Media Anime and Manga Thread MK3 - Beware Spoilers

[Epikhairz]

about Hunter x Hunter, Sasuke is actually a discount Kurapika since HxH actually came before Naruto so there's that. But the meat of his character arc comes in the Yorknew City arc (which shouldve already been hinted at by the end of exam arc since thats when the 4 mains are reuniting) which should show why most people regard Kurapika as a wayy better character than Sasuke.

Additionally, the actual combat system hasnt even been introduced yet and comes in the arc after Hunter Exam. Unfortunately if you didn't like the Exam arc I don't see you digging this arc since the bulk of it is spent introducing this combat system (with some dope fights peppered in there, mind you), but the show steps up to another level in the next arc (Yorknew City) where the combat system finally feels fully integrated into the universe. Therefore, whenever you come back to HxH I urge you to push on past Yorknew City at least and if you still don't like it then just cut your losses and drop the show.

And one final note, if Leorio is really your favorite outta the 4 main characters, then i might have some bad news for you chief...he's easily the least prominent of the 4 by a wide margin

as far as recommendations, Bakemonogatari is very good, and I also recommend Psycho-Pass (S1 ONLY, same writer as Fate/Zero and Madoka and explores much of the same themes). Cosign recs on Ping Pong / Baccano / Monster. Try Berserk as well, I advise checking the manga for this but if anime is a must then check the 1997 version

 

[breh]

Yeah I thought around ep. 23 that Leorio was a useless fuck and now it's like 55 and I'm still convinced he's a useless fuck. I don't understand why; they make him to through the same (spoilers?) generic training sequence but yet he still seems like a waste of space. hell, his backstory has like 3 lines of dialogue to it, not even a couple flashbacks or anything.

I still kind of don't know how to feel about the show as I watch it and it doesn't really feel like "the best shounen" either. There are definitely random plotholes and characters make stupid decisions, and some of the stuff that gets introduced later feels a little... forced. Does fullmetal alchemist b count as shounen instead?

 

[Epikhairz]

Yeah I thought around ep. 23 that Leorio was a useless fuck and now it's like 55 and I'm still convinced he's a useless fuck. I don't understand why; they make him to through the same (spoilers?) generic training sequence but yet he still seems like a waste of space. hell, his backstory has like 3 lines of dialogue to it, not even a couple flashbacks or anything.

I still kind of don't know how to feel about the show as I watch it and it doesn't really feel like "the best shounen" either. There are definitely random plotholes and characters make stupid decisions, and some of the stuff that gets introduced later feels a little... forced. Does fullmetal alchemist b count as shounen instead?

yeah honestly it'd probably be better for expectations to consider Leorio a supporting character rather than a main - thats what i did. hell i didnt even realize he was a main character until i saw that he was introduced before killua since all the discussion around the show focuses so heavily on gon / killua / kurapika. he definitely has his moments though.

fullmetal alchemist definitely has its differences in comparison to something like naruto structure-wise but im pretty sure its still a shounen. and yeah FMAB is probably a top 3 shounen all time. i actually think HxH is too but thats just me and i'll respect opposing views of course.

 

[Fishin]

Hinamatsuri is one of the best comedies, basically safe to call it show of the season at this point

No other particularly strong standouts currently, Comic Girls is a solid moeblob activity show, Golden Kamuy is neat though it vastly overestimates how much I care about Ainu culture, SAO spinoff and horses are dumb but in a mostly enjoyable way, all the sequels are sequels.

Hunter x Hunter takes awhile to really get going, the early arcs are generally alright but York Shin is where it really starts to get interesting and then Chimera Ant is maybe best shonen arc ever despite the ridiculously slow pacing at times. And I never really cared much for Gon, all the best parts of the show generally focus on other characters with more presence.

 

[Martin]

I think Pilo told me abt this a few days ago but yeah I just remembered it and I'm hyped as hell about it; 6 (!) Princess Principal sequel movies confirmed!

https://myanimelist.net/news/55103705

 

[mertyville]

I will be honest here, and perhaps this is my bias towards watching it first, but I think HxH 99 is best when you get into it. The visuals may not be impressive and the pacing may be slow because filler but the characters feel more developted and the atmosphere feels more adventures to me. It is the only version which made me care about Gon and even Mito was a great character. There was also one filler exam that I consider interesting before nen was introduced and made the exam pretty much pointless.
The disappointing thing is that if you don't watch the OVas, you won't be satisfied by the ending and it suffers from some other issues I don't consider HxH a great anime especially for a fighting shonen (since there is barely any fighting).

 

[Mr.E]

I'm not surprised that Fate/Extra is its lowest rated Fate series. It's not an adaptation of an obscure (but amazing) PSP game.

Amazingly bad maybe, it's a hideously sluggish version of rock-paper-scissors.

But since this is the anime thread and not the gaming thread, I will take this time to inform people who totally care that I may actually start watching an anime again soon.

Requisite recommendation of Shirobako if you haven't. And when did Shigatsu get to be like top fucking 25 cuz I remember when I first watched Shirobako, Shigatsu was almost directly rated above but apparently in the past year or so it's jumped like +.4 rating wtf.

 

[Endeby]

I agree with the Hinamatsuri praise. Really refreshing to watch an anime comedy that even non-anime watchers can appreciate. Very cool premise as well.


Another show I really like this season is Megalo Box. Really have a thing for underdog stories where the MC is an actual underdog. Kinda crazy that this is the You Moriyama's first show (according to MAL). The art style is a pleb filter, though. Will probably turn into a cult classic.

 

[Martin]

people who don't like the aesthetic of megalo box have objectively awful taste

(this week's ep's sick btw)

 

[RODAN]

i dont get hinamatsuri. everyones praising it as some groundbreaking comedy, but like, theres no jokes. wheres the jokes. the last 2 eps have felt like a generic slightly average SoL show. ep 1 was pretty good but its petered off since then i think.

 

[Da Letter El]

Most anime comedies whose identity revolves around being a comedy aren't very good/funny, this isn't news

Note: haven't seen hinamatsuri and do not plan to

 

[Martin]

IDK, Hinamatsuri is pretty funny most of the time imo; it’s made me laugh at least once per ep with the exception of ep 4 (usually more than once though). It’s less that it’s funny because it’s a stream of jokes like Joshiraku or a series of punchlines that are timed to be executed every few seconds like Porrige or Friends, but rather it’s funny to me more because just the events unfolding are generally just kinda funny to experience happening, usually because they’re totally absurd and/or paired with clever sound direction (the best example is the yakuza massacre scene from episode 1 (I laughed at that scene for a minute straight) but it seems to something the show has consistently executed very effectively). It’s the kind of thing I think you’ll either find very funny or not find funny at all though, so I can kinda understand why you might not be enjoying it so much.

 

[Mr.E]

I think today will be the day I embark on a journey a couple years in the making: Gosick.

In other news, Twitch was having another mini anime marathon thing of sorts Saturday, showing the first episode of some recent anime with various language subtitles (including unsubbed JP the first go around) to advertise their (Amazon) shit in the wake of rolling their Anime Strike service into Prime benefits. I decided to check it out because chat memes and I had nothing better to do while multitasking shitstone quests. My impressions:

Killing Bites
What is this? This is... Killing Bites! AKA fanservicey trash that knows and wholeheartedly embraces its trashiness. Not for me but I respect it. Thanks for the tits, Twitch. Although apparently there are no more naked tiddies after Ep 1, according to anonymous Twitch chat denizens, in which case respect- for reeling it in a bit.

Magical Girl Site
Jesus Christ, this might be the edgiest edgy edgelord shit that has ever existed. Would consider watching for the sole reason it's so over-the-top it's actually comical. Maybe this show is the comedy y'alls in this topic need. Fuck bullies though, adults please fucking police this shit a bit holy hell.

Beatless
Interesting premise that probably falls by the wayside of pandering with generic robot waifus. Is this Darling in the Franxx with waifus who are robots instead of waifus piloting robots? Much as I despise the Cult of Imouto, she seems like the best character.

Love is Hard for Otaku (Wotaku)
As a Real Gamer®, I don't need to be familiar with Monster Hunter memes to know what a "desire sensor" is. Got a good chuckle out of that. Good shit, except girl-protag's blatant pandering with regard to green-chan's chesticles. (Even my beloved Shirobako engages in this faux pas... WHY?!?!?! Are chicks even more obsessive about breast size than men? Edit: Brief application of Google-Fu suggest this might actually be true.) I'll actually watch this one someday, cute and relateable... minus the ever actually having such a relationship part. *ahem* also reverse traps

Kokkoku
Neat concept. Solely based on what I saw on-screen I am interested in finding out more, but reviews seem to be rather critical of it never actually going anywhere.

After The Rain
Not totally turned off but probably shifts down my PTW priority list a bit due to being a little too melodramatic? I still love the concept, the art direction, and it otherwise didn't offend my sensibilities. I want some backstory on the whole track dealio and more of Track-chan.

Chi's Sweet Adventure
Mindless children's programming.

 

[Martin]

The Rurouni Kenshin prequel OVA is a 10/10 masterpiece. I don't like comparing it to the TV series though, if only because its tone and purpose are so drastically different to the tone and purpose of the TV series. Rurouni Kenshin was the best battle shounen before I watched the OVA anyway.

 

[Rugi]

fumikiri jikan episode 6 was one of the weirdest things ive watched in a while, recommend

 

[Martin]

HisoMaso ED sung by either actual French people or ppl who know how to actually pronounce French instead of being sung in Japanese-French:

 

[TMan87]

HisoMaso ED sung by either actual French people or ppl who know how to actually pronounce French instead of being sung in Japanese-French:

That's because it's an actual song from an actual French singer:

 

[Martin]

That's because it's an actual song from an actual French singer:

Nice; it's good being able to hear the syllables (which I've been having a hard time doing w/ the seiyuus singing it in the anime), as it's an enjoyable song to listen to.

 

[tcr]

Anyone else in here read Tower of God?

I've been following this manwha for a solid 2 years now. I don't really watch anime anymore and the only thing I read is One Piece (or at least I'm trying to, I'm at Fishman Island arc right now but its slow af so school and Criminal Minds has taken up a majority of my time), but I still make sure to read the Tower of God releases. It releases every Sunday / Monday at midnight EST, and is quite a ride. It can be a little confusing I guess, as since its a manwha it doesn't really follow much conventionally and some of the jokes and stuff go over the head of a normal reader. It's premise is that in some universe, there is a tower. This tower has 130+ floors to it, where people can climb to achieve their wildest dreams. As a result it attracts a ton of competition of people looking to climb to the top and become a "Ranker" (person who completed the tower). The catch is, only those born in the tower, called "Regulars," can climb it. The main character, Twenty-fifth Baam, is what is referred to as an "Irregular," that is someone who comes from outside the tower. He basically forced his way into the tower, a feat almost unheard of and to the residents of the tower speaks of ill omens, as every other Irregular that has climbed the tower has been immensely powerful and changed the tower in dangerous and intriguing ways. The worldbuilding that the author has is INCREDIBLE. I think maybe only like HxH or One Piece have built up a world as fantastic as this one, as I'm about 400 chapters in and still there are tons of proposed questions that need answered. The fighting system can be a little complicated but its just like manipulating chakra, or haki, or whatever, sometimes swordplay and sometimes a more magic based system.

Anyone else read this and want to discuss it at all?

Also I was wondering if someone could point me to when One Piece gets good again? the war arc was inSANE and i loved it but after the timeskip it REALLY slowed down. Does it get much better and if so what arcs are on par with that form of buildup?

 

[Lemonade]

I'm a fan, been reading since like 2013 (wow, didn't realize how long that's been). I enjoy the secretly (or not so) super powerful character trope in general, which Tower of God has ton of. I really like the unwritten lore I guess, where historical things have been / will be relevant once they are revealed more. The current arc was very cool to see in this regard.

I'm not too sure how I feel about the tower structure though, it kinda gives the author the freedom to create any setting which is cool, but the floors feel mostly separate.

 

[trace]

I'm also a huge fan of ToG, simply one of my favorite webtoon/manhwa. fuckin love urek

 

[P Squared]

Also I was wondering if someone could point me to when One Piece gets good again? the war arc was inSANE and i loved it but after the timeskip it REALLY slowed down. Does it get much better and if so what arcs are on par with that form of buildup?

Speaking for myself, the only post-timeskip arc I’ve liked is Fishman Island. Really haven’t enjoyed anything past that besides a couple of scenes or developments. I’d say the popular sentiment is that the arc that just finished (Whole Cake Island) is pretty good, but I had a lot of problems with that one too. I always hate the whole “ugh the earlier games/arcs/etc were better” thing but that’s how I feel about One Piece...

 

[Aladyyn]

Speaking for myself, the only post-timeskip arc I’ve liked is Fishman Island. Really haven’t enjoyed anything past that besides a couple of scenes or developments. I’d say the popular sentiment is that the arc that just finished (Whole Cake Island) is pretty good, but I had a lot of problems with that one too. I always hate the whole “ugh the earlier games/arcs/etc were better” thing but that’s how I feel about One Piece...

I hope there's some medicine for that.

tcr Fishman Island sucks, the arc after it is pretty good and after that it gets super good again (people complained about Dresrossa when it was on-going but it doesn't really drag much when you binge it)

 

[Winry]

glad to see there's no mention of franxx for 2 pages cause everywhere else I go people are raving about it but the latest episode basically just confirmed for me that it's not very good and I don't think the last episodes can save it

basically for drama anime I feel like everything should serve a purpose: the main characters, the supporting ones, the setting. but I don't think the setting really doesn't anything for franxx other than 02 and hiro. you cant just throw in all these characters—a monster plus kids with emotions—in a pot and use the world to justify why they are isolated if you never explain the world. everybody in real life has emotions like the main characters, so them being the only ones with emotions is not special at all if there is no meaning placed behind it. why does the setting need to be the way it is for the story to progress? for the drama to be unique to the story? right now just take the main squad and put them in any other setting where they are forcibly isolated while growing up for one reason or another, because I don’t see how the franxx/klaxosaur/dystopia is doing anything for the story and for their development. for example: a research facility in a modern society, zombie apocalypse, a leftover society like ttgl's, etc

if the story is really just about the characters growing up and about their relationships then why does the setting have to be a dystopia, other than for it to serve a purpose to justify as to why they are locked up and isolated? right now they are just giving us too many questions and almost no answers, which tells me that they are probably just going to do a huge infodump at the end, which is pretty shit storytelling/worldbuilding if you ask me. ending infodumps can be good, but you can't use it to explain literally EVERYTHING.

it's episode 18 of franxx and we have no idea who papa is, why the franxx works and why each pairing is why it is, why 02 exists in the first place and why nobody questions on why she's not human, what happened when zorome met with the outside lady, why the klaxosaurs are attacking, why there are humanoid klaxosaurs and nonhuman ones, why the kids are isolated ("to test" them I guess but again that just seems like an excuse for the kids to have dramatic emotions), who the nines are, why 02 can pilot the franxx by herself, etc etc. they don't even have to give REAL answers, for example, in ttgl, we knew the beastmen were attacking because they wanted to keep the humans off the surface. we didnt know WHY but at least we knew their basic motivation. the klaxosaurs? nothing.

just waiting for episode 24 when they reveal 02 is a klaxosaur and then 02 and hiro defeat the Big Bad Boss together after proclaiming they love each other. i would love to be proven wrong, but.....

 

[Kalalokki]

Anyone else in here read Tower of God?

I've been following this manwha for a solid 2 years now. I don't really watch anime anymore and the only thing I read is One Piece (or at least I'm trying to, I'm at Fishman Island arc right now but its slow af so school and Criminal Minds has taken up a majority of my time), but I still make sure to read the Tower of God releases. It releases every Sunday / Monday at midnight EST, and is quite a ride. It can be a little confusing I guess, as since its a manwha it doesn't really follow much conventionally and some of the jokes and stuff go over the head of a normal reader. It's premise is that in some universe, there is a tower. This tower has 130+ floors to it, where people can climb to achieve their wildest dreams. As a result it attracts a ton of competition of people looking to climb to the top and become a "Ranker" (person who completed the tower). The catch is, only those born in the tower, called "Regulars," can climb it. The main character, Twenty-fifth Baam, is what is referred to as an "Irregular," that is someone who comes from outside the tower. He basically forced his way into the tower, a feat almost unheard of and to the residents of the tower speaks of ill omens, as every other Irregular that has climbed the tower has been immensely powerful and changed the tower in dangerous and intriguing ways. The worldbuilding that the author has is INCREDIBLE. I think maybe only like HxH or One Piece have built up a world as fantastic as this one, as I'm about 400 chapters in and still there are tons of proposed questions that need answered. The fighting system can be a little complicated but its just like manipulating chakra, or haki, or whatever, sometimes swordplay and sometimes a more magic based system.

Anyone else read this and want to discuss it at all?

Also I was wondering if someone could point me to when One Piece gets good again? the war arc was inSANE and i loved it but after the timeskip it REALLY slowed down. Does it get much better and if so what arcs are on par with that form of buildup?

I used to read Tower of God, haven't tho in well over a year now since I both forgot about it and the reader I preferred for it went down. It was fun and expansive, but it also was confusing in general as you said. I remember disliking the childhood friend turning villain, never read long enough to see how it ended up. Might decide to pick it up once more one day.