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

[Lexx]

28 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

KP recommended that show to me a while back after finishing Samurai Champloo (made by the same people?), and I put it on the list. Given that you and I don't seem to agree on much any kind of media to my knowledge, I must admit to some amount of trepidation now...but I guess even Sarex has liked a couple of things I do as well.

If you don't like emotions, this anime is not for you.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

It also has the greatest anime song of all time.

[InsaneCommander]

Narutaru 2-3

 

Not so subtle anymore, right? Yes, this went full crazy pretty quickly.

 

15 hours ago, Make a contract with KP said:

I had to double check to see if Quentin Tarantino was involved.

 

2 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

...Well? Is he? Moonlighting as a wacked out anime director doesn't seem like it'd be completely out of the question for him...

I think you guys are on to something. Well, there were more feet shots in the following episodes. And did you see the name of the director? Sounds similar to Tarantino:

 

[Sarex]

[InsaneCommander]

35 minutes ago, Sarex said:

[InsaneCommander]

Narutaru 4-5

We meet some new characters, who want to make the world a more peaceful place. With guns.

And we learn more about Shiina’s parents and what they know.

Spoiler

I’ll assume the angel was another one of the “dragons”. And that the crazy boy’s friends were not angry with him killing people, but rather with him killing people alone.

This will not end well.

 

[InsaneCommander]

Spy x Family 20: Topo Secreto

It’s “bring your daughter to work day”. What could possibly go wrong? And the students will present their report to Mr. Elegant, of course. His reaction was priceless.

Quite a funny episode, to compensate the previous one, I guess.
 

Spoiler

So, what could go wrong? Well, a lot. Yor imagines in detail teaching Anya how to kill people, while Anya sees everything with her telepathy. The result is so disturbing that Anya gets numb and doesn’t even shows a “shocked” reaction. Or at least I hope that was the reason.

In the hospital, everyone treats her greatly because she is cute and she concludes that the psychiatry is a paradise. She also follows a secret passage, making noises and convincing the doctors that ghosts are real. Oh, and now Loid thinks she is totally insane.

Her report stated that Loid beats his patients and accepts bribes. Mr Elegant was shocked!

Anya distributing meaningless “coded messages” was hilarious too. Especially because they actually worked for someone who could decipher them, causing Scruffyhead (Franky) to go on a non existing date.

It took quite a while until the mandatory “shock!” moment. They almost convinced me there wouldn’t be one. And then there were two...

 

[uuuhhii]

more and more garbage light novel are getting english audio book

wonder if monogatari or any other book written by the three weirdest author will get english audio book too

pity those who have to translate and read it

[Sarex]

23 minutes ago, uuuhhii said:

monogatari

I would love to hear the translation for the toothbrush scene.

[majestic]

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, episode 2.

I'm not sure this belongs here, what with it being a live action show, but... man, I don't know what to say. This waffles between being hilariously overacted (Queen Beryl is a joy to behold) and curiously restrained, the costumes are terribly campy and Tuxedo Mask and his mullet are hard to believe without being seen.

Skeletor from the Masters of the Universe film has nothing on her. Nothing.

The jokes are delivered in such an earnest way it's hard not to burst out laughing, even if they're really old and tired, like Usagi going into the arcade with a faked one year membership pass with a doodle of Luna on it to drive home how ridiculous it is, and Motoki going "since when do we sell one year memberships?" just a second after she goes inside. The special "effects" are terrible, the CGI is hilarious and the acting is, uh... honestly, it's so bad it's...

Dunno where this is going as I haven't spoiled myself yet outside of knowhing that we'll get a DARK MERCURY at some point.

I wonder how often these 'swords' broke during filming.

Anyway. Luna changing between horrible CGI, a plus toy and a plush puppet where you can see the hand of the puppeteer going into it at times round everything out. Make no mistake though, when Luna is the plush toy Luna, Luna actually is a plush toy.

Look at this intro:

So, anyway, episode two is more or less predictably about Usagi befriending Ami and her awakening. Usagi giving Ami a mini-disc copy of Minako's new album is a really curious sight too. These things never got to be popular here at all, at first I thought she was handing Ami a tape, but... well, a sign of the time when this got made. Too late for tapes, too early for widespread MP3-players.

Usagi is as silly as in the anime and Luna is as snarky as in the anime. It feels kinda weird to say this, but if one can deal with the campy side, this is actually - so far - a real joy to watch. If there's a downside, then that it cannot truly stand on its own. Ami's and Usagi's interactions in this episode make sense for someone who has watched the original anime or read certain parts of the manga, but on their own? I don't know.

Spoiler

Usagi just more or less accosts Ami with the news that Luna told her that she's the second soldier, after spending some time with her. Ami freaks out because she thinks Usagi only befriended her for recruitment - a reaction that makes sense coming from Ami, but certainly not a reaction that makes sense coming from someone whose newfound but somewhat klutzy and silly friend just told her about talking cats and soldiers of love and justice fighting evil by the moon light.

So I am sitting here, watching the episode, and understanding why Ami reacts the way she does and that she'll now run off to cram school where Jadeite will force the issue and the two of them will walk away as friends (until she turns into Dark Mercury, at least), but that can't possibly make any sense to someone not familiar with the franchise.

Funny how the transformation sequences begin with the girls already wearing their body suits. I wonder why? Having choreographed fighting scenes in mini-skirts is a lot more revealing than the anime was, obviously, so you win some, you lose some, I guess. Ami has a damaging attack. Cheaper than a fog machine. Heh.

Edited November 19, 2022 by majestic

[InsaneCommander]

 

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

12 minutes ago, InsaneCommander said:

 

"Time will keep accelerating."

 

20 minutes ago, majestic said:

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, episode 2.

I'm not sure this belongs here, what with it being a live action show, but... man, I don't know what to say. This waffles between being hilariously overacted (Queen Beryl is a joy to behold) and curiously restrained, the costumes are terribly campy and Tuxedo Mask and his mullet are hard to believe without being seen.

Skeletor from the Masters of the Universe film has nothing on her. Nothing.

The jokes are delivered in such an earnest way it's hard not to burst out laughing, even if they're really old and tired, like Usagi going into the arcade with a faked one year membership pass with a doodle of Luna on it to drive home how ridiculous it is, and Motoki going "since when do we sell one year memberships?" just a second after she goes inside. The special "effects" are terrible, the CGI is hilarious and the acting is, uh... honestly, it's so bad it's...

Dunno where this is going as I haven't spoiled myself yet outside of knowhing that we'll get a DARK MERCURY at some point.

I wonder how often these 'swords' broke during filming.

Anyway. Luna changing between horrible CGI, a plus toy and a plush puppet where you can see the hand of the puppeteer going into it at times round everything out. Make no mistake though, when Luna is the plush toy Luna, Luna actually is a plush toy.

Look at this intro:

So, anyway, episode two is more or less predictably about Usagi befriending Ami and her awakening. Usagi giving Ami a mini-disc copy of Minako's new album is a really curious sight too. These things never got to be popular here at all, at first I thought she was handing Ami a tape, but... well, a sign of the time when this got made. Too late for tapes, too early for widespread MP3-players.

Usagi is as silly as in the anime and Luna is as snarky as in the anime. It feels kinda weird to say this, but if one can deal with the campy side, this is actually - so far - a real joy to watch. If there's a downside, then that it cannot truly stand on its own. Ami's and Usagi's interactions in this episode make sense for someone who has watched the original anime or read certain parts of the manga, but on their own? I don't know.

  Reveal hidden contents

Usagi just more or less accosts Ami with the news that Luna told her that she's the second soldier, after spending some time with her. Ami freaks out because she thinks Usagi only befriended her for recruitment - a reaction that makes sense coming from Ami, but certainly not a reaction that makes sense coming from someone whose newfound but somewhat klutzy and silly friend just told her about talking cats and soldiers of love and justice fighting evil by the moon light.

So I am sitting here, watching the episode, and understanding why Ami reacts the way she does and that she'll now run off to cram school where Jadeite will force the issue and the two of them will walk away as friends (until she turns into Dark Mercury, at least), but that can't possibly make any sense to someone not familiar with the franchise.

Funny how the transformation sequences begin with the girls already wearing their body suits. I wonder why? Having choreographed fighting scenes in mini-skirts is a lot more revealing than the anime was, obviously, so you win some, you lose some, I guess. Ami has a damaging attack. Cheaper than a fog machine. Heh.

[InsaneCommander]

46 minutes ago, Make a contract with KP said:

"Time will keep accelerating."

I just remembered I wanted to post this "more realistic" version of Stone Ocean (spoilers!):

Spoiler

 

 

Edited November 20, 2022 by InsaneCommander

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

5 minutes ago, InsaneCommander said:

I just remembered I wanted to post this "more realistic" version of Stone Ocean (spoilers!):

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

I don't think JoJo has ever been realistic on that front

DIO would have been killed several times in Statdust Crusaders when he did Bond villain speeches in stopped time and went over the 5 seconds.

[InsaneCommander]

16 minutes ago, Make a contract with KP said:

I don't think JoJo has ever been realistic on that front

 

  Reveal hidden contents

DIO would have been killed several times in Statdust Crusaders when he did Bond villain speeches in stopped time and went over the 5 seconds.

 

[Bartimaeus]

10 hours ago, majestic said:

It feels kinda weird to say this, but if one can deal with the campy side, this is actually - so far - a real joy to watch.

So...you're recommending that I don't watch it. I think the thing that bothers me the most from watching the trailer is the wigs. They're really terrible wigs, and like...just let them have their normal hair, .

[majestic]

7 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

So...you're recommending that I don't watch it. I think the thing that bothers me the most from watching the trailer is the wigs. They're really terrible wigs, and like...just let them have their normal hair, .

Yeah, like, just google a random scene with Jadeite and Beryl, that should scare you off well and good.

Tuxedo Mask is also doing a totally ridiculous mysterious but flirty stranger spiel (I did not find what I was looking for, but I saw something... interesting. *wink* Moon *wink*).

[Bartimaeus]

Devilman Lady, episode 23. Jun returns to the home that she grew up in, which her grandparents currently occupy. They talk about life in the city and how she's ready to return to a more traditional life after all that silly rough and tumble devil business, and share memories over sake.

Gee, Jun, I wonder why? Well, all's well that ends well: the end!

Spoiler

Just kidding, there are still three more episodes left - she's just passed out on some rail tracks waiting to get run over by a train that's never going to come while hallucinating what I wrote above, as the entire world burns to the ground and everything and everyone she knew and loved is well and truly dead. Now that's the classic Devilman way!

Okay, now I've seen the last three episodes. So the thing about Devilman is, the main story/premise stuff is largely arbitrary nonsense that doesn't really hold up to any kind of inspection in my opinion, particularly with regards to why anyone ever does anything that they do.

Spoiler

Asuka, who has been an Angelman Lady this entire time (I made that term up but it's basically accurate), and Jun are opposites: Asuka is the successor to God, and Jun to the Devil. Asuka rapes and kills Jun to ascend (I don't know why - again, like the rest of Devilman, it's just silly nonsense that doesn't really make sense), which she really could've done in the first episode as far as I know, and Jun is crucified into the great bloody butchered amalgam of all the other beasts sent to Hell along with her. With Asuka having finally ascended, peace reigns on Earth...but the surviving devilmen and beasts are left to wonder where they fit in this artificial world of perfect light and purity. Jun breaks out of Hell through the portal Asuka sent her body down in the first place, and then there's a fight, some stuff happens, Asuka is cut in half and Jun survives. Uh...I guess Devilmen and human-like beasts are accepted from then on, for some reason? Maybe because God is dead but the Devil and her still-human-at-heart beasts aren't? I don't really know. But I find this sort of stuff way less interesting and compelling than the simple character stuff the show was mostly about for the first 22 or so episodes.

In conclusion, I do not recommend this show to KP, because I think he'd largely find it too slow and boring, too shoujo-like for the most part, which from what I gather was not really how it was in the manga. The main plot moves glacially slow, the action stuff is pretty weak, and it doesn't really get close to reaching the same heights of insanity that even the old OVA stuff did...and never mind Devilman Crybaby. It's a "maybe" to majestic because he might appreciate the oddball blend of soft demonic horror with shoujo elements like I did which made it worth watching overall, but I can't say for sure.

Edited November 20, 2022 by Bartimaeus

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Narutaru 4

Both of our heroines are traumatized from Hoshimaru killing teen Pol Pot. Another friend shows up, I can only imagine what Hino-chan's deal is gonna be.

1 hour ago, Bartimaeus said:

In conclusion, I do not recommend this show to KP, because I think he'd largely find it too slow and boring, too shoujo-like for the most part, which from what I gather was not really how it was in the manga.

Yeah it doesn't sound like it.

The manga, like Devilman before it, starts out with monster of the week before crashing off the rails and going some very weird places, but it gets much weirder than Devilman and is actually a sequel. Basically Jun and Asuka are the feminine and masculine parts of Satan, respectively, who have sex to reincarnate Akira (the Devilman) into the world, before merging back together and fighting against Michael and the rest of God's army with the resurrected demon army that broke free from hell. It's also heavily implied that this is cyclical, and that God sets Satan up to continually find love with Akira only to have it destroyed by Satan's own actions. So I guess the anime at least captures what a huge **** God is.

[Bartimaeus]

1 hour ago, Make a contract with KP said:

Yeah it doesn't sound like it.

Le Devilman Lady spoilers:

Spoiler

So the first part, the monster of the week stuff, tracks, but the rest doesn't. Akira actually shows up in the show, but not really for any meaningful purpose, and he's completely second fiddle to Jun and Asuka. In fact, he's in the show long before Asuka ascends, as he's just randomly rounded up with the rest of the devils/beasts by the government and kind of takes on a protective role over Kazumi's cat lady beast friends, who she stayed with and who protected her during the general devil/beast outbreak. I have no idea if those cat lady friends are in the manga, but the show takes some time to focus on them even though they only very tangentially matter to the overall plot at that point - which I was okay with, because I found them more interesting than whatever Asuka was trying to accomplish.

The show did not emphasize the male/feminine stuff. It mentions Asuka being male, of course, but that only seems to matter as a function of raping Jun...and raping Jun obviously doesn't bring back Akira because Akira is already around, Jun is just sent to Hell while Asuka ascends and becomes god or something like it, while Jun becomes the Devil. Literally no connection to Akira at all, and he doesn't play any part in the main story. No sighting or even mention of Michael or the rest of the heavenly/demonic hosts either, or Asuka being in love with Akira. In fact, it's Asuka and Jun that are said to be irresistible to each other, though Jun ultimately says "screw that, I don't care what my genetic destiny is, I actually loved Kazumi and what you did ended up killing her, so I'm going to kill you". If they were going to modify the story this much seemingly specifically to exclude him, I'm really not even sure why Akira was present here at all - seems like they wanted Jun to more or less absorb his part of the story while still playing her role as the Devil (presumably because Jun has undeniably been the main character of the show the entire time, so supplanting her with Akira at the last moment would be unacceptable...even though to not do so seems to kind of screw up the overall narrative)...but then also inexplicably just had him around anyways? What, why?

 

Edited November 20, 2022 by Bartimaeus

[Sarex]

Reading a new manga that started (on chapter 2) called The Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins and so far the premise is interesting. Basically a family got in to an accident and they all got amnesia, upon returning to their home they encounter a surprise.

Also remembered a manga I started, called Takopi's Original Sin. Found out it was finished and relatively short (16 chapters), so I caught up on that. The plot is that an alien comes to earth and tries to help a sad girl smile. Be warned, the manga is not for the light of heart. **** be messed up yo.

Edited November 21, 2022 by Sarex

[Lexx]

Watched I Want To Eat Your Pancreas yesterday. Sad movie. Wasn't bad, however, I kinda couldn't get over how it's one of those anime where a funny, great looking, very charismatic girl is building up the boy nobody wants to talk to. It's kinda... cringe.

Still sad movie, though.

[Bartimaeus]

2 hours ago, Lexx said:

Watched I Want To Eat Your Pancreas yesterday. Sad movie. Wasn't bad, however, I kinda couldn't get over how it's one of those anime where a funny, great looking, very charismatic girl is building up the boy nobody wants to talk to. It's kinda... cringe.

Still sad movie, though.

A good friend of mine recommended the manga of I Want to Eat Your Pancreas to me, and against my better judgement, I read the first two books. Now, I'm not a moron, I knew within about the first two pages that it obviously wasn't for me, but I decided to give it a more than fair shake, since this friend hadn't recommended anything to me in a very long time. Well, okay, the reason she doesn't ever recommend anything to me is because we never, ever see eye to eye on anything, and she thought this might be an exception, as she felt it had general appeal for people who don't like anime. Sadly, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas is the epitome of the "soft piano drama" that I have so often maniacally ranted and raved about, so that's pretty unfortunate that I despised every page that I read of it. Strongly recommended for Sarex though, as it seems like something that could genuinely be up his alley.

Edited November 21, 2022 by Bartimaeus

[Sarex]

[Lexx]

Yeah I'm not sure what to think of those anime. On the one hand I like to get hit into the feels, but on the other hand those stories always feel kinda... sexist to me. I dunno. The stories often cater to a very niche kind of people and it's just cringe. Would love to see something a little more nuanced.

That said, I still liked the writing and the story of this one. It's just the main character that is so ugh. His whole shtick of what he said and why he is how he is just made me want to slap him in the face.

Edited November 21, 2022 by Lexx