Recommended Anime/Manga?

[Lord Satori]

For the first time ever, I abandoned an Anime. And after 1/4 of the way through the second episode no less.

I don't even remember the name, and don't care to look it up. It was some generic supernatural harem anime with no originality at all. In the first episode half of the new students, including a seemingly important character who is also in the OP, are cast aside in a pointless battle where "only the winner gets in".

Later on in the episode, the MC finds himself paired up with a shy foreign girl (forget the trope name, but it's one of those "'dere" words) who seems to like him (surprise, surprise). Once they're in their room, she asks him to teach her a special technique that he used to win his fight, but he can't because "it's too strenuous a move and is lethal to women who use it". Eventually they each go to bed in their bunk beds.

I'm not sure why I even bothered to given the second episode a chance because it predictably began with the MC waking up with his roommate right next to him. The next 5 minutes I saw weren't any more original and so I dropped it.

Why is it that this bullshit was completed but actually interesting anime are cancelled/ended early?

Speaking of which, do us all a favor and cancel Naruto in exchange for Bleach. They've got plenty of manga material to work with, and have only ever done fillers (which are pretty interesting in their own rights unlike Naruto's) when they need to give the manga some lead, which they don't anymore.

[Bloodreign]

Oh wow. I remember watching Code-E and Mission-E waaay back when they aired. I don't remember much other than I kinda liked Code-E (enough to watch Mission-E when that came out). Didn't things start to get a bit crazy towards the end?

What were your thoughts on it?

Liked Code-E, Mission-E completely caught me off guard because the same sweet innocent girl in the original all of a sudden became sort of an ass kicking goof ball. I realize though the 2 series are supposed to be set years apart. Still preferred Code-E better because it was a simpler anime for what I was looking for at the time, plus it's opening theme song is quite nice and catchy in the right way. Mission-E felt like a completely different anime, despite many returning characters from the original.

As for the Ranma boobage, I'm 9 episodes in, and boobs still pop out quite a bit for Ranma in his female form. Doesn't bother me any with all the boob jokes I've seen in comedy anime.

Another anime I am watching, really sugary sweet one too, Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R. There is an older, and 7 episode only version of it from years ago, very hard to find subbed, and focused more on comedy than cuteness. The newer one has the Nurse and the maid as friends and rivals in transformed state, the original had them as friends, and enemies in the same state of transformation. Not sure why the newer one went so far away from the original there. It's definitely an oddball anime.

[BryanM]

For the first time ever, I abandoned an Anime. And after 1/4 of the way through the second episode no less.

I don't even remember the name, and don't care to look it up. It was some generic supernatural harem anime with no originality at all. In the first episode half of the new students, including a seemingly important character who is also in the OP, are cast aside in a pointless battle where "only the winner gets in".

Later on in the episode, the MC finds himself paired up with a shy foreign girl (forget the trope name, but it's one of those "'dere" words) who seems to like him (surprise, surprise). Once they're in their room, she asks him to teach her a special technique that he used to win his fight, but he can't because "it's too strenuous a move and is lethal to women who use it". Eventually they each go to bed in their bunk beds.

I'm not sure why I even bothered to given the second episode a chance because it predictably began with the MC waking up with his roommate right next to him. The next 5 minutes I saw weren't any more original and so I dropped it.

Absolute Duo!~!~!!~~!

Vastly better than Nabari no Ou. A real masterpiece of mediocrity.

Why is it that this bullshit was completed but actually interesting anime are cancelled/ended early?

Because 90% of everything is crap, which includes humans. (Demonstrated by the lessons taken from Eva is that people like dark giant robot shows, rather than characters that somewhat approach to a caricature of real people. The trappings of the show are unimportant - you could just as easily make a Dragon Ball Z show where everyone is a lonely maladjusted asshole.)

It's a standard 12 episode "throw it at the wall and see if it makes money" attempt. Occasionally something you like will be made by accident.

[EmperorIng]

I have been watching for the first time the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross. What a ride! So many good characters (and bad ones, like dumb-as-a-rock Hikaru), melodrama out the ass, and glorious dogfights set to that romantic score. Usually melodrama drives me bonkers in anime because it stops the action at the worst times. It kind of does in Macross, but for some reason it doesn't bother me so much. Maybe because of how over-the-top everything is. I actually first liked Minmay's "My Boyfriend's a Pilot" song, hated it because they played it all the fucking time, and then switched around to loving it because it crashed back into the barrier of being amazing.

I had to stop watching for a few days after the huge climax space battle in episode 27. Things got so real I just couldn't come down from how utterly fucked everything became. I watched the next episode and felt it to be a little "meh." I am almost done with the series though, so I suppose I should just stick with it. Things feel naturally a bit anti-climactic after the biggest space-battle evar.

I guess I'll have to watch DYRL, but am I missing out on anything else?

[soprano1]

Started reading Nanatsu no Taizai, artwork has a very nice charm to it.

[S_Fang]

Following the insisting recommandations of a acquaintance of mine, I watched many animes in these weeks:

-Amagami SS, the anime adaptation of a VN, which I'm questioning how I managed to saw the entirety of it. Despite the peculiar omnibus format, most of the time it was boring if not an endurance test to put up with the cringy and dumb behaviour of the MC, as well with the stupid, overused dynamics from harem shows made by misunderstandings, "all-males-are-pervs", gelousy for trivial crap, questionable placement of gags during romance and so on (granted, there's worse out there, but still annoying).
I liked some routes like the senpai; the swimmer kouhai and the childhood friend, but the rest with the tsundere middle school friend; the shy cutie and the class rep all sucked, with the Razzie earned by class rep: never trust poster girls nor other people's opinions, especially if most of them didn't watched the "facade of the real, disturbed self" character made properly (Karekano was very good at that, at least in the anime) or like demented and unealthy romance.

Spoiler

Did they really wanted to sell me that she was a manipulative, cynical, violent bitch because is envious of her carefree sister and because "muh Santa doesn't exist"? Is that crap supposed to be romantic?! I'm feeling an urge to smack her mounth 'till hel lips become a rubber dinghy, when I think about it.

I also watched Amagami SS+ before dropping it after the swimmer kouhai's route, as I was fed up with all this useless bullshit if not for the completion of the childhood friend's route (EP3 and 4). I have the feeling the VN did things somewhat better than the adaptation, especially with the stalker and MC's sister routes, but I don't care anymore and I don't want to play it just to find out the differences.

-KimiKiss Pure Rouge is indeed dated and a bland VN's adaptation, but it was several legues better than its "drunken heir" Amagami: there's the effort to develop the characters and their dynamics, as well the creations of more than one male MC to get to the "Creators' choice award" girls; the characters are likeable and interesting and the few gags were funny and not intrusive like a damn harem show.
It felt like a light-hearted shoujo and I appreciate that.
I heard there's an anime based on another VN made by the formers' creators (Enterbrain) called "Photo Kano", but its terrible as far as I know, therefore I didn't watch that and never will.

-Golden Time was an interesting show. I'm not familiar with the author as I didn't watch Toradora yet, but it was cool watching an anime set in university and with somewhat level-headed characters (I still don't know how to find the Nana's character: a pleasant homage or a squallid expy). The only annoying part were the avoidable melodrama by "talking to each other" and the amnesia's anxiety, but those has some sort of development though.

I started watching One Punch Man dubbed in italian on VVVVID and is amazing. Granted, the dub lacks the exact energy of the original VA, but is well made.
This is the kind of show I like.

Why is it that this bullshit was completed but actually interesting anime are cancelled/ended early?

Because 90% of everything is crap, which includes humans. (Demonstrated by the lessons taken from Eva is that people like dark giant robot shows, rather than characters that somewhat approach to a caricature of real people. The trappings of the show are unimportant - you could just as easily make a Dragon Ball Z show where everyone is a lonely maladjusted asshole.)

It's a standard 12 episode "throw it at the wall and see if it makes money" attempt. Occasionally something you like will be made by accident.

That's why I started to read mangas and not caring about anime anymore: why the stories I enjoy the most don't get adapted and, if they, are incompleate or assed, whenever some unspeakable crap get wonderfully and compleately adapted?
Screw the anime market and those paying manchildren! At least you can find peculiar and decent mangas if you search well.

[Raytrace]

I guess I'll have to watch DYRL, but am I missing out on anything else?

IMO all Macross is ace, except possibly 'Macross II'. And yes I am including Macross 7 in there as great.

[Raytrace]

As for the Ranma boobage, I'm 9 episodes in, and boobs still pop out quite a bit for Ranma in his female form. Doesn't bother me any with all the boob jokes I've seen in comedy anime.

hmm dunno if I'll stick with it

[Ji-L87]

I guess I'll have to watch DYRL

Highly recommended in this case. I had a whole new appreciation for DYRL after watching the original Macross series last winter. Before I simply thought it was "okay" but after sitting through the original and getting used to how that looked and moved (aside from a few standout scenes and sequences, quite poorly I'm afraid) DYRL is far better from and audiovisual standpoint at least IMO.

[Raytrace]

I guess I'll have to watch DYRL

Highly recommended in this case. I had a whole new appreciation for DYRL after watching the original Macross series last winter. Before I simply thought it was "okay" but after sitting through the original and getting used to how that looked and moved (aside from a few standout scenes and sequences, quite poorly I'm afraid) DYRL is far better from and audiovisual standpoint at least IMO.

Yeah DYRL is amazing art wise - CCA standard almost - though I do miss those flared uniforms from original SDF

[Lord Satori]

Watched Serial Experiments Lain. Fantastic anime, and it was good almost to the end, which feels unnecessarily sad.

Spoiler

Seriously, after being taken for a ride like that the conclusion I'm left with is "erase yourself and everything's fine"?! No, everything is NOT fine! You had a life, girl!

That said, this anime was right up my alley. I wonder if there are any more like it?

[ZacharyB]

Reading MintyTheCat's response in the Akira revival topic over the issue of much manga and anime being unable to muster a good story, I was reminded of the anime Zeorymer, which has an exceptional and unique story, told in the milieu of the super robot genre.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I didn't like SEL all that much (except for the sound), but those who are into it seem to think much of Texhnolyze (which I found better drawn, but couldn't be bothered watching all of it).

[KAI]

Oh god! I LOVE VOTOMS <3

[Durandal]

I didn't like SEL all that much (except for the sound), but those who are into it seem to think much of Texhnolyze (which I found better drawn, but couldn't be bothered watching all of it).

the ending of Texhnolyze turned my mind in such a blank slate, I had to watch Gintama directly afterwards to cheer myself up again

[copy-paster]

Watching the first 6 episodes of Noragami, great but not so IMO, though some scenes will confuse you at times.

[soprano1]

Jesus, was God Eater episode 10 directed by Tomino?

[Ji-L87]

Oh god! I LOVE VOTOMS <3

Question:
Is the original Armored Trooper Votoms required viewing if I'm interested in checking out Armored Hunter Mellowlink? Or can I easily just sit down with it anyway?

[Obiwanshinobi]

I didn't like SEL all that much (except for the sound), but those who are into it seem to think much of Texhnolyze (which I found better drawn, but couldn't be bothered watching all of it).

the ending of Texhnolyze turned my mind in such a blank slate, I had to watch Gintama directly afterwards to cheer myself up again

Always bet on Gintama, I guess.

[KAI]

Question:
Is the original Armored Trooper Votoms required viewing if I'm interested in checking out Armored Hunter Mellowlink? Or can I easily just sit down with it anyway?

Yep, you can watch it as a standalone series.

[Hagane]

One of the best news in a good while: Akira Hiramoto is doing Me and the Devil Blues again, after a six year hiatus. It was quite painful see this title, one of the best and most interesting in the last years, be dropped in favor of the terrible dogshit that is Prison High school, one of the worst things I ever had the disgrace to read. One could never guess both of them are by the same author if not told beforehand.

For those who didn't know about it, it stars Robert Johnson, the legendary bluesman, building upon the legend that he was so good because he made a deal with the devil. Go read it, it's really good, especially if you seek something fresh and unique to read.


Been reading Golden Kamui too, an interesting and rather hard to classify new seinen manga. You could say it's like Blade of the Immortal + Dungeon Meshi set in the years of the Russo-Japanese war.

It starts as an adventure story of an ex-military man desperately looking for money. He tries searching for gold, but the gold rush in Hokkaido has mostly died down. In his search he finds out about a secret Ainu gold stash and tries to get it with the help of a local Ainu girl, expert in the ways of surviving in the harsh climates of Northern Japan. But several parties (from criminals to military and historical figures) are aware of this gold stash and are looking for it for their own motives.

Soon though, the manga makes heavy emphasis on survival and reminds a lot of Dungeon Meshi when it goes in great detail on hunting animals and cooking them. There's a lot of research on Ainu customs, their hunting methods, food, language, legends and so on. Sometimes this information isn't as well integrated with the story and it feels like watching a documentary, but it's interesting nonetheless.

On the Blade of the Immortal side of influences, has quite a bit of action, is full of colorful antagonists and it's extremely gory in its depictions of violence. Fights are very well choreographed and usually involve some kind of strategy other than the usual "trade blows till someone dies". The Ainu girl brings most of the comedy (usually through strange facial reactions, again reminding of Dungeon Meshi), and while fortunately there's no dumb Japanese tropes and pandering to be had, some of the jokes get old pretty fast and seem out of context in the midst of a gruesome battle to the death.

It looks like the author gets the hang of mixing the action / adventure bits with the more educative bits better as the series goes on, and the plot is having some interesting (if bizarre) developments so regardless of some defects I'm having a good time with it.

Image dump in the spoiler

Spoiler

[lilmanjs]

A couple more episodes of Hanasaku Iroha last night. Quite enjoying this and the humor is good. Glad that the first couple episodes seem to be the only bad ones so far. Many other shows to go through after this one, including Un-Go. Should just get rid of or is it actually a good one?

[Strider77]

Top wo Nerae 2 (Aim for the Top 2): Absolute shit. This might be the worst abuse of a classic title I've ever seen.

God I hated it..... I found it painful and absolutely shocking how they managed to strip every positive element from the original away. It's almost impressive really. There is nothing really to say that you guys haven't already, other than use my own words for the sake of voicing my hate of Diebuster.

[Ji-L87]

The Riding Bean kickstarter from AnimEigo is now live for those interested:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ma ... me-blu-ray

I'm really happy that AnimEigo keeps putting out these kickstarters. Sure, what they've put out are things they've had licenses for in the past and what has already had a blu-ray release over in Japan, but it hasn't come here yet and I've been quite happy with the way AnimEigo's been handling things. Getting Sonoda Kenichi to draw new artworks and putting together artbooks and such

I wonder what they will be doing once Riding Bean is done though. I don't know what licenses they sit on. Maybe they'll continue with the Sonoda trend and put out Gunsmith Cats or something older like Gall Force, although I'm personally not sure if Gall Force has a huge enough fanbase and it's quite a big work. Tho' I saw Robert of AnimEigo mention that he'd personally like to work on Scramble Wars (Wacky Racer-styled OVA with the cast from Gall Force and BGC among others).

[Square_Air]

Top wo Nerae 2 (Aim for the Top 2): Absolute shit. This might be the worst abuse of a classic title I've ever seen.

God I hated it..... I found it painful and absolutely shocking how they managed to strip every positive element from the original away. It's almost impressive really. There is nothing really to say that you guys haven't already, other than use my own words for the sake of voicing my hate of Diebuster.

I recently watched the original Top Wo Nerae and enjoyed it, though found it to be lacking in substance compared to Evangelion, even though its story isn't the mess (beautiful mess) that Evangelion is.

Speaking of Anno, there are few series I have such a love/hate relationship than Nadia: Secret of blue water. From the beginning it seems like the best idea ever ("Miyazaki and Anno making an anime together! this is legendary!") and the first 7 or 8 episodes seem like it lives up to the names of the creators. It ends up fluctuating in quality with episode 16 and 22 being real standouts, but then the infamous "desert island episodes" happen from 23 to 34 where they outsourced the animation to a korean company and artificially extended the story to please the studio executives and it is Sword Art Online level of quality, which is to say it's lame at its best and fucking atrocious at its worst (episode 34 is just a bad music video). The last 5 or so wrap up episodes done by the original team are alright, but can't save the series. It's no wonder Anno went into a depressive state during Evangelion and considers this series and that period of his life as a failure. So much quality ruined by greed.

[Lord Satori]

I didn't like SEL all that much (except for the sound), but those who are into it seem to think much of Texhnolyze (which I found better drawn, but couldn't be bothered watching all of it).

the ending of Texhnolyze turned my mind in such a blank slate, I had to watch Gintama directly afterwards to cheer myself up again

Holy shit, you weren't kidding.

I find it interesting that compared to SEL, this ending is a different kind of depressing. SEL pretended as if everything was fine, whereas this time around, you knew what was coming.

I especially love the equal yet opposite portrayal of the two worlds in Texhnolyze.

[BPzeBanshee]

Went through Steins;Gate. Excellent show. Prefer it in sub although for once the dub of the show was pretty good also.

Going through Lain at the moment. Already know the gist of the ending since I spoiled myself looking it up beforehand but I really like how it kinda predicted IoT before IoT even had a name.

[Raytrace]

Oh god! I LOVE VOTOMS <3

Question:
Is the original Armored Trooper Votoms required viewing if I'm interested in checking out Armored Hunter Mellowlink? Or can I easily just sit down with it anyway?

yeah there really is no unexplained parts in it - I would highly recommend all VOTOMs anything though

[Raytrace]

Speaking of Anno, there are few series I have such a love/hate relationship than Nadia: Secret of blue water. From the beginning it seems like the best idea ever ("Miyazaki and Anno making an anime together! this is legendary!") and the first 7 or 8 episodes seem like it lives up to the names of the creators. It ends up fluctuating in quality with episode 16 and 22 being real standouts, but then the infamous "desert island episodes" happen from 23 to 34 where they outsourced the animation to a korean company and artificially extended the story to please the studio executives and it is Sword Art Online level of quality, which is to say it's lame at its best and fucking atrocious at its worst (episode 34 is just a bad music video). The last 5 or so wrap up episodes done by the original team are alright, but can't save the series. It's no wonder Anno went into a depressive state during Evangelion and considers this series and that period of his life as a failure. So much quality ruined by greed.

I have a fanmade 'Anno edition' which compresses the whole island crap into 1 episode or so - I recently used it during a rewatch and it makes a massive difference - the whole thing finally feels as brilliant and cohesive as it should be.

[Raytrace]

Went through Steins;Gate. Excellent show. Prefer it in sub although for once the dub of the show was pretty good also.

I very enjoyed it - am playing the game too.