Forum - View topicWhat are you watching right now? Why? (please read 1st post)
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Cam0
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Just watched Eden of the East and it was a bit of a disappointment. It started out so well. I was completely hooked for the first 6 episodes or so. It had unique mysterious feel to it, coupled with it's awesome opening which really fit into it's mysterious feel. If it had been like that for the last 5 episodes, I might have given it an excellent rating, but they went and blew the whole thing up.
Those friends of Saki completely destroyed the feel and greatness of this anime for me. They felt completely out of place for me, expecially since some random guy who had withdrawn from society knew about the Selecao. I don't care even if this anime is named after the club (or whatever) of Sakis friends, they still shouldn't have anything to do with the Selecao or Akira. I ended up giving this anime a good rating, which is because half of the anime was awesome. I still have to see the movies though. Struggling with The Beast Player Erin. I just can't get into the right mood to watch this anymore, I guess I have to put it on hold for now |
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Errinundra
Moderator
 Posts: 6524 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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Tenchi Universe
Another of my nephew’s 1990s fansubs. I somewhat prefer this television series to the original OAVs for two reasons. Firstly, the characterisation of its most memorable personality, Ryoko, is more consistent over the course of story than in the OAVs. For sure, she doesn’t have the explosive entry of the OAV but nor does she decline into a bland love struck non-entity. Secondly, the overall story arc is less episodic and avoids some of the inanities of the original. Washu may play a lesser role but she does provide the impetus for my favourite segments in the franchise so far: the three episodes where the crew find themselves in a series of alternative space-times. In one Tenchi finds himself settled into domestic life with the excruciating Mihoshi and, in another, Tenchi and Ryoko are prohibition era gangsters who reach a surprising, and moving, level of mutual understanding. Other than that, the series is at its best when Ryuko and Ayeka are feuding over Tenchi but, in actual fact, there isn’t all that much of their shenanigans. For the most part, the series muddles along being neither particularly funny nor dramatic. Rating: so-so. Koji Morimoto Last weekend I indulged in something of Morimoto festival. He was one of the founders of Studio 4ºC and is noted for directing short films and music videos. I have the Memories and Animatrix anthologies in my DVD collection – Magnetic Rose is easily the pick of the former and Beyond is one of the highlights of the latter. Over the weekend I re-watched these along with three of his other short films. Morimoto’s style is surreal, combining a number of opposing themes: the individual in a vast landscape; the technological / industrial versus the natural; the mystical versus the quotidian. No matter how horrific the image, there is a lingering beauty; in beauty there is always something unsettling. His narrative relies more on the emotional impact of a sequence of compelling scenes than on conventional storytelling techniques. Dimension Bomb (from the Genius Party Beyond anthology). It’s difficult to explain what is happening in this film. It seems to me that a girl and a boy find themselves in a sequence of extraordinary landscapes that are a source of both wonder and pain. Well, I think there’s one boy and one girl. Sometimes the boy looks somewhat feminine and then there’s someone in a fallout suit who I think is the boy, but might be the girl or perhaps someone altogether different. But it doesn’t matter. The visuals are amazing, being never less than beautiful and, more often than not, frightening. The meaning and narrative are entirely up to the viewer’s imagination. There is, nevertheless, a precise emotional structure that, along with the imagery, has me completely engaged each time I watch the film. Rating: excellent. Magnetic Rose (from the Memories anthology). In some ways it’s a shame that Satoshi Kon, who wrote the script, gets so much credit for this film. Koji Morimoto, as director, is almost entirely overlooked even though, when seen alongside his other works, this is clearly a product of his vision. I suppose Satoshi Kon’s fractured narrative techniques and Koji Morimoto’s surrealist worldview were well matched. Full credit to Katsuhiro Otomo for bringing them together. This sci-fi psychological horror piece still provides pleasures after many viewings. Rating: very good. Beyond (from the Animatrix anthology). This whimsical story of a girl who finds a flaw in the Matrix is one of my favourite segments from Animatrix (along with Second Renaissance). She and some other children have fun with the resulting broken laws of physics. Even if it’s not as violent as Morimoto’s other films, there is still a strong undercurrent of terror, evinced by the men in fallout suits who bring the fun to an end. Like all his other films, it’s a visual delight but it also benefits from the discipline of being part of the Matrix narrative structure. Rating: very good. Four Day Weekend. This video for the Bluetones song covers much the same themes as the later Dimension Bomb, though on a smaller scale. The animation and the song complement each other nicely. Rating: decent. Connected. Another video, this time for Ayumi Hamasaki. Again, it’s a boy and a girl in a terrifying industrial dystopia. The designs of the characters and the belligerent environment don’t have the same appeal as in the other Morimoto films, although the moment where the two protagonists connect at high speed is suitably euphoric. Rating: so-so, tending towards decent. Roots of Japanese Anime I ordered this DVD from Film Baby in the US. It contains eight short films, seven from the 1930s (ranging from 3 to 15 minutes long) and the famous war propaganda film, Momotaro’s Sea Eagle from 1942. As can be imagined the production quality pales compared with what we expect today but they are, nevertheless, fascinating. The stand-out is, without doubt, Momotaro’s Sea Eagle, a feature film depicting the Pearl Harbour attack, led by the legendary peach boy, Momotaro, and with the planes crewed by monkeys, dogs and pheasants. Despite the comment in the encyclopedia that the film contains actual footage, it is entirely animated. The images of the American battleships in Battleship Row are beautifully done (no doubt drawn from photos or, perhaps even, rotoscoped) while the Americans themselves are portrayed, unsurprisingly given the times, as incompetents, drunkards, cowards and clowns. One character (a captain or maybe the admiral of the fleet) manages to combine all four traits. Rating for Momotaro's Sea Eagle: decent; the other films do not appear in the ANN encyclopedia. How is this so? (I have submitted them for consideration.) Arjuna An odd circumstance inspired me to re-watch this series. I used a picture I screen captured a couple of years ago in the character guessing game here at ANN and got curious as to which scene it came from. I started watching and got hooked. Originally its ideological hectoring annoyed me but, this time around, I wasn’t bothered much at all. The first two episodes portray a meltdown at a nuclear reactor and, given events from earlier this year, are chilling in their prescience. Juna herself is a likeable creation and the artwork is very often gorgeous. It could, arguably, be described as a josei magical girl series. Rating: good. Ai City Koichi Mashimo film from 25 years ago that tells a confusing tale of a revolt by human DNA against humans. The various rivals, using combat psionics, fight for possession of Ai, a girl who holds the key to the future. The non-stop action will surprise people who think Mashimo is leaden in his pacing while the colour palette is lurid compared with his later, pastel schemes. There’s lots of 1980s attitude, music and character designs. Curiously, it is strongly reminiscent of Akira, which was released two years later. I doubt the superior Akira was influenced by Ai City. It is more likely the other way round, as the Akira manga began serialisation six months before its Ai City counterpart. My response to the film in general is best illustrated by my reaction to the final scene. After all the dust settles, the main characters are plucked out of the scene and deposited right back in the first scene of the movie. So, we’re right back to where we started? Then why did I bother watching it? Rating: so-so  
The lurid colours of Ai City contrast with the more muted tones of Hyouge Mono. One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island As my first exposure to the One Piece franchise I was surprised how dark this film is, and how sophisticated. I watched it because of this post from yamata no orochi in another thread and because Mamoru Hosoda (Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars) was the director. It's not to my taste, but it deserves credit for its hurricane pace and its black humour. As expected, the shonen elements spoil things, particularly the posturing, the absurd declarations and the fight scenes. Should I judge it on its own terms or on mine? I mean, Sesame Street is great children's television but it's not great television. Rating: decent. Les Aventuriers Getting back to Koichi Mashimo, according to Wikipedia he is particularly fond of this French live action film from 1967. The story proceeds at a leisurely pace and it's loaded with atmosphere and some stunning backdrops. It's a good film. I can see why he would like it. The killer connection, though, is the female heroine: 
I'm sure I've seen a similar hairstyle on one of Mashimo's protagonists. The connections go even further. The character above is called Laetitia. Last edited by Errinundra on Tue Nov 07, 2017 7:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Guren Alchemist4
 Posts: 347 |
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I watched Gintama - Shinyaku Benizakura-Hen last night. It was great with a few changes to some of the scenes from the anime edition as well as some added scenes. A good watch for Gintama fans.
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Zin5ki
 Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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The lack of cohesion rising from the film's highly experimental structure was its flaw. Because of the difficulty the viewer experiences in ascertaining the plot, identifying who, or what, to engage with emotionally is a task that can easily fail. As sublime as the images (of which there are many) may be, an appreciation of the film itself is more likely to be of a disinterested rather than a passionate sort. One could say that Dimension Bomb is to storytelling what Limit Cycle is to rhetoric. |
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Errinundra
Moderator
Posts: 6524 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
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I know they're both from the same franchise and the comparison between the inscrutability of the narrative of one and the point of the other is apt, but the dismal Limit Cycle has absolutely nothing that can engage the viewer. I found Dimension Bomb captivating. BTW, I was thinking only last night what had become of you, Zin5ki. You haven't been posting much lately and here you are replying to one of my posts. Your views can be impenetrable sometimes but they're often quite incisive. |
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egoist
 Posts: 7762 |
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Finished all Crest/Banner of the stars. I recall watching some of it 5 years ago but just like numerous other series I just forgot to continue and left it aside later on. Excellent series. Good romance (not something thrown at your face like most romantic crap nowadays), not bad with the little action it had, very funny sometimes (specially the prison planet lol), effective drama, and very likable characters overall. It explained the events well with the little time it had, and despite never having a proper prequel, it did handle the past satisfactorily. I'd say the series could keep going, and it'd be interesting to watch them become adults but I guess that won't be happening. Either way, overall 9/10 for all 4 parts.
And compared to that Kamisama no Memochou now seems very bland. |
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4750G
 Posts: 546 |
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On the Arrancar arc of Bleach. I watched it before but stopped after Rukia's rescue because it was already a good ending for me (despite the Aizen stuff). But I finished Fairy Tail two weeks ago and I need my dose of action so I decided to finish Bleach. It has garnered mixed reviews from loyalty to downright hatred but when it comes to shonen, I don't have strong opinions, I just love the action scenes. I ended at spoiler[the death of the Bounts], a pretty okay arc, but seriously, spoiler[Ishida is such an idiot in this whole story. Opening the way for the Bounts to enter Soul Society for his revenge is just plain stupid. Did he not learn that impulsive thinking and rash decisions never lead to anything good?] I'm not sure what's in store for Bleach next, but as long as the action scenes are good, I'm okay with it. It's the more exciting part of watching, since I'm not that fond of mecha. I'm being very loose with watching, though; unlike Fairy Tail, which I watched for 10 hours straight, I don't force myself to finish Bleach just as fast.
I always have as back-up Detective Conan. I stopped at season 17, so I'm more or less 100 episodes behind, but I think I won't watch it for a while. While I love the mystery, I've been waiting forever for a new hit on the Black Organization, or at least an assurance for Ran who has been waiting for so long. Even if it's been on going for fifteen years already Conan's nowhere near recovering his body and at times it starts to annoy me. But I can't give it up; I've been watching it since fourth grade, and the huge question mark on the course of the story aside, the weekly mysteries Conan face are entertaining to watch. I heard the recent episodes were good, so maybe I'll catch up on October when I get a break from school. |
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egoist
Posts: 7762 |
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I don't think that's ever happening. I'd say the conflict between him and the Black Organization as well as the antidote will only be found when they decide to end the series. I'd say for now I'm more worried about how long they're taking to reveal Bourbon's identity (even though they made it obvious I have my reasons to believe he could be CIA). If there's one thing I'm unsatisfied about that would be the lack of MI6 and Interpol. |
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4750G
Posts: 546 |
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Just thinking of how long I still have to wait makes me want to put off watching more and more.
Given that two of the most famous intelligence agencies are working on yet can't get a good hold of the Organization, involving these guys should have been the next move. How Conan will be able to defeat the Black Organization (single-handedly, I assume), I can't even imagine. |
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egoist
Posts: 7762 |
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Oh, I watch it for your weekly normal episode. The Black Organization is just a huge bonus (I loved that one hour special with Behemoth (that her name right) btw).
I imagine it'll be like chess. They can take down members and members but as long as the king is on the loose. It's a good thing that Conan at least has aspoiler[ lead on the head]. But even if FBI and CIA is involved... FBI seems very weak there (besides one member), and CIA doesn't seem to do much besides gather information. There's a huge possibility of seeing Interpol sooner or later considering that Conan's dad already said that he has a "few connections" with the Interpol. |
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4750G
Posts: 546 |
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True; many of the cases are really good. My sister and I usually bet on who's the criminal. We seldom solve the method, but the culprit sometimes we get. I feel bad for Kogorou at times, though, to be honest, because he has potential but he doesn't make good use of it often since he's already drugged to sleep. |
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egoist
Posts: 7762 |
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More like he's killing all his brain cells with booze LOL. But most of his deductions are always ridiculous and he often nearly got innocent people blamed so I can see why Conan doesn't even let him anymore. I suppose you haven't yet reached the part they change his seiyu, have you? He's never gonna be the same again sadly. The new guy's voice doesn't really reflect his personality too well.
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4750G
Posts: 546 |
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His weird line of thinking is funny, though a bit embarrassing. After being shot 100 times, you'd think he'd put up a resistance of some sort already. But then Professor Agasa would need to increase the effectiveness of the tranquilizer, and that's just bad for Kogorou's health.
I think the new seiyu starts at episode 550 so I haven't seen that yet. Why the need for a change? |
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Sea Lion
 Posts: 307 |
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Most of my anime watching is on cable TV these days.
Bleach: The current arc is pretty good, and the show is back to what it does best -- fighting in the primary arc. Durarara!: I did try to watch this once online, but the video buffered so badly, I gave up. I'm glad I'm seeing it on Adult Swim. It's very interesting, and I like the attention given to drawing all the separate threads of the story slowly together. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: The [as] broadcast is reaching its apex, and boy is it good. I don't remember the original FMA being nearly this good. Iron Man: Meanwhile, on G4, Shellhead's doing pretty well. I like the battle versus Zodiac, and Stark's race to unravel their plans. Wolverine: I like this version of Wolvie. He's straight-up battling for the woman he loves, and he's clawing his way through anyone in his path, whether it be yakuza, AIM agents or Omega Red. Wow, there's a blast from Marvel's past. |
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egoist
Posts: 7762 |
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They never said why. The former seiyu is still healthy it seems. Some said it was about the money, but that's pure speculation.
If this helps: http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110614024638AAZLdEf Quite frankly, I support the budget theory. The man worked there like 14-15 years, he'd never think of getting replaced even if he requested more money so he could have said something like "better pay or I quit", and considering that most Japanese people are businessmen to the core it makes perfect sense to have him replaced. |
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