Recommended Anime/Manga?

[Raytrace]

started watching Shirobako - while I find it hard what with all the shitty cute crap, dreadful musics (and also the fact that the anime they're making is something I would DEFINITELY not like) - it is very interesting as it shows the process of modern anime production. For example I didn't realise just how little the keyframe producers and tween animators are talk to each other - I thought they were at least usually some form of 'in house' something (or hired out and brought to the same place where the anime is being created), but in this the first showing on TV is literally the first time one of the original artists sees the animation with it's tweens in place o_O. I wonder is that the way it all is done nowadays (or was it always) - or did it used to always be in house?

[MX7]

Gundam Wing

That wasn't directed by Tomino, he only did the original, Z, ZZ, Char's counterattack, Turn A and G no Reconguista.

Urgh I meant Gundam not Tomino urgh.

What is it people dislike about Wing?

[drauch]

Gundam Wing

That wasn't directed by Tomino, he only did the original, Z, ZZ, Char's counterattack, Turn A and G no Reconguista.

Watching Turn A ep.30. Shit is getting sooo good. I hope G-Reco gets as good as this.

He also did Victory Gundam, which is, er... interesting.

[Raytrace]

Gundam Wing

That wasn't directed by Tomino, he only did the original, Z, ZZ, Char's counterattack, Turn A and G no Reconguista.

Urgh I meant Gundam not Tomino urgh.

What is it people dislike about Wing?

well for me I just thought it went nowhere - the only character I had a vague interest (that 'cad' type character with the brown hair and tailed suit in the OP) - also just ended up kinda crap. And although it shouldn't really matter I disliked pretty much all the mech designs except for the 'bad guy' grunts and at a puch the Tallgeese (but I don't exactly love it).

[Raytrace]

Gundam Wing

That wasn't directed by Tomino, he only did the original, Z, ZZ, Char's counterattack, Turn A and G no Reconguista.

Watching Turn A ep.30. Shit is getting sooo good. I hope G-Reco gets as good as this.

He also did Victory Gundam, which is, er... interesting.

I think Victory is very good myself - albeit pretty depress central.

He also of course did Ring Of Gundam which is kinda being overwritten atm by G-Reco.

[drauch]

I think my biggest issue with Victory is it's highly convoluted, and even with the length of the series, you never really know or understand any of the characters' motives or backgrounds besides a select few. I never really felt an impact to the many deaths because I felt they were essentially bathetic cannon fodder. That and half of the cast is extremely young children...

I don't hate it by any stretch, but I felt like Tomino was pushing it a bit with the "Hey, I killed these characters! Isn't war terrible!"

All in all, it didn't stop me from buying a Katejina Loos figure.

[Raytrace]

yeah I know what you mean but still the ending that Katejina Loos got (utterly miserable) made it worthwhile for me .

I thought the music was very good, and while there were loads of inconsistincies, I think even apart from character deaths it managed to keep a dread filled war feeling.

[Pretas]

Wasn't Gundam W (it's only called Wing outside of Japan) a deliberate effort to drum up female interest in the franchise?

[ZacharyB]

If it was Gundam W, does that mean it had some kind of "twin" aspect to it? I learned that the "W" denotes "twin" in Japanese.

[Raytrace]

Wasn't Gundam W (it's only called Wing outside of Japan) a deliberate effort to drum up female interest in the franchise?

it certainly feels that way

[MX7]

I liked the fact the central characters in Wing/W were explicitly terrorists who frequently attempted suicide. Pretty eye opening for a show on Cartoon Network. Also Owatani's (sic?) soundtrack was awesome.

[drauch]

Whoa, don't know how I missed this, but VIZ is releasing the first Jojo arc, Phantom Blood, in hardcover editions at the beginning of next year. I remember they halted--and almost stopped--Stardust Crusaders years back, but wound up finishing. Thankfully Jojo is finally becoming a bit more well known, so maybe they'll continue with this if sales are good. But, knowing that it's VIZ, they'll probably stop halfway and leave hundreds of people without a complete series in typical fashion.

[KAI]

I liked the fact the central characters in Wing/W were explicitly terrorists who frequently attempted suicide. Pretty eye opening for a show on Cartoon Network. Also Owatani's (sic?) soundtrack was awesome.

Exactly. Wing isn't as bad as people say, in fact, is one of my favorite Gundam reboots (mainly because it was my first contact with the franchise).

Wasn't Gundam W a deliberate effort to drum up female interest in the franchise?

Yep, but at least they didn't hire a yaoi artist like they did with 00.

Also, W=Wing



Watching Hanasaku Iroha. Pretty good for a slice of life with schoolgirls.

[Pretas]

Also, W=Wing

It was written as Gundam W in all Japanese promotional materials, and the fact that it stood for "Wing" was uncommon enough knowledge there that there is a trivia question in Capcom's Quiz Nanairo Dreams about it.

[Raytrace]

Exactly. Wing isn't as bad as people say, in fact, is one of my favorite Gundam reboots (mainly because it was my first contact with the franchise).

People don't say it's that bad, it's Seed people moan about - to mention Wing in the same breath as G Gundam or After War is utter blasphemy :p

[MX7]

After Ideon I wouldn't mind checking out a 'recent' Gundam, like post 1990. What's the pick of the bunch?

Or just any recent Japanese cartoons, preferably with interesting characters and blurred morality and postmodern flourishes. All this time watching 80's stuff and ignoring TV series had left me out of the loop...

[Bananamatic]

After Ideon I wouldn't mind checking out a 'recent' Gundam, like post 1990. What's the pick of the bunch?

Turn A all the way

Wasn't Gundam W (it's only called Wing outside of Japan) a deliberate effort to drum up female interest in the franchise?

Wasn't that Seed?

[Xyga]

Gundam Reconguista thing.

Feels strange, as usual with Gundam the beginning is so messy it's hard to understand why the characters do what they do, especially this time the annoying teenagers (fucking brats, I'm too old for this shit) seem so random they go from light jokes to killing and change their mood like it's just a matter of pushing a button, you wonder if they're constantly high or whatever.

The animation isn't great either so it's kind of a pain to watch. Well it's a Gundam TV show, heh.

I know fans of the franchise don't like SEED but for the uninitiated / casual viewer, the whole thing is easier to follow and the characters make more sense.

But definitely the issue there is I'm definitely too old for this now, in every episode I've watched (7 so far) I just want to see those brainless teenagers fucking die.

[KAI]

They are all going to die, don't worry.

Or just any recent Japanese cartoons, preferably with interesting characters and blurred morality and postmodern flourishes

Watch Mushishi, Penguindrum (and Utena), Kuuchuu Buranko, Tatami Galaxy, Ping Pong, Yukikaze, Ghost in The Shell S.A.C., Jormungand and Katanagatari.

[soprano1]

I love the SEED mobile suit designs, specially stuff from the Astray series, but the rest can burn to hell.

[Bananamatic]

I'm actually kinda interested in Seed from what I've seen in the Super Robot Wars games

Isn't Seed supposed to be an average entry anyways? With Seed Destiny being the unwatchable pile of crap

[soprano1]

I'm actually kinda interested in Seed from what I've seen in the Super Robot Wars games

Isn't Seed supposed to be an average entry anyways? With Seed Destiny being the unwatchable pile of crap

SEED is average to mediocre, yes. It's a early 2000's "remake" of the original Gundam story, for a new generation of kids. SEED Destiny is average for the first 20 something episodes, then turns to crap. The movies improve the pacing a bit, but meh...

[KAI]

Seed is a crappy reboot, but the action and the mechanical designs are kinda good. Destiny is godawful and it has the most stupid fujoshi bait I've seen in a Sci-fi series.

[Xyga]

Today when you try to watch the original, the pacing, design and animation makes your brain bleed from every possible hole. It's atrocious, so SEED kind of makes up for the gap.
To someone who has never watched any TV Gundam before (and don't really care about the franchise) I would recommend SEED over the original, a million times.

[Raytrace]

I am not going to comment on such talk, it will only raise my blood pressure.

SEED was a very enjoyable story. Art, CG, chara design were definitely not the sort of thing I like, but the story was definitely good.

[Raytrace]

After Ideon I wouldn't mind checking out a 'recent' Gundam, like post 1990. What's the pick of the bunch?

Or just any recent Japanese cartoons, preferably with interesting characters and blurred morality and postmodern flourishes. All this time watching 80's stuff and ignoring TV series had left me out of the loop...

fuck the loop

On top of Turn A I would also recommend Unicorn, no doubt someone will say that's shit though - (it isn't). While it is completely CG, storywise the MS:Igloo's are brilliant IMO.

Non roboto 'recently' that I can think of: Zankyou No Terror was quite good I thought.

[BryanM]

I am not going to comment on such talk, it will only raise my blood pressure.

Pi is exactly 3.

[MX7]

Kai, Bananmatic, Raytrace, thanks for the reccomendations!

[Raytrace]

no worries - seriously I think the MS: Igloo stories are very enjoyable.

This is one of my favourite scenes in the Universal Century ever:









'Convey these instructions:

We are in the middle of an operation.

Leave the rest of the battle to the mobile suit squadron.

Lieutenant Char Aznable.’

completely cheap fan service maybe - but god I enjoyed it so much .

[KAI]

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