Author Topic: What Anime are you watching? (Read 481560 times)

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3090 on:** Jul 17, 2023, 06:13:37 PM »

Zom episode 2 was okay. Couldn't match the energy of the first one, but that's not uncommon.

I finished watching Exception the other night. I know I've made clear my disdain for CG anime many times over, and don't get me wrong, this one IS ugly, but something about it grabbed me and didn't let go. The plotting, the pacing, the characters are all exceptional (Hyuck!) -- it's really only the animation that drags it down.

Something about it just reminds me of how sci-fi anime used to be back in the early to mid '90s. Feels like it arrived from a bygone era with its Yoshitaka Amano character designs and haunting instrumental end credits.

Might be slow for some, but I watched it over the course of a week, and I feel pretty good about it.

Rodent of Unusual Size · « **Reply #3091 on:** Jul 19, 2023, 11:07:14 PM »

There's a lot of shlock out there this season. Yet I'm watching, like, a quarter of it, anyway. Why I do this to myself I don't really know.

B E C K · « **Reply #3092 on:** Jul 22, 2023, 09:10:15 AM »

So sort of a summary, sort of not, with the stuff I'm watching. I've stuck with:

1. My Happy Marriage. Really like this one. It's cozy and pretty to look at. Period age romance with low fantasy elements in that some of them have powers. I read that the author threw in the fact the characters have powers at behest of her editor in order to differentiate her work from other similar stories. Her editor made the right call. Because the core story was intended to work without them, the fact that some of the characters have magical powers adds a level of interest and is still woven enough into the story that it doesn't feel forgotten or, like, a superfluous element.

2. The Most Heretical Boss Queen. I like this show but I feel it's too early to say it's good because the last two villaness shows I watched let me down after a few episodes and I expect this show to do the same. Like the Bakarina show, it's at a point where the characters are still young. I expect I'll lose interest as soon as the characters grow up because then the main plot of the villaness actively averting her fate plot will likely grind itself to a halt. We'll see.

3. Rurouni Kenshin. I thought I'd dump this one. I decided to give it more than one episode only because of FMA: Brotherhood. I was actually really put off by that show when I first watched it and I actually jumped aboard the Brotherhood train several episodes into it. I still think the first episode of RK was kinda not good. The OP and ED music is bad. It's not growing on me at all. I will say I kinda liked these last couple of episodes with Yahiko. In the old show, Yahiko was already living at the dojo by episode three. It did actually feel nice to have a little breathing room in this regard. The main characters also have a prettiness about them that I just enjoy looking at.

4. Lvl 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero. I'm kinda sticking with this one. I like the chemistry between the main characters. The plot of the hero's buddies being on two opposing factions is interesting. I don't care for the more fan servicey parts but the show as a whole manages to stay amusing and it having a progressing plot (instead of being a meandering slice of life show) is a big plus in my book.

5. Zom 100. I'm not sure I'm sticking with it. I did go look at the manga and the main character simps and makes me cringe. If he was half as cool as he's portrayed in the official artwork, I wouldn't be so put off. I don't like his love interest either. I am interested in the other two main characters. Or at least in seeing them animated.

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For stuff I tried, I watched a bit of the Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 and dropped it after, like, ten minutes. All it did was make me want the youthful adventures of Utahime, Mei Mei, and Shoko. But this is the Gojo show so we can't have nice things. It's so weird, man. Gojo was a huge part of the draw for me in Jujutsu Kaisen. Every time he appeared, it's like "Cool! It's Gojo."

Now I can't fucking stand this guy. What the fuck happened? Why do I find him soooo annoying? Is it that stupid shit-eating grin that's on his face all the freaking time? The minute he appeared in this show, all of the air got sucked out of the room and my skin itched. He's so fucking annoying! Is it because I liked him as a smug man and not a smug brat? Is it because a third of his face isn't covered up anymore and seeing his eyes so often is creepy? I don't understand why I'm so triggered by a character I used to like so much.

I also really don't care for the Tenjo Tenge shit this show/manga does of going back in time for a huge chunk of the story. It's just a weak story-telling element in general.

B E C K · « **Reply #3093 on:** Jul 22, 2023, 06:34:06 PM »

I was already going to watch at least the first episode of this but that announcer, tho'...

B E C K · « **Reply #3094 on:** Jul 22, 2023, 07:20:55 PM »

I'm watching a bit of that The Girl I like Forgot Her Glasses show and I'm just...well...

1. This show feels like it was generated by AI.

2. How the fuck does someone that blind forget her glasses? Honestly, it'd be a sweeter concept if she wasn't so fuckin' blind. There's no way someone that vision-challenged forgets their glasses. Give her enough vision to see but not be able to read. It'd be basically the same and far less ridiculous. Her face is flopped inside the book in order to read it, come on!

It'd be neat if she was being smooth and just pretending to be that blind and "forgetting" her glasses but I have a feeling that's not where this show is going.

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3095 on:** Jul 22, 2023, 08:19:07 PM »

See, when I watched the first episode of Squinty Girl, I was like, "What is all this weird shit they're doing with camera angles and whatnot? The backgrounds and set dressing are all CG, cool!"

And then I watched another show about a woman living with her giant bipedal cat produced by the same studio, and it's doing all the same shit! So your AI comment holds water, because it's like they've come up with this way of expediting everything that isn't character animation.

Still, I kind of like Squinty Girl.

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3096 on:** Jul 22, 2023, 08:22:21 PM »

That other thing with the announcer... Bandai uses that same announcer for their Tekken 8 character trailers, and I'm sick to death of his ridiculous enunciating.

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3097 on:** Jul 22, 2023, 08:22:58 PM »

Rodent of Unusual Size · « **Reply #3098 on:** Jul 22, 2023, 10:37:36 PM »

Re: My Happy Marriage, I read the LNs on which this show is based, and I'm down for the show, despite not having watched the first episode yet.

B E C K · « **Reply #3099 on:** Jul 23, 2023, 09:32:09 AM »

Quote from: Rodent of Unusual Size on Jul 22, 2023, 10:37:36 PM

Re: My Happy Marriage, I read the LNs on which this show is based, and I'm down for the show, despite not having watched the first episode yet.

It's cozy. Even with the stuff that goes down in it, it maintains a cozy vibe to it.

Quote from: jonhammstein on Jul 22, 2023, 08:22:58 PM

Holy crabby-patties! Thank you for posting this! I saw a pic floating around and didn't know what this was. That was great, too.

Quote from: jonhammstein on Jul 22, 2023, 08:19:07 PM

See, when I watched the first episode of Squinty Girl, I was like, "What is all this weird shit they're doing with camera angles and whatnot? The backgrounds and set dressing are all CG, cool!"

In a way, it almost feels kinda meta. Like "her vision's fucked up and now so is yours." The walking, especially the beginning, was giving me Robert Crumb Keep on Truckin' vibes. I legit wondered for a moment (just a moment) if this is a show for stoners or something before it hit me that it's just the studio being lazy. And Squinty Girl's hair, man. It's like it's alive sometimes. Also... she kinda, um, has a mullet.

I don't think I'll watch anything more of it past what I've seen already for the second episode but its silly concept combined with its generally inoffensive nature definitely tips its toe into "so dumb it's good" territory. That this simp-in-training needs his crush to be this level of helpless is kinda skeevy but the girl seemingly reciprocating improves it. For the stew scene, it was weird that the jokes were the amount of soup or meat/potatoes. Shouldn't this mole be missing the entire bowl? Also, there was a transition shot of the sky with two layers of clouds moving in opposite directions. It's barely a second long but I thought it was funny.

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3100 on:** Jul 23, 2023, 01:40:46 PM »

Everything about it seems perfectly innocent so far. If it starts dipping into ecchi territory, I'll probably drop it, as the characters seem quite young, borderline childlike.

And her hair? Yeah. It's like hair on top of hair on top of hair. No one has that many follicles, guys.

B E C K · « **Reply #3101 on:** Jul 23, 2023, 07:50:21 PM »

I don't think it will go ecchi at all. It had a chance to upskirt and didn't. It appears it's trying to be sweet. I just find it skeevy when stories have someone's crush being in a state of helplessness and it's seen as cute or hot. This girl's blind as a bat and instead of being worried about her falling down the stairs and breaking her neck, this dude is quietly squeeing.

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3102 on:** Jul 24, 2023, 03:13:32 AM »

True enough, it's the age-old "baby girl needs helper boy so that she can function as a human being" anime trope. But it's pretty light-hearted here.

Do you remember Chobits at all? I seem to recall a scene where he had to show her how to wipe after she went potty.

B E C K · « **Reply #3103 on:** Jul 24, 2023, 07:57:55 PM »

I never watched it because I didn't like the look of it. Good to know, I guess.

Rodent of Unusual Size · « **Reply #3104 on:** Jul 25, 2023, 06:13:34 PM »

I was going to comment on Chobits, but now that I think about it I really don't remember that much of it aside from very broad strokes. I was binging a lot of stuff when I watched it (back when I was getting 3 DVDs from Netflix at a time), and there's been a lot of water under the bridge since then.

B E C K · « **Reply #3105 on:** Aug 08, 2023, 10:45:46 PM »

So Rurouni Kenshin might've gotten dumped. It's not terrible but it doesn't inspire me to watch it. It might end up being a binge, especially as shit starts to go down in the plot.

I watched a bit of Handa-kun on Tubi. What the fuck even is this anime? The first ten or so minutes of side characters figuratively wanking Handa was so fucking weird. Like "baby's first OC" where the author keeps trying to convince the reader how cool their favorite character is. EW. The basic idea that this guy is fucking clueless and thinks people hate him or something is actually a really interesting concept to me. But this show doesn't let that concept fly on its own. Almost like it thinks the audience is too stupid to get the joke.

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3106 on:** Aug 09, 2023, 12:02:44 AM »

Speaking of dumps, I'm done with Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero. The relationship dynamic between the two central characters got a little too twisted for me. Also, the overarching narrative about political intrigue was completely unnecessary. This could have been one of those five minute sitcoms where they just hang around the apartment goofing off forever. Ah well.

B E C K · « **Reply #3107 on:** Aug 09, 2023, 01:11:48 PM »

Quote from: jonhammstein on Aug 09, 2023, 12:02:44 AM

Speaking of dumps, I'm done with Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero. The relationship dynamic between the two central characters got a little too twisted for me. Also, the overarching narrative about political intrigue was completely unnecessary. This could have been one of those five minute sitcoms where they just hang around the apartment goofing off forever. Ah well.

Those are two of the things I enjoy about it! I'll tell you though, I wasn't 100% sold on the art style but I've come to really like it. It has soul somehow.

Rodent of Unusual Size · « **Reply #3108 on:** Aug 10, 2023, 02:31:31 PM »

I liked the manga, so I'll stick with it for now.

B E C K · « **Reply #3109 on:** Aug 10, 2023, 05:52:59 PM »

Yeah, I've already read what's available translated. I need moar.

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3110 on:** Aug 10, 2023, 09:51:28 PM »

Also dropped Undead Girl Murder Farce. Too much sitting around talking in sensibly furnished rooms. Anytime an anime could have just as easily been live action without losing anything of value, I'm out.

Apparently Jujutsu is off for month, and I'm actually okay with that if it means they're trying to maintain quality. For a TV anime, it's been really nice looking so far.

B E C K · « **Reply #3111 on:** Aug 11, 2023, 10:17:01 PM »

I watched a clip of Undead Girl Murder Farce and it was weird. I think it might've been the music or something. It was like, why upload a clip this boring, Crunchyroll? Meh.

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3112 on:** Aug 12, 2023, 08:50:38 AM »

I mean, they could have uploaded a fight scene, but then people would be pissed when they find out the show is 95% not fight scenes.

So good on Crunchyroll for being honest, I guess.

I finished what's available of Vinland Saga. Covered roughly 100 chapters of the manga, and there've been around 200 chapters total so far. I immediately picked up reading where the anime left off... but then I was like, "Nah, I'll wait."

Who knows when there'll eventually be a third season, but I feel like with this story I'll be a little bit bored if I already know what's going to happen.

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3113 on:** Aug 16, 2023, 01:12:49 PM »

Started watching Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon. Dare I say I've finally managed to find an isekai that I can actually enjoy?

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3114 on:** Aug 16, 2023, 04:05:24 PM »

It's probably a little early to be posting this, but the summer has been a bit of a dud for me, so I'm already looking forward to the next batch of anime. I can't recall if I've mentioned it before, but I pull all these trailers from https://anichart.net

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3115 on:** Aug 16, 2023, 04:14:16 PM »

Found another one...

I mean, if it's being done by Science Saru, it qualifies as anime, right?

B E C K · « **Reply #3116 on:** Aug 16, 2023, 08:51:04 PM »

Quote from: jonhammstein on Aug 16, 2023, 04:14:16 PM

Found another one...

I mean, if it's being done by Science Saru, it qualifies as anime, right?

"Michael Cera is Scott Pilgrim." Yeeeeah, NO.

Then again, it's Netflix so I could just choose another language.

B E C K · « **Reply #3117 on:** Aug 16, 2023, 10:25:10 PM »

Also, been a bit curious about that vending machine anime. Maybe I'll give it a try. I dunno.

Quote from: jonhammstein on Aug 16, 2023, 04:05:24 PM

Frieren's been on my list. What I didn't know is that it's gonna premiere with a 2-hour special. And it's directed by the director of Bocchi the Rock. I have high hopes for it. Crossing my fingers that it delivers.

Quote

I'm not sure if this looks good or not.

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I'd love a good detective anime but I don't have any faith in that being pulled off. Doesn't it mean this can't be good but the fact it has a detective makes me want a good detective anime where the viewer gets taken for a ride but can solve the mystery if they're eagle-eyed enough.

I saw the trailer for the twin one the other day and still don't know what it's supposed to be. So this family has a pair of twins except they think it's one person? Have you read the manga for this or something? Am I supposed to be this confused.

My current list for Fall, outside of Frieren, has stuff I probably already posted:

The Apothecary Diaries. I'm looking for this one to be one of my number ones for the season. I really enjoy the manga.

Tearmoon Empire. I think this one will be very hit or miss. I think it has a good hook but I'm not confident will keep me coming back past the first episode.

Shangrila Frontier. [Insert Tekken announcer voice here] I honestly don't expect this one to keep me interested either. I'm curious about it, though. The main dude being some bird head guy instead of a Kirito or some shit is something different and interesting.

Saint's Power is Omnipotent Season Two. After all the shit I shat on the first season, it was inoffensive enough that I'm curious for more. This might be something that I save for a binge. I can't seem to find a trailer either.

I'm Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness. Get a shorter fuckin' title. It looks kind of stupid but it might also be one of those guilty pleasure animes where you can forget you have brain cells and watch something dumb. So does this one:

I'm in Love with the Villainess. An anime with a girl simping a girl in her otome game. Let's go.

Ragna Crimson. Keeping it on my list but I don't think I'll like it or stick with it. I guess I'm curious about it.

MF Ghost. Taking title suggestions from The BFG, are we? It's actually an Initial D sequel. I didn't even know this was a thing. I'm jazzed to hear some Eurobeat in the trailer.

Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me. Another mouthful of a title. The girl looks cute. Reminds me of less pure Marin. Awwww, that's not nice. I've been told it's kinda sad. That the girl just sort of gets used by everybody she's with.

A Girl and Her Guard Dog. I like the style of it anyway but that this trailer all "LOOK! AGE GAP! ONLY 15!" is a worrisome. But also, this 26 year old yakuza is 21 Jump Streeting himself into her highschool. No matter how tame it takes things, it's still gonna feel skeevy but I'm curious. Especially when yakuza are involved.

jonhammstein · « **Reply #3118 on:** Aug 17, 2023, 12:05:08 AM »

I'll be perfectly honest, I just go to that Anichart site every season and literally watch every trailer, taking note of the ones that pique my interest. I usually don't know anything about these shows beyond that, with some exceptions.

Frieren, I remember you mentioning here before.

Undead Unluck, I tried reading when it debuted, dropped it after a few chapters and predicted that it would be canceled before long. It's still running to this day, and now there's an anime, so I have to assume it got better? This is just me giving it a second chance. It kind of looks like ass though, similar to Mashle.

KamiErabi God.app is more of that revolting CG that I loathe, but it's a Yoko Taro joint, so I'm compelled to give it a shot.

Similar deal with Gamera. It's Gamera. I have to watch a new Gamera show. I just have to.

Rodent of Unusual Size · « **Reply #3119 on:** Aug 18, 2023, 08:40:41 AM »

I don't usually go by trailers because they just show off the fun, fluffy parts. I typically hit ANN's preview at the start of every season, read what they have to say, pick a few to start, and adjust accordingly. Unfortunately, this isn't as helpful as it used to be...the reviewers I paid the most attention to are now gone, and those who are left don't really jive well with what passes for my taste.

Regarding this season, I've been downloading a ton of stuff, but I haven't gotten around to watching most of it since I've been binging the newest season of Bastard! lately.