New Anime Round 2
Infinitum
Anime Encyclopedia Join Date: 2002-08-08 Member: 1111Members, Constellation
Anime Encyclopedia Join Date: 2002-08-08 Member: 1111Members, Constellation
Rawr!
Ok let's recap that last posts anime
Avenger = Bad, another boring series
CHARGE! Cromartie High = Good, but is very very weird
Full Metal Alchemist = Good. MUST watch series.
Gilgamesh = Good depending on your prefrences.
Gunslinger Girl = Bad, but possible to become mediocre...
Peace Maker Kurogane = Very good
PlanetES = Superb
Read or Die The TV = Good, addictive
Shingetsutan Tsukihime = Very good
So now most series are about 4-10 eps in now to their respective airings, and you start to get a real good feel for each of them.
Now that I have managed to watch a few more series, it's time to post my opinions on them.
Here are the reviews I'll be adding in.
Battle Programmer Shirase
Blame
F-Zero
.hack//INTERGRATION
New Fist of the North Star
Shinkon Gattai Godannar
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki
First off the bat.
<b>.hack//INTERGRATION</b>
FINALLY the entire .hack// series is at an end. This is the end of it all. The culmination of SIGN, Liminality, Legend of the Twilight Bracelet and all 4 games. However this episode is listed as .hack//SIGN ep28. 27 was a special. There IS an episode 29 and that is .hack//GIFT, but I believe that is a 5min mini-movie so it doesn't really 'add' anything to the plot due to the South Park animation style.... We shall see soon I hope.
Basically, the entire cast of the whole .hack universes get together and remember all the fun they've had... 90% of the episode is pretty damn cool. There isn't really anything new happening here, just more .hack goodness and you get to see all your fav characters talking or killing stuff (Only the LotTB characters actually fight)
Then we get to the dance scene...
The pure... gayness... of this scene... words cannot describe...
Sora, the hardarse player killer CRIES because he isn't going to join in, then Tsukasa goes over consoles him... and then he comes out and joins in with the **** dancing...
Just yeah.. I could have done WITHOUT the dancing and it would have been a pretty good conclusion to the series, but yeah.... Crappy dancing = bad ep
Sate...
<b>New Fist of the North Star (Shin Hokuto No Ken)</b>
The original Fist of the North Star movie is a classic, it is so incredibly bad and cool at the same time... New Fist of the North Star is a new OVA that continues the tradition of lots of muscles, exploding brains and the single greatest move in anime history (We'll get to that shortly)
NFotNS takes place in a post apocolyptic world, the world has basically become a desert with anyone and everyone fighting for food, water, shelter and whatever they can get their grimey meathooks on.
Enter Kenshiro the successor to the Fist of the North Star heady explodey techniques. He's built like a tank, doesn't say much, but all around is a pretty nice guy willing to help the people out.
Some good plot twists here and there for a 1st ep, and then we get to the obligatory first ep end fight scene. See.. you don't want to tick Kenshiro off, because Kenshiro has the power to explode your head open. I mean literally. His fighting style involves touching you, and your head explodes. That's not his greatest move... oh no. His greatest move involves throwing a trillion punches in a second and screaming like Bruce Lee in a sugar factory (Imagine Bruce Lee going 'wataaaaaaaahhhhhhhh' after he smashes somebody, now imagine Bruce Lee going "watatatatatatattatatatatatatattatatatatatata" about 10 times faster...)
So yeah, it's beefy, it's brawny, it's not a thinking mans series. It's just down to earth manly biffo and I <i>LOVE</i> it.
NFotNS also utilises some CG animation, but the models and animation are poor, though the texturing is good enough.
<b>F-Zero Falcon Legend (F-Zero Falcon Densetsu)</b>
Yay F-Zero. A great game to be sure, and the potential for a fairly enjoyable series. Straight off the bat I'd say this is a series aimed at the younger demographic... 13 year olds perhaps... so there isn't a complex story line to be had. That is to say it doesn't have one. Ryu Suzaku was an ace racing car driver, whom has just won a race in the 2053 cup or something. He's then off to propose to his would be fiance Haruka. Too bad his 2nd job as a police officer calls him back to duty (As I said. Thin for plot) as Zorda the criminal has escaped from prison and it's time to hunt his arse down. Racing ensues and Zorda sends his car door into Ryu's car... straight at the drivers side windshield..
Skip forward 150 years Ryu has been put into cold storage... and for some reason or other they decide to revive him... this and that happens and now Ryu is part of an elite Racing team who bring in Criminals in their spare time. It's not the worlds greatest plot, but it's enjoyable for what it is. Entertainment.
The first ep contains some nice racing scenes, but really leaves the series open. Will it be racing... or will it be hunting criminals... who knows... who cares, I want more!
Saddly F-Zero is plagued by the dreaded substandard CG techniques. It's not bad... but you can tell it's not the greatest CG in the world... oh well, it's all in good fun =D
<b>Shinkon Gattai Godannar (Newlywed Fusion Godannar)</b>
I love mech anime. There is just something about getting in a 200 foot high robot and pounding all colours of living snot out of other robots, invading aliens, space ships, or the Enemy of the Day. Now go back to a time where mech anime was all "HYPERRRRRRRR EYE LASER BEAMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm" and you pretty much have Shinkon Gattai Godannar. Skimpy uniforms, overpowered moves and cheesy one liners.
So Godannar starts off with Earth being under attack from an alien species known as the 'Mimetic' aka Enemy of the Day. All of Earth's giant robots are out of action having been taken out by the giant alien, blah blah blah, main chick gets rescued, chick meets guy, chick marries guy, guy and girl beat the crap out of aliens. Don't get me wrong, there's good plot there (cough), but that pretty much gets swallowed up by the 200 foot robots and their rather amusing attack moves. It's like a trip back to the 70's with updated graphics =D
Hurray for mecha!
<b>"STRONG BUSTERRRRRR! SET-U UP-U!"</b>
<b>Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki</b>
This is the 3rd OVA (Original Video Animation) for the ever fan popular series Tenchi Muyo. This would be a really difficult series for a new anime fan. Basically this is the... let me see...
OVA 1 and 2, Tenchi in Tokyo, Tenchi Universe, 3 movies, one spinoff (Tenchi Muyo GXP) and a few specials...
Well, put it this way. It's WELL into the storyline so all the relationships have been set up properly and it would be very difficult to explain...
That said, a short recap makes up a fair bit of the 40 odd minute episode so while a new watcher wouldn't be TOO lost, it'd be better left for the Tenchi fan who hasn't seen it in a while... The PROPER Tenchi series aired in 1997, so it's been 6 years in between events. Though I think the 3rd movie aired in 1998... BAH I hate the Tenchi timeline...
ANYWAYS. The long and short of it is, basically a guy named Tenchi awakens a terrible demon named Ryoko from her slumber. Turns out terrible demon = hot chick. More stuff happens they meet up with Ayeka and Sasami on their spaceship (Don't ask, this is the short version), the ship crash lands at his grandpas place (Of course after transporting his house in Tokyo up into the mountains), then Mihoshi comes along, more crazyness... and that's pretty much it. Oh of course Ryoko's ship just happens to be a cute little rabbit thingy.
It's more Tenchi Muyo, it's for the fans, some amazing animation and I'm well looking forward to the next ep.
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><b><a href='http://www.nhmk.com/nes' target='_blank'>NES Project 2003</a></b></span>
The NES Project is basically a bunch of Anime Music Video (AMV) editors who have gotten together and created a bunch of AMV's edited to old remixed NES songs. <b>It is 700Mb</b>, contains 38 videos and is really really really worth the download if you can wait out the download via torrent.
I STRONGLY recommend downloading it and having some fun =D
It is quite a trip down memory lane.
Ok let's recap that last posts anime
Avenger = Bad, another boring series
CHARGE! Cromartie High = Good, but is very very weird
Full Metal Alchemist = Good. MUST watch series.
Gilgamesh = Good depending on your prefrences.
Gunslinger Girl = Bad, but possible to become mediocre...
Peace Maker Kurogane = Very good
PlanetES = Superb
Read or Die The TV = Good, addictive
Shingetsutan Tsukihime = Very good
So now most series are about 4-10 eps in now to their respective airings, and you start to get a real good feel for each of them.
Now that I have managed to watch a few more series, it's time to post my opinions on them.
Here are the reviews I'll be adding in.
Battle Programmer Shirase
Blame
F-Zero
.hack//INTERGRATION
New Fist of the North Star
Shinkon Gattai Godannar
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki
First off the bat.
<b>.hack//INTERGRATION</b>
FINALLY the entire .hack// series is at an end. This is the end of it all. The culmination of SIGN, Liminality, Legend of the Twilight Bracelet and all 4 games. However this episode is listed as .hack//SIGN ep28. 27 was a special. There IS an episode 29 and that is .hack//GIFT, but I believe that is a 5min mini-movie so it doesn't really 'add' anything to the plot due to the South Park animation style.... We shall see soon I hope.
Basically, the entire cast of the whole .hack universes get together and remember all the fun they've had... 90% of the episode is pretty damn cool. There isn't really anything new happening here, just more .hack goodness and you get to see all your fav characters talking or killing stuff (Only the LotTB characters actually fight)
Then we get to the dance scene...
The pure... gayness... of this scene... words cannot describe...
Sora, the hardarse player killer CRIES because he isn't going to join in, then Tsukasa goes over consoles him... and then he comes out and joins in with the **** dancing...
Just yeah.. I could have done WITHOUT the dancing and it would have been a pretty good conclusion to the series, but yeah.... Crappy dancing = bad ep
Sate...
<b>New Fist of the North Star (Shin Hokuto No Ken)</b>
The original Fist of the North Star movie is a classic, it is so incredibly bad and cool at the same time... New Fist of the North Star is a new OVA that continues the tradition of lots of muscles, exploding brains and the single greatest move in anime history (We'll get to that shortly)
NFotNS takes place in a post apocolyptic world, the world has basically become a desert with anyone and everyone fighting for food, water, shelter and whatever they can get their grimey meathooks on.
Enter Kenshiro the successor to the Fist of the North Star heady explodey techniques. He's built like a tank, doesn't say much, but all around is a pretty nice guy willing to help the people out.
Some good plot twists here and there for a 1st ep, and then we get to the obligatory first ep end fight scene. See.. you don't want to tick Kenshiro off, because Kenshiro has the power to explode your head open. I mean literally. His fighting style involves touching you, and your head explodes. That's not his greatest move... oh no. His greatest move involves throwing a trillion punches in a second and screaming like Bruce Lee in a sugar factory (Imagine Bruce Lee going 'wataaaaaaaahhhhhhhh' after he smashes somebody, now imagine Bruce Lee going "watatatatatatattatatatatatatattatatatatatata" about 10 times faster...)
So yeah, it's beefy, it's brawny, it's not a thinking mans series. It's just down to earth manly biffo and I <i>LOVE</i> it.
NFotNS also utilises some CG animation, but the models and animation are poor, though the texturing is good enough.
<b>F-Zero Falcon Legend (F-Zero Falcon Densetsu)</b>
Yay F-Zero. A great game to be sure, and the potential for a fairly enjoyable series. Straight off the bat I'd say this is a series aimed at the younger demographic... 13 year olds perhaps... so there isn't a complex story line to be had. That is to say it doesn't have one. Ryu Suzaku was an ace racing car driver, whom has just won a race in the 2053 cup or something. He's then off to propose to his would be fiance Haruka. Too bad his 2nd job as a police officer calls him back to duty (As I said. Thin for plot) as Zorda the criminal has escaped from prison and it's time to hunt his arse down. Racing ensues and Zorda sends his car door into Ryu's car... straight at the drivers side windshield..
Skip forward 150 years Ryu has been put into cold storage... and for some reason or other they decide to revive him... this and that happens and now Ryu is part of an elite Racing team who bring in Criminals in their spare time. It's not the worlds greatest plot, but it's enjoyable for what it is. Entertainment.
The first ep contains some nice racing scenes, but really leaves the series open. Will it be racing... or will it be hunting criminals... who knows... who cares, I want more!
Saddly F-Zero is plagued by the dreaded substandard CG techniques. It's not bad... but you can tell it's not the greatest CG in the world... oh well, it's all in good fun =D
<b>Shinkon Gattai Godannar (Newlywed Fusion Godannar)</b>
I love mech anime. There is just something about getting in a 200 foot high robot and pounding all colours of living snot out of other robots, invading aliens, space ships, or the Enemy of the Day. Now go back to a time where mech anime was all "HYPERRRRRRRR EYE LASER BEAMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm" and you pretty much have Shinkon Gattai Godannar. Skimpy uniforms, overpowered moves and cheesy one liners.
So Godannar starts off with Earth being under attack from an alien species known as the 'Mimetic' aka Enemy of the Day. All of Earth's giant robots are out of action having been taken out by the giant alien, blah blah blah, main chick gets rescued, chick meets guy, chick marries guy, guy and girl beat the crap out of aliens. Don't get me wrong, there's good plot there (cough), but that pretty much gets swallowed up by the 200 foot robots and their rather amusing attack moves. It's like a trip back to the 70's with updated graphics =D
Hurray for mecha!
<b>"STRONG BUSTERRRRRR! SET-U UP-U!"</b>
<b>Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki</b>
This is the 3rd OVA (Original Video Animation) for the ever fan popular series Tenchi Muyo. This would be a really difficult series for a new anime fan. Basically this is the... let me see...
OVA 1 and 2, Tenchi in Tokyo, Tenchi Universe, 3 movies, one spinoff (Tenchi Muyo GXP) and a few specials...
Well, put it this way. It's WELL into the storyline so all the relationships have been set up properly and it would be very difficult to explain...
That said, a short recap makes up a fair bit of the 40 odd minute episode so while a new watcher wouldn't be TOO lost, it'd be better left for the Tenchi fan who hasn't seen it in a while... The PROPER Tenchi series aired in 1997, so it's been 6 years in between events. Though I think the 3rd movie aired in 1998... BAH I hate the Tenchi timeline...
ANYWAYS. The long and short of it is, basically a guy named Tenchi awakens a terrible demon named Ryoko from her slumber. Turns out terrible demon = hot chick. More stuff happens they meet up with Ayeka and Sasami on their spaceship (Don't ask, this is the short version), the ship crash lands at his grandpas place (Of course after transporting his house in Tokyo up into the mountains), then Mihoshi comes along, more crazyness... and that's pretty much it. Oh of course Ryoko's ship just happens to be a cute little rabbit thingy.
It's more Tenchi Muyo, it's for the fans, some amazing animation and I'm well looking forward to the next ep.
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><b><a href='http://www.nhmk.com/nes' target='_blank'>NES Project 2003</a></b></span>
The NES Project is basically a bunch of Anime Music Video (AMV) editors who have gotten together and created a bunch of AMV's edited to old remixed NES songs. <b>It is 700Mb</b>, contains 38 videos and is really really really worth the download if you can wait out the download via torrent.
I STRONGLY recommend downloading it and having some fun =D
It is quite a trip down memory lane.
Comments
Wasnt F-Zero like a game or something?
Yeah F-Zero is a game.
The F-Zero anime is based on the game.
Let me go play some stuff and I'll edit it in next.
Just added Fist of the North Star
I'll be definately looking out for that one.
That was fun!
"You're already dead!"
Oh? I'm enjoying it so far. Yes, I realise it's been done before, but it's still pretty good...
I suggest that you look elsewhere, fansubs, and the downloading of, is a bit taboo here, it's not entirely legal y'know.
Are there any animes you DON'T like? As in, ones you find to be absolutely positively crap? Just wondering... ;)
Are there any animes you DON'T like? As in, ones you find to be absolutely positively crap? Just wondering... <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I generally enjoy all anime.... whether it's good or bad, on at least some level.
That said there is some utter crap I have seen...
Let's see....
oh yeah, Arcade Gamer Fubuki. 4 ep long OVA, basically it's about a chick who is like the god of all video games, and to activate her special gaming powers, her friend uses a fan and we get a panty shot... for the entire duration of her special power attack
"ACTIVATE THE FASHION PANTIES!"
What else... Najica Blitz Tactics was bad... I didn't enjoy Scrapped Princess... Ninja Ressurection was woeful.. Avenger is another hack//sign, a style I can only stomach once in a blue moon... Gun Grave took an ultra violent video game and turned it into boring crap...Cinderalla Boy is cheap rip-off of Ranma 1/2.... D.N.Angel did nothing for me
That's all I can think off... There is probably more, a LOT more, but I generally stab myself in the head to numb the pain of a lot of those series...
I'll edit in the F-Zero review now.
Runner up is Haibane Renmei, which strikes a good balance between Serial Experiments Lain and Niea_7, but the symbols that Abe uses are so heavyhanded, it kinda spoils it for me.
Wolf's Rain, the new one by Studio Bones, takes a decent concept and turns it into another preachy anti-human borefest.
Witch Hunter Robin is, by far, the weakest series by the crew who did the utterly compelling Argento Soma and Gasaraki. However, they get brownie points for attempting to do something that no other anime does: inject subtle acting abilites into their characters. Is it successful? To a certain extent, but it doesn't make up for the aimless story. Get Argento Soma instead.
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
2nd season of GitS:TAC is apparently in the works and will start airing soon.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Runner up is Haibane Renmei, which strikes a good balance between Serial Experiments Lain and Niea_7, but the symbols that Abe uses are so heavyhanded, it kinda spoils it for me.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
ABe (sic, that's how you spell his name. ABe) has another series out that he designed the characters for Tehxnolyze (God I hope I spelt that)
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Wolf's Rain, the new one by Studio Bones, takes a decent concept and turns it into another preachy anti-human borefest.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You leave Studio Bones alone you big meany, Wolf's Rain frickin owned.
Studio Bones always had mixed results with good concepts: RahXephon was a shadow on the wall compared to Argento Soma. Angelic Layer was another eye rolling serial. Escaflowne was solid at points, but degerates to a wildly overdramatic soap opera. Seeing their track record, I think Cowboy Bebop might be the best they can do.
<b>I bring you death in the form of a thousand Harem Anime series!</b>
You did NOT just diss Angelic Layer and The Vision of Escaflowne...
Angelic Layer is downright cool and Escaflowne is a cult classic... I will beat you with so many wiffle sticks it is not funny...
American anime fans tend to enjoy things because of underlying styles within anime rather than the works themselves. They tend to enjoy anime itself rather than identify what they think are good series. FLCL is an excellent example of this, because--I kid you not--not a single anime fan out there understands what it really means... not because they've TRIED to understand it, but because they can't get pass the absurd front that FLCL presents. Thus, a spectacular series gets marginalized.
American anime fans tend to enjoy things because of underlying styles within anime rather than the works themselves. They tend to enjoy anime itself rather than identify what they think are good series. FLCL is an excellent example of this, because--I kid you not--not a single anime fan out there understands what it really means... not because they've TRIED to understand it, but because they can't get pass the absurd front that FLCL presents. Thus, a spectacular series gets marginalized. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
OMG FRICKIN BLASPHEMY!!! ESCAFLOWNE PWNS j00!!! Er.. yea...I gotta admit the stuff with the fate alteration engine and the twins was stupid, but other than that its my fave series <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif'><!--endemo--> .
Don't make me label you fanboy....
The Vision of Escaflowne is a superb series. A great constantly changing storyline, excellent animation and an exquisite musical score by Yoko Kanno. It is a superb example of what Japanese animation can produce and you're comparing it to a Julia Roberts film...
Angelic Layer was a show for young girls, but it had a great light hearted plot and some brilliant fight scenes. Clamp hit the nail right on the head with the demographic it was aimed at.
Stop being an arse and give respect where respect is due. They are both great series and you're just being uppity about it.
Anime is meant to be enjoyed, not classifyed.
And just to show I'm not being a **** about my previous bad selections
Arcade Gamer Fubuki's main premise was showing off the panties of a 10 year old girl to play old arcade games. It was 4 eps long and it shouldn't have made it past the pre-production stage.
Najica Blitz Tactics would have been a rather enjoyable series, if the director wasn't obsessed with Panty Shots. It did indeed have some nice animation and the budget wasn't skimped on there, but when you get 200 panty shots in the FIRST EPISODE ALONE something is going on. There is line between good and bad fanservice and he stepped over it...
Ninja Resurrection I caught in dubbed format, but as the 'sequel' to Ninja Scroll it doesn't even hold a candle to it's predecessor. The 'spaghetti western' style that Ninja Scroll uses wasn't even there...
Cinderalla Boy was a cheap Ranma 1/2 ripoff by director Monkey Punch. Hell he even named the lead character Ranma.... He should stick to Lupin the 3rd...
D.N.Angel... I don't really have a beef with D.N.Angel... I'm sure there is a very very good series in there, but for some reason I can't put my finger on I could not get into D.N.Angel... same goes for Scrapped Princess... don't ask me why... I really should have enjoyed them both...
Agreed. Well, agreed that it's very good. Except for a certain boring-as-all-hell episode in which the Major was, basically, on IRC the whole time it's been very good. And the wanky existentialism episode with the tachikomas contemplating their existence was still good, so nyah <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Wolf's Rain, the new one by Studio Bones, takes a decent concept and turns it into another preachy anti-human borefest.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm not at all surprised. Seen one episode so far, and it looks very boring. That, and I don't like dogs.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Witch Hunter Robin is, by far, the weakest series...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Aww... really? I've just started getting into the "ok, intro over. Commence real story" episodes, and it's been good. Does it really deflate that badly?
So what's wrong with Gunslinger Girl? (except possibly that it doesn't really work to have it set in Europe and have all the chracters speak Japanese, and the fact that little-girls-who-are-military-superweapons has been done a few times before)
Aww... really? I've just started getting into the "ok, intro over. Commence real story" episodes, and it's been good. Does it really deflate that badly?
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Wait wait... he bad mouthed Witch Hunter Robin...
*unleashes the Harem*
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->So what's wrong with Gunslinger Girl? (except possibly that it doesn't really work to have it set in Europe and have all the chracters speak Japanese, and the fact that little-girls-who-are-military-superweapons has been done a few times before)<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Gunslinger Girl has the potential to be a series I could really enjoy... except for one fact... See they have this very believable universe, some cool music and a very mild colour palette.. that's all good, except they brainwash like 8 year old girls for military use...
In the first episode the lead girl gets shot in the arm, and she's like 8... I don't care whether she's brain washed or not... she's 8 years old.. she should be crying her head off... 'Trained since birth' doesn't cut the mustard with me on this one...
I don't care what the genre is, as long as you produce a believable universe for that genre and a good story I will watch and thoroughly enjoy it...
I believe I am with him on this one!
The Vision of Escaflowne is a superb series. A great constantly changing storyline, excellent animation and an exquisite musical score by Yoko Kanno. It is a superb example of what Japanese animation can produce and you're comparing it to a Julia Roberts film...
Angelic Layer was a show for young girls, but it had a great light hearted plot and some brilliant fight scenes. Clamp hit the nail right on the head with the demographic it was aimed at.
Stop being an arse and give respect where respect is due. They are both great series and you're just being uppity about it.
Anime is meant to be enjoyed, not classifyed. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, I compare Julia Roberts movies to Escaflowne, because the critical point of the series was, of all things, an incredibly forced love triangle between Hitomi, Van, and Allen Schezar. I mean Van isn't even ALLUDED to any sort of romantic attachment to Hitomi at any point prior to final episodes. Even worse, all the thematic elements are present so eye-rollingly large that they have characters talking directly about "fate"... that's not my cup of tea, I kinda like things to be a bit more subtle than that.
To me, a great series of this genre would be the Zeta Gundam, where class conflicts and personal emotions become a reflection of the immoral, confused world that surrounds the main characters. It's dramatic, it's got great mech designs and fight scenes, and it manages to fulfill the thematic purposes it was set out for... something that Escaflowne fails at.
As for Angelic Layer... Yes, it was made for the demographic it was made for. It's silly, superfluous, and totally unimportant... it is what it is. I'm not a young girl. Are you? Why would it appeal to me? It's like saying that Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum do good politically-bent action books that quick, fast reads... yeah, that's fine, but--since those books weren't written to appeal to my demographic--why would that make me think they're "great"?
In the meantime, Hayao Miyazaki (and, outside of Japan, Pixar) is creating movies that are meant to appeal to young children, but they take on a timeless quality that, for the most part, allows persons of all ages to enjoy them. It's difficult to compare the greatness of My Neighbor Totoro or Sen to Chihiro to Angelic Layer.
From my perspective, I would hardly call a show that relies heavily on melodrama and ultimately implodes or a show targeted towards--and largely appeals to--young girls to be "great series."
And let me clarify something... I'm giving my opinions. It's my opinion, I gave my reasons for it as well as I think I could have. You immediately countered with single sentences that I didn't think clarified your point (you described Escaflowne as a "cult classic," which isn't positive or negative or anything). I responded in kind, to which you now are responding with insults and indignation. If you disagree with me, that's fine, but... you know... I'd like to point out that you didn't even READ my opinions about Witch Hunter Robin before responding to them in your last post.
Yes, anime is to be enjoyed... just like movies or books or music. As for it being classified... Classified into what?
Shall i be the first to point out that Angel Sanctuary != Angelic Layer.
Agreed. Well, agreed that it's very good. Except for a certain boring-as-all-hell episode in which the Major was, basically, on IRC the whole time it's been very good. And the wanky existentialism episode with the tachikomas contemplating their existence was still good, so nyah <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Wolf's Rain, the new one by Studio Bones, takes a decent concept and turns it into another preachy anti-human borefest.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm not at all surprised. Seen one episode so far, and it looks very boring. That, and I don't like dogs.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Witch Hunter Robin is, by far, the weakest series...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Aww... really? I've just started getting into the "ok, intro over. Commence real story" episodes, and it's been good. Does it really deflate that badly? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh no, that was good because it WAS the tachikoma doing all the discussion (compared to the "why do you scuba dive" scene in the movie). It was innocent minds contemplating their own existence.. it's the purest form of it. Also, the second half of the episode was great... the self-contained world? Really REALLY well presented, I thought.
The IRC episode was strange and, yes, kinda boring, but it ended up summarizing my big questions about The Laughing Man. My least favorite was the torture episode, because that torture sounded incredibly nasty and I cracked up when they had a shot of Batou screaming and firing an M60 in slow motion.
Wolf's Rain encountered the problem of focusing on a bunch of pretty unsympathetic characters who constantly badmouth humans, who conveniently "show their cruelty" at any given point. The post apocalyptic world was well presented and looked gorgeous, but [spoilers]<span style='color:purple'><span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>when it got around to implying that the wolves existed as a counter and a warning to man's trangressions against nature, I slapped my hand against my head.</span></span>[/spoilers] Then again, I loves me that russian aesthetic, so I'm biased.
I don't think they planned Robin too well. I loved the series for what it was trying to do, but the way it ends up revealing its secrets... you'll see at the end of it.
Shall i be the first to point out that Angel Sanctuary != Angelic Layer. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Awww CRAP.
edited.
and Esuna is in England (IIRC) and they get all the good stuff?
Only ways to get a really good anime collection is using import (some shops around here do it but mainly netplaces). the other way... well... lets just say it's questionable ethics <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
~mutters about missing out on a full-blown anime debate~
Inf also traffiks heroine which I think might help him afford expensive stuff.
I wish I could watch that much anime (...or good animation in general, while not particularily well drawn Family Guy and Futurama do present excellent satire (well, Futurama has it's own style, but most other american animation doesn't)). I get to watch Trigun... (used to be Cowboy Bebop (which is okay, I'll watch it but it's not that exciting) and Inu Yasha (now replaced with some other show), because that's what's on Cartoon Network.
...However, there were some that I really don't like, either do to style or just generally bad voice acting or other flaws. Big O = terrible (to me, at least)...the dubbing is terrible with no actual tone...and I hate the drawing style. Lupin the Third = worse than Big O (...bah, same as above, except more annoying).
FLCL is okay, I guess, it's probably missing most of the point with the fact I don't speak Japanese.
Trigun in english seems better than the Trigun in japanese (voices are matched so much better; and none of that 'you lose the layers of the japanese language' stuff either...it's all there in both. Neon Genesis Evangelion and Chobits are the only ones I've seen that aren't on Cartoon Network.
(There was also EYES of Mars somewhere, and I'd like to buy that movie, but bah, I don't know where to get it).
I demand new anime! ...maybe I'll take some Japanese language courses, move to Japan, get in on their in depth 'hip style' thing ...naah
First off- ya, some american stuff is cool. But then, how do you explain people liking Furi Kuri and Evangelion? Niether have been done before, but both are immensely popular. Also- Infinitum has forgotten more about anime than you'll ever know. He's closer to Japan than us too(aussie's rock).
His only weakness is me. Because I AM TEH ALLKNOWER OF EVANGELIONXOR! I COULD BEAT HIM IN EVERYTHING TO DO WITH EVANGELION! MWAH!