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Old 2012-12-09, 00:21   Link #121
Darthtabby
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jesh462 View Post
A danger to my soul? How could I resist?
I at least try out every suggestion.
I just finished Ga-Rei Zero tonight also. The first few episodes really put me off but I stuck it out. It turns out that I really ended up loving Kagura and Yomi's story. While it made me tear up a lot more than Broken Blade, I do feel that the latter was the better anime in the end.
Maybe the whole demon hunting thing felt a little too generic to me, at least the way it was portrayed in Ga-Rei Zero.
I'll keep the manga in mind for when I go back to work, but I'm on vacation for a little!


p.s. Once I watch Fate Zero and Full Metal Panic I'll have seen all your suggestions! I've kinda been saving both, since I already know I'll like them a lot. You better come back with more!
Ga-Rei Zero is way better than the shounen manga its a prequel to. In some respects I think its actually better when viewed as a stand along series rather than a prequel. It's great on its own but it doesn't actually match the tone and style of the manga its supposed to be a prequel to very well.

On the other hand if you end up liking Full Metal Panic then I highly recommend checking out the fan translations of the later novels in the series. The anime adapted less than half the novels and there's some absolutely awesome stuff in the later books.

Last edited by Darthtabby; 2012-12-09 at 01:04. Reason: Removed part of my post since I got this thread and another mixed up.
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Old 2012-12-24, 07:48   Link #122
jesh462
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That's some great info, thanks Darthtabby. I've always wanted to read a novel written in Japanese, but sadly I'm not at the point yet where I'm that literate. I'll definitely look into those novels. I'm currently on Haibane Renmei and when I'm done, I'll be watching FMP and then The Second Raid. =)

::edit::
I just got done with Haibane Renmei. Because of the slice of life approach, it never really pulled me in strongly. While interesting at first, the world isn't as beautiful as Aria or as cute as Kimi no Todoke. It's not very funny, either. The last three or four episodes started getting more interesting. I wasn't sure how it would accomplish getting tears out of me, but it did at the very end. I ended up enjoying Haibane Renmei, but it's not one of my favorites.

Last edited by jesh462; 2012-12-24 at 21:54.
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Old 2012-12-25, 05:34   Link #123
NinjaRealist
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Originally Posted by jesh462 View Post
That's some great info, thanks Darthtabby. I've always wanted to read a novel written in Japanese, but sadly I'm not at the point yet where I'm that literate. I'll definitely look into those novels. I'm currently on Haibane Renmei and when I'm done, I'll be watching FMP and then The Second Raid. =)

::edit::
I just got done with Haibane Renmei. Because of the slice of life approach, it never really pulled me in strongly. While interesting at first, the world isn't as beautiful as Aria or as cute as Kimi no Todoke. It's not very funny, either. The last three or four episodes started getting more interesting. I wasn't sure how it would accomplish getting tears out of me, but it did at the very end. I ended up enjoying Haibane Renmei, but it's not one of my favorites.
Well I'm glad you enjoyed it even if it wasn't the most compelling anime you've seen. Dunno if this was clear to you, but the most popular interpretation is that:

Spoiler:
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Old 2013-02-26, 00:56   Link #124
jesh462
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It's been forever since I've updated!
I finally got through all of Full Metal Panic! It's definitely on my favorites list. I simply love the plot lines, the characters, the music, the art, it's all gorgeous without feeling too "CG".
The story shone most for me in season 1, along with the possibility of something occurring between Sousuke and Kaname. I really wanted it to happen.. and after the start, everything just got put on hold. In the second season, the episode where Kaname cut Sousuke's hair was the most sexually intense thing I've witnessed in the anime format, and there wasn't even nudity! All of that season, I thought, did a great job of focusing on the relationships between people more than pushing the story forward. I loved it.. but it really leaves me wanting season 3.
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Old 2013-02-26, 23:17   Link #125
Sackett
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I'll come back and suggest Space Battleship Yamato 2199 again. You liked Crest of the Stars, so I'm betting you'll like Yamato. Link has the trailer.

I'll also recommend Maison Ikkoku again. It does start off a little slow, but it is one of the most satisfying romances I've watched. 96 episodes long and I've rewatched it four times. Still love to just sit and listen to the music.

Has a great soundtrack. Here are a few samples to whet your interest:

Bells Ring In The Dawn
Hello Sadness
Will There Be Sunshine Tomorrow
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Old 2013-02-26, 23:19   Link #126
deadlights911
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BTOOOM! has a couple scenes that can be pretty moving. I normally hate dark anime, but BTOOOM! was one of the exceptions. Like Welcome to the NHK, BTOOOM! is brutally dark and it doesn’t shy away from the darker side of human nature/life at the same time it has it’s happy moments… well, I don’t want to spoil too much for you, you’ve just got to watch it for yourself.

The first episode is a bit boring and generic, but get past that and you’ll enjoy it a lot.

It is a pretty mature show with content such as rape (nothing TOO explicit but still…), bloody violence, insanity, abuse, etc.
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Old 2013-02-27, 00:46   Link #127
jesh462
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Thanks for the replies Sackett and deadlights911. I'll get to your suggestions right after the show I just started.. Planetes. I feel like it would be nice to experience some more classic anime.

Fate/Zero... sigh. I really wanted to like this one. I just can't, because they murdered Saber. She was so much more interesting in FSN. In this she's just a 2 dimensional predictable character. She's either talking about how bad of a king she was, chivalry, or screaming because she's fighting. That's it. Nothing else, not even once. It doesn't help that most of the time she's drawn with so much masculinity that you could easily mistake her for this guy. (Takuto from Full Moon wo Sagashite)


Seriously! Same hair, same face, same eyes, they both even wear a ribbon to keep their hair up. Just the colors are different. It would have been better if they had turned her into the Moe Blob for this series. That's right. I just said that.

It's not that Fate/Zero was terrible, because it wasn't.. It was just pointless darkness with no reason it. No creativity. Just because something ends tragic and most of your viewers know it doesn't mean that you give up and do the same thing for 25 episodes. There were two things I did like: To some extent was Emiya's backstory, also Waver's relationship with Iskander. They really should have won the grail. Out of all the Servants and Masters, they were the only ones who saw eye to eye and learned to appreciate each other. The rest was just a mess. Sigh. Ok I'm done. Biggest letdown ever, especially since I had heard so much good about it.
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Old 2013-02-27, 03:21   Link #128
Aesthetic Shampoo
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I want to defend Fate/Zero so much but i can't be bothered because it sounds like you simply fell victim to over hype.
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Old 2013-02-27, 06:30   Link #129
MisaoFan
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This is how overhype shouldn't be done. If you watch Fate/Zero for Saber, it results in a major dissapointment, but it's okay if you watch for other aspects though.
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Old 2013-02-28, 18:36   Link #130
jesh462
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Maybe I did fall victim. How are you supposed to tell hype from good info? Many other shows that came highly recommended to me I loved.
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Old 2013-02-28, 20:56   Link #131
Obelisk ze Tormentor
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Originally Posted by jesh462 View Post
Maybe I did fall victim. How are you supposed to tell hype from good info? Many other shows that came highly recommended to me I loved.
Wow, now I’m feeling guilty for recommending Fate/Zero to you . Btw jesh, where do you get the hype for this series from? IIRC in page one, I only said that it has cool characters and the story is more intense than Fate/Stay Night. I’m sorry if you indeed get too hyped by that simple comment . Maybe I forgot to mention that F/Z is really different from F/SN. It’s more like a Greek or Shakespearean tragedy where we slowly watching things going down for most of the characters. Without the disaster in F/Z, there will be no F/SN. Just like watching Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where you know it's not gonna end well. Also, they deliberately not fully explore Saber in this series since she was supposed to have it in Fate/Stay Night (even though Urobuchi still give us more tidbits about her in F/Z). It'll be strange if she was "enlightened" in Zero then going back to her strict self in Stay Night .

Anyway, I’m glad that you really enjoy my other rec, Full Metal Panic! series.

As for how to differentiate good info from hype, I think it all comes down to taste and you have to try the show yourself with moderate expectation. Also, don't easily trust hyperbolic recommendation such as "this show is the best evahh!!" or something like that .
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Old 2013-02-28, 21:35   Link #132
jesh462
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I read more than the recommendations in this thread, so I had seen quite a bit of good about Fate/Zero. Like I said, it wasn't bad, and I knew it was going to end tragically, that's not the problem. I just really hated what they did to Saber and expected a lot more from the plot, seeing how it was based on a novel rather than an eroge like F/SN.
Everyone seemed unanimous in the feeling that F/SN was quite a bit worse than F/Z, lots of comments about how they couldn't even finish F/SN after seeing F/Z, etc. Since I did enjoy F/SN a bit, my expectations came from there. I imagined that show with a tighter plot, no annyoing Shiro, better animation, etc. Well, it did have better animation, or at least more consistent. xD
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Old 2013-02-28, 22:33   Link #133
Obelisk ze Tormentor
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^ Yeah, you’re actually one of few people who can enjoy F/SN anime, just like me . While others just love to bash it to the ground .
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Old 2013-03-01, 00:39   Link #134
jesh462
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Archer was way cooler in F/SN. xD
I liked Iskander way more than the weird Rider in F/SN though. Caster was also fun in F/Z. I knew he would die at some point, but I was a little sad when he did. Lancer was also better.
Spoiler:
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Old 2013-03-01, 04:45   Link #135
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Spoiler:
Spoiler for reply:
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Old 2013-03-01, 23:24   Link #136
deadlights911
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Tell me when you've checked out BTOOOM!
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Old 2013-03-14, 15:42   Link #137
jesh462
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Maison Ikkoku.. Hmm, where should I start. I had fun watching this show, but not as much fun as say, Tenshi no Konamaiki. I liked the characters, but not as much as in Toradora or even a shorter show like SaiKano. The humor was mostly a miss for me. I had a few laugh out loud moments, but most of it seemed too cruel to laugh at. Godai's neighbors are not something I would consider friends. The plot was good, but a bit too predictable. It was fairly obvious from the beginning who was going to end up with whom.
I know it probably would have been different to see this as it was broadcast back in the day. I'm sure it broke a lot of new ground. I feel in some ways Maison Ikkoku is like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Classic and great for their time, but someone else has improved on each aspect of it since then.

Oh and I'm still watching Planetes, I got distracted by Maison Ikkoku and ended up finishing that first.
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Old 2013-03-16, 21:25   Link #138
jesh462
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BTOOOM! has done a great job of keeping me entertained.
Parts of it I don't really like, but all these things following are fairly minor. Ryouta's accent was the first thing that struck me. I don't know where his voice actor is from, but I hate how he accentuates his consonants sharply. Japanese is supposed to be soft and beautiful. The way he talks grates on my ears. This is the first time I've really noticed something I don't like about a Japanese voice actor.
Another thing that bothers me a little is Himiko's character. "I'm just a normal high school girl!" My ass. "Normal except I have blonde hair and blue eyes in a sea of Asian girls. Oh and except the huge tits. Oh yeah, and I maintain this figure even though I also happen to be a gamer girl, leading a sedentary lifestyle. Oh yes, and I also turn to online shooters to escape from reality."
Don't get me wrong. I know plenty of girls play video games online. Many of them are beautiful. I married one. I just think her character would be more convincing if she looked a little less like a porn star, had a reason to live except for Ryouta, and did more than be helpless 80% of the time.
This show also seems to suffer from a syndrome typical to this genre. Ryouta is the designated hero. Unless you're mentally 12 years old or under, you know that no matter what, he's not dead. By extension, Himiko won't die either. That kind of takes out a lot of the suspense that would really turn this show into something worth remembering. For now it's like a Michael Bay film. Mindless entertainment.. In a way like Maison Ikkoku.
There's nothing wrong with that, but can you imagine if Mitaka had slowly gone insane as he grew more and more jealous of Goudai? Then he tortures Kyoko and rapes her, is caught by Yotsuya who murders him. Yotsuya is caught by the police but escapes, a wanted criminal. Godai sinks into a depression and marries Yagami. Years later, while experiencing a flashback of Kyoko, he is killed in a tragic accident. Yagami is left a widow, somehow ending up in Kyoko's place. How many people would see THAT coming? It would definitely have been more memorable for me.
Other than these minor things, BTOOOM! is fun to watch. I'll actually wait around for the second season, when it comes out. For me, that's saying quite a bit. It still has time to improve and differentiate itself.

Discussing Himiko's character, or lack thereof, reminds me of someone who is exactly NOT like her, Tanabe from Planetes.
Planetes is probably about my limit for episodic-ness. The story was still connected enough to keep me watching, but there was less interconnection, I probably would have dropped it.
There were multiple memorable and developed characters, and Tanabe was a lot of fun to watch. I like how they made her "average" looking, but she still sparkled on screen. She was able to shine bright enough to touch the lives of many people around her.
I also liked how they made her pretty even when she cries.
There was a lot of moral issues touched on and the ending left things unresolved. However, I think that doing things in this manner actually made it better. After all, our reality doesn't get a happily ever after. We can still learn from the characters in Planetes and take their message with us though.
There were several moving moments for me while watching this. I was very satisfied, though I don't think it will quite make my favorites.

Last edited by jesh462; 2013-03-16 at 21:44. Reason: I hate typing about anime on a phone...
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Old 2013-03-19, 00:11   Link #139
XGeneral2000
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Glad to see you're still around

If you haven't seen it yet, I'd like to push Steins;Gate one more time, because I really loved it. Another show which I (surprisingly) don't think has been mentioned yet is Bakemonogatari. It's somewhat episodic, but it is still a very interesting show with some very memorable characters.

Finally, I might suggest Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun from just this last year. A very interesting RomCom.
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Old 2013-03-22, 16:26   Link #140
jesh462
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Thanks XGeneral2000! I appreciate the suggestions, too. I'm definitely bumping Steins;Gate up to the top of my list, but for now I'm away from home and can only go off of what I have with me, which is actually quite a lot of anime lol.
I'll add your other suggestions and definitely look into them. Surprisingly my to do list is getting rather short.

I haven't yet finished Saiunkoku Monogatari, but I did watch the first 39 episodes. I think it'd be best to list out pros and cons for this one.
*I love the setting. Something about it, maybe the strong Chinese influence, makes this show almost seem historical rather than fantasy. Almost everything is believable and tangible. It feels like somewhere, in a land far far away, it could have happened.
*By extension, that same historical feel is very nostalgic to me, in a way reminding me of Fushigi Yuugi and Ayashi no Ceres. It makes me feels like I'm watching a classic unfold in front of me.
*So many beautiful characters, all with their own personalities and stories, interweaving, connecting and unfolding in a complex ballet. God, I love this show. Honestly of all the anime I've seen, I think this one manages the large and complex cast the best.
*The music! While there is one tune that sounds a little electronic and out of place, the rest of the soundtrack is incredible. I love the instrument arrangements and the way that the music chosen solidifies the world of Saiunkoku. The music that plays as emotional events unfold is especially memorable, up there with the theme song for Uchuu no Stellvia, although obviously much different.
I was going to try to find a link to the particular piece I love on youtube, but after searching for more than an hour, I give up. It shows up multiple times throughout the episodes, but you can find it in episode 27 about 6 minutes in, although it's not set as prominently as other times.
*Many strong female characters. Better yet, none of them seem to be a pure stereotype. Seien might be the most stereotypical character as a plain strong and silent type. He's still very likeable, though. Also maybe Korin could be the token tsundere or whatever. Luckily I don't have to see her on screen too much.

And finally, the cons.
*It's very hard remembering everyone's name. After finishing the first season, I think I have about 90% of it down right.
This problem could have been alleviated by less names that start with SH but eh. It's a very minor complaint. No matter how bad season 2 is, this show makes my favorites! Thanks to thundrakkon, MUAHAHAHAHAHA and SeijiSensei for suggesting it.

Last edited by jesh462; 2013-03-22 at 17:48.
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