What Anime and Animation are you currently watching?

[alexvss]

I just resumed watching ONE PIECE, with #1080! When will this end?

It is not as though I am tired of it, but just wondering.

The author said, in a rather recent interview, that the story is 75% complete. So maybe 250-300 episodes more?

 

[alexvss]

Blue Eye Samurai.

I usually don't watch 3D animation. but many people have been talking about it, so I couldn't resist anymore. An now I'm glad. The story and characters are great, as are the visuals. But the thing that caught my eye (and that flew under the radar for most people) is that this is the same story as Kill Bill. There's a minor reference in episode 1, but episode 6 confirms it: this is a retelling of the story of Lady Snowblood, a manga that was adapted into a movie in the 70's, and also inspired Tarantino.

 

[Jeffbert]

Blue Eye Samurai.

I usually don't watch 3D animation. but many people have been talking about it, so I couldn't resist anymore. An now I'm glad. The story and characters are great, as are the visuals. But the thing that caught my eye (and that flew under the radar for most people) is that this is the same story as Kill Bill. There's a minor reference in episode 1, but episode 6 confirms it: this is a retelling of the story of Lady Snowblood, a manga that was adapted into a movie in the 70's, and also inspired Tarantino.

I saw LSB! Too sad for my tastes.

 

[Jeffbert]

Just finished ARCHER; 90 MINUTES of the final episode. Sad.

 

[alexvss]

Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation. By One Piece’s Creator Eiichiro Oda, a story about a samurai that meets a girl whose town has been massacred by a dragon seven years ago.

It’s a well structured short-story. It's a 25-min short film that manages to entertain.

The worldbuilding is insane, just like you’d imagine Oda-sensei to do: a samurai coming to a Wild West-like town to fight a medieval European dragon. Also, the characters really look like they’re from One Piece. The girl is just like Nami. And there’s a swordsman who’s basically Mihawk.

Recommended.

Oh, and for you One Piece fans out there, there’s a surprise at the end.

 

[alexvss]

Maboroshi (2024). After an accident in a town’s steel factory, its residents get trapped in an alternate reality, cut off from the real world, and this alternate reality starts to literally shatter.

I wasn’t too invested in the beginning. The characters have a lot of need; but they lack a clear want. If I say that the movie has good visuals and animation, I’d be barking up the wrong tree, but visuals don’t really matter if you don’t have the basics of storytelling.

This movie is directed and written by Mari Okada, the creator of Ano Hana (2013), and her second Netflix original. And, like her first, I’d say it was disappointing, but promising. Let me explain. Okada is very imaginative, and if you love Fantasy, you should check out her movies. But she still has to work on some elements, like character. And I believe she will, granted that she’s a young director in the beginning of her career.

 

[alexvss]

Bucchigiri?! A student awakens a genie that merges with him, giving him power to fight, and then he finds himself amidst a war of teenage delinquent gangs.

This is a MAPPA original anime, made to celebrate the studio’s (arguably the best in activity, slave labor aside) 20th anniversary. I would’ve missed it if it wasn’t for Mother's basement video about what to watch this season.

And I’m glad I didn’t: it’s awesome!

It resembles a nineties/early 2000s anime. The hoodlums, the arcades, the romance (the protag is a loser who falls in love with the cutest girl, who manipulates him), the absence of the internet, and the comedy really feel like the nineties. And I found out it’s of the Yanki anime genre, which derives from the term for American, but it means juvenile delinquents, which was trending in the 90s.

It’s really funny. The jokes really land for me. And the fights are also great.

This may very well be the best anime of the season.

Strongly recommended.



Hokkaido Gals are Super Adorable! A student from Tokyo transfers to the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido during winter, and has a meet-cute with a gyaru.

It’s a romantic comedy based upon a manga from Shonen Jump+. Not really my thing. I just watched the first episode and I won’t keep watching. It’s the kind of lewd comedy you’d see in My Dress-up Darling.

 

[Sheik13_LoZ]

Currently watching Noir, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and Revolutionary Girl Utena! Finished Black Clover, Destiny of the Shrine Maiden, and Mysteria Friends.

Black Clover seems cliche at first maybe but it really grows on you and the characters are fun.

Mysteria Friends is short and sweet, mostly focused on character interaction.

Destiny of the Shrine Maiden didn't stick out as much as the others, but I enjoyed it.

Revolutionary Girl Utena is a bit confusing to keep track of, but it's very fun and the premise is interesting.

Noir has been great. The art is nice, and there's a good blend of action, story, and character development.

She-Ra is great. Watched it before, but researching with friends and they're really enjoying. Very fun characters and moments. Plus handles emotions well.

 

[HareBrain]

She-Ra is great. Watched it before, but researching with friends and they're really enjoying. Very fun characters and moments. Plus handles emotions well.

I don't think I'll watch it again because there is too much (in my eyes) filler, but you're right about its good qualities.

This writing discussion thread has a great video about its character work.

The three Cs of character, YouTube video

I'm not particularly great on the how-to's of writing. I've read and watched a lot of stuff that didn't stick. This did. Over the past weeks I've watched *cough* Netflix's series She Ra and the Princesses of Power. Like the presenter of the video, I found myself getting caught up in it...

www.sffchronicles.com

 

[alexvss]

New X-Men animation series announced by Disney+. It's a sequel to the 90s series, and it resembles 90s animation (most gorgeous period of animation production).

 

[Jeffbert]

Finished 3rd viewing of FAIRY TAIL, this time, found a movie, but could not find Fairy Tail Series 2 on CRUNCHYROLL.

Just watched #3 of Shangri-La Frontier. Another guy plays 1st person video game, this guy uses a bird's head as a mask, seems too much like many others, though.

So, I tried Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost, #1. seems like it could be amusing, but, not much liking the poor overworked girl whose boss is a jerk genre.

 

[Jeffbert]

So, I tried Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost, #1. seems like it could be amusing, but, not much liking
the poor overworked girl whose boss is a jerk genre.

Aaaah! a mere 12 episodes! The big objection noted above, only applied to a few episodes.

 

[Jeffbert]

The Vampire Dies in No Time is really funny. The V turns out to be pitifully weak, even little kids yelling at him reduces him to a pile of ashes! Reminds me of DON DRACULA!

The only bad thing, is it is a rather new program, and has at best, 2 seasons.

 

[Sheik13_LoZ]

I don't think I'll watch it again because there is too much (in my eyes) filler, but you're right about its good qualities.

This writing discussion thread has a great video about its character work.

The three Cs of character, YouTube video

I'm not particularly great on the how-to's of writing. I've read and watched a lot of stuff that didn't stick. This did. Over the past weeks I've watched *cough* Netflix's series She Ra and the Princesses of Power. Like the presenter of the video, I found myself getting caught up in it...

www.sffchronicles.com

Late reply (sorry bout that, busy plus forgetful equals bad combo) but this video was great. Very entertaining and informative. Gave me insight for my own writing too, and more appreciation for those aspects of characters. Thank you!

 

[alexvss]

Wind Breaker. A delinquent, bullied kid moves to a town known for its turf wars to become the “scummiest of the scum”, but what he finds is delinquents protecting the town and treated like heroes by the people.

At first, I thought Wind Breaker was just about fighting, and nothing else. And I was OK with just that. But it gets deeper. I’ll keep watching; seems to be a great underdog story. And its animation is top-notch as well.


Train to the End of the World. After the launching of cellular 7G network warps the whole universe, a group of schoolgirls ride a train to find an old friend who might still be alive.

Yeah, you read that right.

I actually went into this blind. It’s an original anime, and I always watch at least the first episode of those. So I didn’t even read the synopsis. When I saw the title, It instantly gave me A Place Further Than the Universe vibes, but the two couldn’t be any more different.

It’s one of the weirdest things I’ve seen in a while. It actually reminded me of a Studio Trigger/GAINAX anime. I kept cringing.

I’m not going to keep watching it, but I recommend the first episode so you can see that weirdness with your own eyes.

 

[alexvss]

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Part 2. Continuing from where part 1 left off, Rudeus decides to marry the one who cured him from erectile dysfunction.

S2 has been pretty weird so far: the guy just went and joined a magic university to research the cure for his ED. And now, he bought a house to live a married life with the girl who cured him.

It has some funny moments, but I’m still eagerly waiting for the awesomeness from season 1.

 

[alexvss]

KonoSuba S3. Third season of the best comedy anime coming with a bang!

Since I was disappointed with Megumin’s standalone anime, I was a little cautious going into this one. I’m glad I was wrong. KonoSuba is still funny from the very beginning all the way to the end of the episode.

Strongly Recommended.

 

[Toby Frost]

Is Japanese a very concise language? I ask because the dubbing in a lot of anime that I've seen (particularly for younger characters) is delivered very quickly, without much punctuation, which makes me wonder if English needs more words to say the same thing.

 

[Jeffbert]

Several of my favorite anime are resuming now, but, I will wait a few weeks, before watching them. I just hate one/ week!

 

[alexvss]

Is Japanese a very concise language? I ask because the dubbing in a lot of anime that I've seen (particularly for younger characters) is delivered very quickly, without much punctuation, which makes me wonder if English needs more words to say the same thing.

Good observation. It is exactly as you said: Japanese is a language that doesn’t need many words, definitely less than English needs to say the same thing.

Also, In Japan, one has to always read the room. Those who are clueless about that are ridiculed. If something is obvious, it shouldn’t be said.

For example, if someone asks a Japanese national, “are you going to the party tomorrow?”, they would either say “go” or “not go” (in a literal translation). He wouldn’t say “Yes, I’m going to the party tomorrow” because he would omit all the information that’s conveyed in the context of the situation (“read the room”). And that’s how textbooks teach you how to speak Japanese: in an unwanted long way.