What anime are ya watching?

[Chocofreak13]

two new posts on the blog, free backgrounds for everybody~~

http://kkanimereviews.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-great-big-thankyou.html
http://kkanimereviews.blogspot.com/2013/04/ikoku-meiro-no-croisee.html

[LeaflameSD]

Good job!
Kinda thinking of starting an anime reviews blog myself ^^;

[Nichi]

Just finished watching Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamrock Shake

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shambala: ShowHide

When I first saw this back in '06 or so, roughly half a year after I finished the original series, I honestly didn't like it; I found it confusing as fuck and served little purpose to the plot. Watching it again several years later, right after finishing the original series, I must say it's not quite as bad as I remember it, but it's still quite flawed.

As a story, it works well enough; it does build off of what was established in the previous series, even if some elements felt ridiculous (The plot revolving around Nazis trying to break into Ed's homeworld is still strange to me). It does supply a solid ending in itself; with Ed and Al reunited, although now separated from their friends on the other side of the gate. Ed might not have his arm and leg back, still having Automail, but Al is alive again and back to normal; which makes their journey feel complete.

One of my problems with it was how it didn't really answer any of the lingering questions of the original series. Like, we see Wrath again, but nothing is said about what he was up to, and also, Gluttony returns out of nowhere as this very grotesque monster, without an explanation as to how he became like this. So, in the end I'm still left wondering what the hell happened with them.

Secondly, and the critical flaw of the entire movie in my eyes, was how it simply didn't feel like a Fullmetal Alchemist movie until the final act. It felt like I was watching a completely unrelated story that happened to star Edward Elric, with occasional scenes that show things going on back in his homeworld, until the last 30 minutes or so; when Ed's back home and kicking ass alongside Al and Mustang.

Still, it was enjoyable, but very flawed. Not really a favorite of mine, to be honest.

Now, to get some other series out of the way (Likely Rayearth, or maybe Megas XLR), and then start on Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood; to see how well it stacks up.

[SleepyD]

Also Pretty Cure, the 4kids dub, is it good? :\

Is anything 4kids good? I mean, apart from the nostalgia, few jokes that hit its mark, and its hilarious badly translated moments?

and stay FAR away from PreCure. it's gone on SO LONG ><;

i've never seen the series. but it is to magical girl series what pokemon is to creature anime. :\

That's an insult to pokémon. At least they have some good parts to back them up...

Precure is cancer.

*checks signature*
aw. haha...

[Nichi]

I guess PreCure is basically best described as Mahou Shoujo Gundam-chan ^^;;

(I mean, it's apparently had several irritations over the years; like Gundam)

[Chocofreak13]

Just finished watching Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamrock Shake

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shambala: ShowHide

When I first saw this back in '06 or so, roughly half a year after I finished the original series, I honestly didn't like it; I found it confusing as fuck and served little purpose to the plot. Watching it again several years later, right after finishing the original series, I must say it's not quite as bad as I remember it, but it's still quite flawed.

As a story, it works well enough; it does build off of what was established in the previous series, even if some elements felt ridiculous (The plot revolving around Nazis trying to break into Ed's homeworld is still strange to me). It does supply a solid ending in itself; with Ed and Al reunited, although now separated from their friends on the other side of the gate. Ed might not have his arm and leg back, still having Automail, but Al is alive again and back to normal; which makes their journey feel complete.

One of my problems with it was how it didn't really answer any of the lingering questions of the original series. Like, we see Wrath again, but nothing is said about what he was up to, and also, Gluttony returns out of nowhere as this very grotesque monster, without an explanation as to how he became like this. So, in the end I'm still left wondering what the hell happened with them.

Secondly, and the critical flaw of the entire movie in my eyes, was how it simply didn't feel like a Fullmetal Alchemist movie until the final act. It felt like I was watching a completely unrelated story that happened to star Edward Elric, with occasional scenes that show things going on back in his homeworld, until the last 30 minutes or so; when Ed's back home and kicking ass alongside Al and Mustang.

Still, it was enjoyable, but very flawed. Not really a favorite of mine, to be honest.

follow-up notes: ShowHide

you have to remember dude, it's a MOVIE. self-contained plots are the point, after all, if it connected to the main plot it'd either be a retelling movie (evangelion rebuild movies?) or an OVA (though honestly, most OVAs aren't connected either). while i can't defend the plot holes involving the homunculi, but one thing i CAN say is that since it was based around the original FMA anime, that might explain a lot, as the original anime had to do for a good chunk of its later plot what Tokimeki Tonight did for its anime's ending: invent it. (for both series) the manga was still going, so when the anime went past the point of being current, the director had to come up with something to fill in the blanks. the same thing happened with the later seasons of Sailor Moon, actually, since Takeuchi-sama only intended the series to go one season but was egged on for more by publishers and the like, so the manga and anime ended up paralleling each other at times (the only difference is, she was involved with the production of the anime, where as FMA's was not).

also, the Nazis DID have a large (albeit secret) interest in the Occult, going so far as to assign people to study it to see if it can be used as a weapon in the war. other things the Nazis researched include space travel, time travel (i think), and nuclear warheads. the idea of parallel universes has been used before. just look at Dr. Who. :3

@sleepy: eh heh, sorry, but i just can't bring myself to like it. it seemed cute at first but any series that has gotten 7+ seasons without at least TRYING to be original as opposed to just glazing over it with a new coat of paint doesn't sit well with me. maybe, like pokemon, the early seasons were passable (and even alright), but  it's gone on much too long. :\

watched Nichibros ep 1 and Hen Zemi ep 4-7 (currently in the middle of . HZ isn't as bad as i first gave it credit for; while there are episodes that make me squirm uncomfortably, there are others which aren't as bad (and are actually pretty nice). i still don't know what to rate this series, but now instead of "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I'M SO CONFUSED HOLD MEEEE" i see it now as more of a shock-value hit-or-miss humour type. :\

[SleepyD]

Well PreCure is first and foremost a little girls' anime. It's played in the morning, unlike most anime that's played on subscription channels at 2am.

Also, being a little girls' anime, I think it's closer to what magical girl shows used to be like. This concept is what got me interested in the first place. I've watched and thoroughly enjoyed Nanoha, but that's magical girls through a decidedly older male perspective. So I wanted to know what their "source" was.

Also, I do appreciate the simple dialogue and subtitles during the theme songs that let me read along. haha (YAY kids shows helping me learn the moonrunes)

And like power rangers/super sentai shows, each season is standalone and does not require any knowledge of the prior seasons to watch. (Except in the brief cameo or crossover stuff they may cook up) So there's no real impetus for me to watch the older Precure seasons. Although I hear Heartcatch is supposedly good. haha

But, to each their own. Actually, I have to say, it's much easier for me to watch PreCure in the morning. It has that weekday morning cartoon nostalgic effect on me. I can't stand watching it later in the day. haha


also Nichibros is damn awesome. I wish my all-boys high school life was that funny. haha

[Chocofreak13]

i think the club might like nichibros if only because it's like, 8 shorts packed into one episode.

hearing that makes me understand precure a bit more, it's the equivalent of saturday morning cartoons for japanese kids. with that, i now respect it. but i don't think i can watch it; i need plot with my anime these days in order to enjoy it. wish i could have caught it when plot took a backseat to cartoon violence :3

(i think my pallette might be a little bit richer if only because "saturday morning cartoons" for me was stuff like Digimon and Mew Mew Power, which may have been boppy and fun but had more plot than a "monster-of-the-week" show. ^^; )


EDIT: what do i do about this...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Soup

[Bella]

I saw Sekirei season one a while ago, I should really get back and watch season two.  That basic 'fanservice heavy but fun' assessment is accurate, I feel.

What's it about?

I'm still watching Bodacious (Miniskirt????) Space Pirates, Kino No Tabi and now I'm continuing Steins;Gate ... it's getting pretty freakin' awesome if you ask me.

Though I'm pausing at Episode 6 to let Stew catch up 'cause we agreed to watch it together (if anyone else would like to join us now would be a good time [ie, I'm not very far into the series]). -w-

[Nichi]

I might eventually try that series :3
Also, considering tracking down Banner of the Stars; which I faintly remember watching ages ago, and reading about it on TV Tropes has me interested again

First order of business is likely finish the first season of Megas XLR, and then start on Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

[LeaflameSD]

Maico 2010 Ep.15.
And Omamori Himari Ep.7.

[SleepyD]

Steins;Gate is awesome. Keep watching it dammit! fwahaha

[Alex S]

Not actually an anime, but I've been watching Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger recently.

I also finished re-watching Spiral: Bonds of Reasoning.

[Simonorged]

Actually it is, and a really fucking awesome one at that, DO YOU EVEN LIFT!

(sorry, pissed, don't take offence please)

[Chocofreak13]

@alex: spiral? was that the one with the spikey brown-haired guy and something about this mysterious group of kids? i used to see ads for that everywhere. :0

I saw Sekirei season one a while ago, I should really get back and watch season two.  That basic 'fanservice heavy but fun' assessment is accurate, I feel.

What's it about?

a twice-failure at the college entrance exams is plodding back to his apartment after getting his second time results, when a girl falls out of the sky and lands on him. after coming to and finding her panties in his face, two girls in skimpy rubber costumes fly down and throw lightning at the pair. the girl grabs his hand and runs off, only pausing when they get to a riverbank. eventually he takes her home, and after a fateful smooch it is revealed that she is a Sekirei, a humanoid creature with some mystic-ass powers destined to fight the other 107 Sekirei in the city for her Ashikabi (the guy) till she is the victor, to grant a wish or some BS like that. there's a lot of boobs and panty shots. there's also a lot of property damage and laughs to be had. :0


i'm up to ep 7 of Nichibros. we have also selected two new series for the end of club, Nichibros and Big O. we got through the first episode today, and will watch more in 2 weeks (the teacher has a doctor's appointment next monday).