Anime and Manga Thread Vol. 1: Visions of a God

[quote name='GuilewasNK']I haven't seen all of them, but I loved Nausicaa and Howl's Moving Castle. My sister bought me Howl as a birthday gift.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Kirin Lemon']Naw, I'm a huge Ghibli fan too. You're in good company.[/QUOTE]

Whew. I thought I was getting surrounded there. Great to hear you loved Nausicaa, Guile. Also, Kirin, I knew you loved Nausicaa, but I wasn't sure what you thought of their other movies. Hmm, you probably mentioned something back when I posted my reactions to them, but I don't remember.

That reminds me: I should stop being lazy and finish volume five of the Nausicaa manga, along with the last two volumes. They are amazing, but my mind gets easily sidetracked when new things pop up.
 
Studio Ghibli movies are good. I mean, I'm not thinking "OMG THIS IS SO AWESOME" when I'm watching them, but they have a certain charm about them, even if they don't usually make much sense story-wise. A lot of them feel so random. Or, to put it more nicely, very creative. Animation, soundtracks, voice actors (yes, even the dubs) are all phenomenal.

Still watching: R.O.D. TV (ep. 21), Ah! My Goddess (ep. 7), and Azumanga Daioh (every once in a while; ep. 17)
All are pretty awesome.
 
I just finished watching Aoi Hana episode four. Another fantastic episode. The show continues to be beautiful.

Episode four spoilers:
Fumi's struggle in telling A-chan that she loves Sugimoto, and is dating her was beautifully done. There were a lot of subtle touches throughout the episode to show how uncomfortable Fumi is in admitting/showing that she likes girls. Actually, I watched episode four twice since I didn't pick up on some things the first time through.:D

Oh, and the revelation of Kagami-sensei's love for Sugimoto makes things interesting.

I am also interested in how Ikumi is going to be reacting in the next episode(s) since she loves Sugimoto, and Sugimoto is dating Fumi.
 
[quote name='PrarieD0G']they don't usually make much sense story-wise. A lot of them feel so random.[/QUOTE]Are you kidding me?
 
Nope. Spirited Away, for example. It was great and had a nice message, but (at least the first half of) the movie was pretty random. Compared to most any other anime, anyway. Also, there are so many weird and completely random creatures (well, some of them have their roots in Japanese mythology, etc, but they're still weird, heh). I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It just seems strange to me, and I sometimes feel a little bored when watching.

Princess Mononoke was a completely different story though.
 
I don't know how building the atmosphere or giving the audience an idea of the universe or creating the steps leading up to the main character meeting the villain are random.
 
I edited my post some. I think I just get bored easily when there's not much action going on. The building the atmosphere/universe part. They really didn't progress the story at all there, unlike most other movies. It's just different. To be honest I haven't even seen the movie in 4-5 years, so maybe if I watched it again I'd think differently, who knows.

This review from Amazon sums up how I feel about Spirited Away (although I may have liked it a bit more than this reviewer):
Whoever said Spirited Away was "a triumph in art, but also a failure in storytelling" took the words right out of my mouth. I think it was a very imaginative film--- perhaps a bit too much so, as the creators seem to be focusing too much on being imaginative and too little on providing an engaging, entertaining story for audiences. I found the plot to be rather flimsy; many of the events seem to be totally random, and there are simply too many subplots and that sort of thing for the film to really be enjoyable. In some contexts, such as in Alice in Wonderland, that would be okay-- but this movie, in direct contrast to Alice in Wonderland, takes its bizarre self very, very seriously. I don't recall there being much in the way of humor either, though the Stink Spirit scene was pretty funny.
On the plus side, the animation was exceedingly beautiful and loaded with background detail. Unlike most anime, which are so cheap-looking they're painful to watch, Spirited Away features some of the best animation I've seen in any 2-D animated film.
Click to expand...
I enjoyed both Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service far more than Spirited Away. It was still good, just nowhere near as entertaining, IMO.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I edited my post some. I think I just get bored easily when there's not much action going on. The building the atmosphere/universe part. They really didn't progress the story at all there, unlike most other movies. It's just different. To be honest I haven't even seen the movie in 4-5 years, so maybe if I watched it again I'd think differently, who knows.

This review from Amazon sums up how I feel about Spirited Away (although I may have liked it a bit more than this reviewer):
Whoever said Spirited Away was "a triumph in art, but also a failure in storytelling" took the words right out of my mouth. I think it was a very imaginative film--- perhaps a bit too much so, as the creators seem to be focusing too much on being imaginative and too little on providing an engaging, entertaining story for audiences. I found the plot to be rather flimsy; many of the events seem to be totally random, and there are simply too many subplots and that sort of thing for the film to really be enjoyable. In some contexts, such as in Alice in Wonderland, that would be okay-- but this movie, in direct contrast to Alice in Wonderland, takes its bizarre self very, very seriously. I don't recall there being much in the way of humor either, though the Stink Spirit scene was pretty funny.
On the plus side, the animation was exceedingly beautiful and loaded with background detail. Unlike most anime, which are so cheap-looking they're painful to watch, Spirited Away features some of the best animation I've seen in any 2-D animated film.
Click to expand...
I enjoyed both Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service far more than Spirited Away. It was still good, just nowhere near as entertaining, IMO.

To be honest, I'm kinda getting sick of justifying why I do or why I don't like something... maybe I'll say "I liked it" or "I didn't like it" and be done with it, heh. Not like anyone really cares anyway. xP
 
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Not like anyone really cares anyway. xP[/QUOTE]
I don't even know who you are. Are you knew here? Did you get lost around the forums? :lol:
 
Haha. Man, I know people that look at this thread know who I am by now, but still, do they even care what I have to say, really? Everyone is going to have a different opinion on something; just because I like/dislike something does not mean someone else will feel the same. When I post here, honestly, I feel like it's more for myself than anyone else--almost like a personal blog. I'm just putting how I feel into writing because... I'm pretty much obsessed with anime and feel like I need to talk about it sometimes, heh.

So maybe I won't stop justifying myself, but arguing about crap like this is pointless because it will just keep going in circles, pissing people off in the process. Everyone is different. Just have to accept it and move on. :p
 
Nah, man, you are fine. It's my opinion that no one cares about.

Oh, Razzuel liked that one anime, huh? He likes everything though doesn't he? What a twat.
 
Haha, I wish I could like everything. ;)

Finished R.O.D. TV. It's awesome. There's nothing else like it. Watch it, buy it, whatever.
The soundtrack is fantastic too. I almost wish I had included the OSTs in one of my Right Stuf orders now, heh.

Also, Anita is my new favorite anime character. =P

Few things I didn't quite understand. Maybe Kirin can help me out here.
1. Who exactly was Mr. Gentleman? 2. What was the purpose of London going back in time/how did it happen? Maybe I should watch episode 14 again, heh...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Haha. Man, I know people that look at this thread know who I am by now, but still, do they even care what I have to say, really? Everyone is going to have a different opinion on something; just because I like/dislike something does not mean someone else will feel the same. When I post here, honestly, I feel like it's more for myself than anyone else--almost like a personal blog. I'm just putting how I feel into writing because... I'm pretty much obsessed with anime and feel like I need to talk about it sometimes, heh.

So maybe I won't stop justifying myself, but arguing about crap like this is pointless because it will just keep going in circles, pissing people off in the process. Everyone is different. Just have to accept it and move on. :p[/QUOTE]


Untrue. So far, pretty much everything you've said has either made me watch something, or make me think my opinion was justified considering it was the same (other than E7>FMA, but w/e xD). You can keep posting here, i approve.

[quote name='Razzuel']Nah, man, you are fine. It's my opinion that no one cares about.

Oh, Razzuel liked that one anime, huh? He likes everything though doesn't he? What a twat.[/QUOTE]

Won't argue with you there ;).
 
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Few things I didn't quite understand. Maybe Kirin can help me out here.
1. Who exactly was Mr. Gentleman? 2. What was the purpose of London going back in time/how did it happen? Maybe I should watch episode 14 again, heh...
[/QUOTE]

Yes, do watch that episode again. They do explain what's going on to some degree. Also, be sure to watch the OVA for some more ROD goodness.
 
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Haha. Man, I know people that look at this thread know who I am by now, but still, do they even care what I have to say, really? [/QUOTE]
I care. I mean, we need a middle ground for opinions. Razz loves everything thats mildly good, so chances are it doesn't absolutely suck. Kirin hates everything that isn't as awesome as a BJ coupon book, so if he hates it, chances are it isn't the greatest thing to exist ever. So everyone else is sort of the middle ground. I mean, for someone like me, that's pretty important because I don't just watch whatever is widely viewed as the best stuff at the time. I just watch whatever sounds interesting enough to me, and I just hope I don't hate it.
 
[quote name='thelonepig']Yes, do watch that episode again. They do explain what's going on to some degree. Also, be sure to watch the OVA for some more ROD goodness.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I still need to watch the OVA. Maybe I should have done that first? Oh well.

Thanks, Chronis. Yeah, I'm sort of the same way. I just watch whatever I feel like watching, heh, whether or not it's got the greatest reviews or whatever.

Watched the first episode of Lain today. It's got a really weird atmosphere about it. Not sure if I like it or not yet, heh. Still, the OP is freakin' awesome. (ROD's OP was also awesome, BTW).
 
Everyone keeps talking about ROD TV that I'll definitely be getting that when I get some extra cash. I'm guessing by Kirin's response that I should watch the OVA before the series?

Also, I'm on episode 26 of Kiba and I'm really starting to like it as the story is beginning to pick up.
 
[quote name='XxFuRy2Xx']Everyone keeps talking about ROD TV that I'll definitely be getting that when I get some extra cash. I'm guessing by Kirin's response that I should watch the OVA before the series?[/QUOTE]

To second Kirin, yes you should.
 
Indeed. The OVA takes place before the TV series and is directly connected. There are things you will not understand in the TV without the benefit of watching the OVA.
 
Well, I just watched the OVA. It just helps you to understand the relationships between some of the characters better. Not that big of deal that I watched it second, I don't think. (Quit making me feel bad about it! You should have told me sooner, when I said I was watching the TV series, Kirin! =P)

Not quite as good as the TV series because it didn't have the sisters, but it was still good. Just mainly interesting background information and some cool action. I still understood everything pretty well in the series. The only things new I learned were
That Nancy, Yomiko, and Anderson worked together. And that Nancy lost her memory.
. Those things were insinuated in the TV series anyway, so I wasn't lost or anything when it came to watching it. So yeah, it's definitely not IMPERATIVE that you watch the OVA first, but I guess it would be advised.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='XxFuRy2Xx']Everyone keeps talking about ROD TV that I'll definitely be getting that when I get some extra cash.[/QUOTE]

You need to get on that, pronto. It's already out of print, and RightStuf only has it on sale until the 27th. Bundle it with Jubei-chan 2 for $5 per disc!

[quote name='PrarieD0G']Well, I just watched the OVA. It just helps you to understand the relationships between some of the characters better. Not that big of deal that I watched it second, I don't think. (Quit making me feel bad about it! You should have told me sooner, when I said I was watching the TV series, Kirin! =P)[/QUOTE]

Sorry, I never assumed somebody would be dumb enough to watch the *sequel* before the original. :bomb:

The OVA is very important to understanding what's going on in the TV series, as it introduces many characters and concepts that return later. Oh, plus it takes place FIRST. How else are you supposed to know about who Nenene is searching for, or who Nancy, Joker, Wendy, or Mr. Gentleman are? It's fricking integral to understanding the story of the TV series!

At least we can agree that the TV series was better (even though they're both all kinds of awesome). We're in the minority on that, for some reason.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sorry, I just didn't know. I don't research stuff too much before I watch it. I run into spoilers so often that I don't do that anymore. Not to mention almost every other OVA that I know of is meant to be watched AFTER the series. So yeah, sorry for being retarded. (also, edited my post some)

Well, they already establish that
Yomiko is important to Nenene from the beginning of the TV series. It's really not necessary to see the OVA to get that, honestly (Is the picture she stares at all the time not enough of a hint?). Understanding Nancy's past is the only thing you really NEED the OVA for, from what I could see.

To me, the three sisters' relationships were far more interesting than the storyline revolving around Mr. Gentleman or anything else, so missing these little things doesn't bug me too much... (More Spoilers)
In fact, some of the Mr. Gentleman stuff was kinda stupid. Pulling his knowledge out of the air? lol. That's probably the only thing in the series that I thought was lame.
Anyway, I understand it all now. That's what matters, right?

Also gotta love "Za Paper." (yes, I watched it in Japanese)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
To be honest, if I had seen the OVA first, I probably wouldn't have bought the series. The story and relationships are pretty generic (especially if you don't know the characters), other than the strange use of paper.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.
 
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']Thank god you're wrong. :D[/QUOTE]

Y'know, Kirin's responses are actually pretty funny when i don't have a say in them ;).

Looks like i'll have to watch ROD next, i have the OVA, and the TV Series is coming in the mail. Should be here next week :D.
 
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']Sorry, I never assumed somebody would be dumb enough to watch the *sequel* before the original. :bomb:

...

Bundle it with Jubei-chan 2 for $5 per disc![/QUOTE]
:lol: Yes, you're talking about 2 different series, but still... LOL, the irony.
 
Yeah, I'm not disagreeing with that. I mean, of course you're supposed to watch them in the order they came out, heh. I'm just saying it's not such a travesty that I watched it out of order I guess?

I dunno, it just pissed me off. It was like, I just finished it and said I liked it a lot, and then KL comes in and says "You did it wrong and now you ruined it for yourself, you fucking idiot!" It's just like... I dunno. Felt like he was trying to take away from my enjoyment of the show or something, even if that wasn't the case. Just rubbed me the wrong way.

As someone reminded me though, that's just KL being KL. =P Can't take it too seriously.

Think I'm gonna watch Elfen Lied next, since I just got that in the mail from another CAG. One of KL's absolute favorites, if I remember correctly? (note the sarcasm)
 
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']You need to get on that, pronto. It's already out of print, and RightStuf only has it on sale until the 27th. Bundle it with Jubei-chan 2 for $5 per disc![/QUOTE]First off, I bought Jubei Chan 2 about 3 weeks ago at your behest. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no money right now. I'm flat out broke. So I can't really buy R.O.D now. If I'm able to acquire a job I'm applying for right now, then it'll be the first thing I buy.
 
[quote name='Chronis']:lol: Yes, you're talking about 2 different series, but still... LOL, the irony.[/QUOTE]

I'm not advocating watching Jubei-chan 2 before the original, mind you. But since it's out of print, people need to buy it *now*!

[quote name='PrarieD0G']I dunno, it just pissed me off. It was like, I just finished it and said I liked it a lot, and then KL comes in and says "You did it wrong and now you ruined it for yourself, you fucking idiot!" It's just like... I dunno. Felt like he was trying to take away from my enjoyment of the show or something, even if that wasn't the case. Just rubbed me the wrong way.

As someone reminded me though, that's just KL being KL. =P Can't take it too seriously.[/QUOTE]

Oh my, please don't ever take my replies so personally. I like throwing little barbs in there, but I'm rarely ever sincere about it. Sorry if I actually made you feel bad! I wub yoo~

[quote name='PrarieD0G']Think I'm gonna watch Elfen Lied next, since I just got that in the mail from another CAG. One of KL's absolute favorites, if I remember correctly? (note the sarcasm)[/QUOTE]

I TAKE IT ALL BACK! ROT IN HELL!! :bomb:
 
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']I TAKE IT ALL BACK! ROT IN HELL!! :bomb:[/QUOTE]

At the very least, we both hate Elfen Lied. And like the ROD OVA. It's like we're best buddies!

Like... Elfen Lied is like that one show you guys were talking about a while back. *actually goes to look it up* Ok, School Days. And someone was saying about how the show gets so fucked up just so people will talk about it/find it interesting. Though not good. That is Elfen Lied. Aside from the fucked up parts, the show is not good.
 
[quote name='Chronis']Like... Elfen Lied is like that one show you guys were talking about a while back. *actually goes to look it up* Ok, School Days. And someone was saying about how the show gets so fucked up just so people will talk about it/find it interesting. Though not good. That is Elfen Lied. Aside from the fucked up parts, the show is not good.[/QUOTE]

Yes, exactly! Every single aspect of the show that matters is terrible - the plot, the characters... everything is rotten! BUT, it has violence! Nothing else can explain why people are attracted to the awful shitstain that is Elfen Lied.
 
I find it humorous how you insult Elfen Lied, yet you like shitty shows like Utena. No, a show should not be 8 episodes of boring before it "kicks in." I only kept with it due to promises of it being OMFG amazing and a handful of screenshots you posted that made it seem like it would maybe turn into a rip-off of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Regardless of how philosophical recycling 6 minutes of animation every episode is, the show still suffers from what it suffered from in every episode but #2 -- a lack of anything remotely interesting for the viewers.

Sure, Elfen Lied relied on violence. It also relied on T&A. But you know what? At least it had the balls to be a little different. It at least managed some innovation in the extremes to which it went. Innovation doesn't seem to be in Utena's game plan.

I'm gonna say it straight up. Utena is a piss-poor, watered-down version of Sailor Moon. (Did I say this before? I might have, but it's even more true now.) Oh, don't get me wrong. It's not like the Utena makers didn't try to copy it as best they could. They had the transformation sequence (protip: we got to see the Sailor Scouts put on their clothing in Sailor Moon; walking up a staircase isn't even close to as exciting). They had the pretty villains and monster-of-the-week fights (Utena tried to be all special by making the villains BE the monster-of-the-week fights, but random monster A from Sailor Moon had more personality than the shoddy villains in Utena). They even tried out filler episodes (yeah, filler episodes are supposed to be interesting. I was tired of the DURR HURR character body switch as soon as it happened, not to mention the stupid bodyguard episode).

From what I've gathered, here's what happened in terms of plot from episode 2 to episode 8:
Jack shit.

I'm completely serious.

Will I still watch it? Maybe. The only motivation I have is that I've already invested 8 episodes' worth of my time into it, so I'd like to see something come out of it. But hey, if I help push some people away from making the same mistake I did - taking your advice to watch the show - I'll consider that something positive from this little experience.
 
[quote name='DarkSageRK']I'm so wrong and I hate good anime![/QUOTE]

I'll say! I'm sorry that Utena isn't your cup of tea, but we all learned that you had questionable taste long ago, so I can't say I'm completely surprised. If you're unable to appreciate the levels of depth that Utena offers (and again, way to rail on the show before it shows its true colors), then you can kindly fuck off. :D

Actually, I recall having mixed feelings about Utena when I started watching the first 13 episodes in the late 90's. As it started out, I remember thinking it was just a fairly average show, with a cool visual style, a Sailor Moon-ish vibe, and lots of weirdness and allegory. I think it was the allegory that kept me watching at first, until I hit Juri's first episode (episode 7, I believe), which had a darker feel to it, and made me go "Ooh, there's something else here!" Then came episode 9, which added even more intrigue to the equation. By the end of the first 13 episodes, I was very interested in what was to come, so I quickly hunted down fansubs of the remaining episodes. The rest was a blur - between the fantastic depth of both the plot and characters, amazing music, great art direction, and layers of subtext, I was totally hooked. I've probably re-watched the entire thing at least 15 times by now, and I'm always amazed at how I'll notice at least one new thing every single time. It's an amazing show that is *so* much more than what it seems at first glance, and the world is a much better place with Utena as a part of it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Utena definitely seems interesting, DarkSage vs. KL, who to believe....

Well, you both hate Elfen Lied, so maybe i shouldn't trust either of you (i happen to completely disagree with what you guys said, but there's clearly no convincing you). But where does that leave me? I'll try to keep watching Princess Tutu, and if it is OMG AMAZING (hint: it already is), maybe i'll try Utena for thirteen episodes and see where it gets me. DS, you watch it first ;).
 
Wut? I like Elfen Lied. It's my #2 most awesomest anime ever. Check my list on MAL before you make such a weighty statement. >:eek:
 
[quote name='the_punisher']I'll try to keep watching Princess Tutu, and if it is OMG AMAZING (hint: it already is), maybe i'll try Utena for thirteen episodes and see where it gets me.[/QUOTE]

I think that if you like Princess Tutu, chances are very high that you'll enjoy Utena as well.

[quote name='DarkSageRK']I like Elfen Lied. It's my #2 most awesomest anime ever.[/QUOTE]

There's really no hope for you. :whistle2:(
 
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']I TAKE IT ALL BACK! ROT IN HELL!! :bomb:[/QUOTE]
Haha, you had to ruin it, didn't you. Nah, I'm over it now, so it's okay.

Finished Elfen Lied (already, I know). It was pretty awesome. Yeah, the gore and violence was completely over the top, but the story and everything were interesting. I wasn't bored for a minute either.

For me, it had as much emotional weight (if not more) than Air (yargh! blasphemy!) I know--I'm the only one here that thinks this. But that's just how it was for me. It's one of those shows you think about for a while after you've seen it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='PrarieD0G']For me, it had as much emotional weight (if not more) than Air (yargh! blasphemy!) I know--I'm the only one here that thinks this. But that's just how it was for me. It's one of those shows you think about for a while after you've seen it.[/QUOTE]

I don't even know how to respond to this. My mind has been blown, several times over...
 
[quote name='DarkSageRK']Wut? I like Elfen Lied. It's my #2 most awesomest anime ever. Check my list on MAL before you make such a weighty statement. >:eek:[/QUOTE]

Wow, my bad. I thought you had good taste in anime, so i was wondering why you didn't like it. Must've been someone else. Thank god :)


[quote name='Kirin Lemon']I don't even know how to respond to this. My mind has been blown, several times over...[/QUOTE]

....must...resist...temptation....to agree.....
 
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']I don't even know how to respond to this. My mind has been blown, several times over...[/QUOTE]

Can't say I didn't see that one coming. :lol:

But yeah, I'm weird I guess. Air just didn't really touch me as much as it did most others.
So much hype around it... I just didn't see what the big deal was. Although it was still good, everything seemed too superficial to me or something. Sorry in advance for disagreeing with thou holy opinion, 'o great one. xP

I was right; I should just stop giving my opinion in detail, lol, before I get torn to shreds.
 
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']I don't even know how to respond to this. My mind has been blown, several times over...[/QUOTE]

I agree. I mean Elfen Lied was good, but it doesn't even come close to Air.
 
By emotional weight, I don't just mean sadness. Elfen Lied was also far more disturbing than Air, which adds to it.

Air was more tragic, if that's what you're getting it. I mean of course you'd have more sympathy for an innocent, perfect little girl than you would for
someone who has killed hundreds of people mercilessly
. D'uh. I guess when it comes down to it, Air is definitely more emotional than Elfen Lied, as long as you're taken in by everything.

But yeah, I'm always wrong, so fuck me. In the beard.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top