Anime and Manga - I won’t allow your bones to stay on this planet. I will banish your evil soul.

[Sarex]

15 minutes ago, InsaneCommander said:

Overlord 4.8

 

They skipped two novels and mixed the name of some nations in the subtitles. If I was not aware of the skip and of the location of these novels (that will be adapted later as a movie) I would now think that the one nation that hates the Sorcerer Kingdom is now their ally. What a mess.

Phillip, the dumbest man alive, is back. He decides to rob the Sorcerer Kingdom’s food supplies that are being sent to the Holy Kingdom. That was so stupid that the floor guardians can’t believe it and assume it is actually part of some master plan by an unknown genius enemy. However, with a mere suggestion from Ainz, they change their mind and start deciding how to punish the Re-Estize Kingdom. As usual, they get carried away and want to do something exaggerated, probably involving lots of death.

Funny that the Re-Estize Kingdom was actually very friendly towards the Sorcerer Kindgom (despite losing tens of thousands of soldiers and part of its territory) and the prince had even considered submitting themselves as a vassal state just like the Empire, except that he was afraid that would cause a rebellion.

In the end, Albedo goes visit the King and he asks if his head is enough to compensate for what happened. Nice try, however there are some ladies in the room with different ideas...

There is a reason most people dropped it.

[InsaneCommander]

5 minutes ago, Sarex said:

There is a reason most people dropped it.

This season seems the worst so far for me. Plenty of episodes with not much actually happening.

[majestic]

8 hours ago, majestic said:

I tried making a screenshot of the scene, but that doesn't work on the computer here for some reason (currently not at home). Ah, well, maybe that's for the better. 

So, this is the scene I meant:

Dunno, somehow that just cracked me up. Happens after Mireille asks her if she has brought any swim wear at all. Though, really, who brings a bikini to a hit job? In an ideal world, the two will eventually rub off on each other. Mireille could do with a bit more serious, and Kirika with a little less serious, after all. 

6 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

Okay, now we're talking. I guess I'll have to check it out sometime soon...er.

I have no idea where the story is going, it might turn out to be Alias or Dan Brown level pants after an interesting beginning. I also just watched the fifth episode, and it has an actiony scene near a cathedral that reminded me a whole lot of a certain Cowboy Bebop episode. Cowboy Bebop had better art and animation though, but the style wasn't dissimilar. There's something morbid but 'fun' to see Mireille and Kirika bond over the whirlwind of death they bring (or that follows) wherever they go, particularily in episode five.

Spoiler

In this episode, Mireille asks a friend to help with their investigation, which promptly gets him and his entire family killed. Mireille isn't too happy and for the better part of the episode carries resentment towards Kirika, after all, her friends would still be alive if she never ran into her. The girls do find a lead that hints at a secret society being behind the attacks on Kirika, which is why I said it could turn into Dan Brown level of pants, but so far the story is just there to serve as a background.

Might just be another assassin group though, but this episode went really hard for the Dan Brown Angels & Demons look. First, Mireille goes hunting for clues. Alone, because she just can't stand being around Kirika after she gets up from bed (Mireille was staring at the pocket watch in this scene, it is next to the plant):

She's not too happy to see her at the moment...

Then they go to a cathedral where Mireille's friend hid the clue:

Looking for clues among the dead.

"If you kill me, you will never learn our secrets!" might work on someone else, but Mireille just doesn't care enough. Particularily not when you killed her friends.

The scene changes the dynamic of their interactions, and Mireille relents after impulsively throwing their investigation off track. Back home, they share this moment after Kirika finds Mereille staring at her pocket watch again:

Hey modern anime artists, if you draw your scenes well enough, you don't really need any dialogue. But please, add some filter to clear this up and make it look more digital please!

Honestly, well, the difference between the two similar first and last screenshots (Kirika is watering the plant in both) is visually striking and works without a whole lot of dialogue. See, there's clearly some artistry that went into this show, regardless of how it might turn out.

So far, so fine. It's not The Vision of Escaflowne level entertaining, but it sure is better than Strike Witches. Just hope this doesn't Dan Brown out eventually. I kind of expect it to, truth be told.

Eh, also, Amazon's video streams keep being bad, particularily the blacks.

Edited August 26, 2022 by majestic

[Bartimaeus]

Lupin the Third the First (2019).

It's more or less a solid but unspectacular Disney movie mixed with a little bit of Indiana Jones, skewing slightly older in terms of tone (maybe around ages 10-13 with more violence and some fairly slight innuendo), but otherwise for setup, structure, and characters, I'd say that's right. I guess that's about what you could hope for out of a modern and fully 3D Lupin film. The 3D style is...pretty much Disney's 3D style but less blobby for character designs, which looks fine (certainly better than some of the 3D anime monstrosities I've seen in this thread), although the main character (Laetitia, girl in the bottom right in the poster) has a pretty strong case of Frozen face, as her resemblance to Anna from Frozen is just a bit too striking...though it's not super obvious from here, it starts to become so once you see her in motion.

So aren't Lupin and Jingen supposed to be partners in crime? Didn't really feel like it, as the only time he appeared was for a few random save-Lupin's-butt moments and the very end sequence (which he wasn't really a part of anyways)...and Goemon (the samurai guy) probably shouldn't have been in the movie at all as he did and said almost nothing, while Fujiko (lady in green) did more as the seductive secret agent type that's usually out-smarting everyone else, yet she still didn't really feel she had much of a reason to stick around for the entire length of the film either. Maybe that's the result of the movie following a long-running series and them just not caring that some characters won't necessarily feel very important for every story, though.

[uuuhhii]

aquarion evol

first episode are still funny 10 years later

this show have some ridiculous insane tengen gurren level nonsense in it

one of the few enjoyable mecha show because the whole setting run on nonsense anime logic

sadly 2015 sequel may have killed the whole franchise

still remember the joke at the time was that this show accomplished the impossible by having ogura yui singing actually sounds good

Edited August 28, 2022 by uuuhhii

[Amentep]

I think Goemon, Jingen, Fujiko and Zenagata wax and wane in terms of how much they're used. 

Since this movie ties heavily into Lupin's family, I didn't have a problem with how the side characters are used.

[Bartimaeus]

54 minutes ago, Amentep said:

I think Goemon, Jingen, Fujiko and Zenagata wax and wane in terms of how much they're used. 

Since this movie ties heavily into Lupin's family, I didn't have a problem with how the side characters are used.

I would say "heavily" is a tad generous...Lupin's grandfather being a partner to Bresson was very underdeveloped next to how much time was spent on Laetitia and her family, and it seemed to really be more of a basic setup device so that he had some kind of personal reason to be involved at all. But yes, it is ultimately Laetitia's and to a lesser degree Lupin's story, so it makes sense not too much time is spent on them given that it's a long-running series where I lack the particular context of the character dynamics due to not following the series (though I did remember Zenigata from The Castle of Cagliostro).

I think the biggest issue with this film is that the film really leaned into the fairly bog-standard Disney plot and emotional core of Laetitia just a bit too much - I felt like I had figured out the film and where it was going with her the moment I realized her "grandfather" was the same guy that stole the medallion from the intro, which kind of took the wind out of its sails. Not to mention the very generic angry nazi as the nominal villain combined with the doomsday device...it all felt pretty standard even if competently executed. I think I complained about "the girl" being both the objective and prize in The Castle of Cagliostro, but that seemed like it fit this kind of series better...even if I thought "the girl" was just too weak of a character for it to quite click like it should've. Eh, again, 2019 3D animated Lupin film: it was fine and better than expected.

[Amentep]

Speed Racer Challenge of the Masked Racer pt. 2

I have very dim memories of Speed Racer as a kid, and watching this episode, where Speed puts on Racer X's mask and get knocked out triggered my memory of watching the show.  Fun episode, lots of funny reactions, particularly as Chim-Chim tries to find Trixie to help Speed and Spritle.

[InsaneCommander]

Overlord 4.9

The Sorcerer Kingdom declares war on Re-Estize and Albedo delivers a message from Ainz: “I do not intend to cast any large spells this time. Let’s enjoy ourselves.”

This line was hilarious as well: “You claim this was all a part of our schemes, but this matter came as a surprise to us, as well. We are the ones who want to know what in the world your kingdom was thinking.”

Brain finds a way to send the children he was training away from danger. How nice, you can almost forget he used to work with rapists.

We get introduced to Nigredo, Albedo’s older sister, who, despite her horrific appearance, seems to be the kindest npc in the Tomb. She begs Ainz to stop massacring people, claiming that all babies have potential and humans can bring progress to civilization. He ends up accepting a suggestion from Pestonia and allowing a small number of humans to survive so that they can spread rumors of the terror he is causing.
 

Spoiler

Meanwhile, in the city of E-Naeul, a small group of experienced adventurers will lead some others of low level and a bunch of soldiers against an invading force of two death knights and hundreds or thousands of zombies. For whatever reason there is a scene revealing that one of the adventurers, a priestess, is a shotacon. Ok.

The attack begins and the adventurers wonder if the Death Knights are the Sorcerer Kingdom’s trump cards.

Sure, there is nothing more dangerous in Nazarick. Don’t worry.

Eventually they realize that they don’t stand a chance against the Death Knights and their leader tells the others to escape while she buys some time. And then… a flying mech appears??? Well, it shoots the Death Knights and easily destroys them.

The floor guardians, watching the fight from afar, are surprised, while Ainz (very likely lying) says it was to be expected. And of course everyone starts to gape at his supposed supreme intelligence.

Edit: No, not all terrors are from Nazarick.

Spoiler

 

 

Edited August 30, 2022 by InsaneCommander

[Sarex]

Seems like Frieren at the Funeral is getting an anime, or at least I think it is because whenever they say there will be big news in the next chapter it's an anime announcement.

[Sarex]

UFAW ep 5 is the best one yet. Genuinely laughed a couple of times.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

4 minutes ago, Sarex said:

UFAW ep 5 is the best one yet. Genuinely laughed a couple of times.

Looks like I have some Uncle DIO to watch when I get off work.

[majestic]

A bit more Noir, the pacing of the storyline is really a bit glacial, but I have a feeling that's for the best. It keeps hinting at being some sort of secret society/prophecy thing with a splash of religious fervor, not my most favorite mystery combination. The next two episodes are a two parter though, I guess that'll move some things forward.

 

[Bartimaeus]

17 minutes ago, majestic said:

A bit more Noir, the pacing of the storyline is really a bit glacial, but I have a feeling that's for the best. It keeps hinting at being some sort of secret society/prophecy thing with a splash of religious fervor, not my most favorite mystery combination. The next two episodes are a two parter though, I guess that'll move some things forward.

 

I promise I'll stop watching random garbage (or not garbage?) and get to trying the first episode or two soon...ish, . Though I guess I still have some SpyxEpisodes that I keep forgetting to watch as well...

[majestic]

1 minute ago, Bartimaeus said:

I promise I'll stop watching random garbage (or not garbage?) and get to trying the first episode or two soon...ish, . Though I guess I still have some SpyxEpisodes that I keep forgetting to watch as well...

So far there are elements that are really good and some that I don't care for. It's not making me want to keep watching all the time like The Vision of Escaflowne did, but to be fair to anime series in general (or any series, that is), that only happens once in a blue moon.

There's preciously little realism in the two girls being able to basically annihilate however many enemies are placed in front of them, but that's not any different from any action film.

Spoiler

An early episode has Kirika putting popcorn everywhere when the organization that tries to kill them (now identified as Les Soldats) has them cornered in a dark room, and she's killing people when they step on it, with perfect accuracy. It's totally ludicrous, but it's fun.

[InsaneCommander]

2 hours ago, Sarex said:

UFAW ep 5 is the best one yet. Genuinely laughed a couple of times.

One scene in particular was hilarious.

[uuuhhii]

looking through list of older anime

just got reminded how crazy magical teacher negima directed by shinbo was

it was not that good compare to later stuff like madoka or monogatari

[Bartimaeus]

9 minutes ago, uuuhhii said:

madoka

Nearly made me never watch anime ever again.

[uuuhhii]

3 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

Nearly made me never watch anime ever again.

easily got spoiled about everything by the thousands of explosive forum discussion at the time

so didn't get traumatized by episode 3

was far more influenced by the 03 fullmetal alchemist asobo onichan scene

[uuuhhii]

speaking of which

about first 20 episode of fullmetal alchemist 03 are still pretty good

first few arc not as rushed as first 10 episode of brotherhood

the ops are great too

[Bartimaeus]

Noir, episodes 1 and 2. Opening song's vocalist reminded me of an album called "Noblerot" (front album cover evidently made by CLAMP, which is probably why I noticed it - looks like Cardcaptor Sakura) that I accidentally came across on YouTube once and went "what the heck is this weird crap?". I kind of liked a particular song from it, which is why I remember it...but to my surprise, it's actually for real the same artist, ALI PROJECT. Weird. Anyways, I appreciate a pretty landscape:

Show looks nice, sounds even better. But how good is the show? That I'm less certain of right now, but not a bad first two episode. Surprisingly slow and sappy for an action show about girl assassins taking out contracts to kill people. ...Well, they're clearly girl assassins intended for a girl audience, given the lack of blood when they shoot people in the face - not to mention no slapstick, ecchi, or pride stuff, . Instead, we have mystery and feelings! But really, I'm not sure how I feel about either of our two main characters yet, so only time will tell, but at least it isn't a negative first impression.

8 hours ago, uuuhhii said:

so didn't get traumatized by episode 3

See, I feel like going "yay!" and "I hope this happens to the others" when a main character (well, a main character hitherto) is

Spoiler

violently decapitated on-screen

is probably a sign that a show is not working for you...

Edited September 1, 2022 by Bartimaeus

[majestic]

Speaking of Mami having her head bitten off - screw spoiler tags, entire thread watched Madoka anyway or doesn't want to - that was so clearly telegraphed it just wasn't surprising*. I have no idea how anyone could watch any appreciable amount of TV in general, not just anime, and not notice the ten thousand death flags raised prior to her death. Okay, maybe that's just one of these 'me' things, but one of them is figuring twists out in advance. There's only two types of twists, the one I see coming, and the ones that are so obscure they don't make much sense, or come completely out of the blue without prior hints.

Every now and then there's a twist that is obscure but I still sort of predict it on an off-chance that the writers want to troll the audience with it. A certain vampire anime was like that. Heh.

Okay, one part of that statement was a lie. There's a third type of twist that is telegraphed just right so that it all makes sense in hindsight but the reveal is still a surprise. To date, that happened once, and that was a certain wedding in A Storm of Swords. Upon re-reading the double meaning of many of the character interactions become quite clear.

*The level of violence probably was. It's not every day heads are bitten off in 魔法少女 animes.

2 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

Noir, episodes 1 and 2. Opening song's vocalist reminded me of an album called "Noblerot" (front album cover evidently made by CLAMP, which is probably why I noticed it - looks like Cardcaptor Sakura) that I accidentally came across on YouTube once and went "what the heck is this weird crap?". I kind of liked a particular song from it, which is why I remember it...but to my surprise, it's actually for real the same artist, ALI PROJECT. Weird.

The intro music is painful to listen to.

2 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

Show looks nice, sounds even better. But how good is the show? That I'm less certain of right now, but not a bad first two episode. Surprisingly slow and sappy for an action show about girl assassins taking out contracts to kill people. ...Well, they're clearly girl assassins intended for a girl audience, given the lack of blood when they shoot people in the face - not to mention no slapstick, ecchi, or pride stuff, . Instead, we have mystery and feelings! But really, I'm not sure how I feel about either of our two main characters yet, so only time will tell, but at least it isn't a negative first impression.

Pretty much my reaction, of course I was intrigued by the mystery probably more than you were. The show keeps being like that for a bit yet. It could be a tad sappier, of course. Still waiting for the character voiced by Sailor Mercury to show up. 

Anyway, the series is so far fairly well crafted, things make sense - as much as they can in an anime about two hyper-competent girl assassins with broken or repressed memories - and even without any splatter gore it's pretty violent. How'd you like the second episode opening? Show sure doesn't hold back with the killing part, it's just not really explicit about it, and pretty bloodless unless it really needs to be (i.e. characters follow a blood trail).

2 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

or pride stuff

That's just for people who get shot in the face.

edit:

Spoiler

One of the episodes has them taking a hit on an ex KGB agent who is responsible for some massacre, and that agent is now retired and trying to help poor people by offering them free food. Mireille has qualms about the job and is happy to learn that he'll be dying of an illness soon anyway and wants to quit, but Kirika doesn't. It's also made morally more profound by showing that his own family was killed by the people he later massacred. Kind of strange for an assassin show to make a moral point about the vicious cycle of revenge.

 

Edited September 1, 2022 by majestic
did -> were, that's what happens when one changes verbs in the middle of writing a sentence...

[kirottu]

Made in Abyss season 2(or whatever it's called) episode 9

Faputa is about to go old testament on that village.

One more episode and the anime has apparently caught the manga. Meaning I probably get to see Simo Häyhä fighting a god in Record of Ragnarok before new season of Made in Abyss anime comes out. 

Edited September 1, 2022 by kirottu

[Bartimaeus]

12 hours ago, majestic said:

Mami

I genuinely cannot remember if I was surprised by it, if I had expected it, or if it had already been spoiled to me...or if my brain had just gone too numb by even that point to be able to notice or care, .

12 hours ago, majestic said:

The intro music is painful to listen to.

Luckily for me, I can't agree. I actually like the singer, though I don't think the song in question is particularly strong, but not bad either. Maybe it'll grow on me more over time.

12 hours ago, majestic said:

How'd you like the second episode opening? Show sure doesn't hold back with the killing part, it's just not really explicit about it, and pretty bloodless unless it really needs to be (i.e. characters follow a blood trail).

That was when the entire family blew up, right? Good times.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

JoJo is back and in maximum security prison.

ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA 

Edited September 2, 2022 by KP From Another World