Recommended Anime/Manga?

[soprano1]

Watched Dagger of Kamui, as it's been thrown around here for some time. Superb animation, very weird but awesome music, and a nice story. Loved it.

[BIL]

Also insane VG ninja cred with the canonical Izuna Drop.

edit: actually fuck my own face, that may be a different Kamui entirely. I'm thinking of this guy.

[Steamflogger Boss]

Speaking of good prices, Rightstuf recently put the Lupin Part II sets on sale, and I finally bit for what ended up being $58 total. I think they go rather nicely in this little special corner of my anime shelves.

Spoiler

[GaijinPunch]

edit: actually fuck my own face, that may be a different Kamui entirely. I'm thinking of this guy.

That looks pretty dope.

[drauch]

Been meaning to watch that forever. Yeah, no localization to my knowledge.

No weabo betas = no money

Get on it... I remember it being dope.

Found my copy and watched tonight. Really gorgeous animation and detail. Same character design from the lady that did They Were Eleven, another that I really like. Starts off as fun adventure, but I felt my interest start to drop as the last half of the movie stayed in the feudal area. Still, good stuff. Just odd that two anime films named The Time Stranger were released within a year of one another. Which I think I probably talked about years back, but the GoShogun film is super rad, and nothing like the show. No mechs and dead serious.

[BIL]

the GoShogun film is super rad, and nothing like the show. No mechs and dead serious.

I have the strangest relationship with that one. Grew up watching the fairly crummy yet still alluring EN hackjob Macron One, so yeah, discovering The Time Etranger in the mid-2000s was... unexpected. But highly enjoyable! But it made me sad in a very un-Super Robot way. But excellently so.

Fucking hell, what an oddball production to come out of a Super Robot franchise. I'm sure there must be some interesting stories behind it.

[Udderdude]

I've been busy with other stuff and trying to get through "You're Under Arrest!", so here's some ranting about a few seasonal shows .. (those of you who think all anime made after 1999 is garbage may want to turn away now)

Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki - The Mongols are invading Japan, and they aren't taking any prisoners. So far, there's been several villages full of corpses, and one very crispy capital city. Not exactly historically accurate, but fun to watch.

Lupin the Third: Part 5 - Lupin is entering a brand new, high-tech world full of crypto-currencies, technology, hacking and information warfare. But at it's core, it's still the same goofy show it's always been, just with a new layer of frosting on top.

Hanebado! - This is the best sports anime currently airing, imo. And it's about badminton. Really, who gives a shit about badminton? Well, it's definitely got my interest, anyway. The characters are interesting and it doesn't really feel too cliched.

Hataraku Saibou (Cells at Work) - Hilarious anime about cells in the human body doing their thing. Invading viruses are a daily fact of life, and white blood cell #1146 is there to clean up the rabble. I didn't think anything could possibly make allergies this entertaining, but I was wrong.

Yama no Susume: Third Season - The mountain climbing girls are back, but this time the episodes are twice as short, and there's really more of a slice-of-life feel to it instead of focusing almost entirely on climbing. Apparently it's supposed to have another attempt at ascending Mt. Fuji? I dunno. We'll see, seems pretty relaxed pacing so far.

Jashin-chan Dropkick - This one came out of nowhere, and is one of the funniest shows this season. I don't know if it's going to run out of steam by repeating the same joke too many times, but so far it's been really good.

[drauch]

(those of you who think all anime made after 1999 is garbage may want to turn away now)

Nah, WAY before that.

[BryanM]

I was actually offended by the complete lack of energy or entertainment to be found in Magical Girl Raising Project. How the hell do you make a wizard deathgame boring? I don't know, this shit easily writes itself, but they sure did it.

Normally I hold something like Welcome to the NHK in warm regards, but I'm seriously starting to wonder if it's a masterpiece. Or the bar has been set so low that characters these days don't even resemble real people even a little bit.

Mayonnaise-as-protagonist is the worst sin, and any author who does this deserves to be punched in the face.

[M.Knight]

I don't know if NHK is a masterpiece or not, but that didn't prevent me from enjoying it a lot, rewatching it several times and considering it my favorite anime. What's really good about NHK for me is how the characters don't usually feel like they are simply there to further a plot that all in all isn't that interesting. There's just something about the genuine humanity that's portrayed and how different it is from most series that mention otaku lifestyles and topics. Even Genshiken, while entertaining aside from the terrible Niidaime season (what were they thinking with that fujo-centric crap?), was never as critical as NHK when it comes to the otaku/hikki ways of life.

Also, something that makes it pretty grounded is how there is no big bad, no absolute evil, no important character whose only raison d'être is to be defeated by the heroes. The main trio's worst enemies have always been themselves, and it stays this way for the entire series. Their struggles and the inner demons they fight don't seem that grandiose compared to what you usually have but it makes them a lot more relatable and tangible.

Some of the flaws I would point out are the sudden sparks of out-of-character idiocy in one of the later arcs but also Misaki's character whose existence in the plot seems implausible in the first place. The series does thankfully portray her as a regular, (deeply) flawed human being instead of a perfect waifu and the reason for her appearance in the story is properly explained but if the story was absolutely realistic, she probably wouldn't even be there in the first place I think. In any case, none of those issues are enough to deter from the experience for me.

[BryanM]

She's definitely a wish fulfillment character, that someone out there gives a shit.

Not remotely to the same degree as in Himouto. Where the perfect princess little sister is somehow glamorous and cares about+works hard to be popular at school for no reason. Instead of being a gross awkward weirdo like the protagonist of It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular.

[Udderdude]

I never really followed Watamote beyond the point where she got a small circle of friends. Honestly, it doesn't seem like that bad of a direction. I should pick it back up at some point, but buried in anime to watch (including the Watamote anime that I never got around to watching ..)

Himouto is more notable for how many people it annoyed due to the constant shitposting it inspired.

[M.Knight]

There is even a moment in NHK where some comparisons are made between Misaki and the wish fulfillment characters from ero-VNs. She is defintely on the tamer side, but still. IIRC the novel downplays her role a lot more and she's just there to start the plot, and it's only the manga and anime adaptations that made her a main character on the same level as Sato and Yamazaki.

Himouto is an anime that I enjoyed, but for very different reasons. The whole "perfect girl" façade at school makes no sense and is pretty boring to watch, and most of the side characters (and especially Ebina) feel completely fake, but Umaru being an insufferable jerk to her brother was pretty entertaining and funny. Their dynamic was enough to make it worth watching, and it's a refreshing change to boring goody two shoes MCs.

I haven't read the Watamote manga yet, but the anime is great. Another one of my favorites. It doesn't seem to be as serious as NHK and is a lot more playful with how it handles its main topic, so it didn't leave the same kind of long-lasting impressions as NHK, but Tomoko's characterization is really spot-on.

[Ji-L87]

Himouto is an anime that I enjoyed, but for very different reasons. The whole "perfect girl" façade at school makes no sense and is pretty boring to watch, and most of the side characters (and especially Ebina) feel completely fake, but Umaru being an insufferable jerk to her brother was pretty entertaining and funny. Their dynamic was enough to make it worth watching, and it's a refreshing change to boring goody two shoes MCs.

I actually read the manga for quite a while and found it amusing enough but although the anime adaption was perfectly fine, it sort of helped to remind me (and in a way drove the point home) that I didn't actually like it all that much and when the pacing (i.e. how fast I can read) was in someone else's hands, it just came crashing down as nothing special at all and I was wasting my time with it.

I don't share the hate a lot of people seemingly feel about it, I just got tired of it, being reminded how many times in the manga Umaru came to close to reveal her secret personality to her friends but in the end didn't because that shit has to continue, obviously.

Or I am just at point right now where I can't deal very well with contrived anime bullshit. I swear my tolerance for it gets worse by the day.

Aside from that, I have watched pretty much none of the things I said I would. I DID however sit down and watch an OVA called Hi-Speed Jecy which wasn't exactly good, but was short enough that it could live on some characters and nostalgia. The soundtrack is very much of the time, forgettable yet fitting, all in all nothing special at all but not the worst thing once could watch.

Me and my pals also started finishing off some stuff we watched from the last anime season (and some from the season before that) inlcuding FMP! Invisible Victory which was a good time. I was so worried they would mess it up but it's fine. I'd say it's even better than The Second Raid but that doesn't set all that high of a barrier. Of course there are things that irks me, like the sheer amount of Behemoths Amalgam is able to throw around this time, considering how a whole arc was focused around just defeating one of the bastards in the original anime and the whole of vol.2 of the original novel. Now they're apparently being mass produced (and mass piloted) which really takes the air out of the earlier confrontations. I also don't think Sousuke attempted to use the lambda driver at all in the first half of the show where important shit goes down, like he learned nothing from the events of TSR which can basically be tl:dred to "use the force luke" if for no other reason than the enemy uses it so you should to.

Most curiously it ends in such a way I hope a sequel is not too far away, like last time.
/rant

Oh, and did I mention Hakumei to Mikochi before? It's surprisingly good cute chill and joy. The ending song is great also.

And today, thanks to a series of great wholesome doujins I found by chance last night by artist Sekiya Asami, I just started watching Qualidea Code which is light novel trash in it's most generic and loathful form if it wasn't for the fact that some of the characters and their interactions are actually pretty funny. However I don't think anyone was drawn on model in the entire first episode and the mysterious enemy they fight against is so fantastically yawn-inducing I seriously hope the aforementioned funny bits can carry it. Adding insult to injury I can't stream it from Crunchy, "premium membership" and all, since it's not available in my region

Finally, volume 2 of the Wotakoi and Laid back camp manga both came out. Good times! And just in time I now have an actual little bookshelf again, hooray. No more boxes in the living room (had to take it down during the winter for construction work and just been lazy getting it back up again).

[evil_ash_xero]

A couple of questions for those in the know.

I'm reading this Nausicaa, an I'm enjoying it.

But dear god, I cannot find any scans of this that are anywhere near the norm. Even for fan scanned books. Is there anywhere I should look for better scans of this? I found some that look "OK", but they were in Spanish.
Also, what would be the best version of this to buy? I saw a boxed set on Amazon, that looked good.

[drauch]

Yeah, just buy the box set. At $35 that's a hell of a deal. VIZ has always owned it and released it a few times. The box set and the last paperbacks from 2004ish are relatively the same release. I believe all the onomatopoeias must be referenced in the back of each book on both editions, but those are usually self-explanatory anyway.

[BryanM]

Eh, the I Am A Hero dude has a new series now about a ninja. Seems promising, cautiously optimistic.

It's refreshing looking at art that has faces and a protagonist that's in-world a complete loser for a change.

[M.Knight]

I actually read the manga for quite a while and found it amusing enough but although the anime adaption was perfectly fine, it sort of helped to remind me (and in a way drove the point home) that I didn't actually like it all that much and when the pacing (i.e. how fast I can read) was in someone else's hands, it just came crashing down as nothing special at all and I was wasting my time with it.

I don't share the hate a lot of people seemingly feel about it, I just got tired of it, being reminded how many times in the manga Umaru came to close to reveal her secret personality to her friends but in the end didn't because that shit has to continue, obviously.

Or I am just at point right now where I can't deal very well with contrived anime bullshit. I swear my tolerance for it gets worse by the day.

I prefer the appeal of animations and sounds that a manga lacks, but it's true that an anime's pacing can be a big deterrent if done badly. Some 4komas can be pretty bad about it.

The hatred against Umaru and the series is also someting I don't get that much. As was mentionned earlier, it's probably due to the shitposting and stuff i.e real-world reasons that aren't inherently related to the series's actual quality.

The constant lack of resolve is definitely an annoying thing in series that should or could have finished earlier but are artificially lengthened for commercial reasons. In this case, I didn't care much about her school life and the secret itself, so I don't think it would bother me, but I see your point and how it doesn't make you want to keep on reading.

[Steamflogger Boss]

Good shit from Discotek announced today for any fellow collectors here. Highlights for me are Kimagure Orange Road and Giant Robo on BD.

All announcements can be found on their twitter: https://twitter.com/discotekmedia

[Udderdude]

You're Under Arrest!: I watched the original OVA, movie, and "Fast and Furious". The other TV series weren't really something I wanted to watch. Anyway, it's basically Patlabor, minus the giant robots, plus a lot more romance and drama on the side. And parking violations. Yeah, that isn't a very good description, sorry. It's still worth at least watching the original 4 episode OVA. The entire series doesn't take itself very seriously and it's more comedy than anything else.

Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran: Taking place in feudal Japan, this focuses on two women who are basically wanderers in search of adventure. It's got some serious moments, but is mostly played out as an action comedy. There's no real plot, and every episode is self-contained, so it can really be watched in any order to be honest. Also, if you watch any episode, it should be episode 10. In fact it might be worth watching just for this one episode .. lol

[BrianC]

I remember liking the You're Under Arrest OVA better, but the TV series does have Strikeman. Strikeman is also a good reason to watch the dub.

[drauch]

Yeah, OVA is solid, the other stuff is pretty generic.

Man, was hoping Discotek would pick up Kimagure. Kickstarter manga from a million years ago is finally being revived and shipped as well after a pretty big scare. Happy times.

[Ji-L87]

The quality difference between the You're Under Arrest OVA and TV series, visual or otherwise, is shocking. The first OP is still really good though but pretty much all the things that made the OVA fantastic is absent, but on the other hand we gain Aoi and parts of the soundtrack is pretty good. Also the movie isn't bad at all (and I recently found a bluray rip of it, makes me wish the OVA could've gotten the bluray treatment as it deserves it :/ )

[bottino]

New The King of Fighters manga.

The art looks pretty, pretty good ( well, I'm a sucker for the KOF games, so...).

[FinalBaton]

I still enjoyed watching You're Under Arrest! tv series. even though there's a noticeable gap in quality between it and the first OVA episodes

Man I'm pretty stoked for the Kimagure Orange Road blu ray set

[Steamflogger Boss]

Yeah, OVA is solid, the other stuff is pretty generic.

Man, was hoping Discotek would pick up Kimagure. Kickstarter manga from a million years ago is finally being revived and shipped as well after a pretty big scare. Happy times.

Same. Love that they are putting out stuff like that, HYD and Marmalade Boy.

I'm definitely pre-ordering KOR and Giant Robo. Probably the Lupin movies too, even though that Mermaid one is pretty weak.

[evil_ash_xero]

Yeah, just buy the box set. At $35 that's a hell of a deal. VIZ has always owned it and released it a few times. The box set and the last paperbacks from 2004ish are relatively the same release. I believe all the onomatopoeias must be referenced in the back of each book on both editions, but those are usually self-explanatory anyway.

Yeah, it just came in yesterday.

I still want some good scans. I tend to read all my books/comics digitally on a 12 tablet.

[GaijinPunch]

Man I'm pretty stoked for the Kimagure Orange Road blu ray set

When is this coming out? As I am generally on the nostalgia kick for the 80's stuff, I always thought of giving this somewhat cheesy show another chance (watched about half back in the day). Always easier to do when it's been rescanned.

[GaijinPunch]

I'm definitely pre-ordering KOR and Giant Robo. Probably the Lupin movies too, even though that Mermaid one is pretty weak.

I happen to be doing my first ever rewatch of GR!

[Steamflogger Boss]

Man I'm pretty stoked for the Kimagure Orange Road blu ray set

When is this coming out? As I am generally on the nostalgia kick for the 80's stuff, I always thought of giving this somewhat cheesy show another chance (watched about half back in the day). Always easier to do when it's been rescanned.

I'll post when I see it available for pre-order. Might be a bit for KOR: https://twitter.com/GWOtaku/status/1028680224085626882

I'm definitely pre-ordering KOR and Giant Robo. Probably the Lupin movies too, even though that Mermaid one is pretty weak.

I happen to be doing my first ever rewatch of GR!

It's so damn good.