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Author Topic: Watching any anime?  (Read 268897 times)

AndrewRogue

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #725 on: April 12, 2009, 07:34:30 PM »
Good fighting shonen (since that's what we're discussing) does a good job of either spinning genre tropes, avoiding them or just doing them very, very well. I realize this is Grefter Dramatics here, but there are a fairly wide array of differences between fighting shonen. Yes, at some core level they are all about do something and beat guys up along the way, but if we're boiling down that far, MOST things are going to be the same. Fundamentally, when it comes to characters, storytelling, a lot of shows end up fairly differentiated. Add in art style (another reason to read/watch something) and you've got a lot of differences.

Honestly, just at a quick glance, you could make a fair claim that Yu Yu Hakusho, Hunter x Hunter, Ruroni Kenshin, One Piece and Kekkashi are all fairly different from each other in a lot of regards.

Niu

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #726 on: April 12, 2009, 10:27:16 PM »
...yeah, Soul Society Arc is the high point of the series.

That's an overstatement. Outside the End of Hypnosis arc, the entire Society Arc is mostly filler too.

Sierra

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #727 on: April 12, 2009, 11:32:38 PM »
Hell Girl: Finished this, because for some reason I feel it necessary to complete the various mediocrities I start watching. They do some nice work with the reporter and his daughter, but that's about all I can say in the show's favor. Initial assessment was mostly held up by the remaining episodes: the show likes its formula too much. They wait until the last couple episodes for anyone at all sympathetic to be condemned; previous episodes are mostly X verse, same as the first. The reporter even fails to make much impact because even in the episodes where he manages to talk someone out of taking revenge, the condemned immediately shows up thereafter to gloat about the fact that they are a total bastard and that they are getting away with being a total bastard and there's nothing you can do about it, is there? They pull this like half a dozen times and it always overrides any and all efforts by the show's would-be voice of reason. (The episode with old the artist was kind of a grey area, I guess. Also one of the better installments.) Show probably still swings average just because I've seen too much crap that's worse. At least there are decent production values afoot.

Hunter Sopko

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #728 on: April 12, 2009, 11:36:54 PM »
...yeah, Soul Society Arc is the high point of the series.

That's an overstatement. Outside the End of Hypnosis arc, the entire Society Arc is mostly filler too.

Not really. I'd say most of the stuff between them getting to Rokungai to Aizen's "death" was crap, but not filler. I blame Ganju.

Niu

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #729 on: April 13, 2009, 09:48:35 AM »
...yeah, Soul Society Arc is the high point of the series.

That's an overstatement. Outside the End of Hypnosis arc, the entire Society Arc is mostly filler too.

Not really. I'd say most of the stuff between them getting to Rokungai to Aizen's "death" was crap, but not filler. I blame Ganju.

There is still a lot of fights that can be skipped entirely after that point though.

Soul Eater- More things happened, good. It also give a pretty reasonable excuse on how Archne can be beaten, just still not enough to downplay how big of a deus ex mechina the black blood is. Though, Soul got a witch soul, he becomes a Death Scythe next chapter? Hope so. The monkey and the mirror is quirky, Medusa should have trade a few more blows with them before retreating. And yes, Medusa, evil, and black hair, I laugh at those who truly think she'll turn good.

So who'll be the next enemy? Medusa and friends again? Or is Noah going to make his move?


Amatsuki- Finally the flash back is over, that really is a bit too long. Oh well, at least I get to see Tokidoki steps up and draw his boundaries and delivered a good threat.

FMA- Good twist, GOOOD twist. I never thought THAT is what they are aiming for by kidnapping Bradley's wife. This is a pleasant surprise. And good job Hawkeye.
« Last Edit: April 13, 2009, 09:50:16 AM by Niu »

Grefter

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #730 on: April 13, 2009, 02:10:40 PM »
Haha Grefter Dramatics.  That is one way of putting it.  Hyperbole where people don't fill in the gaps (ie ruin the joke) is more how I would put it.

I mean seriously though, look at the most commercially viable Shonen to have popped up in the last bunch of years.

Bleach and Naruto are both the big ones.  The common complaint is "Good promising start but then starts to taper off then filler happens".

Then you get Dragonball Z.  The common complaint is "Good promising start but then tapers off then filler happens".  (Yes yes, Dragonball of course, but that isn't what made it commercially viable in the English speaking regions).

Now these shows we all know suck to a certain degree and the complaints there are pretty valid.  That is to say if you want to go into them and enjoy it, you watch the first arc or two and then just drop that shit because it goes nowhere.  Taking that on board, I see no reason to not be prepared to do that with every shonen show in existence.  Sure if it is good, by all means keep watching, but if it starts to get shit and packs in the filler obnoxiously, drop that shit and drop it fast because it is just going to spiral out into a year worth of Sasuke porn that you are wasting your time on when there is good chances of other stuff that is just starting up that hasn't burnt out on its good ideas yet floating around.

Compare whatever you are watching now to say I dunno, Negima seems to be getting a bit of love , Sailor Moon (DUNESERVICE) or errr Ranma 1/2 (I guess?)  I am struggling to think of Shonen that I haven't heard get kicked overly hard for sucking with more filler than a Hostess Cupcake.  (Side note: all three shows obviously about the main character getting some poon cannot be a coincidence.  Shonen+Harem shows for the win?).

Oh Captain Herlock hype as well of course if you want to go in that direction.

Edit - Oh yeah and to be serious, the same complaint goes to Rorouni Kenshin.  Add hype for Samurai Champloo doing it right and being short here.
« Last Edit: April 13, 2009, 02:12:15 PM by Grefter »
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Hunter Sopko

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #731 on: April 13, 2009, 02:35:45 PM »
Now these shows we all know suck to a certain degree and the complaints there are pretty valid.  That is to say if you want to go into them and enjoy it, you watch the first arc or two and then just drop that shit because it goes nowhere.  Taking that on board, I see no reason to not be prepared to do that with every shonen show in existence.  Sure if it is good, by all means keep watching, but if it starts to get shit and packs in the filler obnoxiously, drop that shit and drop it fast because it is just going to spiral out into a year worth of Sasuke porn that you are wasting your time on when there is good chances of other stuff that is just starting up that hasn't burnt out on its good ideas yet floating around.

READ KEKKAISHI BITCH.

Ultradude

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #732 on: April 13, 2009, 04:09:43 PM »
Edit - Oh yeah and to be serious, the same complaint goes to Rorouni Kenshin.  Add hype for Samurai Champloo doing it right and being short here.
Very much this, with the added benefit of everything in RK being unimpressive (but not bad) pre-Kyoto Arc as well. Honestly, that awesome dark swordfight between Saito and Hitokiri-mode Kenshin was like, the high point of the show.

Part of what helped Samurai Champloo was the brevity of the fights and the lack of interruption in them. Even when there was exposition mid-duel (happened... a few times?), at least the fighters did it while they kept fighting, and it was kept to a minimum.

In other news, anyone else here hear about Dragonball Kai? Rumor has it the episode count is cutting down to almost a third of the original massive DBZ. Good news: faster pace, cutting fillers, remastered animation and re-recorded sound for everything. Bad news: No Hironobu Kageyama OP.
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NotMiki

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #733 on: April 14, 2009, 12:09:37 AM »
The difference between Champloo, Bebop, shows like that, and things like Naruto is they're not based on manga, which is why they end quick.  I considered going into this earlier, didn't see much point in it but here goes: all the long shonen shows are based on comics that are continuing as episodes come out.  DBZ was the earliest, and most disastrous, show to run into the obvious problem.  They ran out of source material in the middle of the Frieza arc, mid-fight, and there wasn't shit they could do about it but stall for time.  A lot of time, as it turns out.  More recent shows pace themselves with filler arcs, which are universally bad, and as a rule not worth watching.  It's the nature of the beast.

I would argue that out of the three biggest continuous shonen shows, Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece, only Bleach is doing badly.  Naruto and One Piece have both had arcs that have dragged, but take them as a whole (minus filler arcs) and they're well worth watching, and will probably continue to be so.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2009, 12:11:08 AM by NotMiki »
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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #734 on: April 14, 2009, 12:55:35 AM »
I refuse to believe all the Sasuke shit in Naruto Shippuden is worth watching/reading.  Only good for fire.

NotMiki

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #735 on: April 14, 2009, 01:35:39 AM »
I haven't watched that far yet, but it's been fine for reading.  I'm not a fan of Sasuke, but I've liked the last three or four things he's been involved in.  The anime's probably a lot heavier on scenery-chewing emo, I don't know, but the manga's firing on all cylinders.
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Ultradude

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #736 on: April 14, 2009, 03:42:15 AM »
The manga's been Naruto running around kicking ass for past however many chapters, and Sasuke's been letting the rest of Hebi carry enough of the load to make them tolerable. As a Suigetsu fan, I approve. Fortunately, the whole thing with Pain seems to be coming to a head, and now Sasuke and Naruto both have fancy new powers that the other hasn't seen yet to fight each other with.
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Niu

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #737 on: April 14, 2009, 03:56:09 AM »
Now these shows we all know suck to a certain degree and the complaints there are pretty valid.  That is to say if you want to go into them and enjoy it, you watch the first arc or two and then just drop that shit because it goes nowhere.  Taking that on board, I see no reason to not be prepared to do that with every shonen show in existence.  Sure if it is good, by all means keep watching, but if it starts to get shit and packs in the filler obnoxiously, drop that shit and drop it fast because it is just going to spiral out into a year worth of Sasuke porn that you are wasting your time on when there is good chances of other stuff that is just starting up that hasn't burnt out on its good ideas yet floating around.

READ KEKKAISHI BITCH.

Good argument.

NotMiki

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #738 on: April 14, 2009, 05:09:54 AM »
...apparently a few years back they made an anime out of Perfect Girl Evolution.  How did I miss this?
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Niu

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #739 on: April 14, 2009, 06:05:41 AM »
Vassalord- Volume 3, yaoi with even more blood and gore. God, they are really doing it with intestines and spinals open up!! this is DELICIOUS!!! I am tempted to post the scan!!!

TranceHime

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #740 on: April 14, 2009, 06:14:50 AM »
Saki-咲-:

This is really freaking ridiculous. That's what makes it pretty awesome.
19:35:58 (trancehime) there's a specific spot in the game that's for item duping
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Niu

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #741 on: April 14, 2009, 06:23:56 AM »
I hate you Trance, why do you interrupt when I goes off to scan the manga?

Oh, and you know that show is not about Mahjong, it is about cheat codes.

TranceHime

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #742 on: April 14, 2009, 06:32:09 AM »
I hate you Trance, why do you interrupt when I goes off to scan the manga?

Oh, and you know that show is not about Mahjong, it is about cheat codes.

Yeah well the anime is different from the manga in more ways than one so I honestly don't care.

SCREW THE RU-- >>rimshot<<
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BaconForTheSoul

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #743 on: April 14, 2009, 07:10:11 AM »
Quote

In other news, anyone else here hear about Dragonball Kai? Rumor has it the episode count is cutting down to almost a third of the original massive DBZ. Good news: faster pace, cutting fillers, remastered animation and re-recorded sound for everything. Bad news: No Hironobu Kageyama OP.

Saw the first episode.  The 10 minutes Gohan spends running around like an idiot is basically just cut out.  Goes straight to Goku finding him on the branch.  If the entire Dragonball Kai series continues cutting out the irrelevant trash like that, then it could be a very good remake.

Shale

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #744 on: April 14, 2009, 07:15:27 AM »
If the five-minute Namek explosion actually takes five minutes, I'm in.
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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #745 on: April 14, 2009, 07:39:22 AM »
NEW AND ORIGINAL DRAGONBALL Z JOKE

Grefter

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #746 on: April 14, 2009, 08:51:32 AM »
NEW AND ORIGINAL EDITTED QUOTE JOKE
ALSO I LIKE COCKS

Anyway, so running theme, stuff that comes from incomplete manga has a tendency to have more filler.  I do not see how this has any effect whatsoever on my argument.  It is worth noting and gives you one more flag to watch for when you can keep an eye out for a series you are likely to shit can.
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Shale

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #747 on: April 14, 2009, 03:15:14 PM »
"Sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology."
-Ponder Stibbons

[23:02] <Veryslightlymad> CK dreams about me starring in porno?
[23:02] <CmdrKing> Pretty sure.

Ultradude

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #748 on: April 14, 2009, 04:26:35 PM »
NEW AND ORIGINAL DRAGONBALL Z JOKE

I'm serious, dammit.
I... I agree.

And yet I'm struggling to refrain from another DBZ joke.
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Grefter

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Re: Watching any anime?
« Reply #749 on: April 15, 2009, 11:58:31 AM »
If we actually go back in time after the Future Trunks time travel I am in.
NO MORE POKEMON - Meeplelard.
The king perfect of the DL is and always will be Excal. - Superaielman
Don't worry, just jam it in anyway. - SirAlex
Gravellers are like, G-Unit - Trancey.