General Anime Discussion Thread

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Right Now, I'm Watching Bleach. I think the Manga is better BUT, the anime is still enjoyable. I just finished an episode with this moment in it, and it's a great moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjW0yScYBbs

Great moment. The Japanese version is just as good. They did a great job of stretching the Rukia/Soul Society Arc out. I was let down by the Bount Filler but the Arrancar arc so far has been most enjoyable.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Why haven't I seen this kind of thread before? Kudos OP.

Anime...how I love it so. Man I know in the 90s I was a big fan of anime like Dragon Ball Z (can't tell you how much the movie pissed me off), Tenchi Muyo and I was a Pokemaniac no lie.

Here recently a friend of mine let me borrow a disc-set called Berserker. It's a little older than the mentioned animes I watched, but I tell ya- never has a cartoon caught my attention more than this gem. By far Guts is the coolest dude I have ever seen in the toon world. He's like a combination of Superman and Cloud Strife. For those that enjoy a bit of medieval violence, an intricate story, and of course a guy that can seriously kick ass, check out Berserker.

 

[Minor League Brian]

God, Dubs are terrible. Seeing that Bleach one is just so bad...

Cowboy Bebop is about the ONLY Anime I've seen with a better Dub then a Sub. Its just very hard to do. Most American voice actors, at least how they're casted, just do not fit the personality of the Characters.

And for Bleach lovers who don't mind a wee bit of a spoiler, here's some epicness for you.

[youtube]eS7H7EUJtWs[/youtube]

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Some of the Dubs aren't too bad. Johnny Bosch is okay for Ichigo and Gin's voice actor has grown on me. I still don't like Kyle Herbert as Aizen. He just doesn't fit. Dragon-Ball/DBZ had pretty good voice acting. Sean Schemmel was pretty good as Goku and Chris Sabat was very good in the majority of his roles.

 

[The Doctor]

There are some very good dubs out there. Apart from the obvious Cowboy Bebop, there are the Disney dubs of Studio Ghibli films, the Sonic movie (though it takes a little while to get used to the voices; once you do, they're perfect and the translation is top-notch), the first liva-action Death Note movie, and more. While there are some TERRIBLE dubs out there (here's looking at you, Mega Man NT Warrior), not all are bad. Dubbing is not inherently bad. Sometimes you just don't want to read subtitles.

I think that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy something in their native language. That's why it's awesome when a good dub job comes along. I usually stick to subbing, but with the Studio Ghibli films in particular I actually prefer the dub since it was done so well.

 

[Yoshikawa]

Has anyone watched the devil may cry series im currently watching it its about 12 episodes long im wondering if there is a main plot so far its pretty bland. Anyone eles seen it and got any thoughts

 

[lenguy]

I like the art style of a lot of the anime out there, though i dont really watch as much as i should. I own every DB/z/gt set so far Just cuz as a kid i stumbled upon the show by complete accident and fell in love with it. To this day it remains one of my favorite not only animes but tv show of all timesss. More recently iv followed the likes of inuyasha but the ending of the series just pissed me off and was completly counter productive towards the entire series.

My friend showed me some episodes of a show called full metal alchemist. I had no idea what to expect. But i was just amazed by own much story and emotion they put into it I literally couldnt stop watching. Amazing story with some great charaters. Its to bad the series didnt go as long as i was hoping

As of right now Im watch Avatar the last airbender. while some dont consider this an anime since its creators are american, But the art style to me says other wise. I find it quiet interesting with some very loveable characters. Cant wait for the movie adaption next month. Anybody wanna suggest something else good, Please i insist.

 

[The Doctor]

I like the art style of a lot of the anime out there, though i dont really watch as much as i should. I own every DB/z/gt set so far Just cuz as a kid i stumbled upon the show by complete accident and fell in love with it. To this day it remains one of my favorite not only animes but tv show of all timesss. More recently iv followed the likes of inuyasha but the ending of the series just pissed me off and was completly counter productive towards the entire series.

I was never a fan of Inuyasha. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the story, I didn't like the art...basically, I hated everything about the show. It really got to me in a way no other show has done. There are shows I dislike, but this went farther than that. I can hardly explain why I hated it so much.

My friend showed me some episodes of a show called full metal alchemist. I had no idea what to expect. But i was just amazed by own much story and emotion they put into it I literally couldnt stop watching. Amazing story with some great charaters. Its to bad the series didnt go as long as i was hoping

I've never watched the anime of FMA save for a few episodes, but I've read a lot of the manga. Absolutely stellar series, with great characters and story. Highly recommended.

As of right now Im watch Avatar the last airbender. while some dont consider this an anime since its creators are american, But the art style to me says other wise. I find it quiet interesting with some very loveable characters. Cant wait for the movie adaption next month.

My ex-gf loved Avatar, and we used to watch the box sets together. My older brother and most of my friends love it too. I highly enjoyed every episode I saw, and I too am looking forward to the movie. I plan on seeing it opening week with my friends.

Anybody wanna suggest something else good, Please i insist.

First and foremost, DeathNote. Anyone here can tell you how annoyingly I love that series. It's a really intellectual one with twists, turns, and lots of suspense. One of the best anime/manga/movie series' I have ever seen, bar none. Heck, one of the best TV shows I've seen, bar none. I cannot praise it enough.

Trigun is another show I love. It's a space Western with great characters and a deep story. It starts out goofy, but it gets deeper and more serious as the series progresses. If you're a fan of Westerns, sci-fi, interesting and entertaining characters, and action, watch it.

Rockman.EXE is a fun little show based on the Mega Man Battle Network series of games. I'm recommending it due to personal bias, as it was the show that really got me into forums and fandoms and such, but it is still a very enjoyable watch. At least, the Japanese version is. The English version is horrible.

Azu Manga Daioh is the funniest show I have ever seen, one that captures a certain group of high school girls perfectly. It's great if you like strange humor, though some people don't "get it".

For movies:

Anything by Studio Ghibli or Hayao Miyazaki is going to be good. My personal favorites are:

Grave of the Fireflies. This is an emotional, downright painful take on the horrors of war. Don't watch it unless you can handle insane emotion and sadness. It's a hard watch...great film though.

Spirited Away is a creepy yet cartoony, Alice In Wonderland type deal. It plays on fears we had as children of separation while giving us some marvelously surreal moments wrapped p inside a very good film.

Laputa: Castle in the Sky is a great movie where some kids find a city lost in the clouds, by help of sky pirates. There's a little more to the story, but that's the general gist. Fun to watch.

The Castle of Cagliostro is an awesome heist movie featuring a great car chase scene at the beginning and greatness throughout. I believe this was Miyazaki's directorial debut, and is rightly regarded as a masterpiece.

And for non-Miyazaki and non-Studio Ghibli:

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie is the best videogame movie of all time, bar none. The English dub is top-notch, and the whole movie captures the spirit of the Sonic The Hedgehog games perfectly. It's fun, funny, full of action, and just a joy to watch.

Appleseed Ex Machina is one kickass movie. The opening minutes are intense, and it's a great film to watch with friends. It's set in a sci-fi future, and the animation style is incredible. It's like they mixed CGI and animation in one slick package. Definitely pick it up.

Well, that should be enough to get you started.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

Dragonball Kai's pretty good, and I was skeptical. The Raditz rerecording was absolutely fucking phenomenal; he ended up sounding like a ballsier Vegeta. How the hell is that even possible, though? I kind of wish he stuck around longer. :/

They redid the original Vegeta scene too, so he doesn't look like a fat kid in green armor. That was actually the original Concept Art for Vegeta; a stocky, short Saiyan. Least they kept the short.

 

[Mr. PPV]

I can't wait to start watching Kai (Not watching it on TV), every time I watch any of the first 3 sagas it reminds me of why I loved the series so much and now finally in 2010 we get to see it the way Akira Toriyama originally wrote it. No more fillers! But I recently bought both box sets of Fullmetal Alchemist so I can't start anything else and quite frankly I don't even want to. I have no idea why I have never given FMA a chance in the past before, there hasn't been an anime that has seriously got me not wanting to stop watching I'm starting to like this almost as much as Outlaw Star or Trigun. Everything melds so well together and where I'm at right now (Episode 20) the story is really kicking in gear. I'm sure I'm probably one of the few who have over looked the series, for those who have seen it all what do you think of it? Do it get even better from where I'm currently at?

 

[The Doctor]

So, last night, around midnight, I stumbled across episode 8 of a show called Kiss X Sis. I watched it all the way through...and now my brain is broken. Seriously, it was the weirdest thing I had ever seen in my life. It's anime like that that gives us a bad name. From what I could tell, the main story was that two step-sisters try to win the affections of their step-brother (Because apparently being not related by blood makes it OK). The episode in question was full of over-the-top fanservice and it was just stupid.

One scene in particular (that I won't spoil) really drove it home for me that this was either the worst thing I have ever watched in my life, or the best. I'll just call it The Fireworks Scene. You'll know what I mean when you see it.

Avoid this show at all costs, or watch it, I don't know. If I could describe it in one word, it would be WTF?!

 

[The Doctor]

Yesterday, I watched the first episode of Hellsing. I've been wanting to watch it for a while, as I loved the character designs and art style. I'm happy to say that it lived up to my expectations. The chiaroscuro style was artistic and slick, and Alucard is a badass. I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of the episodes. I'll post a review of the series when I'm done.

 

[Serious Mozzarella]

If anyone feels like a really sad romance anime (you know, if you developed a gaping vagina the size of a hallway like I did when I watched this), I would suggest Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien. I think it was licensed in the U.S. recently as "Rumbling Hearts" or something like that. I'm not trying to be a weeaboo, I just watched it before it had an English name, so don't jump at me, lol.

Anyway, I would check that out. It's about 12 episodes long, so it shouldn't take up too much free time.

 

[jmt225]

I mentioned before how much I enjoyed the Death Note Live Action Films. Based on that, I decided to check the Anime out, even though I have never been a fan of the style of it before.

Well, I finally got through the series last week, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'd say it's better than the two movies, but it's definitely great stuff.

I think my favorite episode would have to be the 7th one in the series called "Overcast," which is the episode where Light out tricks Naomi Misora to make her commit suicide. That whole scenario went completely different from the movie, and I fucking loved it.

And the series remained great all the way up to L's death. I loved the Silence episode (the one where L dies). Past that though... the series was good, but not great. I wasn't a fan of Near or Mello. I did really like Teru Mikami and Light's relationship with Takada. But outside of that and a couple of scenes (ala the deaths of Light's father and Takada/Mello), I thought the series went down a step after L died.

The ending to it, I really wanted Light to win; it might seem evil, but I just did not like the idea of Near being able to outsmart Light. However, the way it was done was still tremendous. It showed just how much of a psycho Light had really become at that point.

But yeah... great series. I loved Misa's character too, I forgot to mention. She was awesome and added a ton of great humor to the show. The flaws though were L's American dub voice (though Light's guy was tremendous, as was Misa's), Near being way too smart (For example, seriously.. how the fuck was he able to find out about Mikami so fast? That really bothered me), Sidoh being added to the show for no reason, and Aizawa becoming more and more unlikable as the series progressed. Outside of that, great, great stuff.

After viewing Death Note, I now know for sure that I could get past the animation aspect of anime and probably latch on to some other shows. Most I've looked into the past few days look like shit I would never like, but I have come across somethings that are sure to draw me in. For example, Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom is something Marquis showed me, and that looks awesome. However, I don't have enough space to risk downloaded the shows on my computer, so I'm going to have to wait for the DVD release for this one; it'll most likely be a while before I'm able to check it out. Vampire Knight also looks interesting, and that gets a DVD release in July, so I'll check that out. And I might check out Rurouni Kenshin and Haruhi Suzumiya within due time.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

More people should watch Neon Genesis Evangelion. I know a lot of people hate it (mostly because of the mind-fuck and nature of certain characters), but I seriously think it's a solid classic. Also check out the movies and the new movies that are being released right now. If you get into it once, you will watch the series again countless times.

Also, for anyone that loves slice-of-life as much as I do, I recommend...

Maison Ikkoku - pretty much the mother of slice-of-life romance Anime. Very satisfying gem of a series that gets overlooked because of its older animation.
Honey & Clover
Welcome to the NHK! - My favourite slice-of-life Anime for its realistic portrayals of shut-ins and otaku lifestyle.
Minami-ke - Funny series about three sisters with different personalities and their everyday happenings.
Toradora!
Genshiken - I prefer the Manga, but still a good Anime series.
Azumanga Daioh
Clannad
True Tears - An unpredictable romance.

 

[Minor League Brian]

I'll assume Jay's gonna like more 'Serious' anime so I'd suggest looking at Code Geass and possibly RahXephon as some animes. They're not the same genre but both will make you think, though Geass is kind of a more kiddie anime. For those who haven't seen Evangelion yet, I'd suggest Evangelion 2.0. Though I have yet to see it (I think its on going) its an updated version so the graphics should be better. Some people just don't like that older style of anime. Personally, I love it.

Anyway, I've come here to tell everyone who HASN'T seen Hitman Reborn! yet to check it out. The fillers are absolute shit, and for the most part you can skip them (like I did), but I've fallen in love with the meat of the show and I cannot explain why. Again, the beginning arc is slow and isn't as good but it picks up around the Varia arc. Only 20 episodes in or so if you only watch the Canon, however you'll miss Character introduction but so far it doesn't seem to have really affected my viewing experience.

The Introduction arc:
* Manga Chapters 1-61
* Anime Episodes 1-19, 27-33, 66-73
(Note: If you notice, the anime broke-up the introduction arc into 3 parts to avoid the long-winded beginning, which the manga suffered from)

Kokuyō Gang arc:
* Manga Chapters 62-81
* Anime Episodes 20-26

The Varia arc:
* Manga Chapters 82-135
* Anime Episodes 34-65

The Future arc:
* Manga Chapters 136-present
* Anime Episodes 74-present

 

[Josefien]

So, one of my friends has been trying to convince me to watch Gundam 00 forever.

I haven't watched any of the other Gundam series because it just never looked like something I would enjoy. The whole Science Fiction Mecha thing is just not my type. Okay, I loved Power Rangers as a child but that's about as far as I would go.

Now, have any of you ever watched Gundam? Or even Gundam 00?
If so, is it worth watching or not and why would you say so?

Also, I would like to add to The Doctor's post about Hellsing's awesomeness.
Watched it when it was on TV here a few years ago and it was great!
I love Vampires (not the sparkly kind) and Hellsing portrays them almost exactly as I'd like them to be portrayed, bloodthirsty and badass instead of whining and overly sensitive.
The manga is good too, although at the time I bought it I wasn't able to get one of the books.. apparently because of Nazi symbols. Of course a manga can never quite show the action scenes the way an Anime can, but Hirano's artwork is so awesome, it definitely makes up for it.

 

[The Doctor]

Lately I've been watching Hellsing and Cowboy Bebop. Well, continuing to watch Hellsing. It's such a badass series. I love it. You want to make a series featuring vampires different from the norm? THIS is how you do it. Guns, blood, and style, not sparkles.

As for Cowboy Bebop, I never could watch it when it came on back in the day on Adult Swim. I've seen one or two episodes, and that's it. So I decided to download the entire English dub (because almost everyone agrees it's actually better than the Japanese) and I love it. It's an interesting space western series and the dubbing is superb. I can't wait to really get into it as I've only watched the first few episodes.

 

[Yoshikawa]

Ah yes cowboy bebop while it doesnt change too much over the amount of episodes it has it is still very very good all the characters are likable and they all have there own stories which is nice because you dont get to see that in many short animes its a nice change. Tell me if you enjoy it ill be interested to hear your thoughts on this anime

 

[Minor League Brian]

I've basically ran out of anime's to watch. Caught up with Hitman Reborn!, same with Bleach, Naruto, and Fairy Tale. I can't find any interesting older anime's to watch anymore and most of the ones people name I've already seen.

Someone start suggestion shows. I'm a fan of the fantasy stuff.

 

[Remy LaCroix]

Strange, I could've sworn I posted once in this thread before. Maybe my post got deleted due to calling out a buncha people who talked about mainstream animes.

Anyone ever checked out Midori Days (Midori No Hibi in Japanese)? It's about a girl who likes this one guy from another high school but is too scared to confess to him. Awful lot of animes mention confessing love, so I guess it's a norm for the high school settings in some of 'em.
Anyway, the same guy is desperate for a girlfriend, but most girls are afraid of him cuz he gets into a LOT of fights. Don't remember much detail, but he comes off as threatening or something. The aforementioned girl earlier is just afraid to confess cuz it's tr00 love. <3333

Anyway, he wakes up one day to find out she replaced this fighting hand in miniature form. Not gonna spoil it, so I urge you to check it out. It's a romantic comedy. Not many episodes, but I forgot how many.

Can we discuss Japanese animated movies in here too or strictly anime series?

 

[Bernkastel]

Anyone keeping track of the Naruto series right now? It's quite possibly the best overall series I've seen since the origional Dragonball.

The anime is nearing the conclusion of the acclaimed Pain's Invasion arc, while the manga has just finished tying up all the loose ends surrounding Naruto's birth, and fusion with the Nine Tails.

I have to give Akira Toriyama credit for not only churning out new material each week, but also tying up the loose ends in his storyline, and making sure the series moves into each new story arc without any missing scenes...

...it's a lesson that Bleach creator Tite Kubo should learn how to emulate.

 

[The Holy One]

I'm currently watching episodes of S-Cry-Ed. I forgot how much I loved this show back when it came on. I felt it was one of those animes that gave a lot of action in each show rather than focusing on the hardships that Kazuya goes through all the time. The concept of the Alter power really interests me too. It's a shame that I can't find a lot of fans of this series.

 

[enterkey]

I am currently in line to watch the original Full Metal Alchemist and Death Note atm. I have seen sporadic episodes of FMA in the past and it always interested me but the randomized timeslots and episode showings on Adult Swim in the past and my forgetfulness of when it was on I never was able to fully get into the show and I generally ended up seeing the same episodes over and over again, if I had to sit through the boring pre Alchemy exam eps again like the one with the chimera I might have had to hit myself over the head with a tack hammer. For Death Note Ihave heard nothing but good things about it and it has been referred to me by several friends so I figured I'd give it a try. This year for me has been something of an anime year, I have started and finished a dozen or so shows and caught up on some that I had never seen before such as Bleach (damn filler episodes all over the place!).

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Darker Than Black: Episodes 1 & 2 (The Fallen Star of a Contract...Parts 1 & 2)

Okay, so I picked this up a few days ago and finally got round to watching the first two episodes. I knew literally nothing about this series going in and only know a few more things now. Essentially an introduction to the series, The Fallen Star of a Contract... sees us delve into a world where supernatural beings known as Contractors share the world with humans. They look, sound and are basically human, minus one little thing; a conscious(!). The Contractors also brought something else with them though, something known as the Hells Gate, something so awful that it was decided that a giant wall would be built surrounding the city (somewhere in Japan, it's not elaborated upon). I assume we'll learn more about it as the series continues but the mystery about the Contractors continues as it turns out that they had the stars in the sky replaced. The stars that now inhabit the sky are in fact symbols of the Contractors, and should one die, the star will fall. It's all rather poetic.

Anyway, while the police do their best to hunt down the Contractors, someone else stalks the streets brining them to justice; The Black Reaper (Voiced by Jason Liebrecht). His real name (?) is Li Shengshun, or so we're told. He pretends to be a Chinese student living out in a crappy apartment block. Anyway, in these episodes, he moves in to his new home and notices his suspicious next door neighbour; Chiaki Shinado. So that's the basis of this two parter. Needless to say, there's a lot more to the story than meets the eye but that's for me to know, and you to find out.

I enjoyed this opening two parter, that raises several questions but only answers a few of them. The voice acting is solid as well (It's a FUNimation Dub for those of you who are interested) with Jason Liebrecht doing well in the lead role. However, it does have a tendency to ramble about things that no one really cares about. Overall I'd say it's worth checking out.
Rating: 3.5/5