What Anime and Animation are you currently watching?

[alexvss]

I'd never heard of Mighty Atom

AKA Astro Boy, AKA the first anime ever made.

 

[HareBrain]

AKA Astro Boy, AKA the first anime ever made.

Ah, I did think he looked like him.

Now watched seven Pluto episodes (of eight). Still unsure what to make of it.

 

[HareBrain]

Now watched seven Pluto episodes (of eight). Still unsure what to make of it.

I've watched to the end now. The finale didn't change my original assessment. It passed the time OK, but didn't develop its ideas, and a lot of the writing was low-effort. If it has a thesis (apart from "hatred is bad") it seems to be that machines ought to be treated as equivalent to human if they have human shape, but doesn't tackle the question of why this wouldn't also be true of a self-driving car.

I see it has a 9.0 average on imdb (though this is coming down) and I really can't see why (except insofar as it's true for lots of other anime shows that just don't work for me). This still leaves Heavenly Delusions pretty much streets ahead of any other anime series I've seen in the last few years.

 

[Jeffbert]

Just finished PLUTO #1, North #2's musical appreciation reminded me of R. Dorothy Wayneright.

Started #2, they even included the toy flying saucer, modeled on the one in the film, GOKE, BODY SNATCHER FROM HELL. I had misidentified it as the one from the TV series, The Invaders.

 

[J Riff]

Campfire Cooking in Another World with my Insane Skills... i think that's the full title. Nice. )

 

[alexvss]

Rewatching the masterpiece Cyberpunk: Edgerunners on Netflix, one of my favorite anime of all-time. Seeing the first episode again made me realize how the writing is simple: after an intro scene, the protagonist literally wakes up; he's poor and gets bullied on school; his mom dies on the first episode. Is it me or it checks all the marks of what not to do? But the thing is, it works. It wouldn't work as prose, but it sure as hell works as animation.

 

[alexvss]

Attack On Titan : The Final Season Part Two, episode 2. An one hour and a half long episode to end the series.

It was greatly animated, with many action scenes that reminded me of the first episode of the third season (when Levi flies around town fighting other humans). It was said that the story would be changed by the author, but I didn’t notice anything other than a mid-credit and a post-credit scene. It reinforces the cyclical nature of SnK’s story even more.

Attack on Titan is a masterpiece, and will be remembered as such.

Recommended.

 

[Jeffbert]

Failing to find anything new (to me) both funny and with many episodes, I have begun a third time watching Fairy Tail (Tale?).

 

[HareBrain]

Onimusha, on Netflix. This 8-part anime started well, a small-scale story in which an interesting group of samurai investigate supernatural goings-on in the mountains. Reminding me a little of the Korean TV show Kingdom. But alas, soon after half-way the plot becomes ridiculous and lost all believability for me, and thus interest.

Also watched the first episode of another new 8-part Netflix animation, Blue-eye Samurai, which despite its title isn't Japanese. Overall excellent, but weird having American voices in this setting. There's also a "surprise" at the end of the episode which was a cliche and blindingly obvious from the word go -- would have been far better to reveal it straight away. But the plotting, art and animation are really good, and this looks set to be very enjoyable.

 

[alexvss]

Onimusha, on Netflix. This 8-part anime started well, a small-scale story in which an interesting group of samurai investigate supernatural goings-on in the mountains. Reminding me a little of the Korean TV show Kingdom. But alas, soon after half-way the plot becomes ridiculous and lost all believability for me, and thus interest.

Also watched the first episode of another new 8-part Netflix animation, Blue-eye Samurai, which despite its title isn't Japanese. Overall excellent, but weird having American voices in this setting. There's also a "surprise" at the end of the episode which was a cliche and blindingly obvious from the word go -- would have been far better to reveal it straight away. But the plotting, art and animation are really good, and this looks set to be very enjoyable.

Also started Onimusha. The legendary samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, gets ahold of an ancient artifact that allows him and his party to hunt demons.

I almost didn’t watch this, mostly because I despise 3D anime. I decided to give it a go because I like Musashi, and some people have been praising the show on the internet.

It was… okay. The artifact gives the wielder demonic power, and it absorbs the power of the demons it kills. If he uses it too much, he gets possessed by such powers. That is to say, the power system is pretty cliché.

I had a hard time swallowing the portrayal of Musashi though. The idea I have of him comes mostly from the manga by Takehiko Inoue and his book. That is to say, he was a brawler as a kid and a monk as an adult. In this anime, he’s a joker (as a forty-something).

Let’s see how far I can go with this.

 

[HareBrain]

I almost didn’t watch this, mostly because I despise 3D anime.

Yes, although I thought the 3D animation was at least competently done in this (compared with some) and had a fairly distinct style, I never warmed to it, just got used to it. Blue-eye Samurai is also partly 3D, but more subtly done.

(Forgot to say yesterday that weirdly, both series begin with a falling snowflake.)

 

[HareBrain]

Also watched the first episode of another new 8-part Netflix animation, Blue-eye Samurai, which despite its title isn't Japanese. Overall excellent, but weird having American voices in this setting. There's also a "surprise" at the end of the episode which was a cliche and blindingly obvious from the word go -- would have been far better to reveal it straight away. But the plotting, art and animation are really good, and this looks set to be very enjoyable.

After E2, I am really impressed with this. The annoyance of it trying to conceal something that's obvious (see above) is now gone, and the quality of the art and animation are top-notch. Some of the villains are a bit overly evil, and it has an odd thing of there being a few impossible superhuman feats while everything thing else seems realistic, but these are nit-picks. Otherwise I can't fault it, and sometimes its beauty is breathtaking.

 

[Mgellis]

Overall, I think Pluto was excellent, very compelling mystery, but I think the ending was a bit weak. It gets a bit preachy. I also think we needed a bit more information about the evil teddy bear advising duping the President of Thracia.

At the moment, I'm watching The Ancient Magus Bride. Another excellent series, so far. It has a wonderful Miyazaki richess-of-the-invented-world feel to it.

 

[alexvss]

At the moment, I'm watching The Ancient Magus Bride. Another excellent series, so far. It has a wonderful Miyazaki richess-of-the-invented-world feel to it.

It really is awesome. I think S2 jumped the shark though.

 

[alexvss]

Invincible S2.

Resuming where S1 left off (Omni-man leaving the Earth after almost killing invincible), a new character comes up to change everything. He has the ability to travel through the various dimensions, and the way he uses it is very interesting. Good work by the writer to make such an overused trope seem new.

Steven Yeun is back as the title character. You totally dig his teenage voice desping him being practically forty.

 

[Jeffbert]

Overall, I think Pluto was excellent, very compelling mystery, but I think the ending was a bit weak. It gets a bit preachy. I also think we needed a bit more information about the evil teddy bear advising duping the President of Thracia.
,n,n

As an ASTROBOY enthusiast, I can say that the Teddy Bear originates in the 2003 ASTROBOY series. Sadly, the English dub dumbs it down for Saturday morning kid tv.

Unfortunately, I do not recall much about the Teddy Bear.

Astroboy online's PLUTO discussion There are several people there who can likely answer your questions.

 

[HareBrain]

Finished Blue Eye Samurai. It's a shame that there are just too many moments in the second half that stretch credibility too far, otherwise it would be pretty much perfect. (Having said that, many viewers might not mind those anyway.) Still a solid 4/5 from me, and I'm very much hoping there will be a second season.

 

[Mgellis]

Just started watching Citrus. So far, it's really good. A teen love story about two girls who are students at an all-girls school who start off disliking each other and develop a relationship that really focuses on the characters, how they struggle with their emotions, etc.

 

[alexvss]

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. To have the girl of his dreams, the title character has to defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends.

And Netflix made an animated series based on the classic comic. Edgar Wright, the director of the movie adaptation, serves as executive producer. I thought it was Western animation, but it’s actually an anime. It has the looks of Western animation though, and that’s perfect for this story!

It’s very fun, and the original cast is back as voice actors. It's been a while since I've watched the movie, but I think this series is even better.

I truly recommended it. It’s a delight!

 

[HareBrain]

I thought it was Western animation, but it’s actually an anime.

In what sense?