I don't think we've had a thread on this but guess what is everyone's favorite Anime?
I'll start. Death Note - the main character kills criminals whats not to love? ;)
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I don't think we've had a thread on this but guess what is everyone's favorite Anime?
I'll start. Death Note - the main character kills criminals whats not to love? ;)
Batman must be the most disappointing hero to you, ever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lewkowski
The blood of thousands is on his hands.Quote:
Originally Posted by Illusions
Did you finish watching that series, Lewk? The "hero" tried to play God, and in his quest to kill criminals, he also killed a lot of "good" people too. Cops, investigators, an FBI agent's fiance, etc. I guess one can argue, in his warped mind, the ends justified the means. I enjoyed the series also, but for different reasons than you.
But if we are going to be serious in the thread, my favorite is still Vision of Escaflowne. One of the first series I watched that wasn't Americanized (though one American channel attempted to, and butchered it. Thankfully I had seen the unedited version first). Another world just beyond our moon, mecha units, catgirls, tarot cards, Isaac Newton, great soundtrack. Might be a little bit girly for some. Though, lots of blood interspersed in the episodes.
Well, some of my list:
Avatar - The last Airbender (not the movie!)
Full Metal Alchemist
Last Exile
Ergo Proxy
Darker Than Black
Shangri-La
This isn't anime. It's American.Quote:
Originally Posted by Khendraja'aro
Strange, and here I was thinking that the term "Anime" was about the style and not the country of origin.
It depends on who you talk to. In America, even if it of the same "style", it has to be Japanese made to be considered Anime. Everything else is Anime-style but not considered Anime. I think it differs elsewhere.
(Though, I do love Avatar and the new series, Legend of Korra)
I also enjoyed both series of Full Metal Alchemist, though it was very fucked up. There were a few episodes of the first one that really made me almost stop watching. But I got through it :)
He was a flawed individual however I was rooting for him to the very end. There's a lot of points of view and generally I disagree with the notion that the ends justifies the means... but hey its anime, good old fashion escapism - so it was a pretty enjoyable experience. Another similar Anime I enjoyed the heck out of was Code Geass - again the same concept of do the ends justify the means.Quote:
Originally Posted by Catgrrl
Its interesting how Anime can have somewhat serious stories but throw in random silly nonsense at the drop of the hat. I'm not sure what it say about the culture it comes from but it definitely says something.
Which one? The first one or Brotherhood? Apparently Brotherhood was better because stuck to the manga plot, or closer to it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Khendraja'aro
Obligatory Dragon Ball Z, Knights of the Zodiac, and the likes.
Starblazers...only cause I was a kid when it came out...oohhh so looooong agoooooooooooooo
Obligatory :lynchmob:Quote:
Originally Posted by Omega
Are Ghibli Studios movies considered Anime?
If so;
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle
Yeah they're anime, and anime is most properly defined as a style. And Avatar the last air-bender is one of the few good American made Anime's.Quote:
Originally Posted by Timbuk2
People often mock the medium but there is nothing fundamentally wrong with depicting a story through hand-drawn images, in fact it allows for liberties hard to capture in live action, or even live action with special effects. I find it laughable when someone says they don't like anime, or cartoons, that just tells me they don't watch it. That's like not liking books, or not liking movies. Any story found in a book or movie there is one that can be found in anime.
As for the above movies you should know them by their maker Miyazaki and not the Studio. That man has directed a lot of great work, including Princess Mononke. But, i've seen both of those as well, and they're good with great underlying messages of self-confidence, independence, not wasting your youth (in case of Howl's castle), and of course of protecting the Earth/environment for our children and all wild-life I would say is more miyazaki's angle.
Really good ones have been listed like: Ergo Proxy, Full Metal Alchemist. Other good one's that I'd wager a pretty penny Nessie would like would be Kino's Journey very philosophical and abstract but entertaining to those who even don't care much about those questions. My favorite probably is FMA even with all the Christianity Chastising it partakes in.
Movie-wise, I do love all of Miyazaki's films. I remember watching Nausicaa as a very small child. So, that was my first "anime". I have several of his movies in my DVD collection.
Hardly ever seen it, but I remember liking Spirited Away.
Attempting to get into Avatar; looks kind of meh though. Probably would of loved it when I was growing up but now I'm having difficulty getting into it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Khendraja'aro
Once you get past the first few episodes (they are getting their sea legs for the series) it REALLY wows you. I enjoyed it when it cam out and I'm 41.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lewkowski
I won't spoil it, but the darker episodes were what did it for me. Seeing the good guys lose for once was a nice change.Quote:
Originally Posted by Veldan Rath
At first I thought you celebrated the absolution of the DBZ CC, but then serious names started popping up without sarcasm. Someone even took anime as a format of art to defense. Excellent! Being the guy who probably watched the most here, I'd like to highlight Honey & Clover (graduate art students conforming to work), Great Teacher Onizuka (earlier biker gang leader applying to become a high school teacher to check up girls, but rather becomes a freaky mentor teaching morals of the hard kind), Monster (Surgeon Tenma is forced to flee as an orphant who's life he saved as a kid, returns with a malicious mastermind resembling the ultraviolence of Hitler) and His and Her Circumstances (short manga featuring a girl who is suicidal and her meeting with a prisoner on death row organized through the church).
Er, I don't remember that being the premises of His and Her Circumstances, unless there is more than one series....
I forgot Ghost in the Shell (and the accompanying series: Standalone Complex).
Shame on me.
Ehh.. dunno why I typed that name. His and Her Circumstances is the English title for Kare Kano. A school romance made by the same people who did Honey & Clover. Both are definitely watchable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Catgrrl
The series I wanted to portrait, was Our Happy Hours (Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan). :up:
Ah okay. I liked His and Her Circumstances, and my sister would tease that I was much like the female character Yukino because I acted one way in public and quite another at home.
It's one of my treasured romance series too. I actually like most of JC Staff productions; including Kare Kano, Honey & Clover, Toradora and Nodame Cantabile (sorted chronologically). The former two are very philosophical and reflecting, while they turned to warmer emotions in the latter. There is a difference anyway. Besides these I like NANA, Clannad, Ef, Bakemonogatari, Kimi ni Todoke and Ano Hana. All of them are really top tier. My opinion is that Japan are light years ahead in depicting slife of life dramas like these. They just play at your heart strings. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n4b42vZ124
Watched some of Monster. Loved the premise but it moved a bit too slowly for my tastes. As I get older (and have less spare time) I find myself a lot more impatient.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kazuha Vinland
Whenever an anime moves to slow for you, you should try the manga, as it's always more fastpaced. :)
I didn't like those movies. I did like the series though. I'm not sure how that worked out, but it's probably because of the movies' focus on the Major, who is the most boring character in the series.Quote:
Originally Posted by Khendraja'aro
So I just finished watching Angel Beats. This was very different then what I thought it would be and to be honest if someone had told me what this was all about at the beginning I wouldn't have thought to watch it. There was one scene that made me laugh the hardest I've ever laughed in an anime and a few others than hit me like a punch to the nose. Really good stuff. I put it up there with Death Note and Code Geass as one of my favorite anime.
Angel Beats throughout raped the reputation of Key. After having done AIR, Kanon and Clannad, they lead off with the sour aftertaste of Jun Maeda knowing her psychology a bit too well, being able to bond you with characters that are beyond ridiculous, till the point where you actually tear up in sadness. Oh, and may I assume you refer to the scene where the guy rips off his clothes in class, stating that he looks thinner wearing clothes, and then gets his chair rocketlaunched as he failed to divert any attention, with the sentimental ending theme playing in the background? That was genius, just like the rest of the music in it. Still, you feel violated by Jun Maeda pulling your heart strings around something ridiculous. At least the other series had an actual dramatic plot line.
Edit: PV6 being a ridiculously catchy theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y-4oa78s8I
It was the 2nd rocket chair that did me in... holy crap that was hilarious. Beautiful play on expectations.
Also I don't expect Anime to have a plausible premise. Look at my other favorite anime... Death Note is about a magic book that lets people kill each other by writing their names in it. The additional restrictions the Shimigami face and how they can die are equally contrived and random. Then take a look at Code Geass... an even crazier concept. You can control other people but only once... and other people have more advanced versions or different variations.
So having your heart strings pulled for ridiculous characters in a ridiculous situation (like Angel Beats) just proves how awesome the creators are.
And to top it off the final message in the end (trying not to spoil anything but its big twist before the credits roll) is probably one of the best public service messages I've ever seen.
Angel Beats has a way more spaced idea than Death Note or Code Geass. Those two series build around a concept that is pretty nifty, whereas Angel Beats has no concept. It just relies on Jun Maeda, that woman proven a genius so many times, to make you have an emotional reaction as easily as turning on a tap full throttle. She can create them out of ANYWHERE, out of ANY context. If you have seen Key's previous shows, where she actually incorporated those into giving you lasting values through a concept, you would realize how manipulative Angel Beats feels in comparison. :p
Clannad, for one, is the series to have knocked me the hardest out of balance ever - no matter franchise or genre. It is ridiculously threaded in the way you form bonds with the characters. What seems lighthearted at first, is on an incredibly different scale from what you feel after having landed the last episode of Clannad ~After Story~.
So short resume of Clannad for those interested:
The relationship of Tomoya and Nagisa are forged together through several dramatic story lines. Each story line centers on a side character a few episodes, with the most gripping revelations at the end of them that I have rarely seen something equal even if it was the main story with 40 episodes build-up. As the side characters diminish into the background when their story line is done, with only subtle interactions to the overall story, the relationship of Tomoya and Nagisa always gather strength like a small tornado turning into a F5 category hurricane. When in the end, the story revolves around them only, each breath and word they make is considered heavy weight on your heart. It practices contrasts as a way to express utter pain and happiness, side by side, while keeping a very merry mood with practical jokes as a background. Clannad is the introduction for what is to come in the second season, After Story, where afterwards, it feels as if Key has physically slapped your face with a book. Yesh.
I'm trying to understand your argument and I just don't get it. Every show tries to manipulate the audience. That's the point! One show makes you want to laugh, another show wants tension, another show wants a combo. The entire point of entertainment is to manipulate the perspective of the audience! As for as Death Note / Code Geass having a nifty concept - yes I agree but both of them are not plausible. That's totally OK with me. I don't expect plausibility from anime.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kazuha Vinland
True, but obviously there are different degrees of absurdity. Like I explained, Angel Beats completely lacks consistency in its drama. It doesn't rely on any build-up or wiring between the characters. Jun Maeda just goes in there and starts playing your heart strings like a harp. That brings for very short-lived pleasure after seeing the series, as there aren't really any dots to connect. The dots themselves are just that great.
We'll agree to disagree ;)
Watching Darker Then Black. I enjoy the main character most when he is 'undercover.'
I remember watching Darker than Black as I drove across Norway in a caravan, a distance equaling half of Europe. Sometimes if you are on an adventure yourself, watching a series feel all the more liberating. Partially why I loved Darker than Black, partially because it is damn good. I'm also one of the few who think of the second season as charming, not a worthless follow-up who threw away all that Hei stood for as a character.
Those who like Darker than Black might also like Black Lagoon, Baccano and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
About halfway through Darker than Black. Enjoying it quite a bit might take a look at Baccano when I'm done. Fullmetal Alchemist seemed right up my alley but I've tried to watch it before and couldn't get into it.
I really enjoyed Darker than Black. Especially the fan fiction last episode... had me rolling. Overall I'd give the show a 9/10.
It looks like this was just the first season though... but its all Netflix has. :(
I'll be starting Baccano next.