Myth's Anime Thread

[JRFLynn]

Yeah, Gantz is actually rather annoying at the beginning with all the arguments and dysfunction going on between the characters, but I think the author was trying his best to introduce an outlandish concept and show how normal (annoying, self-absorbed, stupid) people would react to being thrust in some interdimensional game. There was probably a morality lesson hidden there behind the scenes, hoping people would pick up on it, but I agree his depictions of females were crude at times. Then again, it probably does reflect what our society has become, or at the very least what an average teen would prioritize... The Anime was a big disappointment, and some things were just plain confusing (like a vampire arch that just suddenly ends--or does it? I haven't been able to read manga for the better part of three years thanks to pesky viruses )

I'm not an expert on anime/manga, I don't have the resources to watch tons except what's on netflix and crunchyroll, but from what I've seen of Berserk it's absolutely brilliant. Again, the beginning is rather slow but it pays off.

 

[Mythopoet]

In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true that man has no control, even over his own will.

In this world, is the destiny of man truly controlled by some abstract philosophical concept? Is it like solid waste being spewed from the pen of a writer, desperate to add depth to what is otherwise meaningless violence? At least it is true that man has no control, even over his own anime.

Well, I've never seen that anime so I don't know how it deals with those questions, but it strikes me as rather foolish to make fun of the act of asking them. These are questions mankind all over the planet has been asking since time began. They really shouldn't be taken so lightly.

 

[Philip Overby]

I don't find Berserk to be as shallow as some people take it to be. Yes, it has lots of extreme violence, but I don't think it handles that opening question in a disrespectful way. This theme comes up a lot as you see Guts and Griffith both follow relatively the same paths in life but end up in wildly different places. This may be connected to a higher power or fate guiding them in their directions. In any case, I don't see it as being a completely shallow anime just with a bunch of random violence.

 

[JRFLynn]

I don't find Berserk to be as shallow as some people take it to be. Yes, it has lots of extreme violence, but I don't think it handles that opening question in a disrespectful way. This theme comes up a lot as you see Guts and Griffith both follow relatively the same paths in life but end up in wildly different places. This may be connected to a higher power or fate guiding them in their directions. In any case, I don't see it as being a completely shallow anime just with a bunch of random violence.

Yes! That's perfect hehe, I couldn't have said it better. Berserk has so many memorable characters, and I believe the opening theme hints to the concept of Fate and the demon-gods, so indeed it wasn't meant to be an opening bout of drivel.

Anyway, Inuyasha is another one of my favorites but I was never able to finish the series. It's rather old and endearing for an anime, with a wonderful story. It reminds me of Fist of The North Star without the steroids...I would hop in an magic well too if I could have my own dog-boy

 

[Mythopoet]

InuYasha is a perennial favorite in our house. My husband and I have finished it all. I know my daughter is looking forward to being able to see the rest once we can afford more dvd sets. She's seen up to set 6. InuYasha was the first anime I watched and so it will always have a special place in my heart. Fortunately it was so good that I had to try some more and now I'm hooked.

We've finished a few anime since I last posted. Angel Beats! was a short anime about a group of teens stuck in a sort of limbo world after dying because they couldn't accept the unfair lives they had lived and how quickly they had been cut short. The story revolves around them rebelling against "God" but then finally finding peace and being able to move on. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it won me over. It was pretty good, but not fantastic.

I also watched A Little Snow Fairy Sugar. It's a very cute one for kids.

The one we just finished that took us completely by surprise and became easily one of our absolute favorites was Sword Art Online. Perhaps it's because we play MMOs together and both secretly wish we could live in a fantasy game world but the premise of a near future that has made Virtual Reality MMOs that can really provide a whole body experience seemed aimed right at us. The premise is that in 2022 a brand new VRMMORPG is launched in Japan limited to 10,000 players. On release day 10,000 people rush into the virtual fantasy world of Aincrad and then discover that they can't logout. The game's creator has trapped them in that world and arranged it so that if you die in the game you die in real life. To get free of the game the players much conquer 100 dungeons and beat the game. This alone is pretty ordinary fare. It's the characters and their stories that make it such a great series.

There's a really good mix of actions and characterization. Some of the side characters only get an episode, but they all feel very distinct and real. The villain of the first arc, the developer of Aincrad, was very well done. He's one of the few antagonists I've felt honest sympathy for. (I'm not usually a fan of so called "sympathetic villains".) And the two main characters, Kirito and Asuna, are just seriously the best. I loved them. Their relationship is beautiful. I haven't found an anime this good in a long time.

Well, you guys have got me interested. I'm going to recommend Berserk as the next anime my husband and I try.

 

[Svrtnsse]

I just remembered I have to put in a good word for Hikaru no Go. It's about a guy who takes on the ghost of a famous old Go player and who learns to play the game. It's a bit of an odd premise, but it's actually really good.

 

[wordwalker]

My own favorite is Blood+. Not the "Last Vampire" movies that are different spins on it, and I hear the new Blood-C series isn't as good either. But the real Plus is a odd companion for us Buffy fanatics, who always thought the one thing the classic Slayer never did justice to was what the monsters themselves were... or what could really give a girl the power to kill them. It has some sweet moments and some of the best-built-up drama I've ever seen.

 

[Mythopoet]

My own favorite is Blood+. Not the "Last Vampire" movies that are different spins on it, and I hear the new Blood-C series isn't as good either. But the real Plus is a odd companion for us Buffy fanatics, who always thought the one thing the classic Slayer never did justice to was what the monsters themselves were... or what could really give a girl the power to kill them. It has some sweet moments and some of the best-built-up drama I've ever seen.

Looks very interesting. I'll have to add that to the list.

 

[Nihal]

I don't watch anime as I've watched in the past, but I still like them. They're stories, after all. I'll mention 4 that weren't reviewed here yet, and some more.


Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Spirit)

It's a light tale based on a serie of novels. The MC is Balsa, a 30 years old spear wielder who claims to be a bodyguard-for-hire. She saves the prince young Chagum from an accident–which was in fact an assassination attempt–and ends becoming his protector.

I like the art, the scenarios, music and how the main character is a grown up woman. It's a nice break from the high-pitched and screaming teenagers MCs so common in anime. The fights are few, but are a pretty plus.


Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)

For a hundred years what was left of the humankind has been living confined behind huge walls. That was after the Titan–impossibly huge and twisted humanoids appeared. The humans were pushed to the brink of extinction by these creatures, which are nearly impossible to kill, can go at the least a century without eating but have a liking for human flesh. For a hundred years people lived in peace, protected in their country by those huge walls, until a Titan as tall as no one had ever seen appeared out of nowhere and breached the outermost wall.

If there is something you can say about that story, is that it's bloody. A bloody and dark tale that surprised me. The effort that the author has put into his world building caught my attention, and even if I don't like where he takes his story sometimes and the focus he puts on his MCs (too much "the chosen one") he has a story going on behind it and he goes straight to the point. So far, no boring fillers. The anime stops where it reached the manga, and made me read it. This character art style isn't my cup of tea, but the OST is good.


Baccano!

Baccano is a serie of OVAs (13, 16 if you count the bonuses) that takes place (mainly) during the prohibition era. It features multiple points of view of different characters, from mafiosis to alchemists, with initially share no connections. Their lives are linked and their paths cross on a single aspect: Immortality.

It's a crazy, fast paced and non-linear story. I loved the opening, what is rare, the animation is also really good. The shortness is a plus for anyone who doesn't want to commit much time to follow series.


Last Exile

Last Exile could fit the "steampunk" genre. It takes place in the fictional world of Prester and follows the story of two young sky couriers, Claus Valca and Lavie Head. This world is divided on two quarreling countries, the pretty but dry Anatoray and the freezing Disith, separated by the Grand Stream, a virtually uncrossing storm and kept in line by the Guild, a faction that produces and control the units that make flight possible and enforces a sort of chivalric warfare code on their forever lasting war.

I love this world. I haven't seen so many retro-steampunk stories, so this one caught my attention. The male MC, Claus, is a bit too passive and underdeveloped for my taste, unlike the energetic Lavie, but it still worked well for this story. While I don't exactly like the style of the character art, the design of the vanships and such are superb. It blends 3d and animation well for a now 10 years old anime.



I don't know about the Death Note anime, it over explained things too much and ruined the plot twists in my opinion, but the manga is really good. It's a neatly told story with a really good artwork. I've watched the first Fullmetal Alchemist and it still holds a special place in my heart (haha!), it's totally worth watching. I might get around watching the new series somewhere in the future. Cowboy Bebop is good, so is Ghost in the Shell, Samurai Champloo is a bit crazy and anachronistic, but nice. Witch Hunter Robin is pretty.

Mirai Nikki is bloody, has a passive male MC and a insane and controlling female MC, but kinda worth watching. Basilisk is pure blood and tears. Wolf's Rain is tears. Kemono no Sōja Erin (The Beast Player Erin) is cute and slightly depressive, by the same author of Seirei no Moribito, but worthy too. Honey and Clover isn't the kind of anime I usually watch, but it moved me.

Has anyone ever watched Record of Lodoss War? It's old and the classic RPG-based anime, silly, typical elf-lady-damsel-in-distress and let's save the world from the evil deity cliché stuff, but I'm fond of it for some reason. Go figure...

Sword Art Online was promising. Good theme, good OST, decent animation, and reminded me a lot of .hack//SIGN, an older anime that deals with MMO. But, in my opinion, it was a big disappointment. The chickification a character suffered made me sick. I watched the half to the end with a huge scowl, hoping for a twist that would set things right. It never happened.


P.s.: Like Ophiucha I'm reading Vinland Saga. I liked it more at the beginning–middle, I'm finding it a bit slow paced now, but I still read it. I've read Uzumaki too, interesting, but I wasn't particularly scared/disgusted by it, hah.

 

[Philip Overby]

You listed about a hundred things there )), but yes, I've seen Record of Lodoss War. It used to be one of my favorites. I kind of liked it because it was a blatant sort of D&D-esque story as imagined by Japanese.

With the exception of One Piece, I'd say Attack on Titan is one of the more popular anime going in Japan at the moment. I had several students watching it and talking about how great it is. I've since heard from a friend that he really enjoys it, too.

 

[Mythopoet]

Sword Art Online was promising. Good theme, good OST, decent animation, and reminded me a lot of .hack//SIGN, an older anime that deals with MMO. But, in my opinion, it was a big disappointment. The chickification a character suffered made me sick. I watched the half to the end with a huge scowl, hoping for a twist that would set things right. It never happened.

I'm wondering what you mean by that? What exactly did you find so objectionable?

 

[Nihal]

Phil, those are not the half of the animes I've seen. I'm not even mentioning the worst I've seen unless someone mentions them here.

Yeah, Attack on Titan is a big hit nowadays. I'm not sure if it's justified, but I can say it's better than some things I've seen before it. I watched One Piece for a good while, but grew tired of it, those flashy "who is the next villain?" stories, full of fillers, don't hook me. Same reason I've dropped Bleach. I've ever watched Naruto before it was a hit, but I grew tired of its fart jokes.

Lodoss is misleading, its OST has musics that never play on the story, so do some OP scenes haha.


Mythopoet, I'm getting the feeling you want to argue over it because you loved it. I can't explain without letting some spoilers slip and I don't want to this to drag, but, as I was saying in my opinion (I cannot stress this enough), one thing that pisses me off is when a female MC is suddenly diminished so the male MC can shine. It gets worse when the male MC is popular (especially with women) for no good reason. It can only get lower when the big villain keeps sniffing the now helpless heroine's hair and the bad guys constantly try to molest her while the male MC runs and fights to save the poor girl. That's it.

 

[Mythopoet]

Mythopoet, I'm getting the feeling you want to argue over it because you loved it. I can't explain without letting some spoilers slip and I don't want to this to drag, but, as I was saying in my opinion (I cannot stress this enough), one thing that pisses me off is when a female MC is suddenly diminished so the male MC can shine. It gets worse when the male MC is popular (especially with women) for no good reason. It can only get lower when the big villain keeps sniffing the now helpless heroine's hair and the bad guys constantly try to molest her while the male MC runs and fights to save the poor girl. That's it.

Keep your assumptions to yourself. I have no intention of arguing. It was an honest question because I had a feeling you were talking about Asuna and I thought she was a great strong female character. I find myself morbidly fascinated by how other people view strong characters in ways that make no sense to me, but I have no intention of arguing about it because there would be no point. I disagree on the topic of strong female characters to such an extent that many of the posters here and I could never see eye to eye. I still find the various views on the subject interesting though from a scholarly point of view.

 

[Ophiucha]

I had similar feelings, Nihal. Although it didn't bother me as much it did sort of diminish my enjoyment of the series after a certain point. I preferred .hack//SIGN, since you mentioned it, not just for the characters but for that OST. It takes a while to get used to having vocal background music, but it's so damn gorgeous that it just becomes part of the show's charm. I also adore Baccano! (and recommend the novels if you can find a translation) and Wolf's Rain. Attack on Titan's anime is a little weak compared to the manga, in my opinion, but I do enjoy the music and I enjoy the characters. Agree that the character design is a bit bleh for my tastes - I prefer shoujo art style, and this is really pointy and hard lines, y'know?

 

[Philip Overby]

I have also heard that Attack on Titan's manga is better than the anime, too. The same probably goes for a lot of the anime mentioned that come from manga. Berserk, for example.

 

[Mythopoet]

My husband wanted to try Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero and so we did. While the premise is interesting (What happens to a guy who becomes a hero in an alternate fantasy world after he comes home to the real one?) this is one of the few shows where there's too much weird sex stuff for me. From the hero nearly sleep-raping the girl from the other world he's supposed to be guardian of, to the freaky forced urination scene... I was just totally turned off by this one.

 

[Nagash]

I have also heard that Attack on Titan's manga is better than the anime, too. The same probably goes for a lot of the anime mentioned that come from manga. Berserk, for example.

The berserker anime are indeed pretty bad. The OAV's however are good, even though too elliptic to my convenience. I guess Berserker Golden Arc I : The egg of the King, will be decent enough for any die-hard fan of the manga.

 

[Ddruid]

The earliest animes I remembered watching were Avatar, Inuyasha and Yugioh. I remember the last one with much more fondness and clarity than the other two, probably because I still have a huge stash of old Yugioh cards which nobody plays with anymore. Aside from that, I haven't watched many animes, at least not that I can remember (I'm not sure if pokemon and digimon will count, we've all grown up with them.)

But a few months ago a friend of mine, a certified anime freak, directed my attention to Attack on Titan. I watched the first episode and got hooked. Now, having finished the first season, I am seriously interested in animes and have started keeping a mental list of shows which I plan to start on. So this thread provided some serious food for thought.

I haven't read the Attack on Titan manga so I wouldn't know if the anime is stronger or weaker in comparison. Tastes do differ after all. I'm planning to rewatch Avatar and Inuyasha and I'm also reading the manga Hayate The Combat Butler.

 

[Nihal]

Ddruid, read Attack on Titan. I can't say if it's better or worse than the anime, but I can say: Plot.
The story goes on and things happen, the anime stopped just before some big revelations.

P.s.: And try Fullmetal Alchemist. You might like it.

 

[teacup]

The earliest animes I remembered watching were Avatar, Inuyasha and Yugioh. I remember the last one with much more fondness and clarity than the other two, probably because I still have a huge stash of old Yugioh cards which nobody plays with anymore.

I loved the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, and I still play the card game