Official Anime/Manga Thread

[Solkia]

 

So I've been watching Yu-Gi-Oh season zero.

[PSI Wind]

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-09-27/last-tv-anime-with-physical-cels-makes-digital-transition

 

The end of traditional animation for TV anime in Japan has come .

Not really. Japan still uses traditional animation. They just draw it in a combination of both digital and pencil. At least they don't use Flash.

Edited September 27, 2013 by PSI Wind

[Kuzu]

 

So I've been watching Yu-Gi-Oh season zero.

 

Yea I read the manga not too long ago too. good shit......fucking card games.

[Rinzler]

Apparently manga readers aren't happy with AoT's season finale.

 

Personally, as someone who hasn't read the manga, I couldn't be happier with the episode.

 

Now to catch up on the manga. No way am I waiting a year to find out what happens.

[Lady Soniko]

So I feel I have to explain my feelings on Watamote over all.

 

When it started out I LOVED it, because I was all "holy shit this is so me, I can relate to this poor girl" but during the 5-6 final episodes I just got salty and bitter towards how Tomoko as a character was handled. Was I the only person legitimately frustrated and getting angry as fuck with how deliberately awkward Tomoko would handle the most simplest things? I was just like "fuck sake Tomoko, just SAY something! No wonder you're so fucking alone" but it was just painful to wait 6-7 episodes before even a slither of something good happening and she still manages to fuck it up in the end by freaking out and running all the way home, ironically the most unpopular girl in school effectively gets love and respect from the most friendly and popular girl in school but she still does a runner.

 

Like fucking hell I am so confused and disappointed right now! I can't like a character who deliberately puts herself on the firing range and expects good out of it when she doesn't even try even after all this mental preparation? Even simple greetings and dismissals she stutters and can't even speak.

 

I don't know.. I just can't gel with such a broken and egotistical character, who doesn't have any form of substance to back herself up to fit that role, that and her brother is a total fucking idiot that is so unlike-able it's unreal, I fucking hate him so much he sucks and I honestly didn't see his point in his inclusion in the series otherwise to be an total asshole, even after Tomoko say's she's moving on and doesn't need him any more, in a heart felt moment, he still isn't really phased and comes out with some bullshit phrase like "what the hell is she?" It bugs me that they used to be amazingly close, but there was no explanation as to why they became so distant at all, the series overall was very... messy, all over the place, nothing really stuck and I guess that's why I'm frustrated with it over all.

 

/rant. 

[#AR]

It gets even worse in the manga. She still acts the same (with a couple ups here-and-there) and the latest chapters...oh man don't get me started on those.

[Lady Soniko]

All I can say is, there better be like a HUGE pay off for all of this awkward shit and cringeworthy writing, they better explain what happened between her brother and Tomoko too for fuck sake, I'm not going to read the manga until it's all done and I get the go ahead from someone that the ending is worth the slow painful sludge through all the shit she puts herself through.

[Mogtaki]

Hmmm, I like Watamote all the way through because, honestly, I went through the same things.

 

Not even only in the first episode either, I can understand her extreme social anxiety and rather confusing gender roles, I mean near the end of the series she actually switches roles. You really do get 'guy desires' that are incredibly over the top. No, I didn't turn out to be a lesbian, but I'm still pretty guyish for a girl.

 

Seriously, social anxiety and loneliness when you're growing up is maddening.

 

There's a reason we were hated in school, I mean...you just ranted about it. I was once close to my siblings when I was little, then drifted into that sort of phase when I was growing up, but now we're back to being relatively close again.

 

Anyway, enough of that.

 

The Saint Young Men film is coming out on blu-ray and what not 23rd October, can't wait for that. All sorts of religious figures appear in the manga but I dunno if they appear in the film.

 

There's also this:

 

[Sean]

That's pretty much the point of Tomoko. She's really not that good of a person; technically, despite her social anxieties, she's meant to be unlikeable, or for the most part unsympathetic.

[Mogtaki]

That's pretty much the point of Tomoko. She's really not that good of a person; technically, despite her social anxieties, she's meant to be unlikeable.

 

You got it on the point.

 

Anime/manga focus too much on the likeable characters being the mains of the series.

[Kuzu]

I'm glad I wasn't the only who started to find Tomoko unlikable.

[Lady Soniko]

Really? Because I thought the whole point of this anime was to feel sorry for how shitty this girl has got it due to her own insecurities and struggle with social interaction? She never really passed off as unlikeable till the end, just incredibly judgemental and feeling above everyone else to make herself feel better about being a social wash up.

 

I don't care about not liking the protagonist of an anime as long as there is something to keep me interested in watching it, but with this series, there isn't. It's pure willpower to continue the series, it's like you're at least holding out for a slither of hope, or something engaging but it never comes, but you hope it will.

 

Tomoko is really unlikeable, I actually ended up hating her towards the end, all sympathy I had in the beginning for her, vanished the more she went on.

[Sean]

The reason Tomoko starts off as sympathetic and relatable (to some) in the beginning is because the audience isn't yet fully aware of the extent of her narcisissm and judgmental attitude. As the series progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that she has no desire to legitimately improve herself, and she's more than content to wallow in her own selfishness.

In a way, this manga is supposed to serve as a gigantic "fuck you" to shut-in otaku who are obsessed with how great they are and view themselves as superior to the people they criticize for not socializing with them. If you're feeling pissed off because of how Tomoko is acting, then that's a good thing.

[Ultimate Waffle]

Well alrighty. Saved up the last 3 AoT episodes for a marathon tomorrow. So, where does the manga pick up after the anime finishes, so I can continue with the story.

[King Frosty]

Well alrighty. Saved up the last 3 AoT episodes for a marathon tomorrow. So, where does the manga pick up after the anime finishes, so I can continue with the story.

Chapter 34, but I'd recommend reading Chapter 32 and 33 since there are a couple of changes regarding what happened in each episode.

[Soniman]

I have to agree with Sean, I like Tomoko BECAUSE of how dumb and unlikable she is, for me that's part of her charm. I started out finding her relatable and as you read/watch more and more about her life and you realize that it's mostly her fault for being in the situation she's in,i t's kind of depressing, but seeing her self inflicted blows to her self esteem get more and more out of hand is part of the entertainment value for me.

 

That being said, im glad the anime ended on a semi postive note of Tomoko just flat out not giving a shit anymore about how the be socially acceptable.

[Sami]

As a manga-reader I very much enjoyed Attack on Titan's finale. I would have been annoyed if they followed it exactly, to be honest. The reveal at the end works much better for the show as a small tease towards Season 2 than a full-on HOLY SHIT PLOT TWIST moment at the last second. I thought it was a satisfying "soft ending" for the show.

[Dizcrybe]

The reason Tomoko starts off as sympathetic and relatable (to some) in the beginning is because the audience isn't yet fully aware of the extent of her narcisissm and judgmental attitude.

 

I figured this out from the first episode of the anime, Girl's a daggone freak.

Edited September 29, 2013 by Dizcrybe

[Silencer226]

Attack on Titan was overall an ok anime. I can't deny that I was always ready for the action that would take place in nearly each episode. The beginning started off excellent, I was fully engaged and willing to take in everything it threw at me. The second half of the show is when I began to lose focus on the show. It wasn't necessarily bad, but the characters began to annoy me. I don't really know how I feel about the ending because I actually feel remorse towards

Annie

. 

 

I probably shouldn't but being teased about her background just drew some curiosity out of me and I wanted to learn more, what is she fighting for to turn her back against humanity? I've even read the manga and there are still not very many explanations. The last piece of the final episode was a twist that I guess not many would have expected, I kind of thought it was stupid.

This entire time humanity is keeping titans out of the walls but at the same time it is those same titans that are protecting them?

 

Hmm, overall I'd say it was a fun action anime, with a few moments that would glue your eyes to your monitors, or tv screens whichever you use. But it really wasn't my go to anime of the season. I preferred other shows like Gatchaman and Sunday Without God over Titan. Both were pretty addicting for me, and ended on a good note. Titan was good but it didn't really attach itself to me the way these shows did, its kind of like Dragon Ball Z, yes its awesome and has a lot of action, but nothing really gripping to make it a memorable experience for me is what I'm trying to say I guess?

 

And as for Watamote, Tomoko is easily one of the worst people ever created in a manga series. And that is exactly what the author was going for. She's not supposed to be likeable, why would anyone want to be like Tomoko? This frail girl with a very opinionated view of how the world operates. She's a pathetic excuse for a human being, a shut in, and unable to communicate well with others. I'd even go as far to say that she's an egotistical bitch. Her judgments on other girls, by calling them bitches and whores, makes her the exact same thing she hates about those girls.  The things she does are simply cringe worthy. That being said, this is what the author wanted to pull off, it does exactly what its supposed to do. If Tomoko does not like these "bitches" why is she trying to get into their circle. It's absolute idiocy on her part.

 

Moving right along to Day Break Illusion. Oh where to begin with this one. I, for the most part, thought it was decent. I have not watched the last episode, but I can tell from its presentation its trying to ride on the coattails of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. However it fails to capture the emotional impact of Madoka. It automatically comes off as a carbon copy of Madoka, trying to ride on its success and failing at every turn. Nothing about it is really gripping. It was foolish of me to believe it would get any better past the 3rd episode. The art is kind of horrific, the animation is decent. Any kind of emotional impact it may have on the viewers is pretty much destroyed in episode 11. I don't think it failed at being a dark magical girl anime, it failed at being a compelling/interesting show to watch. A majority of the characters are pretty uninteresting, and serve no purpose other than just being there. I can count like 8 pointless characters that aren't memorable and could have been out of the show from episode 1 and it all still would have wrapped up the same way it did.

 

Anyway, that's it for my take on the Summer Season.  My top picks would probably be Gatchaman, Sunday Without God, and AoT for the action and presentation. I'm still watching Silver Spoon, and I've only made it to the second episode so it might make my list as I am liking the comedy and the characters have yet to piss me off.

Edited September 29, 2013 by Noel

[Solkia]

Who all here watched Free Iwatobi Swim Club?

 

I went in expecting fujoshit from all the buttmad uproars on certain 4chan boards I kept seeing, but I actually really enjoyed the characters and story.

[Kuzu]

I might watch it because I heard its funny as shit.

[Ristar]

I watched it too, my opinion is pretty much yours- it was surprisingly entertaining.

 

Makoto and Rei perfect husbandos,Rin go away.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Ristar

[PSI Wind]

Call me insane, call me crazy, but I think my anime of the season was...........

Neptunia.

................Hear me out.

So, Neptunia started out as a really dumb, but light-hearted series that sadly had a lot of tasteless fanservice for the first two episodes. ESPECIALLY the second one which had a character from the second game (Trick) that pretty much made the game M-Rated.

Then Episode 3 came around and after that, the quality just got better and better.

The main characters of Mk.2 (Nepgear, Uni, Rom, and Ram) have a Heroic BSOD due to their sisters (WHO ARE GODDESSES) essentially DYING but were able to get together and save them AND are now able to transform.

Then the big news came around after episode 5: Peashy appears! And this begins 5 episodes of character development for Neptunia and Peashy's relationship. Episode 6 was a bit more light-hearted than the last 3 and due to Anonydeath appearing, we saw Noire in cosplay. Meh. Episode 7 was also funny (but had a........distrubing Eggplant scene) but Plutia appears and transforms thus causing fear (or sexual arousal) to us all. Episode 8 looks innocent: a beach episode that was pretty funny. Then, the end of Episode 8 and all Episode 9 came around. THEN the anime gets REALLY good and heart-wretching.

Peashy gets kidnapped by having the main antagonist disguise herself as a normal person who's very concerned about what she does. She says she's Peashy's mother and takes her away. Neptune is obviously broken as she never apologized to Peashy for yelling at her and calling her dumb. They learn that a new continent called Eden is suddenly created and it's at the island they visited in Episode 8. BUT, the Goddess is Peashy as "Yellow Heart" and has no memory of any of the characters and thinks Rei and Anonydeath are her parents. In Episode 10, Eden goes to war with the other continents and Neptunia doesn't want to fight Peashy. But, later on, she fights her by letting Peashy beat the SHIT out of her while she tries to get her memories back by reminding her. She eventually succeeds..........somewhat. Peashy has no memories of them still and now her and Plutia need to go back to their own dimension. Before they leave, Neptune gives Peashy one of her pudding cups which caused them to argue in Episode 8. Suddenly, Peashy remembers Neptune, but the portal transports them to their dimension...........then the song plays and the animation in the credits........I literally started crying.

I'll finish this up later

[Salamander]

I think this thread is too hard on Watamote.  I thought it was an on-the-nose black comedy about being a socially awkward teenager that felt true to life.  Tomoko felt a lot more honest as a character, and to me more likeable, than any other anime character I can think of right now, and if you look around at all the personal testimony Watamote has evoked across the web from people with similar experiences to her, it's clear the show struck a chord.  I'm sorry that it's over.

 

I'm not sure if I'm happy or not about how it ended, though.  I think that the message was a very positive one - it's okay not to be liked by other people or to like them yourself, you don't have to be popular or sociable, it's alright for a person to be alone if that's what they want - but the first ten episodes left me expecting something a little bleaker.  Like that bit in Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar where the protagonist goes around repeatedly trying and failing to commit suicide.  I always found that pretty funny, although I'm fairly sure it wasn't meant to be.  Actually, Watamote is a lot like a high school comedy version of The Bell Jar, now I come to think of it.

 

My top picks would probably be Gatchaman, Sunday Without God, and AoT for the action and presentation.

 

What did you think of Sunday Without God?  I thought the first three episodes were pretty excellent, but I started to lose interest around halfway through as the show did the same, more or less dropping the death motif in favour of exploring the wish aspect.  Which does give the story a lot more flexibility, it's just that at the same time the show started treating death as a threat again rather than a transformation/inconvenience, and Ai seemed to have much less of an investment in what was going on.  But I thought the first three episodes were really rather good.

 

I'm a bit annoyed about the upcoming season.  There are a few shows which look interesting, but a lot of what seems worth a watch is being licensed only for North America with no way to watch it in the U.K. (or anywhere else, but obviously where I am is my primary concern).  I've been trying to watch anime using only legitimate sources for the past two seasons since I realised that Crunchyroll made doing so viable, but... next season looks a lot less viable.

[Silencer226]

What did you think of Sunday Without God?  I thought the first three episodes were pretty excellent, but I started to lose interest around halfway through as the show did the same, more or less dropping the death motif in favour of exploring the wish aspect.  Which does give the story a lot more flexibility, it's just that at the same time the show started treating death as a threat again rather than a transformation/inconvenience, and Ai seemed to have much less of an investment in what was going on.  But I thought the first three episodes were really rather good.

This opinion is like the exact opposite of the majority of people who watched it lol.  I thought it was pretty excellent after the first three episodes. The exploration of this world abandoned by god I thought was well done.  The death motif was never really dropped honestly. The entire purpose of that exploration was to  find a way to actually save the world, or rather destroy it and rebuild.  Of course it was never really found. I mean honestly I think the show would have been pretty dull had it explored the death motif even further, because its pretty straight forward after the first 3 episodes, people die, they don't go to heaven or hell, they just exist and eventually lose their self control and turn into what we call zombies/undead creatures.  So I don't get why they'd need to go further than that. Maybe I just like adventurous type shows, I'm not going to put this on the same level as Kino's Journey but it was cool seeing the world as it was through Ai's point of view. She's pretty naive but has good sense/heart. 

 

The ending wrapped up rather nicely, solving a particular problem that I thought could only end badly. Overall, it was easily a favorite of mine, and one that I looked forward to every week. Like the opposite of Titan in terms of action, but certainly kept me interested to keep going.