Anime/Manga Journal

[Bytor]

So, I finished Kurozuka and I kinda gotta say...huh? But, having said that in a weird way I enjoyed the show. Popped in BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad and after 6 episodes I am really digging this show, we'll see how it goes I guess.

I fucking loved BECK. I've lost 90% of the patience I had with anime since graduating high school (a personal taste issue, not trying to insinuate anything),  but BECK was able to hold my attention through all the episodes when I watched it last summer. And I loved the dub; I think Greg Ayers did a fantastic job with the singing.

Agreed 100%. One way I grade an anime is if I am sad it is over, I definitely wanted to watch more BECK!!! And now for something completely different....gonna give NieA Under 7 a go, so far it reminds me of watching the old Looney Tunes cartoons.

[Annubis]

So we're creeping closer to the next season.

Here's stuff to expect:
http://i1.minus.com/ibfb4amzrNugez.jpg

I'm looking forward to:
- Saki: Achiga Hen
- Minami-ke season 4
- The final Carnival Phantasm (those hilarious type-moon OVAs)
- Kami Nomi OVA
- Zettai Karen - Hyoubu (maybe)

Also, what happened to mech shows? I love mech shows =(
Are they really not popular anymore or something?

[Kevadu]

Potentially good season coming up.  The show that I am simultaneously most anticipating and most nervous about is Maoyuu Maou Yuusha.  Anticipating because I've read the source material (and the manga adaptions...yes all five of them) and I love it.  It's a very interesting story that touches on politics, religion, prejudice and yes, a whole lot of macroeconomics.  But I'm nervous because I don't have a lot of confidence in the studio doing the anime adaption and I haven't been very impressed by the promo material.  The character designs look off and they seem to be really pushing the fanservice...note that the source material has basically zero fanservice.  I guess they didn't think they could sell the anime without it.  I'm very worried that they're going to fuck this up.

Speaking of fanservice, the Senran Kagura anime is a thing that exists...not sure what to make of that...might watch a bit just out of morbid curiosity.

More Minami-ke and Chihayafuru is always good.

[Annubis]

I also like Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, but I'm doubtful about the anime. It's just not a manga that transposes itself nicely unless they either:
A) Add tons of fighting (doubtful, too costly)
B) Add tons of boobies (we probably have a winner)
C) Add something unique to the anime to make it work (the 1 in a million success, like Binbougami Ga! did)

[Yggdrasil]

Outside of One Piece Film Z I'm not interested in anything else...

Last month the Eva 3.0 movie was released, right?

[Annubis]

Yup, a couple of weeks ago. Not too sure when we'll see it outside Japan though.

[Mickeymac92]

Outside of One Piece Film Z I'm not interested in anything else...

Was just about to say that. Actually, all the movies seem at least somewhat interesting, but One Piece will probably be the only one I'll end up watching (though I may wait until Funi releases it). This is probably the worst I've seen it since I started paying attention to the Japanese seasons two years ago, at least for my interests...granted I don't think that list included continuing shows that didn't have a season-based name change...

And whatever happened to Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin? We haven't gotten so much as a trailer since it's announcement in June of '11.

Anyways, I spent most of my anime time last month watching One Piece. I went from episode 210 to 352, albeit skipping about 25 episodes of filler, recaps, and non-canon specials. Still, that's 100+ episodes in a very short span of time. At the very least I enjoyed it all, so I have no regrets. As good as this show is, it's getting very hard to convince myself to make it through to episode 381 (when this arc ends), so I'm trying to figure out something else to watch, even though chances are I'll just go without anime for a while. If I do do figure something out, though, it probably won't be a Shounen action-adventure. I think I've seen enough of those for a long while.

[Klyde Chroma]

There's rumors that more Kino's Journey is going to be made. There's supposed to be a 'big announcement' or something soon, hopefully it's not just a case of fans getting overhyped over nothing.

I'm actually *kinda* excited that (apparently) Sailor Moon is coming back.
Sweet childhood.

I'm REALLY excited about that... I freakin' loved sailor moon....

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum I also love Berserk... and I just watched the first movie... I don't care how many fans thought it sucked, I thoroughly enjoyed it... They really do glaze over a lot, but IMO (having read the manga series and watched the original Berserk series) they really did a fine job of covering the meat and potatos of the content. I heard a great deal of complaining about the visual direction the film took but found it enjoyable personally....

Now I'm on to Princess Tutu and can't decide between Infinite Stratos, Raphxephaa.. erm... lon?.... something like that... wolfs rain, book of bantora  or Un Go.... I started Un Go but was really disappointed....

I also started Persona 4 the animation about a month ago but gave up quickly on it....

... So can anyone provide me just cause to entertain Persona or Un Go again?....

[Mickeymac92]

What do you think of Princess Tutu, Klyde?

[Aeolus]

So we're creeping closer to the next season.

Here's stuff to expect:
http://i1.minus.com/ibfb4amzrNugez.jpg

I'm looking forward to:
- Saki: Achiga Hen
- Minami-ke season 4
- The final Carnival Phantasm (those hilarious type-moon OVAs)
- Kami Nomi OVA
- Zettai Karen - Hyoubu (maybe)

Also, what happened to mech shows? I love mech shows =(
Are they really not popular anymore or something?

Well there was Rinnie no Lagrange and Muv Luv: Total Eclipse in the last two seasons but, well....yeah....*sigh* :(

That said, it looks like a fine winter season to catch up on the seasons that don't suck out loud.

[Klyde Chroma]

What do you think of Princess Tutu, Klyde?

I am hesitant to state an opinion yet.... in truth my anime watching has suffered in the wake of gaming (thanks to x com) and I don't want to say "yay" or "nay" without seeing a bit more.... I decided to check it out because I heard a lot of people drawing paralells between this and Madoka Magica (which I loved).... I still have yet to see the connection....

What I will say so far (only a few episodes in) is that I do find this to be a bit more refreshing than most magical girl stuff I've indulged..... There is definately some originality here which comfortably departs from the atypical.... Take the main character for instance.... She is very much what you'd expect from a magical girl MC.... but right off the bat there is an off the wall twist which reveals her true nature to be of something completely different (albeit sort of strange, it is certainly something I haven't seen before...) The mood is far more "fairy tale and whimsy" than I'd expected as well (a pleasant surprise!).

I will give you a more comprehensive take on TuTu once I've really digested enough of it.

[Bytor]

NieA_7 was a pleasant diversion, unfortunately not too much more than that. I found the humor to be done nicely but the (evidently) satire on the Hindu class system (from what I have read in some reviews) seemed to not seem to effect me overly much. I assume it's either a cultural "get it or you don't thing" or else I am too obtuse. Either way I don't care really, it was a fun show so I'm OK with that. Looking through the library I picked something somewhat randomly...Hatenkou Yugi, we'll see how that goes.

[Yggdrasil]

I was going to sleep but I found out about a manga called "Onepunch-Man", haven't been this entertained reading manga in years.

[Mickeymac92]

Also, what happened to mech shows? I love mech shows =(
Are they really not popular anymore or something?

Seems they're saving them for next year:

http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/12/12-1/video-sci-fi-action-on-display-in-latest-majestic-prince-anime-preview
http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/12/13/video-gundam-studio-shows-off-new-mecha-anime-valvrave-the-liberator
http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/12/14/video-first-suisei-no-galgantia-sci-fi-anime-preview

Granted Mecha may not be the focus for that last one. But the Gundam remake may be coming next year as well, plus there's the Gundam UC OVA (ep. 6 scheduled for March, last ep could probably make it before the end of the year) and the Code Geass OVA (episode 2 is also coming in March and ep. 3 could come out before the end of 2013, too). IMO, that'd be plenty if it all works out. And if they all turn out really good, even better.

[Klyde Chroma]

The Tutu Report

So I just watched the first season of Princess Tutu.... as I mentioned a few posts ago, I chose to indulge this one out of a love for the Magical girl stuff and because so many people compared it to Modaka Magica (which I loved).... The long and the short of it for me is this, strange and original while it may be, oddity does NOT equate to good or entertaining.... and a slightly more twisted that typical narrative certainly DOES NOT make this anything like Modaka IMO...

I am not going to get into plot specifics for anyone who wants to see it... I don't want to ruin anything... but I found the characters (with the exception of 1 good who goes bad and 1 bad who turns good... predictably mind you....) very flat and unforgettable... aside from the fact that there is not a large cast to remember anyhow.... That wouldn't be bad  but this series really makes you feel as though the Tutu-verse is a small one.... really freakin' small.... with little explained, and little really needing explanation. The humor in it is quirky at first... then when (literally) the same joke is repeated EVERY episode, it becomes pretty freakin' lame.... The main character, Duck, while charming does little to save this series from these faults.... Lastly battles (of sorts....) are performed via ballerina dancing and did not tickle my fancy (in truth though, there really is no battling or action to speak of).... once again, original concepts with extremely dull and boring execution paired with an equally dull cast= crap in klydes opinion

As for the Modaka comparison? I suppose if you stretch it and look hard enough you can see where the main characters motivation to do good in each series is actually detrimental to the cause... while it is way more epic in Modaka, it is present in tutu.... that aside, I saw nothing similar....

Maybe the second season is better than the first.... I don't think I will find out for awhile because I'm putting tutu back on the shelf for the time being....