Sarex Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 Just now, KP Cross Split Attack said: Pretty good but..... Yeah, it's something alright... "because they filled mommy with enough mythic power to become a demi-god" - KP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartimaeus Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 3 hours ago, Sarex said: Inside the mind of Anno. Step in if you dare. He also has reviews for each of the movies for those interested. Not too dissimilar to what some other oldheads have expressed, e.g. Hayao Miyazaki. The industry is in a bad place...but it's only in a bad place because of its audience and what they want and it being financially unwise to not cater to them. And financially exploitable subcultures being what they are, things are not likely to change anytime soon...which is good for my watchlist remaining thankfully short, but not so good for quality entertainment and ideas being told. "But wait a minute, what about the films themselves? Supporting the industry is great and all, but couldn't Anno have made good Evangelion films AND helped the industry?" My question exactly, Mr. Video Guy...my question exactly, . 1 1 1 Quote How I have existed fills me with horror. For I have failed in everything - spelling, arithmetic, riding, tennis, golf; dancing, singing, acting; wife, mistress, whore, friend. Even cooking. And I do not excuse myself with the usual escape of 'not trying'. I tried with all my heart. In my dreams, I am not crippled. In my dreams, I dance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InsaneCommander Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 (edited) Stardust Crusaders: Egypt 6-7, Mariah's Bastet This is definitely one of the funniest episodes of anything I ever watched in my life. Again, not really a fight, but every single moment was enjoyable. Spoiler Joseph and Avdol get magnetised and confused with perverts. Not sure if Avdol simply got too close to the enemy's Stando, but Joseph followed The Expanse's James Holden way of life: "I saw a button, I pressed it." I literally couldn’t stop laughing when they had the brilliant idea of separating their heads and Avdol's face ended up stuck between Joseph's legs while a crowd watched. My belly still hurts from laughing. Bonus points to Iggy, who got there and simply left, not caring at all that they were in trouble. Edited November 24, 2021 by InsaneCommander 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PK htiw klaw eriF Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 1 minute ago, InsaneCommander said: Stardust Crusaders: Egypt 6-7, Mariah's Bastet This is definitely one of the funniest episodes of anything I ever watched in my life. Again, not really a fight, but every single moment was enjoyable. Reveal hidden contents Joseph and Avdol get magnetised and confused with perverts. Not sure if Avdol simply got too close to the enemy's Stando, but Joseph followed The Expanse's James Holden way of life: "I saw a button, I pressed it." I literally couldn’t stop laughing when they had the brilliant idea of separating their heads and Avdol's face ended up stuck between Joseph's legs while a crowd watched. My belly still hurts from laughing. Bonus points to Izzy, who got there and simply left, not caring at all that they were in trouble. Iggy is perfect in this show lmao. Have fun with knockoff Waluigi and his shadow! 1 "Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman run the 21st century version of MK ULTRA." - majestic "you're a damned filthy lying robot and you deserve to die and burn in hell." - Bartimaeus "Without individual thinking you can't notice the plot holes." - InsaneCommander "Just feed off the suffering of gamers." - Malcador "You are calling my taste crap." -Hurlshort "thankfully it seems like the creators like Hungary less this time around." - Sarex "Don't forget the wakame, dumbass" -Keyrock "Are you trolling or just being inadvertently nonsensical?' -Pidesco "we have already been forced to admit you are at least human" - uuuhhii "I refuse to buy from non-woke businesses" - HoonDing "feral camels are now considered a pest" - Gorth "Melkathi is known to be an overly critical grumpy person" - Melkathi "Oddly enough Sanderson was a lot more direct despite being a Mormon" - Zoraptor "I found it greatly disturbing to scroll through my cartoon's halfing selection of genitalias." - Wormerine "I love cheese despite the pain and carnage." - ShadySands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InsaneCommander Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 1 minute ago, KP Cross Split Attack said: Iggy is perfect in this show lmao. Have fun with knockoff Waluigi and his shadow! Spoiler 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majestic Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/24/2021 at 12:59 AM, KP Cross Split Attack said: So first thing, I would only eat McDonald's if the alternative was something vile like Burger King or Subway. If I'm going to eat a fast food burger, it's going to be Whataburger. Yeah, well, our McDonald's stuff isn't as vile as yours, actually. It's quite okay, as far as fast food goes, and unlike other burger chains it's really ubiquitous, so forgive me for using it as an example. On 11/24/2021 at 12:59 AM, KP Cross Split Attack said: Now what this has to do with anime....well I think what makes both food and media work for me is feeling. Well, yes, indeed. In that case I would have to rate StrikerS really highly, but where would that leave me? See, I'm in a bind like a professional critic who wants to rate the stupid action film he just enjoyed a 8/10 but simply can't because there's a certain expectation that comes with being a professional critic, right? Unless you're like Roger Ebert was and already well above such lowly concerns. How can something be 8/10 if I can't make an essay out of it (long ass description posts don't count, do they)? There's a certain expectation to be met here, after all. No, but seriously, purely based on how much I enjoyed watching StrikerS, and that it made me go an extra mile each day just to be able to watch at least one episode a day in terms of time commitment (what with work being what it is), I'd have to rate it at least 8/10. 16 hours ago, Bartimaeus said: When I watch something like Violet Evergarden...or any of about ten other anime movies I gave anywhere between 2-5 minutes to before being like "oh, it's one of THOSE"...I usually stop watching because the show/movie is practically screaming at me how I should feel about it right off the bat, without even barely introducing me to the setting, plot, or characters. Slow and soft piano music, the most pathetic-looking characters, monologues that go on and on to try to explain their whole sorry existence, meandering and wistful scenes that aren't really about anything or don't go anywhere that are simply there to help "set the mood" as it were... For me, sadness, drama, or really any attempts at eliciting genuine feelings from the viewer are something that have to be earned, and that's usually done best when properly contrasting them. Funny how different perceptions can be, because I would argue that Violet Evergarden asks and does no such thing. Episode one Violet is Violet as she is, in terms of mood, behavior and any other number of elements. Yes, she begins her journey in a hospital trying to write a report and failing due to her circumstances, and there might be any number of people who immediately feel sad for her (I did not), but she never is sad about it herself. She isn't even likeable, or relatable (unless one's a bit like me, but I hope nobody else is ). It's not until the very end of episode seven that the anime actually asks the viewer to care about what happens to her, and the narrative perspective switches to her for a while. I can see your reasoning there, to be honest, it just wasn't my experience at all - and there we're circling back to me being me again because yes, I have watched a couple of reaction videos on YouTube, and they overwhelmingly do just that - think they're supposed to feel sad for Violet and then do that. Most of it feels fake though, but what do I know. That said I didn't particularily like the first two episodes, and would have preferred if the anime started the way the the light novel does, with Violet writing the letters for the princess (episode five), however I guess having even more flashbacks to explain what came before would have been a narrative issue. The flashbacks keep repeating as if I wasn't capable of retaining what happened in them without repetion, in an anime that's 13 episodes long. *shrug* 17 hours ago, Bartimaeus said: Occasionally, someone in particular may strike a chord in us and we'll form an instant connection with them, but besides that, tragedy that happens to other characters that the viewer is not really supposed to care about to begin with because they're not our characters...well, yeah, obviously, that's a pretty different kind of tragedy, more conceptual in nature than personal, from a film telling me with every single ounce of its being that I need to be sad for a character I was just introduced to seconds ago, isn't it? I'm picking this out in particular to keep the post a bit more concise, but I did indeed mean the conceptual tragedy of everything in Miyu, and that includes her right off the bat (get it, right off the bat, because she's a vampire... would be funnier if she wasn't a Japanese vampire). For me, due to... well, everything, I guess, conceptual tragedy and the resulting melancholic mood is so pervasive in Miyu that it just suffuses everything to a point of drowning it out, even when there are more lighthearted moments. Don't get me wrong, that is a huge part of Miyu's appeal for me (I loved Outer Limits, after all), but it's also where my wish comes from that the show just picked up on it and spent more time doing something with Miyu instead of having an almost as neurotic victim of the week setup as Sailor Moon did. That might sound a bit silly now, but that was a pretty helpful explanation. Not a spoiler: Spoiler When I think about it, that's similar to the way I experience humor. I get the best laughs out of absurdity, like Dropkick on my Devil!, or out of things that are conceptually funny. One of my favorite jokes is "A sphere rolls around the corner and falls over!" which isn't really funny unless you're like me and immediately imagine the impossibility of a sphere falling over. It never fails to make me laugh. As such, conceptual tragedies weigh much more - they're also much more easily relatable. That's why most comedies don't work for me, and why I prefer the later How I Met Your Mother seasons, because... they're cleverly written and directed, at that counts for more than the actual jokes that don't really land anyway. That might sound like a horrible thing to say, but it's like when I'm at funerals. The actual person dying isn't what affects me, it's seeing others I care about being affected. Helpful game analogy: When the Exile in KOTOR2 explains how they now feel the force, it's a bit like that. It's distant, coming in from the outside. As such I actually meant what I said. Helpful explanation. I can intellectually of course understand the idea, but I'd by lying if I said I can relate, but I imagine the opposite is true as well. 17 hours ago, Bartimaeus said: I almost added on to my previous post that I'd be willing to watch a few, but then I remembered that I got like halfway through an episode of both Clannad and Steins;Gate before I wanted to rip my hair out in annoyance, frustration, and just general dissatisfaction with everything, and suddenly that seemed like a pretty tall order... Like I said, not at the expense of getting to the second Sakura movie, or K-On!, or even Princess Tutu, and certainly not just for my personal curiosity. If you're ever really bored though... Also need to point out that you decided to try Steins;Gate over my objections, I wash my hands of that! 17 hours ago, Bartimaeus said: Glad things will hopefully get a little back to normal for you in regards to work schedule and personal time. So am I, I'm already sacrificing sleep to write this post. I'm pretty tired and it's 2 am. On a "brighter" note, with us being back in lockdown, I'll just do the good old working from home thing again. I don't have a long commute, but it makes it easier regardless. 17 hours ago, Bartimaeus said: Even this still sounds horrifically complicated to just learning another Latin language. I took some French way back and remember literally almost nothing of it now (probably because I wasn't really trying to learn it at the time, same story as is usual for me with most "forced" education, unfortunately - I tend to learn things for just long enough for them to serve their purpose and then they vacate the premises that is my brain immediately after, and I never had that good of a grasp of it to begin with anyways), and that seems just terrible in comparison. I already only just barely understand English as it is... I thought so too, but with Hiragana being a syllabary it's actually pretty easy. I had two reasons for starting, actually. First is that I've been watching an entertaining series of YouTube videos on Japanese grammar (I like grammar, as an avid reader of this thread might have noticed , so yes, that is entertainment for me), and pretty much everything has some manner of syllable changes so it's really helpful to understand how Japanese syllables work, and secondly simply to see how long it would take. I set the app to schedule 30 minutes a day (doesn't go higher), and that gives me a weekly goal of attaining 420 stars (so one "star" per 2 minutes that the lessons are supposed to take). I'm currently at 470 stars out of 420 for the week that started Saturday evening, and not all of that time was spent on learning Hiragana. The answer apparently is less than four hours, unless the tracking is wrong. It's not like it's already second nature, but reading words works pretty well by now. So, yeah, why bother? Because I can. People climb on mountains because they're there too, after all. *shrug* (forum ate my post, ctrl+c to the rescue) 1 1 No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PK htiw klaw eriF Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 5 minutes ago, majestic said: Yeah, well, our McDonald's stuff isn't as vile as yours, actually. It's quite okay, as far as fast food goes, and unlike other burger chains it's really ubiquitous, so forgive me for using it as an example. You're forgiven. McDonald's here is ok, it's not as bad as the worst chains but it's mediocre enough that you can find better stuff without much effort. You also can't throw a rock without hitting one here. 10 minutes ago, majestic said: Well, yes, indeed. In that case I would have to rate StrikerS really highly, but where would that leave me? See, I'm in a bind like a professional critic who wants to rate the stupid action film he just enjoyed a 8/10 but simply can't because there's a certain expectation that comes with being a professional critic, right? Unless you're like Roger Ebert was and already well above such lowly concerns I think Ebert was right. If StrikerS is the best cheesecake shonen can be, rate it as a 10/10. 19 minutes ago, majestic said: How can something be 8/10 if I can't make an essay out of it (long ass description posts don't count, do they)? 1 "Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman run the 21st century version of MK ULTRA." - majestic "you're a damned filthy lying robot and you deserve to die and burn in hell." - Bartimaeus "Without individual thinking you can't notice the plot holes." - InsaneCommander "Just feed off the suffering of gamers." - Malcador "You are calling my taste crap." -Hurlshort "thankfully it seems like the creators like Hungary less this time around." - Sarex "Don't forget the wakame, dumbass" -Keyrock "Are you trolling or just being inadvertently nonsensical?' -Pidesco "we have already been forced to admit you are at least human" - uuuhhii "I refuse to buy from non-woke businesses" - HoonDing "feral camels are now considered a pest" - Gorth "Melkathi is known to be an overly critical grumpy person" - Melkathi "Oddly enough Sanderson was a lot more direct despite being a Mormon" - Zoraptor "I found it greatly disturbing to scroll through my cartoon's halfing selection of genitalias." - Wormerine "I love cheese despite the pain and carnage." - ShadySands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majestic Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 Side post/addendum to my post: Spoiler It's not like I'm completely incapable of forming deep personal bonds to people or characters (in entertianment, Sailor Moon did that the best, so far, earlier in my life with Ami and in the rewatch with Makoto). It just doesn't happen very often. My immediate family, friends and my wife are obviously also people I really love. It also really regularily happens with people who have some sort of tragic background, but we've talked about that before. It pretty much always works like that, I find someone interesting enough to start talking to them and then manage to form an actual attachment, in 99% of the cases it's a victim of abuse of some sort, someone coming from a broken home or someone broken in some other manner. Sounds like a contradiction, but it kind of isn't. I guess I'm drawn to extremes because it's taking extremes to break through. Whether that shell is a defensive mechanism or something that's just different from other people beats me. It's probably a bit of both, but I suspect it was borne out of the latter preceeding the need for the former. Some things will never come naturally to me, for instance I need to spend active thought and effort on keeping in touch with my friends. It's not that I don't want to talk to them, it's just all the same to me if I don't, as long as I know they're around. It looks like I'm not appreciating them, but that's not the case. 1 1 No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majestic Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 Dropkick on my Devil: Continues to be amazingly silly in its fourth wall breaking. Jashin drinks a level up potion that she got from Satan and grows actual legs. She moves back and forth a little and Yurine is always standing just so you don't see her nude body, and says: Jashin, you're making this hard for the animator. Put some clothes on. 1 No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoonDing Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 The ending of the words is ALMSIVI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majestic Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 This episode of Komi can’t communicate is fantastic. I have no idea what’s going on because I’m paying attention to all the text on screen and frequently pause to look up words. @Sarexwas right when he said all the text improves the show a lot but I doubt that is what he meant. :P 古見さん’s panicky face keeps being the best thing about the actual show… Although this episode made her insane friends look slightly less deranged. 1 1 No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PK htiw klaw eriF Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 Komi can't Communicate 4 or 5 I think. Probably one of the best ones, the cat ears get deployed quite a bit. Dog girl and the stalker are more bearable. JoJo Stardust Crusaders 19 and 20 Mannish Boy's Death 13. One of the creepiest stands to date. Lali-ho! The one complaint I have is how they disbelieved Kakyoin. By this point you guys have seen some weird **** but a stando baby is what you guys can't believe? 3 "Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman run the 21st century version of MK ULTRA." - majestic "you're a damned filthy lying robot and you deserve to die and burn in hell." - Bartimaeus "Without individual thinking you can't notice the plot holes." - InsaneCommander "Just feed off the suffering of gamers." - Malcador "You are calling my taste crap." -Hurlshort "thankfully it seems like the creators like Hungary less this time around." - Sarex "Don't forget the wakame, dumbass" -Keyrock "Are you trolling or just being inadvertently nonsensical?' -Pidesco "we have already been forced to admit you are at least human" - uuuhhii "I refuse to buy from non-woke businesses" - HoonDing "feral camels are now considered a pest" - Gorth "Melkathi is known to be an overly critical grumpy person" - Melkathi "Oddly enough Sanderson was a lot more direct despite being a Mormon" - Zoraptor "I found it greatly disturbing to scroll through my cartoon's halfing selection of genitalias." - Wormerine "I love cheese despite the pain and carnage." - ShadySands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majestic Posted November 26, 2021 Author Share Posted November 26, 2021 2 hours ago, KP Cross Split Attack said: Komi can't Communicate 4 or 5 I think. Probably one of the best ones, the cat ears get deployed quite a bit. Dog girl and the stalker are more bearable. I actually really liked them going shopping. Komi and Tadano having one of their "talks" is almost always a nice moment. It's just everything else that's... doubleplusungood. 1 No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PK htiw klaw eriF Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 51 minutes ago, majestic said: I actually really liked them going shopping. Komi and Tadano having one of their "talks" is almost always a nice moment. It's just everything else that's... doubleplusungood. Yeah, to me it seems like that outside of Tadano and Komi (and to a lesser degree Najimi) the other characters are mostly one note. Stardust Crusaders 21 and 22 Cameo's Judgement. Hail 2 U! Yes I Am! Hell 2 U! What a ride. As for the twist... Spoiler I read that Araki intended to replace Avdol with Hol Horse but decided against it because Hol Horse is just evil PORANEREFFU. I can believe that. 1 "Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman run the 21st century version of MK ULTRA." - majestic "you're a damned filthy lying robot and you deserve to die and burn in hell." - Bartimaeus "Without individual thinking you can't notice the plot holes." - InsaneCommander "Just feed off the suffering of gamers." - Malcador "You are calling my taste crap." -Hurlshort "thankfully it seems like the creators like Hungary less this time around." - Sarex "Don't forget the wakame, dumbass" -Keyrock "Are you trolling or just being inadvertently nonsensical?' -Pidesco "we have already been forced to admit you are at least human" - uuuhhii "I refuse to buy from non-woke businesses" - HoonDing "feral camels are now considered a pest" - Gorth "Melkathi is known to be an overly critical grumpy person" - Melkathi "Oddly enough Sanderson was a lot more direct despite being a Mormon" - Zoraptor "I found it greatly disturbing to scroll through my cartoon's halfing selection of genitalias." - Wormerine "I love cheese despite the pain and carnage." - ShadySands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarex Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 The side characters do start out one dimensional, but as time moves on they do get some character growth, especially later on. 1 "because they filled mommy with enough mythic power to become a demi-god" - KP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PK htiw klaw eriF Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Samurai Champloo 22: The Mushroom episode. Probably the 2nd weakest in the series, only the clip show ranks lower for me. I thought it was ok, but I can see how a lot of people may not like it. 18 hours ago, Sarex said: The side characters do start out one dimensional, but as time moves on they do get some character growth, especially later on. Right now it's an issue with pacing, other than Najimi no other character besides Komi and Tadano have been allowed to hit more than one note. And the dog girl really annoys me for some reason, more than the yandere stalker. 1 "Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman run the 21st century version of MK ULTRA." - majestic "you're a damned filthy lying robot and you deserve to die and burn in hell." - Bartimaeus "Without individual thinking you can't notice the plot holes." - InsaneCommander "Just feed off the suffering of gamers." - Malcador "You are calling my taste crap." -Hurlshort "thankfully it seems like the creators like Hungary less this time around." - Sarex "Don't forget the wakame, dumbass" -Keyrock "Are you trolling or just being inadvertently nonsensical?' -Pidesco "we have already been forced to admit you are at least human" - uuuhhii "I refuse to buy from non-woke businesses" - HoonDing "feral camels are now considered a pest" - Gorth "Melkathi is known to be an overly critical grumpy person" - Melkathi "Oddly enough Sanderson was a lot more direct despite being a Mormon" - Zoraptor "I found it greatly disturbing to scroll through my cartoon's halfing selection of genitalias." - Wormerine "I love cheese despite the pain and carnage." - ShadySands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorth Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Not going to sit around holding my breath for Mieruko-chan 9 to get released (I did get episode 8 btw). Summary so far... One day, Miko can suddenly see ghosts. A few at first, then more and more and by now, they're seemingly everywhere in her life. Including under her blanket in bed and in the bathroom when taking a bath. No explanation has been given so far why it suddenly started happening. A clue or a red herring could be a seemingly unimportant talisman, that she had acquired at the start of episode 1 (entirely as a decorative thing). She accidentally loses it when heading home from school and decides to go back to school after hours to look for it. Finds it under a cupboard, retrieves it and heads home. On the way home, scary things starts entering her life. She has a best friend Hana, the proverbial side kick, who loves food and everything she eats seems to just expand her boob size (the subject of the odd joke, Miko wishes hers would do the same). Very naive, but also frustratingly kind and good natured. She is the kind of girl that will venture into a dark, foreboding alley to save a lost puppy for a random stranger. At some point, Miko is able to see "auras" (for lack of a better description) and Hana's is a golden glow, which not just makes the sinister ghosts look like the get repelled from her, yet also makes her an object of attraction to them. Miko tries to find help, first she gets from prayer beads (which explodes on her wrists when the really big and nasty ghosts show up), then solicits the help of a fortune teller, "The Godmother", who first dismisses Miko (kids have no money), then witnesses the destruction of her prayer beads first hand. Getting her most powerful bands (looks like genuine, powerful and magical artifacts), giving them to Miko free of charge, she sees them destroyed with ease too. The day after, The Godmother is nowhere to be found, having left the city. Next stop in trying to get help, is a shrine. Miko prays for help and actually gets it. A very powerful, glowing being and some kind of shrine guardians appear and tears apart the biggest nasty, which had been dogging their steps for a while. Uttering a very menacing "Three Times" without elaborating. Enter stage left, the third protagonist, Yulia. She has been able to see the smallest and most harmless of the ghosts since early childhood. The little manlings as she calls them. Her special ability makes her consider herself a great spiritualist. Yulia realizes Miko can see ghosts too and suddenly feels her position threatened. The ambushes Miko in a warehouse, tricks her into an old underground tunnel and through a comedy of errors, the large and presumably dangerous ghosts, which Miko can see and Yulia can't, destroys the little ghosts, making Yulia believe Miko is a very powerful spiritualist. At the end of episode 7, she probably thinks Miko is some dark lord with world domination as her ambition... Despite being scary, not all of the ghosts seems to be "out to get her". One particular heartwarming episode has Miko help a little old lady home, because she was lost. Along the way, a ghost starts following. The old lady seems senile and can't remember anything. At her home, they get greeted by the old ladys daughter and invited in. The old lady has a number of memorability from her marriage to her dead husband in a safe, but can't open it. All the while, the male ghost has repeated four digits over and over. Miko types the four digits on the old ladys smart phone and tells her to "try this". The code works and opens up the safe. The old lady is shocked out of memory loss and returns to what I guess passes for normal for little old ladies. The ghost thanks Miko, but true to form by now, she ignores it and hurries home. The last episode (8), has Miko bond with her brother, looking for a gift for her mothers birthday. Of course, nothing is easy. She does end up with a gift though, a pair of mugs for couples. Her mother uses one and the other gets places at her fathers memorial shrine. Which also explains why Miko never talked to her father when he and her mother were around. He's been dead for a while. That's of course skipping a LOT of details and small story arcs, but I'm too lazy and reviews/summaries were never really my forte. Now I'm off to start on something completely not serious, unapologetic fun by the looks of it. Well, I hope so. I just want to park my brain at the entrance while watching Those who hunt elves... “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartimaeus Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 (edited) On 11/24/2021 at 7:42 PM, majestic said: That said I didn't particularily like the first two episodes, and would have preferred if the anime started the way the the light novel does, with Violet writing the letters for the princess (episode five), however I guess having even more flashbacks to explain what came before would have been a narrative issue. The flashbacks keep repeating as if I wasn't capable of retaining what happened in them without repetion, in an anime that's 13 episodes long. *shrug* Yeah, that sounds like it would have been a better way to start off the series: doing something normal instead of getting smashed with character exposition, . Quote Also need to point out that you decided to try Steins;Gate over my objections, I wash my hands of that! Yeah, that one was more InsaneCommander's fault, IIRC, since he said "I'm going to post spoilery gifs until you watch it!", so I just figured screw it, just on the off-hand chance I even sort of like it, I guess I should try one episode to get it over with. Samurai Champloo, episode 17. Not sure why Fuu screamed so incredibly loudly at a barely seen shadow, given everything else she's seen by this point. What did she think she saw that would warrant that? Otherwise, pretty good episode (although the way the Okuru scene ended was a little...much). Episode 18. "Being able to read one [Japanese letter] is more than enough." @majestic would beg to differ, I think. As would the teacher beating the crap out of Mugen every time he reads something wrong. That's one way to motivate someone to learn Japanese. Episode 19. This guy feels like he came out of JoJo's. Spoiler OH MY GOD! Also, big surprise, my theory was correct. Edited November 27, 2021 by Bartimaeus 1 Quote How I have existed fills me with horror. For I have failed in everything - spelling, arithmetic, riding, tennis, golf; dancing, singing, acting; wife, mistress, whore, friend. Even cooking. And I do not excuse myself with the usual escape of 'not trying'. I tried with all my heart. In my dreams, I am not crippled. In my dreams, I dance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majestic Posted November 27, 2021 Author Share Posted November 27, 2021 3 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said: Yeah, that sounds like it would have been a better way to start off the series: doing something normal instead of getting smashed with character exposition, . Maybe. I was reminded a bit of this thread and this particular talk when I watched the first episode of Midnight Mass, because Prisoner Riley also doesn't exactly start at a good place, does he? 4 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said: Yeah, that one was more InsaneCommander's fault, IIRC, since he said "I'm going to post spoilery gifs until you watch it!", so I just figured screw it, just on the off-hand chance I even sort of like it, I guess I should try one episode to get it over with. The really sad part is that when it's good, Steins;Gate is really good. It's just not, most of the time, and some of the time it's unbearably terrible, and you didn't even get to the really bad parts. The anime has a weird tonal problem where every character is a walking anime stereotype, but it never does anything wortwhile with it. It's not over the top enough to be actual satire, it's not funny enough to be a parody and when it's serious - which it often is - then the characters' quirks and adherance to the worst sort of anime tropes is in the way of truly enjoying it. It only breaks through the problems with the setup every now and then, and that as a whole isn't really enough. 8 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said: Episode 18. "Being able to read one [Japanese letter] is more than enough." @majestic would beg to differ, I think. As would the teacher beating the crap out of Mugen every time he reads something wrong. That's one way to motivate someone to learn Japanese. Speaking of letters, now that Hiragana is done and over with, it's time to learn the other syllabary (mostly used for loan words): カタカナ (katakana). I wonder what sort of drug they were on when they decided on which symbol represents which sound. Perhaps it makes sense to Japanese natives, but from this がいじん's perspective, uhm... nope. 1 No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartimaeus Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, majestic said: Maybe. I was reminded a bit of this thread and this particular talk when I watched the first episode of Midnight Mass, because Prisoner Riley also doesn't exactly start at a good place, does he? It was especially poignant for me, given my family history of alcohol abuse and consequent hatred of irresponsible users of alcohol. It's kind of an inverted situation, though, because by deliberately starting out that way, you're supposed to at least gain an initial distaste for that main character right off the bat.... Spoiler THE POWER OF FRAMING COMPELS YOU! 8 minutes ago, majestic said: The really sad part is that when it's good, Steins;Gate is really good. It's just not, most of the time, and some of the time it's unbearably terrible, and you didn't even get to the really bad parts. The anime has a weird tonal problem where every character is a walking anime stereotype, but it never does anything wortwhile with it. It's not over the top enough to be actual satire, it's not funny enough to be a parody and when it's serious - which it often is - then the characters' quirks and adherance to the worst sort of anime tropes is in the way of truly enjoying it. It only breaks through the problems with the setup every now and then, and that as a whole isn't really enough. And I didn't even get to the bad parts, you say...truly, I was spared a terrible fate. 10 minutes ago, majestic said: Speaking of letters, now that Hiragana is done and over with, it's time to learn the other syllabary (mostly used for loan words): カタカナ (katakana). I wonder what sort of drug they were on when they decided on which symbol represents which sound. Perhaps it makes sense to Japanese natives, but from this がいじん's perspective, uhm... nope. Wikipedia tells me that's a "mere" 46 characters... Good luck! 1 Quote How I have existed fills me with horror. For I have failed in everything - spelling, arithmetic, riding, tennis, golf; dancing, singing, acting; wife, mistress, whore, friend. Even cooking. And I do not excuse myself with the usual escape of 'not trying'. I tried with all my heart. In my dreams, I am not crippled. In my dreams, I dance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majestic Posted November 27, 2021 Author Share Posted November 27, 2021 13 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said: It was especially poignant for me, given my family history of alcohol abuse and consequent hatred of irresponsible users of alcohol. It's kind of an inverted situation, though, because by deliberately starting out that way, you're supposed to at least gain an initial distaste for that main character right off the bat.... Reveal hidden contents THE POWER OF FRAMING COMPELS YOU! That just made me laugh really hard because I JUST posted about The Exorcist in the TV thread. And yeah, I get that (also regarding your family history, of course). Especially DUIs, what's wrong with people, they can't drive properly even when sober, and with even further impaired judgement? Ugh. 19 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said: And I didn't even get to the bad parts, you say...truly, I was spared a terrible fate. Okarin sexually assaulting Ruka (whom you didn't even get to meet, I think), Mayuri doing someting similar, Daru the walking hentai moron who wants Kurisu and Mayuri to randomly start having hot lesbian sex to watch, Feris who is the worst maid café nyan character in the history of ever, all the times everyone makes fun of Kurisu for being a tsundere, the way Okarin treats Kurisu and Mayuri (and both take it for no real reason, Kurisu at least complains about it in tsundere fashion but still sticks around). Oh, right, and Moeka, the woman who only talks through writing text messages even when people are standing right in front of her. It's a baffling cornucopia of terrible until it randomly decides to be good. You know, it's exactly how Love Live! is, and what a coincidence, both were written by the same writer... 24 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said: Wikipedia tells me that's a "mere" 46 characters... Good luck! Hiragan has 46 characters too. Functionally the two syllabaries are the same. The problem is that now you have two different characters for exactly the same sounds to memorize. I'm already halfway through the 46 characters, so that's not really an issue of being able to memorize them. It's a little tiresome, is all. 1 1 No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartimaeus Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 10 minutes ago, majestic said: That just made me laugh really hard because I JUST posted about The Exorcist in the TV thread. Yeah, that was pretty wack reading that right after I wrote it. 16 minutes ago, majestic said: Okarin sexually assaulting Ruka (whom you didn't even get to meet, I think), Mayuri doing someting similar, Daru the walking hentai moron who wants Kurisu and Mayuri to randomly start having hot lesbian sex to watch, Feris who is the worst maid café nyan character in the history of ever, all the times everyone makes fun of Kurisu for being a tsundere, the way Okarin treats Kurisu and Mayuri (and both take it for no real reason, Kurisu at least complains about it in tsundere fashion but still sticks around). Oh, right, and Moeka, the woman who only talks through writing text messages even when people are standing right in front of her. It's a baffling cornucopia of terrible until it randomly decides to be good. You know, it's exactly how Love Live! is, and what a coincidence, both were written by the same writer... Lmao, who in their right mind would ever think I would've tolerated that? ...Not you, as it turns out. 23 minutes ago, majestic said: Hiragan has 46 characters too. Functionally the two syllabaries are the same. The problem is that now you have two different characters for exactly the same sounds to memorize. I'm already halfway through the 46 characters, so that's not really an issue of being able to memorize them. It's a little tiresome, is all. Yeah, I'm definitely not ever learning Japanese. Not that I would ever have a reason to... 1 Quote How I have existed fills me with horror. For I have failed in everything - spelling, arithmetic, riding, tennis, golf; dancing, singing, acting; wife, mistress, whore, friend. Even cooking. And I do not excuse myself with the usual escape of 'not trying'. I tried with all my heart. In my dreams, I am not crippled. In my dreams, I dance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majestic Posted November 27, 2021 Author Share Posted November 27, 2021 20 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said: Yeah, I'm definitely not ever learning Japanese. Not that I would ever have a reason to... Not going to lie, not really looking forward to learning kanji. That might prove to be something that kills the fun, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majestic Posted November 27, 2021 Author Share Posted November 27, 2021 Loan words in Japanese are a riot. Anyone up for guessing what a クイズ (kuizu) is? Helpful hint: It's an English word. Spoiler I stared at the katakana for like five minutes before I got it. Spoiler It's quiz. Obviously. 1 No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InsaneCommander Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Stardust Crusaders Egypt 8-9: Set We find out what happened with those who were not involved in the previous “battle”. Spoiler Baby Porunareff takes a bath and the enemy finds out that even an infant JoJo can kick his ass. Stardust Crusaders Egypt 10-11: Obie Barbie D’Arby. Another unique episode. Spoiler Jotaru wins like a boss. And without cheating! Stardust Crusaders Egypt 12-13: SPOILER and SPOILER come back Spoiler Dio humiliates Hol Horse without even meaning to do it. Can’t Joseph draw a map in the sand like in previous episodes and find the mansion in an instant??? Stando Manga knocks out all four heroes at once, but fails when making a prediction that is just one of the possible futures. @KP Cross Split Attack some of your comments for previous episodes are still relevant: after all they saw, they should be way more paranoid and always assume someone is attacking one of them. Also: Spoiler Iggy gets another one when Oingo decides to regenerate, but accidentaly hits the dog with a box. Who is laughing now? Stardust Crusaders Egypt 14-15 Peto Shop Spoiler Stando Falcon! More dogs get killed! And maimed! Iggy fights for his life! They finally reached their destination. This has been another great arc so far and the confrontations are getting more and more creative. Lets see what awaits them inside the mansion... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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