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What are you watching now?
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(inc)



Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 356
Location: San Diego

PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2003 9:30 am    Post subject: What are you watching now? Reply with quote

What are you watching now? And is it any good?

One of the threads that I see in other web anime forums -- why not one here, no matter how dorky... Razz

And it gives me an excuse to say that I just watched all of NieA Under 7 in the last few days and how much I enjoyed it. The first few minutes kind of annoyed me as seeming a little too hyper-kinetic, but that passed and I got in the *mood* of the series. I knew it was from the Lain people, but the cover art, etc., certainly made it look like a comedy. In fact it turned out to be a rather unique blend of melancholy and slapstick. Is it a polemic against India's cast system? Perhaps. Is it a story of alien *invasion*? Who's invading/converting who? Is it a diatribe against Japanese educational system? An easy target. Is it a polemic about the evils of conformity? Probably. Is it yet another Odd Couple rift. Definitely. Does it ever come near answering the seemingly main plot points it is structured around (who are the aliens, what is the Mother Ship, why antennas).... Heh, no more spoilers.

And the closing song, sung by N_7's voice actress sure fits the series.

(inc)
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Kai-Jinn



Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Posts: 68

PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2003 9:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ahhh, I loved NieA _7.

Of course I am watching the newer stuff, but as for older things, I am watching Fushigi Yuugi because I never had a chance prior. I like the series thus far, but I think it has a tendency to switch from serious to "funny" at wrong times in some cases. Also, (and I have this argument with Inuyasha and some other animes as well) is why do they always choose to wear their school uniforms? Other than the fact that it has the potential to provide fanservice, I don't see why they would choose it over any other outfit, esp since they aren't in school / wouldn't want to get it torn/ripped/burned with all the crazy stuff that they do. Fushigi Yuugi and Inuyasha don't really have fanservice anyway, so it just detracts from the anime, imo. Oh well =P
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(inc)



Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 356
Location: San Diego

PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2003 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hehe… I started this thread in honor of the fact that I am actually watching stuff – an ep or two while eating lunch, about the only consistent free time I have. In the past I’ve gone weeks without looking at what I download, though most of what I get is for other family members anyway.

Kai-Jinn wrote:
Ahhh, I loved NieA _7.

I've been avoiding reviews, figuring a fair number might not have liked it -- I'd expect some things like "Boring!" or "Aliens and no good battles?", but maybe I'm underestimating folks.

Kai-Jinn wrote:
Of course I am watching the newer stuff

As for the new stuff, if it’s something I’m going to get all of, I usually stop watching the series after the first 3 or 4 episodes have been posted, preferring to see the rest all at once. ‘Course a few series are at the next level – _gotta_ watch soon as it comes in. I’m not sure anything currently being posted is that good – the last I felt that way about were Azumanga Daioh and WHR.

Kai-Jinn wrote:
I am watching Fushigi Yuugi because I never had a chance prior. I like the series thus far, but I think it has a tendency to switch from serious to "funny" at wrong times in some cases.

I’ve been warned by a Daughter that I’d probably not enjoy Fushigi Yuugi all that much; that I might, in fact, find it pretty annoying. We’ve had various versions here for years, from the old RMs to a borrowed full (and expensive) R1 DVD set. I’ve even reposted half the series in the *long ago* …. and I’ve yet to watch past the first ep.

Kai-Jinn wrote:
Also, (and I have this argument with Inuyasha and some other animes as well) is why do they always choose to wear their school uniforms?
I've had the same thought -- if anyone could use a good pair of jeans, its Kagome Razz

(inc)
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Kai-Jinn



Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Posts: 68

PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2003 1:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

As for the new stuff, if it’s something I’m going to get all of, I usually stop watching the series after the first 3 or 4 episodes have been posted, preferring to see the rest all at once.


I do that as well, but mainly because I cannot keep up with all the newer series eps and old series eps and all the stuff already sitting on my HD, so by the time I get around to watching the newer eps I usually have them all. I do watch the first few just to see if I actually want to keep it around on my HD. For stuff like Get Backers, I had tons of those eps before I actually watched it and realized that there was no way I would ever subject myself to the series again ;P

Quote:

I've been avoiding reviews, figuring a fair number might not have liked it -- I'd expect some things like "Boring!" or "Aliens and no good battles?", but maybe I'm underestimating folks.


Anime Academy gave a fair review of it, I think. He didn't like it as much as I did and thought noticed flaws that he felt detracted from the anime that I didn't really take much notice of, but overall he said he liked it and gave a good review.
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(inc)



Joined: 18 Feb 2002
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Location: San Diego

PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2003 5:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Them has a pretty favorable NieA review also -- guess I liked the *style* more then they did though.

Hehe, reading some of the more juvenially (sic?) oriented web forums, GetBackers seems to have gotten on a lot of peoples *shit list*. Can't say the sexual under/over tones bother me one way or another, but anyone who was homophobic wouldn't be likely to have it on the top of their To Watch list (no personal inferences here at all folks -- there's lots of other reasons not to like it ... Razz ). The story itself really doesn't get underway until The Infinite Castle stuff starts (ep 9 or 10?), and I get the feeling that most *critics* haven't watched that far (I'm somewhere in the mid-teens). Of course, maybe it gets worse toward the end. I'm not saying it's great anime -- very mid-level in fact, though my ever-critical daughters seem to think more of it then I do -- but it sure isn't Mouse either.

(inc)
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Kai-Jinn



Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Posts: 68

PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2003 5:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No, Mouse was on a level of its own ;P

I just couldn't get over the fact that every episode was like a fight of the week where the Evil Eye gave them some vision that Shuuji? and Ban were killed but then the vision ends and the bad guy is defeated, predictably. I actually lasted up until ep 12 ( I had up to 18 ) when I decided that I didn't want to watch it anymore... It was getting deeper plot-wise, but I had lost any hope that the series would actually pick up and the characters didn't appeal at all to me.

As to any gay "sexual under/over tones," I never even noticed it =P There was plenty of girl leads and the guys didn't flirt with each other. Going into detail of why I still don't see that would probably just be a spoiler, so I won't reinforce that position.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone mainly because I thought it was very predictable fighting and predictable characters with an almost constant fight of the week plot.
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Gorunova



Joined: 10 Feb 2002
Posts: 318
Location: Burnaby, B.C., Canada

PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2003 8:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not much has changed since the last time I answered this question a few weeks ago, but I wanted to add that I just picked up the first two episodes of Texhnolyze and it looks really interesting.

First off, the OP hooked me immediately with its demo-like visuals and excellent techno theme. I had to re-watch it about a dozen times, and I ended up ripping it out to put in my favorite music videos directory.

It's hard to say anything about this series based on two episodes, but it's certainly different. It's dark like the first few episodes of Wolf's Rain and strange like Boogiepop, but different from both. The creative use of camera angles and environmental sound really grabs my interest.

And I want to know where there is a staircase that takes four days longer than expected to descend. Smile
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Kai-Jinn



Joined: 29 Mar 2003
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PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2003 9:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

And I want to know where there is a staircase that takes four days longer than expected to descend


Must be a damn good reason to go down because theres no way I would want to climb back UP that staircase ;P
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xo
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Joined: 09 Feb 2002
Posts: 466
Location: Los Angeles [comcast]

PostPosted: Sat May 10, 2003 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My most recent "watch" is Mahou Tsukai Ni Taisetsu Na Koto - I've seen 4 eps so far.

I was expecting something else - it's been a little too "precious" for me in these early eps and the main character a little too melodramatic. Still, I haven't given up on the series yet as I'm not sure where it's going (but it better start getting there soon as it's only 13 eps).

I love this thread idea, inc. I'm thinking of pinning it as sticky or (more likely) revive it every month or so. Or maybe develop a full blown/separate web app as I've been meaning to do forever :p.

-xo
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LaughnCynic



Joined: 16 Jul 2002
Posts: 105

PostPosted: Sat May 10, 2003 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

inc wrote:
And it gives me an excuse to say that I just watched all of NieA Under 7 in the last few days and how much I enjoyed it.


I really enjoyed NieA's melancholy mood too. It was much more than the slapsticky goofy alien comedy I was expecting from my first impressions.

inc wrote:
And the closing song, sung by N_7's voice actress sure fits the series.


"Venus and a Small God" I think it's called. Yeah, it seemed to fit the series' feel even with it's kind of light tempo. Hmmm... damn the OST hasn't been posted since 2001 acording to the ABSA site database. Confused

inc wrote:
I’m not sure anything currently being posted is that good – the last I felt that way about were Azumanga Daioh and WHR.


Ditto those 2 and add GitS:SAC to that for me. I'm kind of glad to hear I might not be missing anything great.

I haven't been able to really sample much of the new stuff. Mostly I've been completing series, and filling in holes.

I have grabbed a few episodes of some of the new stuff like Last Exile and Scrapped Princess but really haven't had time to even give them a proper looksy yet. Last Exile looked like it had some really nice animation in the few mins I watched of the L-E & R-B encode I grabbed.

I have to get around to finish watching Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto (R-B encode) since it's the last thing that grabbed my attention of the recent crop. 4-5 episodes in it's not thrilling me but it seems an ok coming of age kinda thing so far with a decent quality & animation style. I guess I should watch a few more episodes before I queue up the next set of dl's. It is saturday after all...

Edit: Finished watching Mahou... Xo used the words 'precious' and 'melodramatic' and I think he's spot on. It did end up being too melodramatic and sentimental in an over the top way so I guess I'm dissapointed. Not terrible but a bit too predictable and with 'chick flick' sentimentality in a big way.

What I'm really keeping an eye out for is the next episode of the 2nd OVA of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (subtitled "~Quiet Country Cafe") and other offbeat stuff like that.

Gorunova wrote:
Not much has changed since the last time I answered this question a few weeks ago, but I wanted to add that I just picked up the first two episodes of Texhnolyze and it looks really interesting.


I skipped past those when I saw them. Damn you Sir! Now I must reconsider them and the possibility of shoehorning them into my dl schedual. Probably won't make it without dropping something else. Sad


Last edited by LaughnCynic on Mon May 12, 2003 3:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
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(inc)



Joined: 18 Feb 2002
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Location: San Diego

PostPosted: Sat May 10, 2003 1:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Watched the first 2 ep of Texhnolyze last night also, G -- sure had me scrolling back and pausing trying to figure out everything going on. I'm not sure the sub is helping either (Wizzu-MM) -- a few times I had the feeling they were actually reversing the actual meaning of the dialog. Not that there is that much dialog in the first place. And, for the first time in a long time, I had trouble telling a few of the subsidiary male characters apart on first watching -- probably partially do to all the gray-scale visuals. But those are minor quibbles... Definitely one of the more interesting new anime, and from some folks that are getting a very interesting credit list (Lain, NieA_7, Haibane Renmei...).

There are some anime you have to watch just to remain *anime-literate*, even if you end up not particularly liking them (NGE comes to mind). I'm not saying whether most will like or dislike this series, but I think there is a good chance it will be an *important* one.

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Gorunova



Joined: 10 Feb 2002
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Location: Burnaby, B.C., Canada

PostPosted: Sat May 10, 2003 7:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

(inc) wrote:
Watched the first 2 ep of Texhnolyze last night also, G -- sure had me scrolling back and pausing trying to figure out everything going on.

I like series where you have to figure out some things on your own. I get sick of having the bloody obvious spoonfed to me. That's one reason I tend to prefer anime to American cartoons - the Japanese still spoonfeed the audience, but not as much and the cultural difference makes it less insulting.

Speaking of obvious, I'll lay odds that after the first three episodes I know what the big shocker ending to Scrapped Princess is. Should I spill/spoil it?

(inc) wrote:
I'm not sure the sub is helping either (Wizzu-MM) -- a few times I had the feeling they were actually reversing the actual meaning of the dialog.

I noticed that in a couple of places too. It's an easy mistake to make with Japanese, given that they answer confirmation questions using the opposite convention to English.

(inc) wrote:
anime, and from some folks that are getting a very interesting credit list (Lain, NieA_7, Haibane Renmei...).

I thought I saw some similarities there.

(inc) wrote:
I'm not saying whether most will like or dislike this series, but I think there is a good chance it will be an *important* one.

My thoughts exactly.
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(inc)



Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 356
Location: San Diego

PostPosted: Sat May 10, 2003 8:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gorunova wrote:
Speaking of obvious, I'll lay odds that after the first three episodes I know what the big shocker ending to Scrapped Princess is. Should I spill/spoil it?

Hey, I'm enjoying Scrapped Princess. Razz Hehe, but I'll grant you that certain anime stereo-types will be preserved I suspect. But don't be in too much of hurry to predict too much...

Minor Scrapped Princess spoilers - highlight to read, (inc) wrote:
A couple of new obviously major characters are introduced in ep 4, along with the first major hint of...well, I'll leave it at that. And, yeah, *someone* finally does *something*, whether on purpose or not, but that was a given.

(inc)
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Gorunova



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PostPosted: Sun May 11, 2003 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

(inc) wrote:
Minor Scrapped Princess spoilers - highlight to read, A couple of new obviously major characters are introduced in ep 4, along with the first major hint of...well, I'll leave it at that. And, yeah, *someone* finally does *something*, whether on purpose or not, but that was a given.


I've just seen ep 4, but it doesn't change my prediction.
Prediction: I wrote:
The prophecy will turn out to be a self-fulfilling one. Ie, she only reason she's dangerous is because everyone wants to kill her. They're the ones that will wreck the world in trying, and in forcing her to defend herself. At the last moment, the key characters will figure this out and everyone will go, "Ohhhh..." and have a good laugh.
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(inc)



Joined: 18 Feb 2002
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Location: San Diego

PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2003 7:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

G's prediction... I would agree...
with ammendments I wrote:
...with the addition that the *Destroy the world* might end up to be more of a political destruction of the current oligarchy than a literal physical destruction. But the fact that the current society seems to be a post-apocalyptic one of some type may imply that the SP brings about what is actually a return to an older society – this may be prefigured in the opening shot of the closing credits.

And Shannon is the best Warrior/House Keeper since Kenshin, maybe even better.... Razz

(inc)
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