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Join us in the [Anime] thread to end all [Anime] threads

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Posts

  • localhjaylocalhjay Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Roommate and I started Eighty-Six. Pretty generic CGI mech action, but good character dynamic and not so subtle racism allegory (show is meme worthy of all the "those dirty whites" clips). I just wish the mechs were hand drawn

    Anzekay on
  • The Zombie PenguinThe Zombie Penguin Eternal Hungry Corpse Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Reynolds wrote: »
    The mouths move in the clips I've seen...do they improve the puppets later or something?

    We'll have watched two Urobuchi shows by then, so this was the obvious next step.

    The mouths can move, but they cant do proper mouthflaps, and the faces are incapable of emoting outside of mouth movement and eyelid movement, both of which are limited to going up and down a bit to memory. So any and all emoting has to be handled by full body posing or movement, which gives things a very theatrical and overdramtic feel that i know puts some people off - you cant just have a subtle eyebrow raise, or similar.

    There's also multiple puppets for every character - the ones with legs are different puppets to the ones they use most of the time, which dont have legs (to memory, i could be wrong).

    It's also really funny to watch the behind the scenes and see how they achieve some of the practical effects: By picking up the puppets and yeeting them from off screen.

    Anzekay on
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  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    None of that is of particular importance.

    Or I should say, if that puts you off, it's your loss.

    That anyone could see these scenes and not be utterly blown away by what they're managing to get puppets to do, instead only looking at inescapable flaws, that's a failure of perspective.

    The puppetry is world class level.

    Anzekay on
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  • ReynoldsReynolds Gone Fishin'Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    I've only seen the crossover clips with Saber and Kyubey, but they were definitely impressive.

    Anzekay on
    uyvfOQy.png
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited April 14
    Fate/Zero is a very special show to me, since it wasn't just my gateway to the Fate series(and still remains the best entry), it also got me back into anime after a nearly ten year hiatus during which I just fell off from the medium hard, everything felt samey and uninspired. Then ufotable and Urobuchi kicked the door in and reminded me what the genre was capable of.

    yxyi94rpcj4p.png

    The high octane action, primarily adult cast, and constant forward momentum help a lot, too.

    (I enjoyed the sequel/original, Unlimited Blade Works' version especially, but it falls prey to a lot of Fate tropes that Zero largely avoids.)

    Anzekay on
    z48g7weaopj2.png
  • The Zombie PenguinThe Zombie Penguin Eternal Hungry Corpse Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    None of that is of particular importance.

    Or I should say, if that puts you off, it's your loss.

    That anyone could see these scenes and not be utterly blown away by what they're managing to get puppets to do, instead only looking at inescapable flaws, that's a failure of perspective.

    The puppetry is world class level.

    I agree it shouldn't put people off, but i dont think it's unfair to note it's an adjustment - i've seen multiple people commentate that it really threw them at first, and i can understand that! It's stylistically VERY different to how anime is well, animated or how live action is acted, and the result is a visual language that people are simply not familiar with. Personally i love it, and i think everyone should give it a go - as you say, what they get them to do is crazy impressive, the blending of both CG and practical effects is fantastic. It gets even better when you realize how they've framed the camera so that the puppeters are literally just below the line of sight moving the puppets.

    Or that most of the time when there's dust or debries flying, there's someone juuuuuuuust off camera throwing it at them.

    ...and dammit, i just went and looked up that crossover and it spoils one of the best season one twists. Arrrgh! Hopefully no one noticed.

    Anzekay on
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  • DrovekDrovek Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    cj iwakura wrote: »
    Fate/Zero is a very special show to me, since it wasn't just my gateway to the Fate series(and still remains the best entry), it also got me back into anime after a nearly ten year hiatus during which I just fell off from the medium hard, everything felt samey and uninspired. Then ufotable and Urobuchi kicked the door in and reminded me what the genre was capable of.

    yxyi94rpcj4p.png

    The high octane action, primarily adult cast, and constant forward momentum help a lot, too.

    (I enjoyed the sequel/original, Unlimited Blade Works' version especially, but it falls prey to a lot of Fate tropes that Zero largely avoids.)

    Zero was not my introduction to Fate (sadly, it was the original VN that does the whole "magic refill"... thing.) But honestly between that and UBW they're some of my favorite anime. Could never really get into any of the others (Apocrypha kind of was close to being good IMO, but was missing something. And Heaven's Feel is good quality but I'm not a fan of the story.)

    Playing Saber in Melty Blood is probably the best Fate game ever

    Anzekay on
    steam_sig.png( < . . .
  • GridlinkGridlink Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Reynolds wrote: »
    I've wanted to watch it for a while now, and when I suggested it at least a few people seemed into it. I guess we'll see how that goes! It's the first step towards live action shows...

    If you get to live action shows, while it's not an anime at all, it's dramatic enough + spoopy enough to be one... give Hotel Del Luna a go. Bonus points, it's all on netflix and subtitled. Loose pitch would be "Genderflipped Beauty and the Beast set in a hotel that caters to ghosts who havent passed on for various reasons", with The Beast being the owner of the hotel, and the Beauty her new human manager.

    Really good!

    But i'd also be super interested to hear your takes on Thunderbolt. I think it takes a little bit to get used to because the puppets cant move their mouths, so all the emoting is handled by being VERY FULL BODY DRAMATIC, but i liked that a whole lot once i got used to it - honestly makes characters a bit easier to read as a neruospicy person.

    I'll second Hotel Del Luna. I watched it a few months ago and it's fantastic. One hell of a tear jerker too at times. There are a ton of really good Korean shows on Netflix, some bad ones too like Sisyphus: The Myth, but The Stranger, Beyond Evil, The Silent Sea, The Lies Within, Signal, My Name, and The Good Detective were all good to phenomenal.

    Anzekay on
    Steam: Gridlynk | PSN: Gridlynk | FFXIV: Jarvellis Mika
  • The Zombie PenguinThe Zombie Penguin Eternal Hungry Corpse Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Cormac wrote: »
    Reynolds wrote: »
    I've wanted to watch it for a while now, and when I suggested it at least a few people seemed into it. I guess we'll see how that goes! It's the first step towards live action shows...

    If you get to live action shows, while it's not an anime at all, it's dramatic enough + spoopy enough to be one... give Hotel Del Luna a go. Bonus points, it's all on netflix and subtitled. Loose pitch would be "Genderflipped Beauty and the Beast set in a hotel that caters to ghosts who havent passed on for various reasons", with The Beast being the owner of the hotel, and the Beauty her new human manager.

    Really good!

    But i'd also be super interested to hear your takes on Thunderbolt. I think it takes a little bit to get used to because the puppets cant move their mouths, so all the emoting is handled by being VERY FULL BODY DRAMATIC, but i liked that a whole lot once i got used to it - honestly makes characters a bit easier to read as a neruospicy person.

    I'll second Hotel Del Luna. I watched it a few months ago and it's fantastic. One hell of a tear jerker too at times. There are a ton of really good Korean shows on Netflix, some bad ones too like Sisyphus: The Myth, but The Stranger, Beyond Evil, The Silent Sea, The Lies Within, Signal, My Name, and The Good Detective were all good to phenomenal.

    I really need to dig into more k-dramas. It's one of the few things i miss about my netflix subscription (currently cancelled because of netflix's handling of the shitty david chappelle thing, and also a price hike)

    Anzekay on
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  • ArcTangentArcTangent Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Zero is dumb. I can do my one man play again if you really want.

    Tribe Nine is about a future where youth gangs are running amok, so Japan passes a law saying that all turf wars need to take place through baseball. This is a premise that somebody was paid to create.

    Anzekay on
    ztrEPtD.gif
  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Probably one of the best things i remember from Zero was how they handle assaulting a mage in his heavily fortified multistory workshop.
    Don't bother, just level the entire building with high explosives.

    Anzekay on
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited April 14
    Madican wrote: »
    Probably one of the best things i remember from Zero was how they handle assaulting a mage in his heavily fortified multistory workshop.
    Don't bother, just level the entire building with high explosives.
    That's why Kiritsugu is so feared and despised, he doesn't play by their rules.

    Anzekay on
    z48g7weaopj2.png
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] regular
    edited April 14
    The user and all related content has been deleted.

    Anzekay on
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited April 14
  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Glal wrote: »

    What's Michael?

    (That's the name. Not sure if it's the OVA or TV series.)

    Anzekay on
  • Kevin CristKevin Crist I make the devil hit his knees and say the 'our father'Registered User regular
    edited April 14
  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Thunderbolt Fantasy is good stuff.

    Also, Demon Slayer this week holy shit.

    Anzekay on
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  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Glal wrote: »

    I dunno if the twitter person is doing a bit but the title is "What's Michael?"

    Anzekay on
    BahamutZERO.gif
  • ReynoldsReynolds Gone Fishin'Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Tonight on Animenagerie: Female Muscle clip 45

    Later tonight on Animenagerie:
    kjljbfn98mb1.png

    Anzekay on
    uyvfOQy.png
  • localhjaylocalhjay Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    It's actually kinda remarkable how the anime for Takagi-San takes the source material and enhances it. In the manga, the timeline is constantly skipping around so the characters will get some development, and then it won't be addressed in the next chapter or whatever.

    In the anime, first season was a mostly straightforward adaptation but organized into what felt like the normal flow of a school year. Then in season 2, they iterated on that by taking some plotlines from the manga and combining them for the end, including an anime original story for the final episode that actually develops the characters further than the manga has so far. And now Season 3 seem to be doing that and then some, the first episode is already taking a few plotlines and then reworking them in a really fascinating and satisfying way together. I'm actually shocked how good it is, the source material is wholesome but the show is really taking that and running with it, and it's an improvement on all fronts.

    Anzekay on
  • GlalGlal AiredaleRegistered User regular
    edited April 14
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    Glal wrote: »

    What's Michael?
    Not much, what's Michael with you?
    9odv7ktnyx13.jpg

    Anzekay on
  • djmdjm Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    (not sure how I wound up with two copies of #8)
    kPRuOY1.jpg?1
    I wish there was some way to read the ending of Club 9 that didn't involve having to somehow get hold of 2005-era issues of Super Manga Blast.

    Anzekay on
  • Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    edited April 14
    A couple chapters into Spy x Family and
    the hand grenade proposal ring is one of the funniest things I've ever seen, god damn how am I only just reading this manga now

    Anzekay on
  • WeedLordVegetaWeedLordVegeta Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    I don't THINK arakawa has the same idea as matsumoto does about 'casting' similar designs in multiple works but she makes do with a relatively simplistic and reductive number of character designs with smart accents

    in other news yomi no tsugai's second chapter is great

    Anzekay on
  • AbacusAbacus Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    So, I did my annual reading of Gundam Sousei. Is the making of Gundam, made by the guy that did The Legend of Koizumi, so it goes full Sengoku Basara about it, but it not only about the show, but a snap shot of Japan in the 70s and how anime became the big thing in an age where everybody thought that Space Battleship Yamato was just a flash in the pan. In short:
    y2uxt2tb8d1v.png
    I found it fascinating, it maybe not be exactly accurate, but it capures the feeling of the new age of anime that Gundam unleashed.

    Anzekay on
  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    it is specifically not completely factually true but it is fun
    for example I think I remember a plot point was that gunpla saved the production, but in reality gunpla took off years after the original series finished. It was more like records of the music saved the production I think?

    Anzekay on
    BahamutZERO.gif
  • Bluedude152Bluedude152 Registered User regular
    edited April 14
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] regular
    edited April 14
    The user and all related content has been deleted.

    Anzekay on
  • OrivonOrivon Happy Fun Ball They/ThemRegistered User regular
    edited April 14
    Anzekay on
  • EclibullEclibull Registered User regular
    edited April 14

    ok, what song is that? I've heard it before and I can't find it

    Smokin Out The Window by Silk Sonic/Bruno Mars

    Anzekay on
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  • WeedLordVegetaWeedLordVegeta Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    TryCatcher wrote: »
    So, I did my annual reading of Gundam Sousei. Is the making of Gundam, made by the guy that did The Legend of Koizumi, so it goes full Sengoku Basara about it, but it not only about the show, but a snap shot of Japan in the 70s and how anime became the big thing in an age where everybody thought that Space Battleship Yamato was just a flash in the pan. In short:
    y2uxt2tb8d1v.png
    I found it fascinating, it maybe not be exactly accurate, but it capures the feeling of the new age of anime that Gundam unleashed.

    Have you read/watched blue blazes

    Anzekay on
  • Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    edited April 14
    23 chapters into Spy x Family and
    why yes Bond getting adopted and named had me absolutely bawling, I am a sucker for a good "found family" narrative

    Anzekay on
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] regular
    edited April 14
    The user and all related content has been deleted.

    Anzekay on
  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    good news that you probably already realized is that that is spy x family's big theme haha

    Anzekay on
    BahamutZERO.gif
  • silence1186silence1186 Character shields down! As a wingmanRegistered User regular
    edited April 14
    There's a show this season about two old dudes who get isekai'ed, but one ends up a girl.

    What's that? They're in their 30s and are ossans?

    turns to dust.

    Anzekay on
  • AbacusAbacus Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    it is specifically not completely factually true but it is fun
    for example I think I remember a plot point was that gunpla saved the production, but in reality gunpla took off years after the original series finished. It was more like records of the music saved the production I think?

    The "Gundam DX Combine Set" is not Gunpla, they specifically mean this toy, that was the only one that sold well from the original Clover catalog:
    https://youtu.be/mXFCAqVxj6Y

    Found this article expanding a bit:
    https://www.zimmerit.moe/unlucky-clover-gundam-toys/

    And is still around the same timeline, little before the movie Sunrise had gotten Bandai on board, that was the company to use the movie as a springboard to sell their (much better) toy line and the rest, as they say, is history.

    Anzekay on
  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    I cannot wait for My Dress Up Darling to hit some stuff in likely episode 3-4 or so

    Anzekay on
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] regular
    edited April 14
    The user and all related content has been deleted.

    Anzekay on
  • ArcTangentArcTangent Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    There's a show this season about two old dudes who get isekai'ed, but one ends up a girl.

    What's that? They're in their 30s and are ossans?

    turns to dust.

    Not even just in their 30s. Are 32. You know, ancient. I couldn't stand more than five minutes of that. I don't know when Japanese comedy went from 50% overreaction screaming to 98%, but I wish it would go back to weird absurdist shit like Excel Saga or even Azumanga.

    Of the three new obnoxious teenager power fantasy shows today, the sage one was by far the worst, but to a level where it's fascinating how fucking bad it is. The CGI alone is next level horrible, the premise makes zero sense, the entire first half is just two long infodumps, and with about seven minutes left in the episode, it does the reincarnation into a girl bit and just silently montages until the episode unceremoniously ends. A fucking seven minute montage.

    But I seriously cannot understate how bad the CGI is nor how prominent it is. It looks like it could have been done on an N64.

    Anzekay on
    ztrEPtD.gif
  • KanaKana Registered User regular
    edited April 14
    Speaking of trans/crossdressing themes in manga, I was really pleasantly surprised by Yuka in Blue Period. Like she's introduced in the first couple of pages with, "hey it's the crossdresser" and I was immediately tugging my collar and instead it handled her character about as well as I've seen in any manga? I really like her.
    The manga starts with our MC Yatora deadnaming Yuka, although tbf to him he's like a junior in HS and really doesn't what's going on, he thinks of Yuka more as his annoyingly fabulous classmate, and you kinda get the sense he's a little resentful of a childhood friend totally changing on him, it feels like a believable teenager response. He's also confused because Yuka is still using male personal pronouns, so basically identifying as male, but prefers to be called Yuka-chan, wears a skirt, and has long hair and feminine styling.

    (It's only mentioned in passing, but I knew I liked her as soon as you find out about her skirt. Their school uniform regulations require her to wear the boy's jacket, but the rules only say students must wear a skirt or slacks, without thinking to specify which gender wears what. So Yuka seizes on this legal loophole and starts coming to school in a skirt.)

    But then instead of making Yuka a punchline or a pervert character or a weird sexy pinup... Yuka and Yatora become good friends, and he starts learning more about her? Yuka's bisexual and nonbinary or trans, trying to figure out an identity that works for her, and after high school graduation starts transitioning to using feminine pronouns as well. And Yatora's response is... To be respectful and accepting and to care about his friend??? And also not to treat her like a charity case or as different from his other friends???

    There's just a lot of little details to her story I like a lot. Like the girls in high school all rally around her, but there's a time Yatora and Yuka are talking where she says how frustrating it is for the girls to treat her as this like un-sexed, harmless Gay BFF. Or that she struggled with suicidal thoughts in middle school and that her parents are abusive and transphobic, but that neither of those things is like, her main narrative - they're additional challenges to her becoming the artist she could be, but they don't define her character.

    Anzekay on
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