Yeah, really bummed about the third not being up for pre-order myself too. Seems odd given the first two were open for pre-orders months in advance. Maybe they're still putting together/figuring out what the bonus is going to be for those that pre-ordered all three.
Just got a reply to my e-mail though and they're saying pre-orders will ship no later than tomorrow.
[quote name='Shoulda Been Harvey']Just got a reply to my e-mail though and they're saying pre-orders will ship no later than tomorrow.[/QUOTE]
Good to know, I've been anxiously awaiting pouring over the next booklet. That first one was just so incredibly interesting to a superfan like myself.
Speaking of Utena, two of my friends just hit episode 34 the other day and now they're foaming at the mouth to finish. Man, I love how I fall in love with this show all over again every time I watch it.
I finally caved in and got my first manga EVAR. I ended up getting Azumanga Daioh. I loved the anime series so I thought I should pick up the manga.
My only concern now is my current lack of space. I barely have enough room for all of my anime DVDs, so I don't want to start picking up a ton of manga.
I'm thinking about putting manga purchasing on hold until I buy a tablet and buy manga digitally. How is the digital manga scene looking like on tablets anyway?
[quote name='XxFuRy2Xx']I'm thinking about putting manga purchasing on hold until I buy a tablet and buy manga digitally. How is the digital manga scene looking like on tablets anyway?[/QUOTE]
Slow but growing. Viz and Dark Horse have iPad apps but they barely have any content (i.e. very few series available and never current releases). Buying hardcopies is still the best way to go. But for manga not licensed in US, scanlations are amazing on tablets!
I got a question y'all: I want to see GTO but I'm not sure if I should watch the anime or read the manga. I haven't read hardly any manga (in general) before, but I hear the manga for GTO might be better. Everyone who reads manga almost always says the manga is better than the anime though, so I'm not sure.
Same question for Monster. Are there any mangas in particular that stand way above their anime counterparts (besides CLAMP stuff)?
Finished up FMP: Fumoffu and started on The Second Raid (which looks badass, haha). I also started Mushi-shi, which seems cool so far.
Also, I'm kind of now regretting being all gung-ho about buying the singles/collections of almost all of my anime DVDs rather than thinpaks, lol. Takes up so much damn space. >.
The GTO manga is much better than the anime series. The thing about GTO is that the anime caught up to the manga when the manga was at volume 14 (out of 25), so everything past that is different from the manga and the anime ending is much worse.
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Same question for Monster. Are there any mangas in particular that stand way above their anime counterparts (besides CLAMP stuff)?[/QUOTE]
I prefer the Monster anime to the manga, simply because it's a more immersive experience. The anime follows the manga almost *exactly*, so go with whatever you think you'd prefer.
And the Nausicaa manga is so very much better than the film. I think the Evangelion manga might be a bit stronger than the anime, too, for the tweaks they made to it.
Are there any mangas in particular that stand way above their anime counterparts (besides CLAMP stuff)?
[/QUOTE]
I almost always go with the original source, so to me if the anime is better it would be the exception and not the norm. For example Rurouni Kenshin and Ranma 1/2 anime are just filter after they caught up and only manga has the true ending. Other like One Piece got tone down in anime form. It is pretty common in anime to see character's personality changed or minor characters getting bigger role from the manga.
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']I prefer the Monster anime to the manga, simply because it's a more immersive experience. The anime follows the manga almost *exactly*, so go with whatever you think you'd prefer.
[/QUOTE]
They are very similar but I strongly recommend avoiding the slow pacing of the anime. The book reads much better since you can cover so much more of the story so quickly. The anime really plods along and feels very dry in comparison.
The GTO anime is really beautiful and one of my fav ever. Outrageous comedy hijinks and badass shonen fights don't really do well in manga form as far as I'm concerned. Manga that's about drama, dialog, and mystery tends to express itself much better than the anime counterparts.
Thanks for your recommendations. I'm still on the fence about GTO now, though, lol. It's an older show though, so maybe the manga would hold up better? IDK. Is the soundtrack good?
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Thanks for your recommendations. I'm still on the fence about GTO now, though, lol. It's an older show though, so maybe the manga would hold up better? IDK. Is the soundtrack good?[/QUOTE]
Just do both. It's worth it.
Been awhile since I posted here, since then finished Eden of the East which was great. Decided to watch it after seeing some recommendations in this thread. Although I wish they would have went with a second season instead of 2 movies. Also finally finished Samurai Champloo after seeing a smattering of episodes over the years. Loved the style and the music. The story was the only thing that was a little bit of a let down. Too many loose ends but still a great show.
Currently watching Usagi Drop which is adorable and seems like the best show out of the season. Tried to watch that Mawaru Penguindrum but it bores me, haven't seen the latest episodes yet though.
I recently finished watching Animation Runner Kuromi and Angel Beats.
Animation Runner Kuromi was fantastic; I loved it, haha. Not only does it provide some interesting insight on animation production, albeit it's probably dated now because of the advent of digital productions, but it's also amazingly charming and funny. Also, the English dub was fantastic; Lisa Ortiz pulled off Kuromi's character without a hitch. I need to watch Animation Runner Kuromi 2 soon; I can't wait to see those characters again.
I actually ended up watching the English dub of Angel Beats. I was quite conflicted during the first episode on which to watch, switching back and forth between the language tracks. After hearing how completely off Clannad's English dub was, I didn't want a new experience to be sullied by a bad dub. I watched three episodes of High School of the Dead in English at Anime Expo, and it wasn't bad, albeit I've heard some pretty bad things about the dub in general that didn't make an appearance in the first three episodes. Both of those dubs were directed by Stephen Foster, and Angel Beats' English dub was also directed by Stephen Foster. Eventually I just said it and stuck with the English dub for the hell of it, haha.
Angel Beats' English dub actually was pretty good. It did falter in some areas like the mouth flaps, name pronunciations (it's Yoo-ree-peh, not Yoo-rip-ee, dammit, haha), and execution, but overall I enjoyed it. Some of the voice actors really pulled off their roles, like Hilary Haag as Yui, Luci Christian as Iwasawa, and Emily Neves as Kanade; Blake Shepard as Otonashi, Brittney Karbowski as Yuri, and David Matranga as Hinata eventually grew on me, so I enjoyed their performances as well.
Anyway, after that long introduction, I should probably talk about the show itself, haha. It's pretty darn good. It's not on the same level as other stories written by Jun Maeda, like Air, Kanon, and Clannad, but it has the same styling/structure as those stories: a mixture of comedy and drama. The comedy works amazingly well. The funniest moments in the show were definitely in the episode where
the Afterlife Battlefront ruins Angel's tests. Hinata and Takamatsu flying into the ceiling was hilarious, and it was made even better with the replays and the slow, soothing music from the show's ending theme
. Another hilarious moment is when
the Afterlife Battlefront is making their first trek to The Guild. In one of the rooms, the floor falls out, and Hinata is stuck hanging onto Yuri. Hinata tries climbing up Yuri, but puts his hand in the wrong spot, resulting in Yuri kicking Hinata to his death in the abyss below. While Hinata was falling, he screamed out, "You bitch!" which was incredibly hilarious, haha
. The dramatic, heartfelt moments aren't quite polished, but they're pretty good. I think if the show had more time to draw out its story and develop its characters it would have been more impactful. For example, the ending felt kind of rushed, which meant it wasn't as powerful as intended, such as
the scene where Otonashi and Kanade are the last two members left. Otonashi confesses his love to Kanade and Kanade explains that she hasn't passed on because she hasn't thanked him for the heart that he gave her after his death. Otonashi becomes heartbroken at the thought of Kanade passing on, Kanade says her thanks, and she passes on, leaving Otonashi behind. It's depressing and touching, but I didn't completely buy their love for each other, since the show barely spent any time developing their relationship
.
The drama that did work — amazingly well, in fact — was from episode 10. Episode 10 was my favorite episode of the show. It was about
Otonashi getting Yui to pass on. This episode was very touching and it reminded me the most of Air, Kanon, and Clannad, since it's about a dude helping a girl out with her problems, haha. The ending to the episode was amazing too. Hinata actually got Yui to pass on by confessing his love to her, and how he intended to marry her and that it didn't matter that she was paralyzed in real life. This was a relationship I could buy. It wasn't fully developed, but Hinata and Yui had chemistry and moments together that I thought Otonashi and Kanade were lacking
.
Then there's the music. Jun Maeda also composed the music, like he does for his other shows, and Angel Beats is no different in quality; Angel Beats' music was phenomenal. The background music was amazing, but what really blew me away was the music by the band in the show, Girls Dead Monster; the insert songs, like Yui's song in episode 10; and the opening and ending themes. Also, I can't forget to mention how fantastic Angel Beats looks. P.A. Works really kicked ass in the animation department, which really shouldn't be a surprise to me, since they are producing Hanasaku Iroha and that looks fantastic as well.
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Thanks for your recommendations. I'm still on the fence about GTO now, though, lol. It's an older show though, so maybe the manga would hold up better? IDK. Is the soundtrack good?[/QUOTE]
I just watched all of GTO last year, holds up great has a personal fav soundtrack of mine with Porno Graffiti and L'arc En Ciel providing awesome intros.
I ended up watching Gurren Lagann. I had actually run into the show on SyFy a few times, but usually mid-way through the show, and I never liked what I saw. Watching it from the beginning makes a massive difference. This is definitely one of the best mecha anime shows I've seen, and a damn good anime period. Especially if you love over the top shows.
Am I the only one who thought Gurren Lagann wasn't that great? I always thought that when something was over the top, it isn't meant to be taken seriously.
[quote name='moon_knight']Am I the only one who thought Gurren Lagann wasn't that great? I always thought that when something was over the top, it isn't meant to be taken seriously.[/QUOTE]
It's clearly not meant to be taken seriously. That doesn't mean it can't be great.
Gaogaigar is another example of a mecha that goes over the top and actually parodies a lot of the mecha cliches, but it's damn good too.
Also, Kirin is not a fan of GL either, so you aren't the only one who is wrong.
Finished watching The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye. It was like a cross between Trigun and Eureka Seven, and if you liked either/both of those series then I recommend checking out The Third. Awesome heroine, solid animation, great English dub and soundtrack, and good art (except for one episode where they changed the art style for no apparent reason which was really confusing, but luckily they only did that for one episode). Some of the story was thin and could have used a few more episodes to explain the background, but I guess you could say that about a lot of anime series. All the main story points are wrapped up by the end of the series so you aren't left wanting more.
Aquarion Complete Series
Blue Seed Complete Series
Pretear Complete Series
Aquarian Age Complete Series
Berserk Complete Series
Ramen Fighter Miki Complete Series
Kyo Kara Maoh! Season 1
Gurren Lagann is still a lot better than Godannar, Gravion or other recent Super Robot anime. There just isn't a lot for Super Robot fan unless you go back to older stuff.
[quote name='moon_knight']Am I the only one who thought Gurren Lagann wasn't that great? I always thought that when something was over the top, it isn't meant to be taken seriously.[/QUOTE]
I didn't enjoy it enough to finish it. The mix of over-the-top style and angst felt off. But I somehow adored Kannazuki no Miko exactly for that mix, so maybe I should give Gurren Lagann another shot.
[quote name='lilman']Finished watching The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye. It was like a cross between Trigun and Eureka Seven, and if you liked either/both of those series then I recommend checking out The Third. Awesome heroine, solid animation, great English dub and soundtrack, and good art (except for one episode where they changed the art style for no apparent reason which was really confusing, but luckily they only did that for one episode). Some of the story was thin and could have used a few more episodes to explain the background, but I guess you could say that about a lot of anime series. All the main story points are wrapped up by the end of the series so you aren't left wanting more.
Next up is Moribito.[/QUOTE]
If anything was ever going to get me to watch The Third, "Trigun + Eureka Seven" is it.
I approve watching Moribito. I honestly can't remember what the overarching story is about, but the character-driven aspect of it coupled with some rare (and awesome) spear-centered action scenes interspersed throughout made it worthwhile.
[quote name='XxFuRy2Xx']I ended up watching Gurren Lagann. I had actually run into the show on SyFy a few times, but usually mid-way through the show, and I never liked what I saw. Watching it from the beginning makes a massive difference. This is definitely one of the best mecha anime shows I've seen, and a damn good anime period. Especially if you love over the top shows.[/QUOTE]
I thought I would like Gurren Lagann, but never thought it would be one of my top three anime after watching all episodes. I absolutely loved it big time, although I'll admit a few episodes later on were not the most interesting (like when Simon was older).
I got both movies at Otakon to Gurren Lagann. Sometime I'll watch them.
I'm finally watching Soul Eater...20 episodes done. I like it so far, but I expect it to falter after a while like others said.
Also finished watching episodes 1-5 of Sacred Seven. What got me to look into it was getting a free poster from Otakon. I actually enjoy it, but I could see why some won't like it (it completely fits the type of anime I love, plus I like Sunrise a ton).
I plan to start either Angel Beats, Baka & Test, or Bacanno for my next anime on blu-ray after Soul Eater finishes.
Plan to start Sket Dance soon, along with other anime currently airing in Japan.
[quote name='ChibiJosh']It's clearly not meant to be taken seriously. That doesn't mean it can't be great.
Gaogaigar is another example of a mecha that goes over the top and actually parodies a lot of the mecha cliches, but it's damn good too.
Also, Kirin is not a fan of GL either, so you aren't the only one who is wrong. [/QUOTE]
The predictable story and cliches are why it can't be great imo.
I finished watching Baccano and Elfen lied and started Samurai Champloo.
[quote name='moon_knight']Am I the only one who thought Gurren Lagann wasn't that great? I always thought that when something was over the top, it isn't meant to be taken seriously.[/QUOTE]
I'm with you on that one.Not dissing it or anything but I just never quite got what the big deal was over it.Sadly I can't say I've watched enough to give a fair judgement.Quit after the 2nd episode,it just didn't hook me in to keep going.Although seeing some nice girls cosplaying as the girl in the series with the bikini top is pretty nice :lol:.
I liked Moribito.It was a good series.Its not good enough where I can say it would be in my top 15, but it wasn't bad.If I had to rate it out a 5 star system I would probably give it a 3.
[quote name='Magiblaze']Sadly I can't say I've watched enough to give a fair judgement.Quit after the 2nd episode,it just didn't hook me in to keep going.Although seeing some nice girls cosplaying as the girl in the series with the bikini top is pretty nice :lol:.
[/QUOTE]
You quit waaaaay before it got good. If you have the time, try giving it another shot.
As for myself, I'm being a lazy ass. I'm only 10 eps into Texhnolyze and I haven't watched a single minute of it all week.
Just watched the Gundam 00 movie. I liked it, thought it was pretty good... then the end happened. That may very well be the worst ending to anything that I've ever seen, that ending.
After what's been probably over seven months of not watching the copy of Sekirei that my friend let me borrow, as well being constantly reminded to watch it, I watched Sekirei, haha.
It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It wasn't amazing; nor was it awful. It was fairly good for what it was. The girls are constantly losing their clothes — either in a fight or for when taking a bath — so there's a lot of bare breasts and panty shots. There were times when I would heave a sigh or groan, but overall it actually didn't bother me, surprisingly. The fighting was probably the best part of the show, since some of the fights are nicely animated. The main part of the story, which is about of all of the Sekirei (the super-powered girls) fighting each other, basically begins at the end of the series, so I'm actually kind of looking forward to when Funimation releases Sekirei Pure Engagement, haha.
[quote name='saunderscowie']Anyone here read Bakuman?[/QUOTE]
I do , have read most of whats been released over here thus far (through volume 5). Got volume 6 last week but haven't gotten around to reading it yet since my stack has gotten large and I've been trying to thin it down a bit. Got time since volume 7 doesn't come out till October.
[quote name='Zerok']Just watched the Gundam 00 movie. I liked it, thought it was pretty good... then the end happened. That may very well be the worst ending to anything that I've ever seen, that ending.[/QUOTE]
It was a huge disappointment, didn't feel like Gundam at all
I just started on RIN: Daughters of Mesonine (sp). It seems OK so far; It's got more adult content than most of what's streaming on Netflix (which I like. The characters can live adult lives), the action is reasonably solid, and the story seems coherent so far.
I just watched the movie Redline and wow, that movie is stunning. It may just be the most beautiful animated movie I have ever saw.
Plus the movie itself is really awesome. It's basically Wacky Races meet Death Race and as silly as that sounds, it is played out really fantastic. I can't say how much I loved this movie.
I saw that the other day myself since I noticed that there is a crackle android app. I meant to check how many (if any) shows may not already be available on Netflix/Hulu/Youtube or other sites.
I finished all episodes of Soul Eater a week ago. There was a lot of filler on the second part, but I still liked it. Not one of my most favorite, but I still enjoyed it a lot.
I watched 5 Centimeters Per Second, which I found to be very interesting and great. Voices of a Distant Star was good, but not as good as 5cmps. I just got The Place Promised in Our Early Days, but will work on that a little later.
I finally watched both Gurren Lagann movies. Childhood's End was really excellent re-telling the first part of the series. Really enjoyed every bit of it. While I wasn't as big into the 2nd part of Gurren Lagann as the first, The Lights in the Sky Are Stars was also really great with its differences and stuff. Both were truly great 10/10 movies for me. I was amazed at the quality although it was DVD. I was initially surprised that it was JP voiced only, but that's fine because it fits Gurren Lagann well.
Currently I'm watching Baka & Test: Summon Beasts. I find the anime quite funny (not as funny as K-ON!) enjoying it. 4 more episodes left.
Also watched episode 7 of Sacred Seven yesterday, along with up to episode 6 on SKET dance.
As for manga, I purchased more of it. Just finished vol 5. of Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee. The manga really suits my personality well with the amount of emotion Lag Seeing has. One day I'll watch its anime. Once I finish vol. 6, I'll either read Code Geass; LTR, Deadman's Wonderland, or Future Diary.
[quote name='ChibiJosh']I noticed the 3rd Utena box is up for pre-order, but it's $30 more expensive than the previous 2 boxes for reason I can't understand.[/QUOTE]
It contains more episodes, the movie, and a bonus disc. Also, if you've preordered the other two, you'll get a replica ring while supplies last! I already placed my preorder, and a Nozomi studio sale is bound to happen before the release date, so I'll call and have it price-adjusted then.
To be fair, it only contains 3 more episodes than the previous boxes. I don't see anything on the page about a bonus disc or the ring.
And even if they are giving a ring away, it's dependent on whether or not you pre-ordered the other boxes so it shouldn't have any effect on the price.
Well, Eden of the East: Paradise Lost was released recently, and I watched it as soon as I got it. The good news is that it's better than the first movie, The King of Eden; the bad news is that it wasn't as good as I hoped, and it was a disappointing conclusion to the story. A big problem with both movies is that they aren't movies; they're paced and structured like extra long episodes that were supposed to be a part of the TV show. It's especially apparent with Paradise Lost because it assumes you remember everything from the first movie and the TV show; that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not like these were released right after each other. There was a lot of time between the releases — for both the US release and the Japanese air dates. If both of the "movies" were actually movies, then that might have helped make the lackluster progression of the story more tolerable, which leads me to the other problem with Paradise Lost.
The story just seems stupid now; gone is the intrigue, mystery, and captivating risks from the TV series; in its place are contrivances that put much of the progress from the TV show in vain. It just doesn't reach the climax I was hoping it would have. Mr. Outside's unveiling was very unimpressive after being kept hidden for so long. Also, the ending was awful:
I can't believe they put Akira and Saki's relationship on hold again, and then they leave the damn story open, hinting that the game is going to start all over again. Awful.
My friend told me something that I didn't notice the first time around. At the end of the TV show,
you can hear Akira receiving the memory wiping sound, which means that the story was already heading downhill before The King of Eden was even released.
That's not all though; I also watched Time of Eve, since I recently bought the Blu-ray of the ONA version. I remember PrarieD0G saying a lot of great things about it and that it's even one of his favorites. I trust his judgement, but I really didn't have any expectations when I sat down to watch it. He was right. I was blown away by it; it was absolutely brilliant. It's only about two hours long, but it doesn't waste a minute. It's a story that with a theme that centers around human-android interactions. Like a "what if, in the future, androids — that looked just like humans, save for their distinguishing ring over their heads — were a part of everyday life"? That theme provides so much potential, and Time of Eve executes it fantastically. It was actually inspiring too; I'd like to write my own story with that theme. Also, I would love to see more, like a sequel or something.
I had a question. I had this boxset, sealed. http://www.amazon.com/Macross-Colle...7OIS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1314810727&sr=8-3
I listed it on eBay for 99.99 because I couldn't find any pricing info on it at all. It sold within minutes. Did I sell something really valuable or did I just get lucky and find an interested buyer quickly?
Also, I've got other OOP animes that are sealed listed on my eBay that aren't moving that are listed way cheaper than the Amazon marketplace or eBay. I wonder if I should wait it out or reduce the prices... For instance, someone selling a boxset on Amazon for 299.99, I usually list for 129.99-149.99 because I figure the Amazon marketplace price is bunk. But maybe so is 129.99? It's so hard pricing this stuff out.
[quote name='Friend of Sonic']I had a question. I had this boxset, sealed. http://www.amazon.com/Macross-Colle...7OIS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1314810727&sr=8-3
I listed it on eBay for 99.99 because I couldn't find any pricing info on it at all. It sold within minutes. Did I sell something really valuable or did I just get lucky and find an interested buyer quickly?
Also, I've got other OOP animes that are sealed listed on my eBay that aren't moving that are listed way cheaper than the Amazon marketplace or eBay. I wonder if I should wait it out or reduce the prices... For instance, someone selling a boxset on Amazon for 299.99, I usually list for 129.99-149.99 because I figure the Amazon marketplace price is bunk. But maybe so is 129.99? It's so hard pricing this stuff out.[/QUOTE]
Dammit! You should have sold me that Macross collection. I waited too long and now volume seven of ADV's singles release is crazy expensive. Ugh, it seems like I have no way of owning the complete series, unless I get lucky and find something somewhere.
.
