... Back to watching anime after some years... can't find any tile to my liking

[Maerskian]

Originally Posted by jesh462

Gungrave is amazing. Also use Media Player Classic : Home Cinema.
Open source, free, stable as a rock.
There is no reason to use anything else. I've never had a problem playing anything with it, 10 bit files, any type of sub, it will even read separate sub files with a simple right click and going into the sub option.
MPC:HC also supports all the cool stuff like Mad VR and chroma upsampling if you're into using your PC as a home theatre.
10 bit does require some out of your graphics card, so if you have an old ass computer you may just be out of luck.

Thanks for the advice but ... can't do.

As i said, i'm using a multimedia tank player: the Popcorn A-200

Initially, it should play any type of file since it support mkv and even ogg files with h264/xvid.... etc codecs, flac,aac, etc audio codecs and 720p/1080p video files, even with high bitrate.
I even updated it with some unofficial firmwares so i can even play full Blu-ray Isos from the hard drive and navigate through the menu.

I ripped all my films/world animation/modern dance dvds onto hard drives, and usually i have no problem playing them like that ( .iso files ) .... with exception of some dvds i downloaded ( most of 'em not avaliable for sale btw ) that have custom subs added... they don't play... or just crash when i activate the subtitles... still need to find a way to fix it, alghough Popcorn's O.S. is based on Linux, so it's far from my reach

All in all, with real action movies/series , dvds/blu-rays isos and the like... there's not many issues reproducing 'em .... and then..... we reach the anime realm:

- 10 bit encodes are out of question
- newer encodes from some groups ( coal-girls , ureshii , dmon-hiro ... ) show a black screen & just play audio ... or just play a few seconds and then get stop, no matter what i do ... and unfortunately, the number of fansubs with conflictive encodes is increasing.

Already found out they ( popcorn team ) won't give support for 10-bit encodes ... but still would like to find the reason why it can't play certain releases since they doesn't seem to be using unsupported codecs ..... but alas.... don't have time enough to check that out properly.

And well... yes, i was planning on purchasing a new HTPC to put an end once and for all to these playback problems .... but ... what can i say ? current market prices for SSD hard drives doesn't look right to me know, and don't feel like paying such a price for such small sized hd's . Prices for computers pieces are ( and always have been ) incredibly bubbled, so i'd rather wait a couple of years and buy myself a new pc with a decent sized ( 1 TB at least ) SSD hard drive for the same price they are nowadays ( or even a little less ) .

I learned programming in basic with a Pentium 100 mhz ... and even worked with older models ... ( quitted programming several years ago, and forgot a lot, so right now i'm just an average joe in case you're wondering if i couldn't work something out with my standalone player, plus as i said, Linux is out of my reach ). Not a gamer .... or at least.... not into newer videogames, i just love old fashioned RPGs & old 2D games.... and as we all know, don't need much to run MAME ; that said .... my current pc is 8 ( almost 9 ) years old ( yeah ) ... and i'm still using WinXP .... for the time being.... and is more than enough for my daily use. Also own 2 another pc slightly "newer" ( 1-3 years ), although one of 'em is a
netbook.

I plan on installing Ubuntu on the older computer and keep using it for a couple more years .... but... ahem... can't find the right time yet; either i don't have time.... or either i just have it but i'm so tired that just want to watch some anime and let my mind go away for while LOL ,

You never updated us with your thoughts on Usagi Drop.

Basically ... it's one of those shows i still need to get a version playable on my popcorn a-200. Didn't forgot about this one... and eventually i'll watch it.

Funny enough, it's easier for me to grab & play blu-ray isos for those shows than playing these new rips LOL

[SeijiSensei]

Ubuntu with SMPlayer and the restricted-extras package will play most anything you throw at it except for commercial Blu-rays. Does your TV have a compatible video interface like VGA or HDMI? I use a DVI<>HDMI converter cable to connect from my computer's NVIDIA card to my TV, but I can also use a VGA cable. I run Kubuntu 12.04. I've never tried using things like a remote control, but it know it's possible. If you decide to set up an Ubuntu-based HTPC, I recommend giving this forum a look.

You need a relatively fast CPU to handle 10-bit video since nearly all H.264 decoders built into graphics cards like NVIDIA's do not have 10-bit support. I'm impressed your Popcorn Hour can play the [BSS] Kurenai episodes. Starting around episode six, they began using the "ordered chapters" feature in Matroska where the OP and ED are played from separate files. Some open-source player software like mplayer did not handle that feature well. I began using the mplayer2 fork which had better support for ordered chapters and for ASS subtitles.

[Maerskian]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

That was one of the aspects of that show that I did not appreciate either. While Minamo grew on me a bit, I never really liked her and wished there had been an adult protagonist instead. Not too many episodes reached the level of nine and ten.

Well ... i'd say there's a big contrast among the characters used on this show ... and i'd swear the female ones could 've been easily extracted from many hentai/doujin titles.

Somehow Chihayafuru never surfaced in this thread. It's another game-based show like Hikaru no Go and like Hikaru kept my attention throughout. I had stopped watching Chihayafuru after episode one when it was first released because it seemed too "girly" for me. (I watch lots of shows with female protagonists but generally not ones that target adolescent girls.) After many friends here recommended I give it another try, I quickly put aside my stylistic issues and thoroughly enjoyed the show. I watched all 25 episodes in a couple of sittings and am looking forward to the sequel early next year.

Nice point , just added it to the list.
Had a hard time giving a chance to Hikaru no Go back in the days... next thing i know... 've been playing Go for a while LOL ... in fact i still have a decent & affordable Go board on my wish list, but still can't find any convicing enough

The art on this one made me back up initially... but your comment here is quite encouraging; thanks !

It looks like Ikoku Meiro no Croisee fell through the cracks. It is a slice-of-life comedy set in late 19th century Paris. A Japanese girl of sixteen travels to France to work as a shop girl for an ironmonger. It has some lovely artwork by Satelight's team of French illustrators, and the main character, Yune, is a strong contender for cutest anime girl of 2011 despite having Usagi Drop's Rin as a competitor for that title.

And another one to my list , thanks again !

Speaking of Satelight and its crew of French animators, I'll unabashedly suggest another of their shows, AKB0048, which despite its focus on idol singers is a fun watch. Since you've seen Oh! Edo Rocket, you'll recognize the premise, a ban on entertainment like the Tenpou Reforms. In AKB0048 the far-future successors to today's AKB48 idol group stage guerrilla concerts to challenge the government oppressors. Here's one such concert shown early in episode one. The four girls watching the concert become the main protagonists after a four-year time skip.

Images

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hmmm... it's hard for me to say these type of things, but truth is that there's certain subjects i find on the opposite side of my interests .... and everything related with J/K/Pop , Idols, rock bands, etc... is included.

Tried to let it go several times, but it's not my type... on shows like Key the metal Idol or Perfect Blue, the slightest shadow linked to those worlds bored me to death .

Not that i disrespect it... but it simply isn't my cup of tea...

[Maerskian]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Ubuntu with SMPlayer and the restricted-extras package will play most anything you throw at it except for commercial Blu-rays.

Does your TV have a compatible video interface like VGA or HDMI? I use a DVI<>HDMI converter cable to connect from my computer's NVIDIA card to my TV, but I can also use a VGA cable. I run Kubuntu 12.04. I've never tried using things like a remote control, but it know it's possible. If you decide to set up an Ubuntu-based HTPC, I recommend giving this forum a look.

You need a relatively fast CPU to handle 10-bit video since nearly all H.264 decoders built into graphics cards like NVIDIA's do not have 10-bit support. I'm impressed your Popcorn Hour can play the [BSS] Kurenai episodes. Starting around episode six, they began using the "ordered chapters" feature in Matroska where the OP and ED are played from separate files. Some open-source player software like mplayer did not handle that feature well. I began using the mplayer2 fork which had better support for ordered chapters and for ASS subtitles.

Yes, my screen has several connections for almost everything; it's a Pioneer 5090 ( the las panel of the Kuro series, and still a reference nowadays ) :

http://www.pioneer.eu/uk/products/ar...090/index.html

In fact, the Popcorn A-200 is connected through the HDMI . And BTW ... it even played some shows with the "ordered chapters" feature already ... problem are certain codecs ... or the "combination of" ... or... whatever it is ... LOL ... wish i knew the cause.

Problem is, none of my current computers can work as an "ultimate" HTPC ... they even lack enough audio outputs for shows with 5.1 ... and i already own a 5.2 HC since a time ago ... but still, i'm kinda reluctant to buy a new HTPC right now: Spend some thousands on nice speakers for a HC is no big deal; if they are good, they'll be like that for decades ( and have solid proof on my friends and my own vintage speakers ) ... but computers/mobile phones/etc... are on another league. For the time being, i'll wait until SSDs raise their storage limits ... and lower their prices .... or until they drop prices on regular SATA HD's ... to the way they were before the flood at Thailand ...

By the way, this the updated list of recommendations from this thread:

HACK
Beelzebub
Chihayafuru
Level E
WORKING!!
Black Butler
Broken Blade
Hourou Musuko
Fate/Zero
Working!
anamaru Youchien
Ghost Hunt
Moshidora
Dantalian no Shoka
Un-Go
Denpa Onna
Hourou Musuko
Dantalian no Shoka
Un-Go
Shion no Ou
Mirai Nikki
Kodomo no Jikan[
soul eater
Sword art online
Ikoku Meiro no Croisee
Showa Monogatari

.... and still need to get some playable versions for these ones:

Joshiraku
Binbougami ga
Bunny Drop
Mawaru Penguin Drum

Also:

Started a few shows i found while searching other shows:

- Kemeko : This was particularly praised & recommended as a very underrated comedy show that introduced many random & weird gags.
Still too soon to judge it i guess... but seems hard this one can compare to the well known heavyweights.
- Hyakko : Highly recommended for fans of Azumanga Daioh, Nichijou, Hidamari Sketch ... etc ... but after a couple eps. would say the aforementioned shows are on a different league ...
- Softeni : This one was recommended for people looking for weird/random comedy shows ... but in the end, it seems way too light ( considering it was on the same list as Sexy Commando , Ping Pong Club and the likes ... ) ... and lacking a style of his own.
- Papuwa ( second season i think ) : Had some great expectations with this one... in fact, i've been years after it, but back then nobody managed to finish subbing this show. In the end... it wasn't exactly what i was anticipating ( weird comedy , bizarre designs, etc... ) ... so it'll be hard to go on ...

Also started with :

- Psycho-pass: I was pretty excited about the reviews talking about the comeback of the real old Studio I.G. , and it was already tagged with "Cyperpunk" , "Dystopia" , "Sci-Fi" all along .... looked really promising .

After the first 10 minutes i already had a major let down; i see so many elements i disliked on Hellsing right here: a certain focus on guns , a weak/fragile looking & really shy female character that is supposedly the #1 ranking of his promotion at the police academy ....

Guess i still need where it goes...

[bhl88]

I forgot the other deconstruction, Nanoha. Magical girl + loli + drama and development xD

Madoka's director directed the first season

[MisaoFan]

Originally Posted by Maerskian

Also started with :

- Psycho-pass: I was pretty excited about the reviews talking about the comeback of the real old Studio I.G. , and it was already tagged with "Cyperpunk" , "Dystopia" , "Sci-Fi" all along .... looked really promising .

After the first 10 minutes i already had a major let down; i see so many elements i disliked on Hellsing right here: a certain focus on guns , a weak/fragile looking & really shy female character that is supposedly the #1 ranking of his promotion at the police academy ....

Guess i still need where it goes...

I'm glad you enjoyed it, despite having some of your problems you had with Hellsing. I'm currently enjoying it too, yet I have less flaws I had to deal with. I'm also expecting the story to get better, and I thought Akane is a fragile yet very cute cop and I hope she get some character development too.

[Maerskian]

Originally Posted by bhl88

I forgot the other deconstruction, Nanoha. Magical girl + loli + drama and development xD

Madoka's director directed the first season

hmmm.... can't remember if i already tried it already... but guess it has nothing to do, even on the art department , right ?

[Maerskian]

Originally Posted by MisaoFan

I'm glad you enjoyed it, despite having some of your problems you had with Hellsing. I'm currently enjoying it too, yet I have less flaws I had to deal with. I'm also expecting the story to get better, and I thought Akane is a fragile yet very cute cop and I hope she get some character development too.

Still can't say that i enjoy it exactly ....
Just watched episode 2 and it doesn't get any better; the show still needs to develop so we can decide what Psycho-Pass is really about ... time will tell

[Dawnstorm]

Originally Posted by Maerskian

Still can't say that i enjoy it exactly ....
Just watched episode 2 and it doesn't get any better; the show still needs to develop so we can decide what Psycho-Pass is really about ... time will tell

Well, it's by the writer of Madoka, so I suspect the key line so far is: "Fools learn by experience."

- Hyakko : Highly recommended for fans of Azumanga Daioh, Nichijou, Hidamari Sketch ... etc ... but after a couple eps. would say the aforementioned shows are on a different league ...

I actually like Hyakko. I'd agree it's no masterpiece, though some sequences do approach it (for example, the skit when stand-offish girl goes home thinking her "friends" have abandoned her was, I think, brilliant). The show indulges in stereotypes; it's its strength.

[Maerskian]

Originally Posted by Dawnstorm

Well, it's by the writer of Madoka, so I suspect the key line so far is: "Fools learn by experience."

... can't deny i'm expecting a more sci-fi development here, considering the environment & studio behind.... in fact, i'm kinda "thirsty" for a decent sci-fi show

I actually like Hyakko. I'd agree it's no masterpiece, though some sequences do approach it (for example, the skit when stand-offish girl goes home thinking her "friends" have abandoned her was, I think, brilliant). The show indulges in stereotypes; it's its strength.

Not sure yet... first 2 episodes didn't leave much of an impression; concerning comedy shows, i'm more oriented to short-gag/random based jokes, the weirder & the more japanese-minded the better ... Hyakko seems too average ... at least to my eyes, although will give it some more chances.

Btw, finally started wit Kodomo no Jikan . As previously advised, it has some strange setting, although it's undeniable that internet made most people kinda shock-proof concerning several subjects that before could be more controversial .

2 Episodes so far, and while it's nothing outstanding by itself, i'm curious as to how they'll develop the story since there's not any other show to be compared with.

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita:

Already at episode 9 . Definitely this show had gigantic potential to be one of the typical names that remains in your memory years after .... but IMHO they failed to exploit the good points, not to mention they can't seem to be able to keep the balance between each part of the different arcs; this is clear in the first episodes, where they raise the level towar the end of first episode... but the last ep. of this arc is mostly a way out of the story and nothing else... almost forgettable....

Last episode (9) was great, and displayed the very same potential from the first episode, and even more , a great improvement considering the previous two arcs didn't fit exactly with the potential pace this show aimed to in the beginning .
This isn't exactly a good thing, considering the most interesting episode was just this short.... so right now i'm anticipating another 2-3 ep arc with another uninteresting/random story .... quite the let down.

On a side note: i absolutely love the voice of the main seiyuu... or more exactly, the way she uses it

[Dawnstorm]

Originally Posted by Maerskian

... can't deny i'm expecting a more sci-fi development here, considering the environment & studio behind.... in fact, i'm kinda "thirsty" for a decent sci-fi show

I'm expecting a fairly standard cyberpunk show, to be honest. It's already got the noir feel. Gen is a good fit for the genre. Maybe with a touch of Phillip K. Dick psychodelia.

If you're fine with what's probably going to turn into an epic, give Shin Sekai Yori a chance. It's best show of this season so far (although first cracks are already showing, and many SF shows fall apart once you have a good grasp of the setting; this show's setting seems fairly complex, though.)

Have you seen Dennou Coil?

Not sure yet... first 2 episodes didn't leave much of an impression; concerning comedy shows, i'm more oriented to short-gag/random based jokes, the weirder & the more japanese-minded the better ... Hyakko seems too average ... at least to my eyes, although will give it some more chances.

Coincidence would have it that I'd just re-watched a couple of episodes of Hyakko, before you brought it up. There's a thread about action girls and sexism in the gener discussion area, and it reminded me of a scene in Hyakko, which I might want to quote if I ever joined the thread. Found the scene in the second half of episode 4. It involves the first appearance of grade schoolers in front of that chicken/atom statue.

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita:

Already at episode 9 . Definitely this show had gigantic potential to be one of the typical names that remains in your memory years after .... but IMHO they failed to exploit the good points, not to mention they can't seem to be able to keep the balance between each part of the different arcs; this is clear in the first episodes, where they raise the level towar the end of first episode... but the last ep. of this arc is mostly a way out of the story and nothing else... almost forgettable....

Last episode (9) was great, and displayed the very same potential from the first episode, and even more , a great improvement considering the previous two arcs didn't fit exactly with the potential pace this show aimed to in the beginning .
This isn't exactly a good thing, considering the most interesting episode was just this short.... so right now i'm anticipating another 2-3 ep arc with another uninteresting/random story .... quite the let down.

On a side note: i absolutely love the voice of the main seiyuu... or more exactly, the way she uses it

I do agree the show doesn't really live up to its full potential often, but I like the show even at its worst. As a side note, I love the genre parodies (the kitty-nautilus fight being a double Jules Verne reference, for example).

[jahopp]

I hardly ever post, I'm more of a lurker. But this thread has given so many good tips to one who had lost all hope of actually watching decent anime again, thank you

In return I suggest you bump Level E on your list. It actually had me laughing out loud while I was alone in my apartment, this does not happen often I assure you. It's filled with dark humor and jokes you really should not be laughing at but you can't help yourself.

I liked the first few episodes the best, but I found most of them to be hilarious.

It's a very odd series, but since you don't seem to mind I suggest you give it a go