Martian Successor Nadesico: It's effectively Futurama for the Japanese market, with a focus on Mecha. I've long loved sci-fi comedy and mecha... It should therefore be my kind of thing: but it isn't. I've yet to 'get' Japanese comedies. When i'm not fighting through a smokescreen of cultural references or differences I have no chance of understanding, i'm quietly smiling at jokes that pass me by because either the vomit-inducing american voice track, or the fact that reading TV comedy in subtitles simply isn't fun. Add to this the fact that Nadesico's characters are (intentionally) completely dislikeable (and the most hilarious and loveable character dies in the FIRST DAMNED VOLUME whilst the most worthy of death don't get the same treatment. DIE DIE DIE YURIKA DIE DIE DIE) and you have a six volume set on ebay as soon as I realise that giving it a second chance isn't worth the housemoving hassle it's going to cause.
My Neighbours the Yamadas and Azumanga Daioh, once again, I find the dubs irritating, and subs just don't carry a comedy. The animation is also a big problem here: the visual style of Yamadas is an interesting choice, but it's just another negative point when the rest of the movie isn't gripping you. Azumanga has lovely design and colours, but there is so very little animation. Azumanga is an energetic tale, so why isn't there more movement in the anime? It's a problem compounded by the drawing out of certain sequences unnecessarily. Again, Azumanga the Manga was snappy. 4 panels: bang, bang, bang, bang. You move on quickly through each joke. All in all, I do love the original Manga, but the Anime just isn't fun. It's practically sleep inducing. The story really could have been told in 13 episodes with a better effect. I really only found myself enjoying a handful of episodes... Osaka still works (because she's supposed to be slow and lacking energy and Yukari / Nyamo drips awesome anyway).
Cowboy Bebop, I won't say I don't like it... but I don't like it as much as I feel I want to. Yes, the music is awesome, but does that really matter? If I just want to listen to the cool music, I'll listen to the OST. The characters are kind of likeable... but I don't think we spend enough time learning about them, a criticism I have of the story as a whole: it's too episodic. I love some of those episodes out of the loop (Mushroom Samba is probably one of the most hilarious things I've seen in anime), but I find most of them unengaging, and there's too little time devoted to Spike / Julia / Viscious (which is consistantly great).
Ghost in the Shell movies. They're like the big brother of your best friend. You want to like them, because they frequently hang around with someone you value so highly, and you can see the similarities between them. Trouble is, your best friend's big brother is a lonely, violent pervert who alternates between monosyllabic 'conversations' with everyone around him and big flighty monologues that betray just how far he is up his own arse. I love the series. I despise the movies.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Yawn. Just yawn. I know it's very fashionable to knock movie versions of more expansive properties you love so much more, but Nausicaa the movie is just so unremarkable.
