The Anime Thread

[Artefacto]

Maybe if you hadn't ever watched any other anime in this genre (action thriller suspense) then MAYBE you could find this anime to be good.

Anime that are better than Darker than Black within it's own genre (which, by the way, is spy/mafia/assassin thriller despite the power system since that's basically just flavor text on the story):

1. Kaze no Yojimbo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBO8JVAXc90
2. Noir http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRTrgBP7I4s
3. Madlax http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h45wt46N-fg
4. Canaan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l331-kEjCLk
and hell if I wanted to stretch it to include organized-crime themed power shows:
5. Get Backers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thFe9kdokgk

Therefore I stand by my statement that Darker than Black was generic crap. It didn't do anything to stand out against the above shows and therefore became just one of the numerous that I'd seen in this genre. I understand how it could impress someone who's new to the genre, but for an old hand like me I'd recommend watching all the above first before filtering down to Darker than Black if you ever have an excess of time.

I never praised Darker Than Black on originality, or being exceptional. I said that it was good in its overall production, that I liked it, and that I enjoyed it. It's true, there are other shows in its genre that have done similar stories, but it's like you are just dismissing the things that make it unique by saying "it's just flavor text on the story". It seems you only saw into the first episode arcs and just dimissed it without finishing it. The whole science fiction element is the backbone of the show, not the criminal thriller. I really liked that, the contractors, the powers, the mistery of the gate, the relationship of the characters, their past, how they interacted with their burdens, etc. What kept me coming back was wanting to unravel the story of the characters, who Hei really was, why was he fighting, what happened at Heaven's Gate, what are Evening Primrose's motives, where's Hei's sister, and on and on. If I watched it for the criminal thriller, it's mid-lever tier only for it, but summing it all up with all it has, then it's really good overall. But I think you didn't find the appeal within the supernatural aspect of the show, and focused on the episodic thriller aspect of it, and that's why you were let down. You dismissed what was unique about it, and disliked what was common among its genre.

[Ataru]

An interesting premise does not negate the need for an interesting plot.

[FirelordSylar]

the contractors, the powers, the mistery of the gate, the relationship of the characters, their past, how they interacted with their burdens, etc.

hahaha, replace contractors with alchemist and you have the plot of Full Metal Alchemist

[Artefacto]

Amazing series. I don't know why it hasn't been mentioned before in this thread considering everyone here has seen a ton of anime. For those who haven't heard of it, it's about a group of space debris collectors and their lives in the year 2075. I don't want to make a long winded review, but it's one I highly recommend. This trailer is a good way of knowing what you will find in it, so spare me some words.



-*-*-*-



And this one's a delicious odd one. Kuchu Buranko, or Trapeze for the western name. As I watched it, I had no doubt that this would be my number 1 anime right away, and might never drop from that place. The excentric and enigmatic Dr. Irabu and his nurse Mayumi take on the task of treating a variety of psychiatric patients.



The show takes on a peculiar format of repeating the same days between Dec 16 and 24, but each episode deals with a different patient. In this way, you will see that the lives of the patients are connected in many ways, and strange events in one episode are explained in subsequents stories told from a different point of view. The one downfall is that there's only 11 episodes, and there may never be a second season granted that the original source are a series of short stories that were published into books.

The most appealing aspect of the anime is at first glance, the art style. It's heavily rotoscoped and changes all the time from animation to live action, or a mixture of both. Dr. Irabu also has the peculiarity of swifting his appearance between three personas: A highly obnoxious but likeable character with the face of a green teddy bear, a charming young adult with red glasses, and a stoic young boy that carries a teddy bear with the same resemblance as his other character.

This video is a sample of what to expect from it, and also has parts of the awesome soundtrack OP and ED.

[Ataru]

Forget about all that crap it's time for the Lyrical Nanoha Movie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmiIULDQ230



So yeah I just got done watching it and I was blown away. Not only was this an amazing movie, but it was a great idea. The Lyrical Nanoha series' main weakness is that the first season is bland compared to the other two; even though the ending of the 1st season was great for the first half or so it was a very standard magical girl show that didn't do anything special to show off. Only right at the end was there anything worth watching in it.

The movie fixes all that, making the first season story much more interesting and well-paced. Now people can just watch the movie and then go right to the 2nd season; Lyrical Nanoha A's, which was the high point of the series and one of the better anime series I know of.

But let's analyze this just as a movie. I'd still say this is one of the better anime movies available right now. No seriously it was AMAZING.

Plot 10/10
Though it starts out as a 'collect x amount of y magical object' story that part lasts for something like the first 5 minutes before being overshadowed by the real plot; the encounter and relationship of two magical girls, both believing they are on the right side. This isn't a story about defeating evil or being right or wrong, instead it's about two people following their hearts and not giving up. It's a story about various kinds of love, and the relationships that start in this story only get more serious as the seasons go along.

Think I'm describing a typical girl movie? Think again. It may be about love and friendship, but the story is told through a string of extremely intense battle scenes and magical shootouts. Nanoha, the character, was once entered in a Japanese contest for manliest anime character ever because she has no qualms about shooting down her opponents. There will be parts where you'll be expecting Goku or Vageta to show up with all the energy blasts and high-speed aerial battles that happen. And this isn't just one or two big battles; almost every other scene is a fight scene and it never gets boring as you watch Nanoha develop new ways to fight and become more and more determined to win. There's no other magical girl like her, and those who watch this movie will grow to respect her as a heroic figure... though you could also say she's almost as vicious a fighter as Wolverine.

Characters 10/10
Finally! A movie villain who is evil for a reason besides 'the writers needed an antagonist'. There is never a moment in this movie when you don't understand the motivations of each group. The characters endear themselves to you and it's easy to sympathize with both sides. Of course the stars of the movie, Nanoha and Fate, are amazingly well-written with their yearning for companionship battling with their stubborn refusal to lose. Even the side characters are interesting and unique. A great and colorful cast.

Music 10/10
Nanoha has always had good music, in all the different seasons, so this was no surprise. The instrumental score is epic and the 3 vocal songs are great. However some of the nostalgia of a few of the instrumental songs might be lost on those who haven't watched the series at all.

Animation 10/10
2 hours and 10 minutes of non-stop action with almost no re-used frames or still shots? I'd call that a success. The character designs were changed subtly and look a lot more complete than they did in the original series. The magical effects are great, the battles are easy to follow, and the rendered stuff like the water doesn't look out of place. I also really liked the art stills that show during the ending credits.

Overall 10/10
This movie will solidify Lyrical Nanoha as the Cardcaptor/Sailor Moon killer. Nanoha is a series that completely rewrites the standards of a magical girl. The magic and scientific mix; the very believable and interesting magical organization that watches over the worlds; the characters not being shy about shooting each other down... this is a magical girl show for the modern age that anyone can watch and enjoy. This is a movie anyone could go to the theater, watch, and be amazed at. No matter what you're looking for you'll find it in this movie.

((Though you do have to see both main girls naked once during the movie during their transformation sequences (which only happen once each). And there were naked fairy girls in Fantasia. And Ariel was technically naked for a scene in The Little Mermaid. It happens, get over it.))

[Noodles]

Just finished watching Toradora which is a type of anime I usually don't watch, but I have to say I really liked that series a lot. Currently watching Psychic Detective Yakumo i'm just 1 episode behind there. Liking the series so far. It really begins to get good beginning with episode 4.

[Ataru]

Time to work my necromancer powers and resurrect this thread. That's right it's time for the Winter 2010-2011 Anime Rundown, counting down all the new anime this season and pretentiously demanding that you watch the ones I like and agree with my tastes.

Wolverine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srGRxpXGVZc
I'm tired so I'm not gonna go in any particular order. Wolverine is freaking amazing. Forget everything I ever said about how it was gonna be. If you saw the trailer, you know why I was afraid of this season. Well turns out Marvel and Mad House know how to fix their mistakes since the actual show was nothing like the trailer. Nope. Instead they made an actual amazing translation of Logan in anime form, though he is a little taller and leaner than he should be. But no worries, he's still the angry drunken bestial punch-yer-lights-out-bub hero we all know and love. The story is nothing special but hey man all I need is an excuse for Wolverine to punch a bunch of goons and I'm good... and that's what this show is. A solid action anime even if you don't count the awesomeness that is Wolverine himself.

Dragon Crisis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jyu3ATGknY
Nnn. It's about a guy whose... big sister... or aunt... or something... anyway his female relative moves in with him, and she's some kind of treasure hunter just like the kid's parents. They find this high-class treasure that turns out to be a dragon which of course means a loli who can breathe fire. Humor ensues? I dunno. It wasn't bad, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to watch it.

Kore wa Zombie desuka?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-c61nF5xWI
Or 'Is this a zombie?'. About a guy who is a zombie, controlled by a necromancer girl who only talks using a writing pad to write what she wants. He meets up with an overbearing magical girl who uses a chainsaw. I dunno. It was too shrill of a comedy. The humor was too fast-and-furious for me. Maybe depending on my mood I'd find it hilarious and eat it up, but when I watched it it just kinda bored me and I set it aside. Also I didn't like any of the characters, which didn't help.

Beelzebub

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3FhAgcTfb0
About a punk who accidentally has Satan's baby child imprint on him. So now he's a punk with a devil baby who doesn't speak and doesn't wear anything. A comedy about a naked baby. You can imagine the kind of humor they use. You might think 'nah this is Japan,they wouldn't sink so low as to use a million potty jokes and call that comedy'. Oh but they would. The first joke in the show is everyone thinks the main character is sweating a bunch, but it's actually the baby on his head pissing all over him. Charming.

Rio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl-cvHrOnlM
About a girl who brings everyone luck who works at a casino. Sorry but if everyone started winning whenever she showed up wouldn't the casino FIRE her? Last I checked casinos don't like people winning consistently. I guess they just keep her around because the boss there wants to seku hara her (look that one up in Japanese). It was fine until she played a card game and then there was this 5-minute long BS magical girl-esque thing while she manipulated luck and talked to the cards and stuff. It ruined the flow and was completely worthless. Also the characters in the show were unlikably 2-dimensional. Pass.

Level E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1hVxTPJiTg
Aliens exist on Earth. This is a comedy about the most devious and mischievous alien on Earth and how he loves to screw with people's lives. Oh boy does he just love doing it. At times you'll think the show is about to turn serious, but EVERY TIME it will get you. Even if I warn you now you'll still get caught up in it and will still be pounding your head against the desk when the show pulls away the curtain and shows you that it's still a comedy. Which is why I love it. A comedy with a story I can (sometimes) get invested in and which then makes me laugh my gut out when it reveals its trickery? Heck yes. Also it was made by the manga author who did Hunter x Hunter, one of my favorite series (he also did Yu Yu Hakusho if that's your thing). Highly recommend.

Madoka Magica... or whatever it's called

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5F9USROcPM
Magical girl show with crappy character design laid over backgrounds that are either insanely complex or that use real textures. I mean like lace and stuff. Sorry guys but being artsy and craftsy doesn't make up for having an impossible-to-follow plot and terrihorrible character art. I guess watch it and see if the whole artsy angle catches your attention, but other than that it was nothing special.

Dream Eater Meri

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTUov7rqQ40
About a girl and a guy and dreams. Great dream sequences with talking cats and all kinds of crazy stuff, and really weird pacing. Also I didn't like the main girl, Meri. Her character design was strange and they tried to make me care for her emotions before even letting me care for her character. That doesn't work. You can't just throw a girl at me and then get all misty-eyed when she looks all lost and alone because she doesn't remember anything. Or in other words they tried to make you sympathetic for a character that otherwise doesn't evoke sympathy. You'd have to watch it to understand. I dunno. It wasn't bad but I didn't really feel like finding out where the girl's plot was going.

Wandering Son/Hourou Musuko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxtr04-j0Qw
About a boy who wants to be/dress like a girl and a girl who vice versa. In middle school. I dunno what to say about this one. I like it, it's got a nice slice-of-life drama feel to it, though it does tend to slather the awkward moments on rather thick, but what did you expect? The opening and ending theme are good (Rie Fu does the ending, if you know who that is). The art style goes with the story perfectly, and I like how they start in the thick of the story rather than slowly building up like in the manga. I like it, but it's probably not gonna please everyone.

Cardfight Vanguard!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS73WmKeaDI
About a card game and kids who play it. Think Yugioh. In fact think exactly Yugioh. And yet I kinda like it, because A: It has a cute loli, B: The card game is more interesting and easier to follow than Yugioh, C: The monster design is interesting. But, hey, if you don't like card game shows then this definitely isn't going to convince you otherwise.

Infinite Stratos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isJgTGM6nr4
About a guy who is the only guy on the planet who can pilot robots, otherwise only girls can do it. So he's in an all-girls school for robot pilots. Etc. The mecha design is strange, looking more like strange suits of armor with wings. I dunno. Nothing special. I remember that I kinda liked it, but then again I hadn't really watched anything else yet for this season since it was one of the first shows.

Gosick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su5IqQDRv-8
About a loli detective and the kid she bosses around. Great stuff. I like the mysteries, which are all tinged with supernatural legends around the town (though they don't actually involve the supernatural themselves... usually). The loli is an interesting mixture of a demanding princess type and an innocent kid who never gets outside. She's got some interesting moods and lots of hints at a dark past. It sounds a lot more cliche than it is. Trust me you'll be hooked if you watch it and you like mysterious things at all.

Fractale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyhnnZTUhcM
Um. What happens when you take an old classic adventure series like, say, Nadia: Secret of Blue Water, and condense it so it's pacing isn't so horrible? You get Fractale, an adventure story that seems like a tribute to old shows like Nadia while having excellent pacing. This combination is REALLY, REALLY GOOD, for those who don't get the connection I'm making. Interesting characters, world, and plot+great pacing make for an excellent story. 100% recommend. I won't tell you about the plot since it's one of those where they like to reveal things bit by bit so telling too much would spoil the fun. Also the ending theme is 'Down by the Salley Gardens', a famous Celtic song.

Onii-chan no koto nanka suki something something

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ5gz7YMOIw
A show about a younger sister (only a year younger, thanks for small favors) trying to seduce her older brother who in turn IS seduced but refuses to give in due to the horrible implications of being attracted to his own little sister. You all know what I think of incest stories, and this one has HORRIBLE character design, to boot. Yeah no thanks.

Freezing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YbaR6izdDI
The title must refer to how all the girls in this show must be cold what with most of their fleshy parts exposed almost completely. Oh and lack of blood will do that too. I guess this show is aimed at guys who like seeing big-breasted girls kill each other. Kinda like Queen's Blade, which I also never bothered to watch. Anyway it's about girls with huge breasts and ridiculous weapons either killing each other or killing giant aliens a la Evangelion (minus the mecha). Not my cup of tea, thanks.

Wow. 15 shows. This time I actually watched EVERY NEW SHOW this season, no exceptions (except sequels to shows I hadn't seen the first part of, like Kimi ni Todoke 2nd season. Also there's Mitsudomoe 2 but I won't review that since you all know what I think of the first season).

Next season looks like it's gonna be weird too.

Anyway if that's all tl;dr, here's the shows you should watch:

Fractale
Gosick
Wolverine
Level E
Mitsudomoe 2

[Earth001]

Anyone heard of the PS3 game Valkyria chronicles? I know it is a game but it is also a anime what do people think about the game and anime?

[foofoocudlypoops]

Howls Moving Castle and Spirited Away are my favorite anime movies Im currently watching Ghost in the Shell and Durarara. Ive watched Cowboy Bebop, Clannad, Fullmetal Alchemist, Deathnote, Bleach (never ends and is getting incredibly boring) XD, watched part of Rurouni Kenshin, Avatar of course, yugioh when it was cool, pokemon hehe And im obsessed with Final Fantasy and doing my hair like lightning c:

[captainyodels]

Howls Moving Castle and Spirited Away are my favorite anime movies Im currently watching Ghost in the Shell and Durarara. Ive watched Cowboy Bebop, Clannad, Fullmetal Alchemist, Deathnote, Bleach (never ends and is getting incredibly boring) XD, watched part of Rurouni Kenshin, Avatar of course, yugioh when it was cool, pokemon hehe And im obsessed with Final Fantasy and doing my hair like lightning c:

So let me get this straight.
You prance around with your hair looking like this broad?
And then you have the audacity to call A:TLA an anime?
And then you like Bleach? And Fullmetal Alchemist?

Go home, Foofoo.
You are not welcome here.