 

 

there is no going back

[pheonix561 2080]

Wait, you didn't know who Nyanners was???

Why do I know who nyanners is and you don't

[T1g 1503]

probably because i don't go on 4chan

Also, Teto, we watched Welcome to the Space Show together didn't we? Or was that Sahaqiel I watched it with. I forget its been a while

[pheonix561 2080]

excuse you I haven't browsed 4chan for years I picked this up off tumblr

[Necropolis 763]

 

I think this Nyanners video is relevant to this thread

[Knuckle 484]

excuse you I haven't browsed 4chan for years

 

no wonder u suck so much