Anime Club - Heaven Society

[BashZeStampeedo]

On 1/10/2017 at 6:10 PM, Technicolors said:

has anyone watched Space Captain Harlock? 

Yeah, it's very old school. If you can dig that old-schoolness, it's a decent time with some great GAR, but it can be a bit of a slog after a while (especially for modern viewers). There's a bunch of loosely-but-not-quite-related stuff in the same "universe" (dubbed the Leijiverse by fans), and the most recent CGI film was pretty much a snapshot of what Harlock is like. If you don't have a soft spot for old school stuff, then probably the best place to start with the Leijiverse is the remake Space Battleship Yamato 2199.

 

In other news, I actually managed to watch a few episodes from this season. Little Witch seems like it's aiming high enough to care about, the others... not so much.

 

Masamune's Revenge (1). typical.
Other than the revenge premise, this doesn't really stand out in any appreciable way from other modern harem-styled anime. So if you're not terribly into goofy revenge stories with a cast of unlikable characters, then there's not much here for you. Even if you're into them, it's a pretty cookie-cutter take on the concept so far, with mediocre comedy and less interest in telling a compelling story than just going through the childish motions. It's simply too cringey for my tastes, without the minimal self-awareness of something like Watamote. It took them the whole episode to do something remotely interesting, and they saved it for the cliffhanger. That's a pretty depressing sign.

 

Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (1). typical.

The manga is reasonably fun, but for reasons that KyoAni seems ill-suited to bring out. They've never been good at subtler humor, and they've only recently hit puberty (heck, they just recently entered their Gainaxing phase). The result is a reductionist window on the manga that just kinds of jumps from page to page on the manga without much care for pacing, while downplaying its weirder undercurrents. They do toss in one new scene at the end, but it doesn't really accomplish anything. If you're crazy about yuri or screencap bait, then this should be right up your alley, but otherwise it's a tough sell compared to just reading the manga. I'm sticking around to see how brave KyoAni are, because so far it doesn't feel like they've matured enough as a studio to tackle some of the more risque elements of the manga.

 

Konosuba S2 (1). mild pulse.

This still feels like the only thing keeping it together is the director's Herculean efforts. The writing and comedy were mostly lame and still stuck in first gear. The first half of the episode had a couple of funny bits that were (of course) stretched out way too long, including a classic lie detector sketch that will probably never be done as well as the Simpsons did it long ago. The second half was a disappointing bare-bones Phoenix Wright parody that completely fell apart by the end, even forgetting that the character already proved something during the trial. Ultimately it didn't feel like they have any A-material left; mostly just stale references and the same tired character shtick they beat into the ground in the first season. Still enjoyable enough to pass the time for a few eps, but just as forgettable as the bulk of the last season.

 

Little Witch Academia (1). promising.
Finally something that stands out. I guess we should all officially get the obligatory "you're a witch, Akko" jokes out of the way now, huh? At any rate, this is all rehashed material to the point of rote formula, but the good news is that Trigger understands that, and clearly put their heart into making the cliches their own. It has that flair for storytelling which can transform an otherwise bland trek through the Hero's Journey into a genuinely fun adventure romp. In that regard it's a lot like Mahou Shoujotai, just playing it a bit more safe. Still, it's leagues above the other episodes I just reviewed, and I'd rather reward genuine effort than mindless cash-grabs, so I'm in.

[Tr3vor]

The first episode of Little Witch Academia was fun, although I wish they would have resolved the conflict n stuff in a differen't way than the OVAs. Hopefully every episode doesn't end this way or it could get boring.

[_INTER_]

You remind me that I need to give Little Witch Academia (TV) a try. I wouldn't have otherwise. I forgot I had watched the movies and found it passable.
It reminds me of Mahou Shoujo-tai Arasu because of the setting. (Which I've not finished yet either, it has 40 episodes sheesh).

[Belgarionbg]

Quote

5 minutes till the next train? Np, it's enough! (subway station in Sofia, Bulgaria)

 

 

My fellow citizens...

 

 

[Guest]

Recently finished watching Kill la Kill and have very mixed feelings about it. it's like a love/hate relationship. 

[Tr3vor]

On 1/12/2017 at 2:29 PM, That Norwegian Guy said:

Just going to leave this here in case it brightens someone's day

 

You're just gonna trigger me with that.

[BashZeStampeedo]

5 hours ago, _INTER_ said:

You remind me that I need to give Little Witch Academia (TV) a try. I wouldn't have otherwise. I forgot I had watched the movies and found it passable.
It reminds me of Mahou Shoujo-tai Arasu because of the setting. (Which I've not finished yet either, it has 40 episodes sheesh).

Heh. Like I said, it reminded of me of the same. Bear in mind that the episodes in Mahou Shoujotai are half-length, so it's really more like 20 episodes time-wise.

[Guest]

Just curious, is anyone here an experienced/professional anime artist of some degree? I'm curious to know what it takes to enter that field and then excel to those kinds of heights. Like, what would be required, what would be expected, what kind of education would be needed, how much it can cost, how much time it takes, etc... 

[LAwLz]

16 hours ago, IAmLamp said:

Just curious, is anyone here an experienced/professional anime artist of some degree? I'm curious to know what it takes to enter that field and then excel to those kinds of heights. Like, what would be required, what would be expected, what kind of education would be needed, how much it can cost, how much time it takes, etc... 

I don't work nor know anyone in the industry, but I have looked into it.

 

It is one of the worst jobs you can possibly imagine (at least if you live in Japan). On a good week, you might get half a day of free time. The pay is extremely low (like Mc Donalds-tier if not even less) unless you're one of the extremely few (higher chance of winning the lottery) that gets popular. If that happens then you might get a decent wage (but not worth it considering the amount of time you put in).

You also have to pay for things like assistants and supplies yourself, so your already slim wage becomes even slimmer.

 

I follow a doujinshi artist I like on twitter, and he is constantly posting that he is sick, has to hurry before deadlines and so on. It really sounds miserable, but since he loves what he does he keeps going.

 

I mean, with a schedule like this (this is not the artist I follow by the way), you can see why so many people in Japan choose not to find a partner and have children.

[SeraphicWings]

Binged Fate Zero and Puella Madoka in 2 days really put your heart in a bad state......

[Tr3vor]

I was going to say, you probably don't want to do them animes if you want time to take a shit shit, but you said it better.

[Techicolors]

what's the discord channel again? 

[themaniac]

12 minutes ago, Technicolors said:

what's the discord channel again? 

heres an invite https://discord.gg/Bk99u

[BashZeStampeedo]

So it looks like there's a reasonable (if sugary) slice-of-nothing series this season, if its first two episodes are any indication. Not my usual thing, but I'll take something over nothing. Can't say that the more serious anime just I tried was very good, though.

 

Onihei (1). mediocre.
This was a mess, especially tonally. There was the kernel of a solid "thief with a heart of gold" story in here, but it was marred by poor editing and dragged a half-episode of content out into a full one (think "a random Kenshin side-character's tragic backstory flashback", but two times too long). They could have used that time to add context or establish something more concrete, but instead you could fall asleep between the key scenes and miss nothing. That's not even counting the off-putting juxtaposition of GAR elements with a serious tone, the out-of-place closing scene, and the fact that the show completely forgot to have a hook to keep you watching. The decent OP and promising OST aren't nearly enough to cover for all those faults.

 

Demi-chan wa Kataritai (1). mild pulse.
This one seems to be about on the same level as Dragon Maid, just with a more played-out premise with less potential. And yet, they're putting more effort into making it work, so it balances out. This is exactly the kind of anime that has everything going against it, so I'm pleasantly surprised that they've managed to evoke some actual charm here. The animation of body language was nicely done, the voice acting wasn't too obnoxious, and while everything is a cliche, at least it's a pleasant watch. Not too much hyperactive stuff, not mistaking itself for a pure comedy, and leaving itself just enough room for some minimal character growth. With a real hook or some depth it might even be recommendable. As it stands, it's lucky the second episode is already out, or I might have forgotten about it come next week.

 

Demi-chan wa Kataritai (2). on the fence.
This was an improvement on the first episode, and makes it feel like a servicable pre-sleep type of show. You know the kind; no real conflict, just a gentle tone with enough warmth to calm you down a bit if you're willing to buy into it. That's not to say it isn't without its immersion-breaking or overly cliched aspects (the whole "date" especially), but they at least they use them to reasonable effect. It's not engaging or particularly clever material, but at least it fits the tone of the show, and as a bonus they know not to drag a joke out for too long. Add to that the visual storytelling, and I'm enjoying this one well enough to give it a chance. It's starting to feel a bit like Hanamaru Kindergarten in the good way (as odd as that statement might seem).

[Tr3vor]

10 hours ago, BashZeStampeedo said:

Demi-chan wa Kataritai (1). mild pulse.
This one seems to be about on the same level as Dragon Maid, just with a more played-out premise with less potential. And yet, they're putting more effort into making it work, so it balances out. This is exactly the kind of anime that has everything going against it, so I'm pleasantly surprised that they've managed to evoke some actual charm here. The animation of body language was nicely done, the voice acting wasn't too obnoxious, and while everything is a cliche, at least it's a pleasant watch. Not too much hyperactive stuff, not mistaking itself for a comedy, and leaving itself just enough room for some minimal character growth. With a real hook or some depth it might even be recommendable. As it stands, it's lucky the second episode is already out, or I might have forgotten about it come next week.

 

Demi-chan wa Kataritai (2). on the fence.
This was an improvement on the first episode, and makes it feel like a servicable pre-sleep type of show. You know the kind; no real conflict, just a gentle tone with enough warmth to calm you down a bit if you're willing to buy into it. That's not to say it isn't without its immersion-breaking or overly cliched aspects (the whole "date" especially), but they at least they use them to reasonable effect. It's not engaging or particularly clever material, but at least it fits the tone of the show, and as a bonus they know not to drag a joke out for too long. Add to that the visual storytelling, and I'm enjoying this one well enough to give it a chance. It's starting to feel a bit like Hanamaru Kindergarten in the good way (as odd as that statement might seem).

So far I kinda like it, I have a couple things that irk me about it. I like how they make an effort to explain how them monstar grills have to live their lives, rather than them just existing like everyone else.

 

Spoiler

the two things that annoy me:
1. "I've never seen a demi human in my entire.... HOLY FUCK THERE ARE 50 OF THEM"

2. the fact that the date thing even happened, even though it was amusing.

 

[BashZeStampeedo]

2 hours ago, Tr3vor said:

So far I kinda like it, I have a couple things that irk me about it. I like how they make an effort to explain how them monstar grills have to live their lives, rather than them just existing like everyone else.

 

  Hide contents

the two things that annoy me:
1. "I've never seen a demi human in my entire.... HOLY FUCK THERE ARE 50 OF THEM"

2. the fact that the date thing even happened, even though it was amusing.

 

It's decent enough for me to be willing to suspend the ol' disbelief somewhat, but yeah... it's a bit much at times. I mean,

Spoiler

"demis" are apparently rare (I mean, only three dullahans?), yet nobody bats an eye when they see an older guy carrying a teenage girl's head around? Suuuuuure.

I'm probably willing to give it a pass because it's at least trying to be sincerely charming, rather than that fake moe charming that we get most of the time.

[BashZeStampeedo]

Still not quite feeling the magic from Dragon Maid and Konosuba S2.

 

Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (2). typical.
They managed to get enough of this episode right to make it more or less work, but it was off in weird ways for such an established studio. I'm honestly feeling something I haven't felt for a while from KyoAni: a lack of confidence, especially with the editing and storyboarding. It's not that they aren't trying (even if they're watering things down), it's just that they're botching the basics. For instance, their efforts to make the storyboard more smooth from chapter to chapter would likely work quite well, if they didn't also clumsily and abruptly insert interstitial anime-only scenes that don't fit quite right (and so only throw off the pacing and tone). Worse, the editing doesn't always flow quite right, leading the eye astray in subtle ways at times. This is especially evident in this episode when Kanna and Tohru duke it out. The scene is visually chaotic in the bad way, with this gross shakycam effect that only further wrecks it. On top of that, the music (which I like, mind) blares throughout the episode like it's worried you won't understand how to feel. It's oddly amateurish stuff; the individual elements are fine for a watered-down adaptation of the manga, but they aren't pieced together quite right.

 

Konosuba S2 (2). annoying.
As usual there were some fine comedic ideas and touches here, but the writing quality of the show just couldn't carry it. They got off on the wrong foot by repeating a joke from last season for far too long, before spicing things up by introducing a new character: the most boring "rival" I've seen in a while. She was so dull that her most defining aspect is that her boobs bounce. The "rivalry" felt oddly unnatural at best, and simply wasn't very interesting or funny. On the other hand Kazuma and Megumi had their own sibling-like rivalry during the episode that recalled the best humor in the series for a moment, before they dragged it out for so long that even the dimmest bulb in the audience would be waiting for the obvious payoff to the skit. However, by my standards that's not enough to make an episode "annoying". No, even the lame boob-humor wasn't enough for that. It was the CONSTANT FUCKING SHOUTING. Kudos Konosuba, you gave me a headache more than you entertained me. Great jorb.

[Guest]

Someone told me that Gurren Lagann was worth watching. I couldn't get past the first 3 minutes. 

[MadOne627]

29 minutes ago, IAmLamp said:

Someone told me that Gurren Lagann was worth watching. I couldn't get past the first 3 minutes. 

I found it really funny. Have you watched much anime before? It intended to make fun of a whole bunch of shounen anime. What didn't you like about it?

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, MadOne627 said:

I found it really funny. Have you watched much anime before? It intended to make fun of a whole bunch of shounen anime. What didn't you like about it?

Ehhh.... not a lot really... I asked them if it was worth watching because I saw Kill la Kill and I heard that it gets involved in comparison to it a lot for some reason. 

 

I couldn't really pick up and get going with it like Kill la Kill was able to do. 

[MadOne627]

26 minutes ago, IAmLamp said:

Ehhh.... not a lot really... I asked them if it was worth watching because I saw Kill la Kill and I heard that it gets involved in comparison to it a lot for some reason. 

 

I couldn't really pick up and get going with it like Kill la Kill was able to do. 

Yeah its comedy is just like gurren and the animators are the same i thing. I really liked both but either is great what kind of anime do you like?

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, MadOne627 said:

Yeah its comedy is just like gurren and the animators are the same i thing. I really liked both but either is great what kind of anime do you like?

No idea. But what I really liked about Kill la Kill was that I hadn't seen such a bad ass female main character before. I really dig it as well. I didn't really like how things went down the line further in the episodes, but the 1st one really had me going. I can still appreciate what was done later on with it, but there are things I have complaints about for it. 

[Guest]

-removed

 

[Tr3vor]

22 hours ago, IAmLamp said:

Someone told me that Gurren Lagann was worth watching. I couldn't get past the first 3 minutes. 

 

I'd give a show more than 3 minutes before I'd drop it if I were you. You'll miss out on a lot of good stuff if you expect it to hook you in within 3 minutes.

 

btw, if you like male characters with a female coat of paint baddass female characters, gurren lagann does have one of those.

[Belgarionbg]

I have not watched this one

but may be I should.