Forum - View topicWhat are you watching right now? Why? (please read 1st post)
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supercreep
 Posts: 526 |
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I'm about halfway through Noir for the first time. I'm liking it so far, and I'm excited to see how it's all going to wrap up. I'm watching it in english because I'm a big fan of Tiffany Grant.
After I finish that it's on to R.O.D. |
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Cam0
 Posts: 4888 |
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Oh man 
I take back what I said about bad animation not bothering me |
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nightjuan
 Posts: 1473 |
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For the record, I'd like to point out that the DVD release of Birdy the Mighty: Decode 02 did fix those scenes, at least compared to what was used for the original broadcast. However, it's also worth mentioning that the animation in those particular episodes isn't even necessarily "bad" but simply intentionally and grossly "off model." There was a translated interview with the series director and the animators where they discussed the scenes and argued that the staff was going for experimentation, even though they also recognized this turned out to be a controversial move. You could say it's a bit like Gurren Lagann's infamous episode 4. In purely technical terms, the actual animation quality is arguably high, it's just lacking a lot of detail...even to the point of making people look like geometric shapes instead of what their models are supposed to represent. I didn't like that myself though, so I'm glad they improved it. You can still clearly tell those episodes were animated in a different way, but they're more consistent and "on model" now, after the staff went back and made the necessary changes. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Isn't there several animation directors whose signature style are wildly off-model but very fluid and expressive animation, or something like that? They get hired to do specific episodes where the series director wants an interesting and inventive (though admittedly often grotesque style).
I think one of them is Atsushi Wakabayashi, who directed the animation for episodes 167 and 168 of Naruto Shippuuden. An example of his style. And yes, I'm pretty sure that is not sloppy animation but a deliberate artistic style. |
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Cam0
Posts: 4888 |
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I just have to disagree. I just think it's sloppy animation. Like some calling random splashes of paint art, I just think they are paint splashes. I do remember that Naruto Shippuuden episode and I did just think that it was badly animated. They wanted a lot of action, but just didn't have enough money to provide detail aswell. Calling it "an artistic style" is just a way of trying to justify the bad animation (expecially since it's Naruto), maybe I'd feel differently if the whole anime was animated that way. The episode of Birdy the Mighty I saw was just badly animated. It was jerky and I couldn't tell what was going on most of the time. |
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Dorcas_Aurelia
 Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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To me, that might as well read "deliberately bad". Birdy the Mighty produced no expectations of nor gave any hints to the intents of adventurous artistic style. People watched the show for a traditional action series, and the choices made betrayed the audience's expectations tragically. |
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nightjuan
Posts: 1473 |
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Naturally, I shared those same expectations and also found it rather strange. I suppose that's why the creators described it as an experiment. The staff decided to take a risk and the results certainly aren't going to make all of us happy. For all those who aren't professional animators, it all comes down to personal preference, regardless of the artistic merits that the director and his team might or might not have good reason to defend. That said, I continue to think both parts of Birdy the Mighty: Decode were good enough to compensate for this entire controversy. Even the episodes involved weren't exactly bad. |
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Cam0
Posts: 4888 |
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Well I finished Birdy the Mighty Decode: 02 and animation aside it was very good. Overall I do believe the first season was better, 02 had more stronger moments, but also more weaker moments. 02 seemed to have a more serious tone than the first season and also a lot more action. I really liked how Nataru was sort of the main character here and spoiler[how he hunted down the fugitives and killed them one by one, really made it feel like those fugitives were more like victims than baddies.] The ending was a bit disappointing. Who was the dude with the sunglasses? Overall a very enjoyable experience, rated it very good.
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Amorok
Posts: 21 |
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I'm currently re-watching Revolutionary Girl Utena -- I'm interested in seeing whether I like it as much now as I did when I was a wee little high schooler.
So far, it's just as baffling and confusing, but for whatever reason, I'm pretty fond of it. It's the sort of anime you can re-watch endlessly, and come away with a different interpretation every time. Also, the characters and their relationships are so elaborately realized that I can't help but appreciate it just from a characterization standpoint. |
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Dorcas_Aurelia
Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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I went to make a little addendum to my comments about Birdy the Mighty. Despite my complaints about the animation in the second series, I still highly enjoyed the show. I even ordered it recently and my copy just shipped out earlier this weekend.
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dirkusbirkus
 Posts: 699 Location: Manchester, UK |
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Another impulse acquisition of mine, I was surprised I'd not heard more people on here talking about Michiko to Hatchin. It's a very stylish, slick show and pretty recent (Fall 2008) so to have heard so little about it was bemusing.
The quality of the art and direction was great throughout. It's set in a fictional latin (South American?) country, so there was liberal use of vibrant, bright colours. Which was great, because it enhanced the feeling of warmth, I felt. It's a horribly lazy comparison to throw the film City of God in here, but the locations and backdrops really did feel like the slums of Brazil in anime form. Hell, they even borrowed the child gangs we see in the aforementioned flick. The action scenes were fluid and fast paced, and frequent to boot. Regardless of any other aspect of the series, the soundtrack is worthy of note on its own. I believe Nabeshin was responsible as the soundtrack director so it should come as no surprise that the music fits the show perfectly, and compliments the latin setting well. It put me in mind of Samurai Champloo, in that it wasn't a standard anime soundtrack... Though with Champloo you had the hip-hop/samurai crossover and here it's music fitting of the location and era. Lots of funky, samba driven numbers here. The characters were pretty cool. It might sound like an odd thing to say, but it was nice seeing black characters in main/pivotal roles. It's just not something you see very often and had all the characters been your typical white, blond haired types then I think it would have taken away from the credibility of the show. The two leads have an odd relationship. The role reversal with Hatchin being the 'responsible' one and Michiko being the 'brat' is established pretty early on, though they each have episodes showing that they can be grown up or childishly naive according to their respective ages. The ensemble cast is a good size, and I didn't feel too many names and faces were introduced, something that currently grinds my gears in other anime series (*coff* HORIZON *coff*). My only real beef with this show was, unsurprisingly, the pacing. The first episode kicks things off with a bang, and that frantic pace continues for maybe two or three more episodes. The entire series is based around a cat and mouse chase and it's a road trip anime with regards to how many different cities and towns it's set in. Like Cowboy Bebop before it, the concept of companions thrown together by fate throws up some great episodes and some not so great episodes. I wouldn't go as far as to call any episode filler, as each has at least a nugget of character development. But some were possibly unnecessary, or could have been dealt with in half an episode. An example of this is the episode wherespoiler[ Jumbo is sent to the remote jungle as punishment for letting Michiko get away yet again.]. I enjoyed the episode, but it was almost completely redundant. it served to remind her of her 'bond' with Michiko, so I guess it had some merit. The episode where spoiler[Michiko falls ill], whilst hilarious in parts, adds nothing to the plot. I really wanted to like this show more than I did. I loved the music, and the animation. The characters were fun and the settings great, but I felt there was a notable dip in the story through the middle. It's a real shame, this one could have been one of my favourites. I'd still recommend it to people looking for a good 'action' anime in the vein of Black Lagoon or maybe Baccano! but I won't be talking it up too much on the forums. Oh, hey, I guess I just got an answer to my musings of the first paragraph! |
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ailblentyn
 Posts: 1688 Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney |
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Zipping through Hana Yori Dango with my sweetheart, and have reached epsiode 29. Very fine up till recently, though by episode 27 ("Tsukasa Goes to New York!!") it was very obvious that a mid-series slump had set in: substandard art, empty pointless montages, writing that has the characters act out of character...
Which is sad, because the intensity in the direction and the writing of the characters are what is so good about the show, and the quality lasted so long. 
One hopes for a return to quality in time for a lengthy climax. |
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dirkusbirkus
Posts: 699 Location: Manchester, UK |
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Did Mashiro-iro Symphony never get its own thread? That seems a shame, considering how strong it seems to be finishing. I'll always pick up one harem show each season, as some of my initial exposure to anime was through harem shows. I hold a few of them quite dear to my heart (Ai Yori Aoshi being one such show) and I always hold a scrap of hope that the current batch churned out each season might have a bit of substance to them, or at least have decent execution.
Mashiro-iro started off like so many other series... The story was recycled (Boy/Girl school merger, tension ensues) and the characters were hardly original. We see who the 'main' girl is going to be pretty early on, and the show settles into the same tired groove we've seen before. Or does it? This is where the series has actually captivated me. If you haven't seen up to episode 11, you won't want to uncover the spoilers here. Really. If someone had spoiled this one for me, I'd have nerdraged, so I'm giving you guys plenty of heads up here. spoiler[For the first 4-5 episodes it's entirely possible that Airi is the one Shingo will end up with. The focus is definitely on them two, whilst the other girls are bit players. Then there was an Ange episode, though I never really expected that to be followed through on. After that though... Airi firmly takes a back seat whilst the Sana-Shingo-Miu triangle is explored. And lo and behold, it's handled well! Not only did my favourite girl win out at the end, the protagonist has been pretty straight down the line the whole time. Miu is the same, she's genuinely nice and has a slightly concerning obsession with animals. But beastiality undertones aside, she's just lovely, really. There's been no spite, no playing people off against each other, no psychological warfare. I feel slightly bad for Sana but she's the tsundere, she'll pull through. Other romances have frustrated me by giving the happy end to the girl I perceive to be the 'wrong choice' (True Tears and Strawberry Panic! are examples of this). But it's actually really heartwarming seeing Miu and Shingo sharing screentime, and the romance feels genuine and not forced. The kiss(es) at the end of episode 11 were actually very romantic and intimate. I had a goofy grin on my face for most of the episode, and it's been timed so there's another episode to deal with the apparent breakdown of the merger and how the two will go about seeing each other after that. ] You won't find challenging, original plot here. You won't find unique characters or huge twists. What you will find is nice production values, likeable leads and a great example of harem done right for a change. It's a VN adaptation and occasionally it shows, but this has been a pleasant surprise for me this season. It's a warm, feelgood show that seems to fit the season well. Bravo. |
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The King of Harts
 Posts: 6712 Location: Mount Crawford, Virginia |
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@Dirkusbirkus
Hmm, you've piqued my interest in Mashiro. Kind of disappointed it's only getting a sub-only release by Sentai. I'll have to see if it gets the dub/BD later treatment. I watch a lot harems myself looking for the good ones, because the good ones are quite entertaining. I was also exposed to harems quite often when I first started watching anime; Shuffle is actually the show that got me hooked on these crazy Japanese shows. Speaking of harems, finished Rosario + Vampire II earlier today and it's a case of second verse is the same as the first. The parents (both demon and human) were quite entertaining and a nice addition to the cast, but it's still not a good show. It's nice and I love the voice acting, but my goodness do I get dizzy rolling my eyes. Considering Blood talks about how much he hates how a gaggle of babes swarming a worthless lead, I'm rather surprised he likes this show, because that's what this show is all about. I do appreciate Inner Moka spoiler[kicking Tsukune, though, when he admitted to "not being ready to choose"]. I liked that a lot. I also liked hearing Kira Vincent-Davis again. Kokoa didn't play a huge role - I actually feel she was a rather meaningless addition - but I love KVD and it's nice to hear her in more dubs lately. Well, that's two shows I can take off my backlog. Only a lot more to go. |
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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It's good to see people polishing off their backlog, but for me, it's collecting dust because I've been in re-watch mode. Shockingly, none of it was Lucky Star, but rather Kanamemo (such a charming series), Gosick (I started to forget the story, so I refreshed), Ghost Hunt (I just love this series despite knowing what happens. I can't explain the draw to it.), Magical Witch Punie-chan (from a recent discussion), and Bamboo Blade (now on ep. 13).
The stuff I've remaining: I just can't seem to get into it quickly, and this is troublesome because it's the first stage of burnout. Luckily, I've identified the problem early, which I'll call Locomotive Syndrome, to which a series takes much too long to get started before it's quite good. I've noticed that the usually 2 episode lead-in has been pushed to 4 and 5, which much of the first set being "Introduction to the character/story/flashback with an individual episode" because anime writers seem to have been replaced with a formula derived by a horny teenager or Blood-. Of course, not every series suffers this, but therein lies the problem: how to distinguish the normal 2 from the others. *sigh* I suppose one foot forward should do it, eh? We'll see what I get to tonight. |
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