Anime recommendations

[Strazos]

Hey, there's a Hellsing Ultimate volume on there.

[Sheepherder]

Breast milk.

Yes, but which of those words is the offensive one?  Is it possible that by removing a word we go from to ?

[Simond]

Sup? http://www.haruhi.tv/img/091218.swf

[Vision]

I saw Shiriguri at the local comic story, and decided to watch a few episodes.
So far I've seen through episode 5, and have no idea what in the hell is going on. I like the art style, and the story seems like it should be interesting. Can anyone confirm if it is worth watching the whole series?

[Bzalthek]

I enjoyed it, though it has been a while if I remember correctly it starts out a little unfocused but straightens out as it goes along.  I would suggest you keep watching it. 

[Bzalthek]

I know some people like to wait until a season/series is complete before watching so I thought I'd give a heads up as some of them have wrapped up.

Those are:
Umi Neko no Naku Koro ni
Kampfer
Seitokai no Ichizon
Nyan Koi
Seikan no Blacksmith
White Album
11 eyes
Darker than Black Season 2
Queens Blade Season 2
Nogizaka Haruka Purezza
Asura Cryin'

[stray]

All the talk about the game recently got me to finish Valkyria Chronicles. It's not bad at all. Oddly, for a game that emphasizes battles, the show is heavily focused on character relationships. The battles just get brushed through, done in a way like sports highlights (err.. not the greatest comparison but I just woke up). If you like the game, it'll compliment that experience well. They did a good job at differentiating them, yet not being in too much conflict. There are some minor changes/additions. And some of the minor characters get some screentime (my favorite from the game was Marina, and she shows up through the anime series. Although she's still an emo loner and doesn't say much. But that's why I like her. Heh).

[Rendakor]

Did you (or anyone, I guess) watch Umineko? I was a big fan of Higurashi but I couldn't get into this one; I watched up to the first reset, then kinda gave up after the following episode where they broke down the fourth wall. Did it get better?

[Bzalthek]

I just started umineko.  I finished ep 5, it's a little forced, but I'll give it a few more.

[Hoax]

I know some people like to wait until a season/series is complete before watching so I thought I'd give a heads up as some of them have wrapped up.

Those are:
Umi Neko no Naku Koro ni
Kampfer
Seitokai no Ichizon
Nyan Koi
Seikan no Blacksmith
White Album
11 eyes
Darker than Black Season 2
Queens Blade Season 2
Nogizaka Haruka Purezza
Asura Cryin'

xmas spirit at work!   

[Bzalthek]

Did you (or anyone, I guess) watch Umineko? I was a big fan of Higurashi but I couldn't get into this one; I watched up to the first reset, then kinda gave up after the following episode where they broke down the fourth wall. Did it get better?

I'd have to recommend Umineko now.  I've just finished the 3rd reset and I was actually surprised.  2nd reset wasn't much to write home about, but it helped flesh out how the game works.

[Rendakor]

Alright, I'll give it another shot sometime this week. Thanks for the heads up.

[stray]

I thought Shangri-La was going to be at least pretty telling from smaller screenshots, but up close, the art isn't that great at all. Also, a convoluted premise. Not a great series so far. Do not recommend.

[Bzalthek]

Funny, I thought it was decent.  Not great, but nothing to really avoid.
Eidt:
Oh, from my "they're taking their sweet ass time" file, Eve no Jikan and Himitsu: Top Secret finally wrapped up.  Eve was a six episode take on androids, the three laws, and their emergent individuality.  I thought it was excellent, though I wish there was more than 6 episodes.  Himitsu revolves around Section 9, a branch of the police which investigates the memories of the recently dead by MRI scans of brains.  I thought it was rather well done, and they didn't skimp on the murders.

[Vision]

I know I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but I just got around to finishing Gurren Lagann, and holy shit....
Just holy shit... I am surprisingly blown away, especially for an anime I figured I would never watch again after the first episode. I dont know anyone else who has seen it, so I am forced to rant my excitement here. 

[stray]

Yeah, there are some fans here.

It manages to be parody and going ridiculously over the top, yet it also trumps what it's parodying tenfold. I said Kamina was one of the greatest characters of the decade in that other thread..   I almost quit the series when he died.. but it was great seeing Simon finally tapping into everything he said.

[Bzalthek]

One of my all time favorites, yes indeedy bob.

[stray]

I wouldn't mind some insight into the writer's mind though.. Was it supposed to be a joke? How does something so goofy happen to be so dramatic..  Kittan's death really tore me up too. Possibly more than Kamina, because.. Kittan really didn't have much to go for in life. Then he goes out with balls of steel. It's Miyazaki's stuff that usually gets me emotional, but I actually got teary eyed there. Haha


Xam'd is beautiful.. I suggest getting it the usual way though (ahem..). It's a shame it's priced as it is on PSN. $3.99 per episode... rental! It's good, but that's robbery.

[Vision]

I wouldn't mind some insight into the writer's mind though.. Was it supposed to be a joke? How does something so goofy happen to be so dramatic..

I think the beauty of the show is that it took a stereotypical anime character like Kamina and took him to a whole new level. I initially thought he was just an over masculine Vegeta with goofy glasses, but the show immortalizes him to convey a message. I think the drama despite all the goofyness is what makes this show so awesome. It's like a really well animated kids cartoon show with a message most adults wouldn't understand.

And I guess the writer, Kazuki Nakashima, is a Japanese playwright who has written for other series.
I also teared up during the end.

[Simond]

It's Gainax's apology for Evangelion. 

And speaking of Eva, the anime forum on SA is doing a "Let's Watch" on Ideon (AKA: "Where Anno stole a lot of his ideas for Eva from") and Utena (AKA "The shoujo equivalent of Eva" and I found...this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHpKj3kL70U
No timing hijinx as far as I can tell, the Utena opening really does sync up with "Cruel Angel's Thesis" almost perfectly. 

[schild]

Almost any anime song will work like that since the standard OP is 1:30 for every anine ever. I could put the OP or ED for Cowboy Bebop to anything else and it would almost work. Hell, you could swap Guu and Abenobashi. Why not.

[Teleku]

Uh, still, that's pretty insane how well the scene changes line up with the changing beats of the song....

Then again, I am a guy who has watched Wizard of Oz with Dark Side of the Moon playing over it.   

[schild]

Then again, I am a guy who has watched Wizard of Oz with Dark Side of the Moon playing over it.   awesome, for real

Who hasn't?

Edit: Rhetorical, some haven't, obviously.

[Simond]

Incidentally, I forgot to mention that one of the reasons why Utena was picked is that Be-Papas remastered the whole series last year...oh, and the US licensee went bust. So free, shiny Utena for all! (until Funimation or Bandai relicense it, at least). There's at least one complete torrent out there, plus I highly suspect that it has been put up on YouTube or some similar video hosting whatsit.

Expectation management: "Remastered" as in "Fixed colour bleed, sharpened it up, etc. etc. and not as in "Let's throw a bunch of extra CGI crap in there!" For example - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA_VaAEFgXQ (The OP)

[Bzalthek]

Utena is... odd.  It's one of those animes you should watch, but will probably never want to see again.

[Hoax]

Fuck now I want to watch Utena (I've only seen the movie, a mistake I know) and EVA again...   fuckers!

[schild]

Utena is 100% overrated.

[stray]

I'm finding it harder to watch older anime.. Besides movies where the animation was pretty top notch in it's day, many series are tough to get through. It's really evolved post-1999 or so.

Or rather, I've never seen Utena, but that opening looks like crap to me.

[Lantyssa]

Utena is weird.  Very weird in the second, and down right omgwtf in the third.  I really liked it, but I would not call it great anime.  It was overhyped for what it was.

The movie was dreadful.  Saw it on a huge screen at a convention and I wish I had been drunk or high, though that might have given me nightmares.

[Simond]

I appear to have forgotten to link this here: http://bssubs.net/2010/01/tengen-toppa-gurren-lagann-the-movie-lagann-hen/
My bad. 

[Vision]

I appear to have forgotten to link this here: http://bssubs.net/2010/01/tengen-toppa-gurren-lagann-the-movie-lagann-hen/
My bad. 

Is the movie just a recap of the series, or is it an entirely new story?

[Viin]

Finally watched Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, good stuff. Who knew an early 80's cartoon about the environment could be so good.

[Lantyssa]

Finally watched Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, good stuff. Who knew an early 80's cartoon about the environment could be so good.

Most of Miyazaki's stuff is excellent.  I'd recommend trying out any of his stuff.

[Simond]

I appear to have forgotten to link this here: http://bssubs.net/2010/01/tengen-toppa-gurren-lagann-the-movie-lagann-hen/
My bad. 

Is the movie just a recap of the series, or is it an entirely new story?

Mostly recap, with a few changes along the way.

[Vision]

I appear to have forgotten to link this here: http://bssubs.net/2010/01/tengen-toppa-gurren-lagann-the-movie-lagann-hen/
My bad. 

Is the movie just a recap of the series, or is it an entirely new story?

Mostly recap, with a few changes along the way.

Damn, I want another storyline!