[quote name='FriskyTanuki']There was an ending worth spoiling in Cowboy Bebop? The last two episodes were way too boring for me to really care what happened.[/QUOTE]
Agreed with Frisky there. The last episode was action packed, but with all the individual episodes telling a self contained story for the most part, the series never gave me a sense of continuity meaning when it came time for the big showdown with bad guy X, it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the series and was probably one of the weaker if not the weakest episode in the series anymore.
That was clever, but I would never categorize it as a comedy. When They Cry would be better categorized as horror, thriller and mystery. Oh well, suit yourself.
So i figure I'll ask here since this thread probably gets more eyes... but in the end it doesn't even matter (LP reference not interntional).
I went through the entire list of MediaBlasters crap on sale at BB and after adding everything to my cart that seemed interesting/decent for the price/will make Kirin cringe, I finally clicked the view cart button. Twentyone items totalling a tad under $300 after shipping and tax. I go through the list and try to filter out some stuff. Basically, I was able to take out a WuTang Clan CD that has been sitting in my cart since Black friday (you know, I hear that they ain't nuttin to with). After a little more looking, I'm thinking about getting rid of Rayearth, Saber Marionette J, and Ah My Goddess. The first two are pretty cheap, especially with Rayearth being 13 discs for $20(!!!!), and AMG is just generally loved here. So, any comments on these, since I haven't seen them (or just about anything I'm getting....)?
And then I still want to get Chrono Crusade and Trigun from the TRSI sale...
[quote name='Chronis']After a little more looking, I'm thinking about getting rid of Rayearth, Saber Marionette J, and Ah My Goddess. The first two are pretty cheap, especially with Rayearth being 13 discs for $20(!!!!), and AMG is just generally loved here. So, any comments on these, since I haven't seen them (or just about anything I'm getting....)?
And then I still want to get Chrono Crusade and Trigun from the TRSI sale...[/QUOTE]
Saber Marionette J or R? If you've not seen J, I wouldn't worry about R.
Rayearth is horribly dated, but fun. I guess for $20 you could always get some money back selling it when you're done with it. It's a rather large time investment.
And I think I'm alone here, but I found the Ah My Goddess TV series to be very slowly paced and altogether boring. I loved the OVA, but the TV just put me to sleep.
Chrono Crusade and Trigun are both fun, but I wouldn't say they're worth owning.
[quote name='Chronis']So i figure I'll ask here since this thread probably gets more eyes... but in the end it doesn't even matter (LP reference not interntional).
I went through the entire list of MediaBlasters crap on sale at BB and after adding everything to my cart that seemed interesting/decent for the price/will make Kirin cringe, I finally clicked the view cart button. Twentyone items totalling a tad under $300 after shipping and tax. I go through the list and try to filter out some stuff. Basically, I was able to take out a WuTang Clan CD that has been sitting in my cart since Black friday (you know, I hear that they ain't nuttin to with). After a little more looking, I'm thinking about getting rid of Rayearth, Saber Marionette J, and Ah My Goddess. The first two are pretty cheap, especially with Rayearth being 13 discs for $20(!!!!), and AMG is just generally loved here. So, any comments on these, since I haven't seen them (or just about anything I'm getting....)?
And then I still want to get Chrono Crusade and Trigun from the TRSI sale...[/QUOTE]
I really like Ah! My Goddess, so I hope you won't get rid of that one. Good riddance to Saber Marionette R (which I'm assuming is what you meant), and Rayearth hasn't aged very well, so you're not missing much there.
Chrono Crusade and Trigun are both very forgettable shows, too. I don't have much to say about either of them, other than Greg Ayers did a spectacular job in the Chrono Crusade dub, and I enjoyed the ending. Trigun... yeah, nothing nice to say about Trigun.
Yeah, it was R.... And i haven't seen any of the Saber Marionettes so... yeah.
And basically exactly what you(TLP) said about Rayearth and AMG is what's keeping me at bay. That Rayearth is pretty old but supposedly still good, and that AMG is slow and a tad boring in parts. And that it doesn't have fan service! All of which chalks up a pretty big mark against it, in my book.
And i've been dying to get Trigun and Chrono for a while now, so those are definite purchases for me. Even if Kirin has nothing good to say about the former. :lol:
Just wondering since i'm about to sell off some of the stuff that i probably won't watch (now that i'm home from college for a month), so it looks like that's going too.
Looks like you guys get some early Christmas gifts too. If anyone wants School Rumble Vol. 1 or NGE Platinum Vol. 1 w/ Slipcover (both sealed), just pay me the $3 shipping and it's yours. They're not worth my effort to list on eBay.
[quote name='Chronis']Yeah, it was R.... And i haven't seen any of the Saber Marionettes so... yeah.
And basically exactly what you(TLP) said about Rayearth and AMG is what's keeping me at bay. That Rayearth is pretty old but supposedly still good, and that AMG is slow and a tad boring in parts. And that it doesn't have fan service! All of which chalks up a pretty big mark against it, in my book.
And i've been dying to get Trigun and Chrono for a while now, so those are definite purchases for me. Even if Kirin has nothing good to say about the former. :lol:[/QUOTE]
I liked AMG a lot too (just look at my MAL, haha). $60 is still a bit much for me though (I'd bite at like $35). You probably won't find the premium set for much cheaper though, unfortunately. It is slower paced and can drag occasionally, but (the first season especially) is great overall if you're looking for some lighthearted romance/comedy type stuff. Kinda want to read the manga now too...
[quote name='the_punisher']Looks like you guys get some early Christmas gifts too. If anyone wants School Rumble Vol. 1 or NGE Platinum Vol. 1 w/ Slipcover (both sealed), just pay me the $3 shipping and it's yours. They're not worth my effort to list on eBay.[/QUOTE]
haha, I'm at the point too. I'm thinking of get rid of my Getbackers and Samurai Deeper Kyo manga. I really like both of them but they take up way too much space... I'll probably get rid of Negima as well. So much stuff I don't have space for...
[quote name='Chibi_Kaji']haha, I'm at the point too. I'm thinking of get rid of my Getbackers and Samurai Deeper Kyo manga. I really like both of them but they take up way too much space... I'll probably get rid of Negima as well. So much stuff I don't have space for...[/QUOTE]
If you decide to get rid of your Negima manga, let me know! That's something I've been interested in reading.
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']If you decide to get rid of your Negima manga, let me know! That's something I've been interested in reading.[/QUOTE]
If you can wait until after the holidays I can send you the first 10 volumes. All I ask is you pay for the shipping. I actually kind of liked Negima but I just don't have the space to keep up with another long running series(still kicking myself for getting that Naruto boxset)... I wish manga would (legally) go digital...
[quote name='Chibi_Kaji']If you can wait until after the holidays I can send you the first 10 volumes. All I ask is you pay for the shipping. I actually kind of liked Negima but I just don't have the space to keep up with another long running series(still kicking myself for getting that Naruto boxset)... I wish manga would (legally) go digital...[/QUOTE]
Oh, no rush. Just let me know what shipping will amount to when the time comes. I really appreciate it!
Gundam Rock is a pretty awsome CD. I wouldn't mind seeing Andrew W.K. cover some more Gundam songs. Maybe cover a few songs from more recent shows as well(hearing him do Daybreak's Bell might be pretty cool).
Well, I finished Clannad ~After Story~ a few minutes ago. Overall, it was phenomenal.
I guess I should get my complaint out of the way first. I did not like the ending at all. I can see how they have been setting it up ever since the first series, but that doesn't change the fact that it basically eliminates the impact of the previous episodes. It was a deus ex machina that I just cannot accept. I was reading the thread for the review of After Story on ANN, and one of the posters posted his idea for the perfect ending. His idea was pretty damn good, and would of actually made sense to me. The actual ending felt quite obtuse, and there was not enough elaboration for me to accept it. To me, it was as if they threw away all of the mind blowing things that happened previously, which left me quite flustered and frustrated.
Anyway, now I want to talk about why this is one of the most amazing shows ever created. After Story provides insight into the life of the main character—and others—after he graduates high school. I think this is the only anime that I know of that shows what happens to the guy and girl after they hook up. The only other anime that I can think of where we see the characters grow up and live through life is Erin The Beast Player, however, that is different since Erin isn't a romance like After Story.
After Story deals with themes that no other anime that I have seen has dealt with. After Story shows what the meaning of family and love is, and it shows how people can change through life as they grow up. I felt a strong emotional connection to these characters. There were some moments that were so powerful, beautiful, and/or sad that made me cry; there was even one moment that affected me so much that it was one of the hardest times I ever remember crying.
I think this is the best anime out of all of the anime that have been adapted from the Key/Visual Arts games. The writing—be it comedic, dramatic, or tragic—is superbly written. These characters felt real to me, and the story was beautifully told, which is something that I think the previous Key/Visual Arts adaptions didn't quite implement. Also, there is a joke in After Story—which I coined as a mega-joke—that blew me away. If you haven't seen Kanon, then you need to watch Kanon before you watch Clannad and After Story. If you appreciate humor, then I expect that you will be just as blown away as I was. It was amazing.
Oh, and I wanted to add my appreciation for the animation in After Story. After Story looks very sharp and colorful. There is a lot of attention to detail that's a joy to look at. Also, I love that Kyoto Animation actually animates the fight sequences. There is some pretty amazing fighting animations in After Story that puts even action anime to shame; there are no lame cuts away from the action because the animators aren't skilled enough to draw intricate fight scenes that so many other anime are guilty of. These fight animations reminded me of the animation in Cowboy Bebop and Noein, which is a great thing.
Bah, I want to say some more stuff. The music in After Story—which is some, if not all, of the music from the first series—is beautiful. It fits extremely well with the show. And speaking of fitting extremely well: the opening and closings songs perfectly fit the feelings that the show evokes. I love the opening of After Story; not only is it a beautiful song, but the lyrics actually portray some of the feelings from the show itself. It's quite enamoring.
[quote name='Razzuel']Well, I finished Clannad ~After Story~ a few minutes ago. Overall, it was phenomenal.
I guess I should get my complaint out of the way first. I did not like the ending at all. I can see how they have been setting it up ever since the first series, but that doesn't change the fact that it basically eliminates the impact of the previous episodes. It was a deus ex machina that I just cannot accept. I was reading the thread for the review of After Story on ANN, and one of the posters posted his idea for the perfect ending. His idea was pretty damn good, and would of actually made sense to me. The actual ending felt quite obtuse, and there was not enough elaboration for me to accept it. To me, it was as if they threw away all of the mind blowing things that happened previously, which left me quite flustered and frustrated.
Anyway, now I want to talk about why this is one of the most amazing shows ever created. After Story provides insight into the life of the main character—and others—after he graduates high school. I think this is the only anime that I know of that shows what happens to the guy and girl after they hook up. The only other anime that I can think of where we see the characters grow up and live through life is Erin The Beast Player, however, that is different since Erin isn't a romance like After Story.
After Story deals with themes that no other anime that I have seen has dealt with. After Story shows what the meaning of family and love is, and it shows how people can change through life as they grow up. I felt a strong emotional connection to these characters. There were some moments that were so powerful, beautiful, and/or sad that made me cry; there was even one moment that affected me so much that it was one of the hardest times I ever remember crying.
I think this is the best anime out of all of the anime that have been adapted from the Key/Visual Arts games. The writing—be it comedic, dramatic, or tragic—is superbly written. These characters felt real to me, and the story was beautifully told, which is something that I think the previous Key/Visual Arts adaptions didn't quite implement. Also, there is a joke in After Story—which I coined as a mega-joke—that blew me away. If you haven't seen Kanon, then you need to watch Kanon before you watch Clannad and After Story. If you appreciate humor, then I expect that you will be just as blown away as I was. It was amazing.
Oh, and I wanted to add my appreciation for the animation in After Story. After Story looks very sharp and colorful. There is a lot of attention to detail that's a joy to look at. Also, I love that Kyoto Animation actually animates the fight sequences. There is some pretty amazing fighting animations in After Story that puts even action anime to shame; there are no lame cuts away from the action because the animators aren't skilled enough to draw intricate fight scenes that so many other anime are guilty of. These fight animations reminded me of the animation in Cowboy Bebop and Noein, which is a great thing.
Bah, I want to say some more stuff. The music in After Story—which is some, if not all, of the music from the first series—is beautiful. It fits extremely well with the show. And speaking of fitting extremely well: the opening and closings songs perfectly fit the feelings that the show evokes. I love the opening of After Story; not only is it a beautiful song, but the lyrics actually portray some of the feelings from the show itself. It's quite enamoring.[/QUOTE]
[quote name='the_punisher']Wow, you liked a romance anime?
I'M SHOCKED!!!
Nope, no not really. By the way Kurau sucks.
Okay, i've only seen one episode, but meh.
[/QUOTE]
It's so much ing more than romance. It's about experiencing all the facets of life. It's about how you deal with society after you leave the comfort zone of grade school. There is happiness, sadness, and everything in between. It's about the importance of family, and how you deal with those happy and tragic events with your family and friends. It's about love—be it between a husband and a wife, or a father and a daughter. It's not just simply romance.
Don't ing belittle After Story. At least wait until you see it to start bickering about it.
And don't you even start with talking negative about Kurau. That's a place you don't want to go.
Talk about surprising... I was just looking a rightstuf's site and saw that they had the 4th book of Trinity Blood: Rage against the Moons from Tokyopop listed. And it seems that they released the 3rd volume of Trinity Blood: Reborn on Mars as well(The last one came out over a year ago). I honestly thought they just canceled the Trinity Blood Novels.... Now can I have some more FMP...please?
so i just finished Blood+ last night. overall i was really satisfied. it wasn't stupendously amazing, but i've wasted time on way worse series to be sure. so if you want a decent story with decent characters and a decent ending that's only 50 eps, look no further than blood+.
my only complaint
the sif are useless and that entire part of the series could just be skipped
[quote name='Kuroi Kaze']so i just finished Blood+ last night. overall i was really satisfied. it wasn't stupendously amazing, but i've wasted time on way worse series to be sure. so if you want a decent story with decent characters and a decent ending that's only 50 eps, look no further than blood+.[/QUOTE]
[quote name='Razzuel']Well, I finished Clannad ~After Story~ a few minutes ago. Overall, it was phenomenal.
[/QUOTE]
Check your keyboard, I think your "phenomenal" button might be stuck.
[quote name='ChibiJosh']I finished reading the Kare Kano manga yesterday. I really enjoyed where it went after the point where the anime ended.[/QUOTE]
That's good to hear. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did whenever I get around to reading the manga.
I've sorta been denying it to myself for awhile, but I'm not really into anime anymore. I much prefer to read manga to watch anime [anymore]. The last anime I watched was Saikano, and when was that? Like September, I think. If I had a some more time, I think I'd watch more anime, like I did over the summer, but even then I certainly didn't watch it at the pace of when I was in high school or my first couple years of college.
I just finished watching the first episode of Xam'd: Lost Memories. It's a Playstation Network exclusive (at least that's what it seems to be) by Bones and Aniplex. It's available to rent in HD and in SD. I ended up renting the HD version, which was about 1.5 GB in size for that one episode.
It looks absolutely amazing. Everything looks super sharp and the colors are quite vibrant. It's probably the best looking anime that I have ever seen.
The show seems like it is a mix between Eureka Seven and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. The visual style of Xam'd is exactly like Eureka Seven. There seems to be some alien technology inspired by Eureka Seven, and the mechanical technology seems to be inspired by Nausicaa.
I really enjoyed the first episode, but I don't know if I can justify watching anymore of the show, since each episode costs four dollars to rent in HD. I would definitely buy it if Sony released it on Blu-ray.
[quote name='Razzuel']I just finished watching the first episode of Xam'd: Lost Memories. It's a Playstation Network exclusive (at least that's what it seems to be) by Bones and Aniplex. It's available to rent in HD and in SD. I ended up renting the HD version, which was about 1.5 GB in size for that one episode.
It looks absolutely amazing. Everything looks super sharp and the colors are quite vibrant. It's probably the best looking anime that I have ever seen.
The show seems like it is a mix between Eureka Seven and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. The visual style of Xam'd is exactly like Eureka Seven. There seems to be some alien technology inspired by Eureka Seven, and the mechanical technology seems to be inspired by Nausicaa.
I really enjoyed the first episode, but I don't know if I can justify watching anymore of the show, since each episode costs four dollars to rent in HD. I would definitely buy it if Sony released it on Blu-ray.[/QUOTE]
Same, but over $100 to RENT an anime is beyond absurd, and so i continue my wait...
I finished watching Azumanga Daioh. I thought it was good. There were times when it felt tiring, and other times when it felt great, so overall I would just call it good. The first half of the show felt like a slog, but I became more amused during the latter half of the show. Azumanga just felt superficial most of the time, so I was never enthralled.
Part of the problem seemed like it was because the show felt repetitious. There are a lot of events and gags that happen over and over again, and there were a lot of moments where I sat there silently, wondering if I should have been laughing. I was expecting the show to be funnier, but I only had a great laugh a couple of times.
Another problem that I had with the show is that the characters are one dimensional. Each character has their own specific trait, and that trait is the only thing that each character is known for during the entire show. I was going to say what I liked about the characters, but I just realized that it would be less repetitive if I said: whenever the show worked, then it was great.
There were some things that I thoroughly enjoyed though, which were the character designs and the wacky music.
[quote name='Razzuel']I finished watching Azumanga Daioh. I thought it was good. There were times when it felt tiring, and other times when it felt great, so overall I would just call it good. The first half of the show felt like a slog, but I became more amused during the latter half of the show. Azumanga just felt superficial most of the time, so I was never enthralled.
Part of the problem seemed like it was because the show felt repetitious. There are a lot of events and gags that happen over and over again, and there were a lot of moments where I sat there silently, wondering if I should have been laughing. I was expecting the show to be funnier, but I only had a great laugh a couple of times.
Another problem that I had with the show is that the characters are one dimensional. Each character has their own specific trait, and that trait is the only thing that each character is known for during the entire show. I was going to say what I liked about the characters, but I just realized that it would be less repetitive if I said: whenever the show worked, then it was great.
There were some things that I thoroughly enjoyed though, which were the character designs and the wacky music.[/QUOTE]
I don't understand how Azumanga Daioh and "just call it good" can be in the same paragraph. You clearly missed the wonder of the best anime available
[quote name='Razzuel']I finished watching Azumanga Daioh. I thought it was good. There were times when it felt tiring, and other times when it felt great, so overall I would just call it good. The first half of the show felt like a slog, but I became more amused during the latter half of the show. Azumanga just felt superficial most of the time, so I was never enthralled.
Part of the problem seemed like it was because the show felt repetitious. There are a lot of events and gags that happen over and over again, and there were a lot of moments where I sat there silently, wondering if I should have been laughing. I was expecting the show to be funnier, but I only had a great laugh a couple of times.
Another problem that I had with the show is that the characters are one dimensional. Each character has their own specific trait, and that trait is the only thing that each character is known for during the entire show. I was going to say what I liked about the characters, but I just realized that it would be less repetitive if I said: whenever the show worked, then it was great.
There were some things that I thoroughly enjoyed though, which were the character designs and the wacky music.[/QUOTE]
What little credibility you had left has just been lost. Die.
For the most part I agree with Razzuel about Azumanga. It's good, pretty funny, and has its own special charm but it's not "the best anime EVAR!!!11oneone!!" It might be the best comedy anime, but let's be honest, it doesn't have much competition (that I've seen, anyway). I guess I really can't make a final judgment on it though, since I haven't actually finished it (stopped around 18, I think). I'll have to pick that back up sometime now that the semester is over. From what I've seen, I feel like it's pretty overrated though. Still good, just not the best thing since sliced bread like everyone else likes to make it out to be. JMO (don't rape me plz).
[quote name='PrarieD0G']For the most part I agree with Razzuel about Azumanga. It's good, pretty funny, and has its own special charm but it's not "the best anime EVAR!!!11oneone!!" It might be the best comedy anime, but let's be honest, it doesn't have much competition (that I've seen, anyway). I guess I really can't make a final judgment on it though, since I haven't actually finished it (stopped around 18, I think). I'll have to pick that back up sometime now that the semester is over. From what I've seen, I feel like it's pretty overrated though. Still good, just not the best thing since sliced bread like everyone else likes to make it out to be. JMO (don't rape me plz).[/QUOTE]
Um, completely missing the point.
It is not a laugh riot, it is not sliced bread, and it is not overrated.
It's also not superficial or one-dimensional.
It is the best depiction of ordinary people in high school. Call them types or archetypes if you must, but all the characters are layered and realistic. They're never pretentious, angsty, or melodramatic, and while they could easily be one-note cliches, they're not. The humor doesn't arise from one-liners or jokes, but from the natural interactions. It never feels forced, cheap, or dialed-in.
It is, at once, a very realistic and idealized version of high school we all experienced (or wished to), and yet an honest account of friendship, relationships, and personalities that everyone can relate to.
It is the very essence of situation comedy, but if you're expecting a sitcom with a laugh track, you will have been looking for the wrong thing. There is a surprising amount of depth to Azumanga Daioh, because while it doesn't have a traditional plot, it does have character growth and continuity that stretches over the whole series (and more successfully so than many shows with rigid plots).
When you get to the end, it will be both happy and sad, and you will want more while knowing that what you got was enough and right, ending not with a bang or a whimper but with the memories of good times and good friends.
Azumanga does a very tough thing, which is to create sentiment and mood without being sentimental or manipulative. The show could have easily slid into melodrama, soap opera, or the treacly garbage that passes as emotion in many modern sitcoms or romantic comedies.
Maybe you've been looking for or expecting the wrong things. Azumanga is so highly regarded because it does the things it does so incredibly well. It's also not the kind of anime to trumpet what it's doing. It just does it quietly, simply, and honestly.
Heh, well I guess if you see it that way, fine, but I disagree. I don't see much realism in any of the characters. They seem like one-dimensional anime archetypes to me. The show itself doesn't have much depth, even if the feelings you personally get from it are. I think that's a difference.
Azumanga does a very tough thing, which is to create sentiment and mood without being sentimental or manipulative. The show could have easily slid into melodrama, soap opera, or the treacly garbage that passes as emotion in many modern sitcoms or romantic comedies.
Maybe you've been looking for or expecting the wrong things. Azumanga is so highly regarded because it does the things it does so incredibly well. It's also not the kind of anime to trumpet what it's doing. It just does it quietly, simply, and honestly.
Okay, that I can agree with. It doesn't try to do too much or be too dramatic, which I can definitely appreciate. And you're right it manages to *not* be a romantic comedy, which is another plus that sets it apart. The comedy in the show is also very original for the most part.
All those points are true, but it still doesn't make Azumanga one of the best anime shows I've seen, personally. It does make it better than a lot of other shows, though. I can see why some people love it (for the reasons you listed), but it's not going to be for everyone. This may have been another case where hype for a show skewed my expectations (ie. Air). People need to just calm the down sometimes and let others decide for themselves, lol.
with). After a little more looking, I'm thinking about getting rid of Rayearth, Saber Marionette J, and Ah My Goddess. The first two are pretty cheap, especially with Rayearth being 13 discs for $20(!!!!), and AMG is just generally loved here. So, any comments on these, since I haven't seen them (or just about anything I'm getting....)?
