Another boring episode of Taboo Tattoo. I guess I should just drop it now.
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The Anime / Manga Thread (MK2) | Beware Spoilers
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I was reading ReLIFE and I noticed something. I'm not sure if this is deliberate or just a coincidence or what, but regardless I thought it was kinda neat.
Anyway yeah the e-comic is better than it's already-good adaptation from what I've read of it so far so defo check it out when you get the chance (it's on crunchyroll manga if you're interested).
The two observers from ReLIFE Laboratory have the same brown/blonde (hard to tell; i think it's brown but it may be dirty blonde) hair colour whereas the two test subjects have black hair.
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The duwang man is finally here
What a time to be alive
What a time to be alive
https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/4yjgce/zaregoto_series_confirmed_as_8part_ova_series/
Zaregoto is NisioIsin's first work, I think, and the first book has an adaptation confirmed by SHAFT. SHAFT's work is never done, fucking hype.
Zaregoto is NisioIsin's first work, I think, and the first book has an adaptation confirmed by SHAFT. SHAFT's work is never done, fucking hype.
Wow glad you posted this, I was interested in Zaregoto a few years ago, but I could only find the 4 first volumes translated at the time so I kinda gave it up. NisioIsin's stuff is usually hard to adapt because of the heavy-dialogue style and his use of uncommon words and expressions (quite rare for light novels)
I hope the adaptation is good and that SHAFT doesnt pull off a Bakemonogatari and delays it or whatever, which is a possibility seeing it's an OVA.
Is it bad that I like Qualidea Code more after every episode?
Like, episodes 1-3 were awful, but then the plot shifted and it has become a show which I am actually kinda looking forward to each week despite it's action being entirely actionless. I could talk about it in detail, but it's kinda difficult to explain why I like the show as a whole 'cause it isn't exactly spectacular (that an noone'll read it if I go too in-depth), but two of the aspects that I like about it are the dynamic between Asuha and Kasumi and
The show is just more enjoyable than crap like Taboo Tattoo for various reasons that I won't list now, and I just thought I'd mention it 'cause I've not seen anyone talking about this show at all anywhere on the internet other than episode-specific MAL threads which I don't really like contributing to or reading.
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Anyway yeah my order of enjoyment for shows this season (not including Re: Zero, Ace Attorney or ReLIFE (ReLIFE is the best new show imo other than maybe 91 Days and Orange on a technical level) is Orange>Shokugeki>91 Days>Aldermarin=Qualidia Code=Mob Psycho>Amaama to Inazuma>New Game!>Amanchuu=Rewrite>>>Taboo Tattoo. Anything else either I haven't been able to keep up to date with despite wanting to due to CR licencing in Australia (only Berserk), I'm not watching or I dropped. Taboo Tattoo is utter ass so if this week's episode (not watched yet) isn't good I'm gonna drop it on the spot 'cause I don't give two fucks about any of the characters, the action is boring, the plot is boring and I'm not drawn in by the pandering.
Like, episodes 1-3 were awful, but then the plot shifted and it has become a show which I am actually kinda looking forward to each week despite it's action being entirely actionless. I could talk about it in detail, but it's kinda difficult to explain why I like the show as a whole 'cause it isn't exactly spectacular (that an noone'll read it if I go too in-depth), but two of the aspects that I like about it are the dynamic between Asuha and Kasumi and
the fact that it isn't afraid to cut out the influence of key protagonits (by killing them off in some way or another) to change the direction of the plot. (For the sake of comparison, being afraid to kill protagonists is one of the bigger reasons among hundreds for why SAO is awful (it creates a setup where death is meaningful (if you're dead you're dead) and then saves Yui through the power of bullshit) while a lack of fear is a major strength of other shows like FMAB (the death of Maes Hughes means that the show can no longer lean on him to help advance the plot).)
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Anyway yeah my order of enjoyment for shows this season (not including Re: Zero, Ace Attorney or ReLIFE (ReLIFE is the best new show imo other than maybe 91 Days and Orange on a technical level) is Orange>Shokugeki>91 Days>Aldermarin=Qualidia Code=Mob Psycho>Amaama to Inazuma>New Game!>Amanchuu=Rewrite>>>Taboo Tattoo. Anything else either I haven't been able to keep up to date with despite wanting to due to CR licencing in Australia (only Berserk), I'm not watching or I dropped. Taboo Tattoo is utter ass so if this week's episode (not watched yet) isn't good I'm gonna drop it on the spot 'cause I don't give two fucks about any of the characters, the action is boring, the plot is boring and I'm not drawn in by the pandering.
binge watched about 20 episodes of re:zero last night so i'm fully caught up. the show had a lot of stellar moments in the first ~15 episodes or so and has been declining from there, the last arc in particular with the white whale has been a mess in terms of pacing, is very generic shounen stuff, and in general lacks all of the things that previously set it apart from other shows in the genre
the plot is exciting and the VAs are doing a great job, but the characters are iffy. the romances are nice on the surface but they're actually pretty hard to justify if you think about them for a bit - it's hard to understand the extent of Subaru/Rem's devotion to Emilia/Subaru, respectively. i do like that they're shaking up the formula though, with Subaru getting punished for behaving like, well, Kirito, and for Emilia calling him out on his manic pixie dream girl bullshit. solid 8/10 for me so far, it's very entertaining but isn't anywhere close to the holy grail of anime
also picked up hyouka again today after pausing my first watch at episode 14 a few months ago, and it's as good as ever
meta discussion: thoughts on making this thread a dedicated anime discussion thread and having another one for manga? with bleach/naruto (and to a lesser extent nisekoi) ending, the only actively used manga threads are the One Piece and the SnK ones, so it might be nice to have another general thread for manga to discuss newer series (shokugeki, BnHA, tokyo ghoul: re) where 90% of the existing discussion isn't about anime
the plot is exciting and the VAs are doing a great job, but the characters are iffy. the romances are nice on the surface but they're actually pretty hard to justify if you think about them for a bit - it's hard to understand the extent of Subaru/Rem's devotion to Emilia/Subaru, respectively. i do like that they're shaking up the formula though, with Subaru getting punished for behaving like, well, Kirito, and for Emilia calling him out on his manic pixie dream girl bullshit. solid 8/10 for me so far, it's very entertaining but isn't anywhere close to the holy grail of anime
also picked up hyouka again today after pausing my first watch at episode 14 a few months ago, and it's as good as ever
meta discussion: thoughts on making this thread a dedicated anime discussion thread and having another one for manga? with bleach/naruto (and to a lesser extent nisekoi) ending, the only actively used manga threads are the One Piece and the SnK ones, so it might be nice to have another general thread for manga to discuss newer series (shokugeki, BnHA, tokyo ghoul: re) where 90% of the existing discussion isn't about anime
I'm currently half way through this week's Orange, but I've paused halfway through because there was a lot of really good symbolism in the scene with the mat that I didn't want to forget in the second half before I talked about it.
Like I said I've not watched the rest of the episode yet so there may be more to come, but I really liked that scene and wanted to talk about it while it was still in my mind.
After Naho and Kakeru put down the mat to have a rest, Kakeru sits down and Naho follows suit, taking a step to edge towards Kakeru before sitting down but still leaving a large gap between her and Kakeru. One thing of note here is the framing of the shot; it is shot directly in front of that outdoor walkway with one of the supports between Kakeru and Naho, acting like a barrier between them to show that there is still a lot of the tension between them even with the conflict regarding hand-holding having been resolved, showing that they are still not entirely comfortable with the idea of having a relationship and also being pretty symbolic of both of their insecurities (with this scene putting a big focus on Kakeru's own insecurity in particular). The other thing that this barrier does is that it prevents Kakeru from opening up to Naho and vice versa, meaning that as long as there is a barrier within their relationship they will never be able to be completely honest with each-other about a lot of things, and if Naho is not able to break through this barrier she may never be able to successfuly save Kakeru. The thing that solidifies the barrier concept for me is that there is still something between the two of them when the camera is positioned behind them, with there being a tree which has been used in exactly the same way as the tree in ERASED's ingenious park scene from episode two, where it acted like a barrier that stopped Kayo and Satoru opening up to and connecting with one another fully so long as it was both in-shot and between the two characters, and the barrier is basically acting in the same way here. The fact that Naho has made the attempt to edge towards Kakeru before sitting down is indicative that she is trying to break through this barrier but lacks the strength to fully close the gap between them (also note how she sits in front of the next support along from the barrier support, leaving her un-boxed while Kakeru is boxed in the space between two adjacent supports) while the fact that Kakeru just went immediately from a carrying position to a sitting position is also suggestive that she is moving forward and making progress emotionally whereas Kakeru is failing to push forward due to the implied difficulty with coming to terms regarding his mother. The mat itself is also a really nice piece of symbolism in it's own right, but I will come back to later because it is a big part of what makes this scene as good as it is later on.
They have a chat, with the barrier being present through out the scene for most of the angles where they are both fully in-shot, and then go to pick up the mat again. Kakeru's ankle hurts, Naho takes a minute to fully register it. However, when the other main characters come to help the scene gains more meat for what could have easily ended up moving straight on after their conversation. They all grab a handle to the mat and comment on how Kakeru's ankle is hurting and how he should've told them. Then they ask if the athletic meet is boring him and the camera pans over all of the characters other than Kakeru, seemingly being viewed through his eyes. Please note how Naho is located in the centre, drawing attention to her in the shots throughout the rest of the scene, and also amplifying the importance of how it is her who mentions how he shouldn't be afraid to lend them an ear with his troubles. When Kakeru apologises for lying and explains that his mother is gone, the camera moves to have all six characters in shot. The barrier is no longer in place, with Naho overlapping Kakeru--there is no longer a gap between the two of them like there was when they were sat on the mat and when it was shot from the side--and anything that could act as a barrier between Kakeru and any member of the cast is obscured by one of the characters (in this case, Azu is standing in the way of a support pillar with Takako overlapping her so that it is not between her and Kakeru). The camera angle when he is asked if he is down because she couldn't be there has a tree between him and Azu,
temporarily re-erecting the barrier, but it quickly moves out of shot again as he continues to open up. There are no barriers throughout the rest of this scene, and towards the end when he is told that he shouldn't have to carry it (the mat) if it's heavy and that his friends are there for him, that cliché anime wind appears and provides animation to the characters' hair, with the scene giving Kakeru emphasis with this to show his happiness at that statement, and then the music is brought up as he lets go of the mat. This is where the mat's symbolism comes into play, as the mat is like his burdens--the weight on his heart caused by his uncertainty--and how they have been lifted by him opening up to his friends. From here, the scene is over and the show moves on.
They have a chat, with the barrier being present through out the scene for most of the angles where they are both fully in-shot, and then go to pick up the mat again. Kakeru's ankle hurts, Naho takes a minute to fully register it. However, when the other main characters come to help the scene gains more meat for what could have easily ended up moving straight on after their conversation. They all grab a handle to the mat and comment on how Kakeru's ankle is hurting and how he should've told them. Then they ask if the athletic meet is boring him and the camera pans over all of the characters other than Kakeru, seemingly being viewed through his eyes. Please note how Naho is located in the centre, drawing attention to her in the shots throughout the rest of the scene, and also amplifying the importance of how it is her who mentions how he shouldn't be afraid to lend them an ear with his troubles. When Kakeru apologises for lying and explains that his mother is gone, the camera moves to have all six characters in shot. The barrier is no longer in place, with Naho overlapping Kakeru--there is no longer a gap between the two of them like there was when they were sat on the mat and when it was shot from the side--and anything that could act as a barrier between Kakeru and any member of the cast is obscured by one of the characters (in this case, Azu is standing in the way of a support pillar with Takako overlapping her so that it is not between her and Kakeru). The camera angle when he is asked if he is down because she couldn't be there has a tree between him and Azu,
temporarily re-erecting the barrier, but it quickly moves out of shot again as he continues to open up. There are no barriers throughout the rest of this scene, and towards the end when he is told that he shouldn't have to carry it (the mat) if it's heavy and that his friends are there for him, that cliché anime wind appears and provides animation to the characters' hair, with the scene giving Kakeru emphasis with this to show his happiness at that statement, and then the music is brought up as he lets go of the mat. This is where the mat's symbolism comes into play, as the mat is like his burdens--the weight on his heart caused by his uncertainty--and how they have been lifted by him opening up to his friends. From here, the scene is over and the show moves on.
assorted thoughts
re:zero - last episode breathed a little more life into the show but it's still pretty generic, hopefully the last two episodes finish strong
shokugeki S2 - election finals were fantastic and nailed the balance of SoL to cooking/misc that the first season had down pat. the second season has been far weaker in terms of pacing but I don't think that's the anime's fault, since they've actually been pretty faithful adapting the source material as of late. it's more that the election itself works better in a manga format and is more exhausting and repetitive if it's taken in as an anime. the stagiare arc should be good and has the potential to be amazing
mob psycho 100 - episode 8 was LIT and this show looks to get very intense. 9 was calmer but the last few episodes have been a huge improvement over the first 3-ish episodes of the show
kiznaiver - finished this about an hour ago. this show is not at all what i thought it would be, and turned out to be more like a sci-fi/SoL series when i thought it was going to be a battle anime or something. TRIGGER's style comes through in a lot of scenes (niko's character is particularly reminiscent of mako from KLK on several occasions). the plot, or what plot there is to speak of, is kind of a mess and the finale doesn't make a whole ton of sense, which is also how i felt about dimension W earlier in the year - the difference is that kiznaiver actually made me give a shit about its characters and also happens to be a character-driven show, so i enjoyed it a lot more because of that
saekano - i started this one five minutes ago because i wanted to watch it for thelegs fanservice and let me. tell you a thing. i am getting my money's worth of fanservice in this show
EDIT: oh right, how could I forget about
hyouka - really gorgeous show with a ton of depth to it and fantastic character work. i highly recommend bobduh's hyouka essays if you watch this show because i agreed with basically everything he said. my main problem is that most of the time, i missed a lot of these details on my own watch and had to read the episode's essay in order to really "get the point" of that episode
re:zero - last episode breathed a little more life into the show but it's still pretty generic, hopefully the last two episodes finish strong
shokugeki S2 - election finals were fantastic and nailed the balance of SoL to cooking/misc that the first season had down pat. the second season has been far weaker in terms of pacing but I don't think that's the anime's fault, since they've actually been pretty faithful adapting the source material as of late. it's more that the election itself works better in a manga format and is more exhausting and repetitive if it's taken in as an anime. the stagiare arc should be good and has the potential to be amazing
mob psycho 100 - episode 8 was LIT and this show looks to get very intense. 9 was calmer but the last few episodes have been a huge improvement over the first 3-ish episodes of the show
kiznaiver - finished this about an hour ago. this show is not at all what i thought it would be, and turned out to be more like a sci-fi/SoL series when i thought it was going to be a battle anime or something. TRIGGER's style comes through in a lot of scenes (niko's character is particularly reminiscent of mako from KLK on several occasions). the plot, or what plot there is to speak of, is kind of a mess and the finale doesn't make a whole ton of sense, which is also how i felt about dimension W earlier in the year - the difference is that kiznaiver actually made me give a shit about its characters and also happens to be a character-driven show, so i enjoyed it a lot more because of that
saekano - i started this one five minutes ago because i wanted to watch it for the
EDIT: oh right, how could I forget about
hyouka - really gorgeous show with a ton of depth to it and fantastic character work. i highly recommend bobduh's hyouka essays if you watch this show because i agreed with basically everything he said. my main problem is that most of the time, i missed a lot of these details on my own watch and had to read the episode's essay in order to really "get the point" of that episode
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lets post 3x3s again in honour of our boy digibro
Alright from top left to right
Tatami Galaxy is the first anime that has every truly inspired me to be a better person, it had such a concise and well told story that if you arent smiling at the end youre insane.
Samurai Champloo gets by almost on aesthetic alone for me, its such a cool blend of modern and classic. It doesn't have the characters of bebop, or the same conceptual ideas behind space dandy. But on a personal level, champloo is definitely my favourite of watanabes works.
Kemonozume is weird, its really fucking weird. But it has this really compelling love story at the centre. And that along with some really awesome characters, great scenery and one of the saddest episodes i've ever seen makes this list. The final third is a little TOO weird at some times though. Also this show is ugly.
Digimon Tamers was my first favourite show, I always grew up on Digimon and so seeing a much darker take on something I grew up on was really compelling to me. It has seriously some of the most soul crushing moments of all time in here. It will make you feel like absolute shit on multiple occasions. Which is to be expected, as it has the same writer of Serial Experiments Lain.
Kekkai Sensen is the most unique and creative show I have watched in my 3 years of simulwatching anime. It is so impressively directed, the sound is AMAZING, the visuals are AMAZING. The characters are awesome, and theres tons upon tons of hype moments. And to balance it out theres some really calming moments and some real tearjerkers. And comedy. Watch this damn show.
Milennium Actress is the only movie on my list, and in my opinion Kon's best work. It details a woman who found love at a young age but lost it. And she retells the stories through the movies she acted in. I'm not going to talk much more about this, but the ending made me cry more than any other scene in anime ever.
Jojo's Bizarre Adventures is just the most fun shounen there is. Not to discount the many many many emotional moments, of course. If you haven't at least checked out Jojo you gotta man.
Gunbuster is better than Evangelion. It is a lot more concisely told, has the same amount of teenage issues and has a really surreal time dilation plot. It really freaked me out a lot the first time I saw it. Noriko is one of my favourite anime characters of all time, and not just aesthetically. Oh and also it was inspired by Top Gun. AND the entire final episode is in black and white. That is a ballsy move.
End of Evangelion is just as good as Gunbuster. Its a perfect cap to NGE, and if you included this with Eva, like you should you would probably agree. The Komm Susser Tod section of this movie is one of the most haunting and stressful moments you will ever see. Hyperbole, but it was for me.
Alright from top left to right
Tatami Galaxy is the first anime that has every truly inspired me to be a better person, it had such a concise and well told story that if you arent smiling at the end youre insane.
Samurai Champloo gets by almost on aesthetic alone for me, its such a cool blend of modern and classic. It doesn't have the characters of bebop, or the same conceptual ideas behind space dandy. But on a personal level, champloo is definitely my favourite of watanabes works.
Kemonozume is weird, its really fucking weird. But it has this really compelling love story at the centre. And that along with some really awesome characters, great scenery and one of the saddest episodes i've ever seen makes this list. The final third is a little TOO weird at some times though. Also this show is ugly.
Digimon Tamers was my first favourite show, I always grew up on Digimon and so seeing a much darker take on something I grew up on was really compelling to me. It has seriously some of the most soul crushing moments of all time in here. It will make you feel like absolute shit on multiple occasions. Which is to be expected, as it has the same writer of Serial Experiments Lain.
Kekkai Sensen is the most unique and creative show I have watched in my 3 years of simulwatching anime. It is so impressively directed, the sound is AMAZING, the visuals are AMAZING. The characters are awesome, and theres tons upon tons of hype moments. And to balance it out theres some really calming moments and some real tearjerkers. And comedy. Watch this damn show.
Milennium Actress is the only movie on my list, and in my opinion Kon's best work. It details a woman who found love at a young age but lost it. And she retells the stories through the movies she acted in. I'm not going to talk much more about this, but the ending made me cry more than any other scene in anime ever.
Jojo's Bizarre Adventures is just the most fun shounen there is. Not to discount the many many many emotional moments, of course. If you haven't at least checked out Jojo you gotta man.
Gunbuster is better than Evangelion. It is a lot more concisely told, has the same amount of teenage issues and has a really surreal time dilation plot. It really freaked me out a lot the first time I saw it. Noriko is one of my favourite anime characters of all time, and not just aesthetically. Oh and also it was inspired by Top Gun. AND the entire final episode is in black and white. That is a ballsy move.
End of Evangelion is just as good as Gunbuster. Its a perfect cap to NGE, and if you included this with Eva, like you should you would probably agree. The Komm Susser Tod section of this movie is one of the most haunting and stressful moments you will ever see. Hyperbole, but it was for me.
I don't think my last one was a very accurate depiction+was mostly rendered useless within about a month of me making it due to attitude shifts etc. I've not included movies, but if I had it'd have Wolf Children and Grave of the Fireflies on there.
In no particular order:
In no particular order:
Left-->Right, Top-->Bottom
Inazuma Eleven: This was the first show I watched to completion not counting Pokémon. It stands very strong despite being a kids show and has left a lasting impression on me. I have chosen the image of Endou using God Hand because it p. much embodies the entire nature of the series and of the weak overcoming challenges to become stronger.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: Between it's incredible writing with entertaining, well-choreographed fighting and range of well-crafted (and sometimes very quotable) characters and motives (among other things), there is something that almost everyone will like about FMAB. Also I love it's OST and think that it's OPs/EDs are almost all incredibly good. I have chosen this picture because it showcases the vast majority of the cast, with the thing that I think is one of the show's strongest assets being it's ability to have such a wide range of characters while still making them all believable/"likable" (for lack of a better term) while also highlighting that there aren't really any "good guys" or "bad guys" in the traditional sense in this show--which is where a lot of fiction falls flat.
Serial Experiments Lain: This show is a masterpiece of abstract thought. It's the kind of show that really needs to be watched two or three times to get a complete sense of what is going on and what the key messages/concepts the show is trying to get across are, but if you put the effort in to do so it is definitely worth it. On your first watch you are about as confused as Lain is, but between it's interesting art style and really well-designed set of metaphors it is definitely one of the shows that I think that absolutely everyone should watch. Unlike Madoka, which presents an ever-increasing range of questions to it's characters, Lain presents an increasing number of questions to it's viewer to keep you yearning for more and to encourage re-watches to truly understand the nature of the story. I have chosen this image because it strikes an immediate sense of intrigue through it being a simple scenario that doesn't appear to be quite what it seems at a glance, namely through the attire and the fact that she is surrounded by wires and computers in a dark room.
Kino no Tabi: Kino's Journey is just something which I personally really liked. It's interesting design choices and it's way of introducing us to a wide range of unique (sometimes weird) countries which all contain some criticisms of aspects of real society and an interesting range of personalities just leads to a very well-crafted show, and it's extremely loose sense of continuity/overarching plot along with it's small side stories integrated into it (such as the story of the travelling couple) means that it doesn't fall into the trap that some similar SoL shows have a tendency to fall into. I couldn't find the picture that I wanted to use on Google so I just chose one to show the relationship between Kino and Hermes, but ideally I would have chosen one with Sakura from the final episode to just highlight the range of personalities we were introduced to and showing how the show almost leads to Kino coming back full circle while highlighting what was the most solid episode the entire series.
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: If you've talked to me more than three or four times you will know that I love Madoka Magica. It really does deserve the acclaim it recieves betwen it's well-crafted plot and believable sense of gradually-increasing dispair. The way that it subverts it's genre without falling flat just further increases the strength of the series, and when combined with it's incredible OST and well-planned, abstract and continuously darkening art style it just really results in a masterpiece. I wish it handled it's ending slightly better though. I have chosen this picture because it highlights the sense of the supposed pointlessness of Homura's mission while just generally depicting the whole sense of dispair well (although I saw a shot of Madoka's face on google which highlights this aspect better).
AnoHana: I could type out it's full name (I have it in memory) but that would look pretentious so I won't. Anohana is a show which means a huge amount to me personally. It is one of the first shows I watched, and it's well crafted characters combined with just how immensely powerful some of the scenes are (especially later on) has left a big impression on me, and it's nature as a tearjerker definitely has stuck with me to the point where it has been a big part of me identifying my tastes in anime. The reason that I have chosen the image I have is because it really shows what the show builds up to in one of the most powerful scenes I have seen in any show, and between the choice of line and me imagining Secret Base playing as I look at the image just makes it feel like the perfect image to represent what the show does best.
ReLIFE: I love ReLIFE. Seriously, I enjoyed this more than I am currently enjoying 91 Days--although I think that ultimately unless it turns to shit 91 Days is my definite projection for AoTY at this point. While I can respect which is the better show, the thing which makes ReLIFE really stick out for me (aside from the fact it is completed and 91 Days isn't) is that it is my favorite show within the SoL high school comedy/drama sub-sub-genre. While Sakamoto Desu Ga edges it out as a comedy, I think it's ability to out-do almost everything within the saturated high school drama/comedy fusion sub-sub-genre just really makes it feel more impressive on the whole for me. Hishiro is literally like a female equivalent of me with regards to a lot of aspects of her personality, so yeah that's also a draw with regards to character relatability. My choice of picture is because it sort of encompasses the interesting sense of humour and character that the show creates and because it does a good job of highlighting the three main groups of characters (I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but if you have you'll get what I mean).
Shinsekai Yori: Another abstract show which is a nice middle ground between FMAB's sense of a grand story, Lain's presentation of abstract themes and concepts and Madoka's sense of ever-increasing dispair/increasing number of questions for it's characters. The fact that there is something in this to appeal to every type of audience is great, and with it's good writing and direction combined with a minimal but well-integrated OST and an art style that quickly grows on you, it is just really memorable on the whole. There is no picture that I felt could fully put across what I like about this (similarly to words, as I just really like it without being able to truly explain it), so I have just taken a depiction the cast from it's official poster.
Non Non Biyori: This show is relaxing, has incredibly likable characters, is incredible at using subtle humour and just makes me reminisce about being a child. Is there really anything else to say about this other than that there aren't many major flaws with the way it is set up/executed and I love the way that it's sequel repeated the same year to provide a better sense of continuity, develop the characters further and to better fill in the gaps between episodes. I have chosen this image because the scene with the cherry tree at the start of the series does a really good job of laying out what is to come with the series and really is a good depiction of everything that Non Non Biyori stands for.
Inazuma Eleven: This was the first show I watched to completion not counting Pokémon. It stands very strong despite being a kids show and has left a lasting impression on me. I have chosen the image of Endou using God Hand because it p. much embodies the entire nature of the series and of the weak overcoming challenges to become stronger.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: Between it's incredible writing with entertaining, well-choreographed fighting and range of well-crafted (and sometimes very quotable) characters and motives (among other things), there is something that almost everyone will like about FMAB. Also I love it's OST and think that it's OPs/EDs are almost all incredibly good. I have chosen this picture because it showcases the vast majority of the cast, with the thing that I think is one of the show's strongest assets being it's ability to have such a wide range of characters while still making them all believable/"likable" (for lack of a better term) while also highlighting that there aren't really any "good guys" or "bad guys" in the traditional sense in this show--which is where a lot of fiction falls flat.
Serial Experiments Lain: This show is a masterpiece of abstract thought. It's the kind of show that really needs to be watched two or three times to get a complete sense of what is going on and what the key messages/concepts the show is trying to get across are, but if you put the effort in to do so it is definitely worth it. On your first watch you are about as confused as Lain is, but between it's interesting art style and really well-designed set of metaphors it is definitely one of the shows that I think that absolutely everyone should watch. Unlike Madoka, which presents an ever-increasing range of questions to it's characters, Lain presents an increasing number of questions to it's viewer to keep you yearning for more and to encourage re-watches to truly understand the nature of the story. I have chosen this image because it strikes an immediate sense of intrigue through it being a simple scenario that doesn't appear to be quite what it seems at a glance, namely through the attire and the fact that she is surrounded by wires and computers in a dark room.
Kino no Tabi: Kino's Journey is just something which I personally really liked. It's interesting design choices and it's way of introducing us to a wide range of unique (sometimes weird) countries which all contain some criticisms of aspects of real society and an interesting range of personalities just leads to a very well-crafted show, and it's extremely loose sense of continuity/overarching plot along with it's small side stories integrated into it (such as the story of the travelling couple) means that it doesn't fall into the trap that some similar SoL shows have a tendency to fall into. I couldn't find the picture that I wanted to use on Google so I just chose one to show the relationship between Kino and Hermes, but ideally I would have chosen one with Sakura from the final episode to just highlight the range of personalities we were introduced to and showing how the show almost leads to Kino coming back full circle while highlighting what was the most solid episode the entire series.
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: If you've talked to me more than three or four times you will know that I love Madoka Magica. It really does deserve the acclaim it recieves betwen it's well-crafted plot and believable sense of gradually-increasing dispair. The way that it subverts it's genre without falling flat just further increases the strength of the series, and when combined with it's incredible OST and well-planned, abstract and continuously darkening art style it just really results in a masterpiece. I wish it handled it's ending slightly better though. I have chosen this picture because it highlights the sense of the supposed pointlessness of Homura's mission while just generally depicting the whole sense of dispair well (although I saw a shot of Madoka's face on google which highlights this aspect better).
AnoHana: I could type out it's full name (I have it in memory) but that would look pretentious so I won't. Anohana is a show which means a huge amount to me personally. It is one of the first shows I watched, and it's well crafted characters combined with just how immensely powerful some of the scenes are (especially later on) has left a big impression on me, and it's nature as a tearjerker definitely has stuck with me to the point where it has been a big part of me identifying my tastes in anime. The reason that I have chosen the image I have is because it really shows what the show builds up to in one of the most powerful scenes I have seen in any show, and between the choice of line and me imagining Secret Base playing as I look at the image just makes it feel like the perfect image to represent what the show does best.
ReLIFE: I love ReLIFE. Seriously, I enjoyed this more than I am currently enjoying 91 Days--although I think that ultimately unless it turns to shit 91 Days is my definite projection for AoTY at this point. While I can respect which is the better show, the thing which makes ReLIFE really stick out for me (aside from the fact it is completed and 91 Days isn't) is that it is my favorite show within the SoL high school comedy/drama sub-sub-genre. While Sakamoto Desu Ga edges it out as a comedy, I think it's ability to out-do almost everything within the saturated high school drama/comedy fusion sub-sub-genre just really makes it feel more impressive on the whole for me. Hishiro is literally like a female equivalent of me with regards to a lot of aspects of her personality, so yeah that's also a draw with regards to character relatability. My choice of picture is because it sort of encompasses the interesting sense of humour and character that the show creates and because it does a good job of highlighting the three main groups of characters (I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but if you have you'll get what I mean).
Shinsekai Yori: Another abstract show which is a nice middle ground between FMAB's sense of a grand story, Lain's presentation of abstract themes and concepts and Madoka's sense of ever-increasing dispair/increasing number of questions for it's characters. The fact that there is something in this to appeal to every type of audience is great, and with it's good writing and direction combined with a minimal but well-integrated OST and an art style that quickly grows on you, it is just really memorable on the whole. There is no picture that I felt could fully put across what I like about this (similarly to words, as I just really like it without being able to truly explain it), so I have just taken a depiction the cast from it's official poster.
Non Non Biyori: This show is relaxing, has incredibly likable characters, is incredible at using subtle humour and just makes me reminisce about being a child. Is there really anything else to say about this other than that there aren't many major flaws with the way it is set up/executed and I love the way that it's sequel repeated the same year to provide a better sense of continuity, develop the characters further and to better fill in the gaps between episodes. I have chosen this image because the scene with the cherry tree at the start of the series does a really good job of laying out what is to come with the series and really is a good depiction of everything that Non Non Biyori stands for.
time to make a near season end show ranking of the stuff im still watching wew listed from best to worst of course.
91 Days / Mob Psycho 100: Honestly can't pick between these two as my AOTS but both are way better than some of the other stuff we have gotten in seasons past.
Amanchu: Extremely relaxing. It gives me serious summer feels and nostalgia.
Handa-kun: Hilarious, its like Sakamoto except the MC isn't really that good or cool. Easy choice for funniest show of the season.
Jojo: Had a bit of a drop off with the cinderella episode but it's back on full tilt now and I'm extremely excited.
Danganronpa Despair Arc: the good one
DAYS: Most improved show of the season for sure, the main character is a bit of a gayboy but the direction is spot on and it really gets you invested.
Ace Attorney: It still looks like a 5 year old animated it, but the source material is too good to fuck up. (I just finished 3 last week and it was such a trip)
Re:Zero: I can't tell if i like this show or not and it pisses me off
Active Raid S2: Just a solid continuation of the first season. Had some major balls in last weeks episode covering refugees and terrorist attacks and the left wing media.
Orange: Most depreciated show, it looks bad, the plot stagnated and both the main characters fucking suck now. wtf happened.
Shokugeki S2: The worst crime a show can commit is not being interesting. This show is way too fast paced for me to even give a shit anymore. S1 They put a lot of effort behind, but this whole season seems like an afterthought.
Danganronpa Future Arc: the bad one
91 Days / Mob Psycho 100: Honestly can't pick between these two as my AOTS but both are way better than some of the other stuff we have gotten in seasons past.
Amanchu: Extremely relaxing. It gives me serious summer feels and nostalgia.
Handa-kun: Hilarious, its like Sakamoto except the MC isn't really that good or cool. Easy choice for funniest show of the season.
Jojo: Had a bit of a drop off with the cinderella episode but it's back on full tilt now and I'm extremely excited.
Danganronpa Despair Arc: the good one
DAYS: Most improved show of the season for sure, the main character is a bit of a gayboy but the direction is spot on and it really gets you invested.
Ace Attorney: It still looks like a 5 year old animated it, but the source material is too good to fuck up. (I just finished 3 last week and it was such a trip)
Re:Zero: I can't tell if i like this show or not and it pisses me off
Active Raid S2: Just a solid continuation of the first season. Had some major balls in last weeks episode covering refugees and terrorist attacks and the left wing media.
Orange: Most depreciated show, it looks bad, the plot stagnated and both the main characters fucking suck now. wtf happened.
Shokugeki S2: The worst crime a show can commit is not being interesting. This show is way too fast paced for me to even give a shit anymore. S1 They put a lot of effort behind, but this whole season seems like an afterthought.
Danganronpa Future Arc: the bad one
can't really make a ranking personally because i'm only watching like 3 things, so i guess i'll do my (late) 3x3:
Shirobako - an anime about making anime with some really real characters, developed to the point where by episode 23 you're crying along with them because you know exactly how they feel
Tengan Toppa Gurren Lagann - one of my first anime ever, and filled with a ridiculous amount of hype that very few other anime have ever managed to reach. extremely enjoyable, especially as a casual viewer
Chihayafuru - another anime that I laud for its character work, and the only sports anime on this list. like shirobako, it's got characters that are both very human and very flawed
The Tatami Galaxy - echoing what RODAN said, this one is a lot about self-discovery and introspection. it's similar to Ping Pong and Hyouka in that regard, but I definitely identified more with the MC of this show - and its storytelling, art, and voice acting are all superb
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun - if you don't already know that this is my favorite anime, you know now. it's got an incredible amount of charm and the comedy is top-notch. the OST is memorable. the voice acting is incredible. season two when
Puella Magi Madoka Magica - Martin. covered this one as well. again, another show with great (flawed) characters coupled with ridiculously good production value and yuki kajiura's OST
Nichijou - another personal favorite, nichijou's humor is kind of hit-or-miss at times, but its peaks are some of the funniest scenes I've ever seen. ridiculously good animation, soundtrack, and voice acting, and a lovable, memorable cast
Kill La Kill - this one is just a ton of fun to watch, it's like some middle ground of TTGL's action and kiznaiver's character work while throwing its own unique spice into the mix. not without its fair share of flaws, but overall it's just flat-out enjoyable. I also sound like a broken record at this point, but the soundtrack is amazing and the cast is also very distinct
Psycho-Pass - honestly my favorite female MC out of basically any anime. akane is like 80% of the reason why I watch this show. psycho-pass isn't quite as subtle as some similar shows like Shinsekai yori or GitS, but akane more than makes up for it for me
after making this I realized that I generally tend to value the characters in an anime above basically everything else (bonus points if your show features a well-written female MC)
Shirobako - an anime about making anime with some really real characters, developed to the point where by episode 23 you're crying along with them because you know exactly how they feel
Tengan Toppa Gurren Lagann - one of my first anime ever, and filled with a ridiculous amount of hype that very few other anime have ever managed to reach. extremely enjoyable, especially as a casual viewer
Chihayafuru - another anime that I laud for its character work, and the only sports anime on this list. like shirobako, it's got characters that are both very human and very flawed
The Tatami Galaxy - echoing what RODAN said, this one is a lot about self-discovery and introspection. it's similar to Ping Pong and Hyouka in that regard, but I definitely identified more with the MC of this show - and its storytelling, art, and voice acting are all superb
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun - if you don't already know that this is my favorite anime, you know now. it's got an incredible amount of charm and the comedy is top-notch. the OST is memorable. the voice acting is incredible. season two when
Puella Magi Madoka Magica - Martin. covered this one as well. again, another show with great (flawed) characters coupled with ridiculously good production value and yuki kajiura's OST
Nichijou - another personal favorite, nichijou's humor is kind of hit-or-miss at times, but its peaks are some of the funniest scenes I've ever seen. ridiculously good animation, soundtrack, and voice acting, and a lovable, memorable cast
Kill La Kill - this one is just a ton of fun to watch, it's like some middle ground of TTGL's action and kiznaiver's character work while throwing its own unique spice into the mix. not without its fair share of flaws, but overall it's just flat-out enjoyable. I also sound like a broken record at this point, but the soundtrack is amazing and the cast is also very distinct
Psycho-Pass - honestly my favorite female MC out of basically any anime. akane is like 80% of the reason why I watch this show. psycho-pass isn't quite as subtle as some similar shows like Shinsekai yori or GitS, but akane more than makes up for it for me
after making this I realized that I generally tend to value the characters in an anime above basically everything else (bonus points if your show features a well-written female MC)
holy shit they played sorairo days in the saekano finale
it was really dumb but it was also aware that it was really dumb, which was nice. the fanservice itself (apart from episode 0) wasn't actually too bad, and was mostly long panning shots of the girls as opposed to "you walked in on me in the bathroom ~kyaaa". katou was actually a really refreshing character too
if you've seen monmusu then it was pretty much the same thing in terms of enjoyment and whatnot. solid 7/10 for me, was a lot of fun
double posting to point out that kimi no na wa is now #1 on MAL (it's a recent release) so there's a truckload of hype behind this movie. it's making a ton of money in japan from what I hear
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