Rate the last anime you watched out of 10

[bakum4tsu]

Sword of the Stranger 10/10

So after rewatching it for the 3rd time (I dont know why I dont watch this more often...) I can assume that this is my favourite anime movie at the moment. The plot is fine but the rest is where it shines. Good animation (excelent during sword fighting), good characters, good ost and (this one's my favourite) lots of chopped off arms and heads along with blood everywhere xD

Even though I usually dont go fo CE's, I will probably go for the one AL releasing in a few months, as long as its worth the price.

 

[Smeelia]

Harmony

This film is either really well written or really badly written, maybe it's both. I think it's probably best represented by the main character, Tuan. She spends the majority of the film talking about how rubbish society is and how people are just putting on a show of caring rather than having any genuine feeling, all while worrying about people and following up on leads due to her personal feelings and affections for people. Many of the characters have similar issues, making generalised statements about their complaints while simultaneously undermining those statements. A positive interpretation of the film could be that it's trying to say that making assumptions about others while also assuming you (and those close to you) are the only exception is foolish and potentially destructive.

It's also interesting that what the characters say about society is almost never really supported by what we're shown. We see a lot of individuals doing things that aren't always for the best, but the society itself doesn't seem to have any inherent oppressive qualities and seems to be built with the idea of benefitting people. There are social expectations that could put pressure on some and there is an emphasis on having warnings for any potentially unhealthy behaviour, but there don't seem to be any enforced restrictions that force people to follow the guidelines (beyond the kind of law and order we have in our own society, at least).

On the downside, the majority of the film is spent listening to disaffected people ranting about how bad they think things are. I'm not sure I could say I really enjoyed the film because there's no character to latch onto as the voice of reason nor anything to break the constant flow of moaning. The film raises some interesting questions (deliberately or otherwise) but it's not always fun to watch. There are a few highlights where little details or touches bring out something more entertaining, but there are perhaps not quite enough. I'm not sure I should admit it, but I particularly enjoyed the black humour of the health and safety warnings appearing in footage of someone attempting suicide. Sadly, that sort of thing isn't too common either.

I could see some people enjoying the film by empathising with the characters. The feeling of being apart from society and struggling to understand how other people can just happily go along with things is likely something that a lot of people can relate to. The characters never really justify their positions but they wouldn't necessarily have to, sometimes it's just nice to feel that other people might have similar feelings to you (that's also a possibility for what the film could be about).

There are a few grim and potentially shocking scenes in the film, there are descriptions of sexual violence and there's some graphic violence and self-harm. I'm not really a fan of shock or horror content and it wasn't quite enough to seriously bother me so I doubt it would be enough to appeal to fans of that kind of thing. Still, it could potentially make the film even less accessible than it already is.

At the end of the day, Harmony is probably something of a bad film. There's potential to enjoy it if you approach with a certain mindset and it touches on potentially interesting subjects but it's constructed in a way that makes it unlikely to appeal to most people. I wouldn't say I regret watching it, because I did get something out of it, but it's not likely to be something I'd watch again and I don't think I could really recommend it either.

 

[Lord Bacchus]

Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack 2/10

I was tricked by the fact that it was Ufotable, and the director of Kara no Kyoukai: Mugen Rasen behind it. The animation was pretty, but it was such a waste for that awful movie. I should have suspected something was amiss when I bought a used DVD of it online and it was being distributed by a company I'd never heard of, and had cover art which had no anime on it, and looked like it was hastily put together in photoshop (with a glowing testimonial from someone called "Billy Chainsaw"). The acting was terrible, everything moved at a horrible pace, the subtitles were the most poorly translated, stilted, and error ridden I've ever seen, and despite the fact it was clearly trying to be scary, it just wound up grossing me out. I only don't give it a 1 because Ufotable animation is always good, and it did occasionally make me chuckle because of how bad it all was.

Seriously though, about the cover...just look at it:

 

[Blaize]

91 Days 10/10

This was my most hyped series from last year, the promo material for the show had me very excited to see it. But I decided to wait for the dub as I figured this would be the best way to experience the show given the setting. I'm certain I made the right decision as Funimation did a great job with the dub, similar to how they handled Baccano. I won't go into great detail about why I loved the series so much, just to say that the story is a really well done revenge tale that I was totally engrossed in and was happily going to give a 9/10, the only thing that could bump up the score was how the ending was handled. Well suffice to say the ending is sublime, the last episode or so is really fantastic (the show twists just enough to surprise you) and the final moments is everything I could have hoped for and more. I just really hope the Episode 13 special doesn't ruin it. Because as the show stands it has one of my favourite endings in all of Anime right now.

Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack 2/10

I was tricked by the fact that it was Ufotable, and the director of Kara no Kyoukai: Mugen Rasen behind it. The animation was pretty, but it was such a waste for that awful movie. I should have suspected something was amiss when I bought a used DVD of it online and it was being distributed by a company I'd never heard of, and had cover art which had no anime on it, and looked like it was hastily put together in photoshop (with a glowing testimonial from someone called "Billy Chainsaw"). The acting was terrible, everything moved at a horrible pace, the subtitles were the most poorly translated, stilted, and error ridden I've ever seen, and despite the fact it was clearly trying to be scary, it just wound up grossing me out. I only don't give it a 1 because Ufotable animation is always good, and it did occasionally make me chuckle because of how bad it all was.

Seriously though, about the cover...just look at it:

This film might well become a guilty pleasure of mine. I just love the insanity of it. It's not good but it was totally fascinating and full of imagination all be it a weird one though that is par the course when it comes to Junji Ito. I'd like to get the Australian BD set one day.

 

[bakum4tsu]

Gyo was creepy and crazy but ok.

91 Days was a good surprise last year.

 

[Patient-X]

Kids on the Slope
9/10
Fantastic show! Who'd have thought that jazz in anime could work so well. The only reason I didn't give it a 10 was because it wasn't longer

 

[Blaize]

Rage of Bahamut: Genesis ~ 8/10

Fun fantasy with a ton of action and really likable lead cast. The Story is pretty generic though, nothing special and is solid for what it is but it's certainly by the numbers in many ways. Beautifully animated character designs and animation in general though could have perhaps done with a little less CG. Recommended and I look forward to the sequel in a few months, though I'll be waiting for the simuldub since the dub cast was really solid.

 

[crashmatt]

Shirobako 7/10 - I have mixed feelings on this series. I thought it would be like Bakuman but it's not really the case. Shirobako is more about the collective process in making anime whereas Bakuman was more character focused and showed the effects of the industry had on the individuals and thier lives. Shirobako has suh a large cast character development was at a minimum. Anyway heres what i liked:

The animation is fantastic as alway with PA works they are right up there with Kyoani IMO
Diverse cast and interations are what drives the show
Its a window into the creative process and i'd imagine this was a labour of love for PA works
Really shows what absolute graft is put into a project and it was interesting in places
Its pretty unique and I've not see anything like it

What I didnt like:
The stupid Moe blob with the speach of a 2 year old. Utterly pointless character
You never really see much proper drama or the effects of such a labour intensive job has on peoples home life or relationships
The Don Don Donuts catchphase was super cringeworthy
Most of the men in the show are either oddballs or idiots
Its very boring in places which made it harder to get to the good parts

The show finished strongly which is why I gave it a 7/10 (was on a 6 before the last two episodes). It's not a show I would revisit but it was worth watching as something different and I can certainly see why people love it.

 

[Professor Irony]

Paranoia Agent

Satoshi Kon's thriller is a remarkable series; by turns funny and grotesque, touching and horrific, always gripping throughout. My only complaint would be that the ending left me a little cold. The actual resolution to the Shonen Bat storyline, baffling though it is, plays pretty well, but somehow I thought the final coda was just a frustrating addition that I could have done without. Definitely something I'd revisit anyway.

Bakemonogatari (rewatch)

Don't know why I remember this with a vague sense of embarrassment - looking back on my comments from when I first watched it, I was gushingly impressed with it then and I still really like it now. I do think its psycho-sexual shennanigans tip over into uncomfortable territory on a couple of occasions, but the surreal imagery, whip smart dialogue and herky-jerky new-wave direction make it difficult for me to stay too mad at it.

I don't think she's the best waifu, but it also surprised me how much I liked Kanbaru this time through. I think she gets all the best lines.

Maybe now it's time to finally watch Nisemonogatari. Welp.

 

[Dan]

91 Days - 9/10

Absolutely loved it. What a Brilliant Gangster series.

 

[jonno394]

The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behaviors : Fun light hearted show with an eccentric bunch of characters. Not much in terms of character development for most and no satisfying conclusion, but a good look in to the bonds of friendship that emerge between an oddball cast of characters.

6.5/10

 

[Joe]

Gabriel Dropout 7/10

Honestly, even though I actually mostly enjoyed it, it's easily the weakest Doga Kobo show I've watched. For the most part, the comedy isn't fantastic due to the unabashed over-reliance on the same jokes (removing that ******* dog alone would improve the show a lot). The characters are also pretty one-note and have little depth to them. Gabriel is the otaku played completely straight and is, for the most part, completely unlikable, especially in the way she constantly treats her so-called friends. Raphi is a sadist and that is literally her entire character. Vignette is the token "normal" girl. Satania is great and easily the breakout character IMO, but having her constantly be bullied all the time kinda sucked. Sure, it was funny when it was the result of her own ineptitude, but the rest of the time it was kind kind of mean-spirited. There's also zero progress at all over the entirety of the 12 episodes. None. The characters haven't changed in literally any way. Which I guess isn't really a big requirement for a cute-girls SoL/comedy show, but still.

I'm being kinda harsh here, and as I said, I still mostly enjoyed it, especially as a fan of Doga Kobo's works. But they have made (and will hopefully continue to make) shows that are greater than this one.

 

[IncendiaryLemon]

Gabriel Dropout 7/10

(removing that ******* dog alone would improve the show a lot).

You say that but the dog made me laugh every time.

 

[Lord Bacchus]

You say that but the dog made me laugh every time.

Poor Satania, all she wants is a bit of melon bread.

 

[MrLaserSharkKH]

Trinity Seven (2014)



I pretty much enjoyed my time with Trinity Seven, it's not exactly a show that wins prizes for most original concept, but at the end of the day I got exactly what I needed out of the show. Part of me yearns for more exploration into the world of Trinity Seven and more to chew on in terms of story, but another part of me realises that could completely change the tone of the series to something much more depressing, at the end of the day the show is a harem series first and foremost and I'm completely fine with that, it's been a while since I've watched a show of that ilk and this series certainly scratched that itch.

I can definitely get behind the shows cast, they are just fun to hang around with due to their interactions they have with each other and there isn't a single character who I wished would just disappear and considering there are eight principal main characters of the show each of them are given enough in terms of development to make me get behind them. I would be happy enough to see more of these characters bouncing off each other again if that should ever come to fruition.



Aesthetically is probably where the series stands at it's strongest, the character designs in the show are very attractive and stand out rather sharply. The show is animated with enough care to it, though action set pieces are rather limited. The scenery and the world of Trinity Seven is an aboslute delight on the eyes, the show is primarily set in the confines of the academy and the scenes there are given enough scope to look the part without ever being too distracting from what is happening on screen.

Also, the shows Audio accompaniments are strong as well. The OP is very good and certainly gets you ready for the series, and there are also four different ED which I like all of to varying degrees. The real standout is the shows OST which was produced by Technoboys Pulcraft Green-Fund who have produced a number of different Anime soundtracks recently, their soundtrack offers a great audio accompaniment to any kind of scene in the show, the sign of a good soundtrack is one that sticks in your head and that you'd want to listen to outside of the confines of the series and the soundtrack of Trinity Seven does just that! The VA also do a good job of bringing their characters to life too.

Trinity Seven overall is a series that doesn't do anything different at all that other shows have done previously from it's Magi Academy Setup through to it's Harem Hijinks, but it certainly is a very entertaining series with some good action scenes, fun comedy and strong aesthetics and if all that sounds like something you would enjoy then you'd be pretty hard pressed to be disappointed with the series.


7.6625/10 = 8/10

 

[HWR]

Ranma 1/2, it's a fun show that suffers from repetitious plots and some annoying characters, but I enjoyed it overall, though it's a shame that the character relations don't seem to develop, and the last two episodes were a massive tease with a weird ending tacked on

I give the series a solid 4/5, and recommend seeking out the standard edition Blu Rays or the LE's if you can find them

 

[ayase]

Attack on Titan: Season One

Very big spoilers in tags, statements that may hint at giving stuff away not. You have been warned (though I imagine I was the last person here yet to watch this anyway).

-----

After watching episode 4 of Attack on Titan, I had one thought:

"I want to see more of Annie."

Boy did I get my wish, though not quite in the way I expected. But then there wasn't much in Attack on Titan that did go the way I expected. This show is an absolute master-class in how to keep the audience on the edge of their seat, screw with their expectations and why too much foreshadowing is for losers. Most of the twists and revelations were genuinely shocking on a level I haven't seen since Death Note and I'd say AoT probably surpasses it. While they could have done a bit more to make best girl titan look y'know, a bit less like best girl so it wasn't quite so obvious, things like the double-whammy of Eren's fake-out death and the subsequent revelation he was the "friendly" titan and the revelations that Eren and Mikasa had stabbed her parents' murderers to death as kids, that there are people in other intelligent titans and especially that THERE ARE TITANS IN THE FRIGGIN' WALLS all had me at least raising my eybrows, at best dropping my jaw.

Something the show does astoundingly well is to progress the plot and answer just enough of the audience's questions (some of which they probably hadn't even asked because they didn't know there was a question in the first place) that the pace never seems slow, while raising even more questions for them to think about. Hell, an entire season down and we still don't know what's in Eren's basement and that was a question raised in the very first episode. And I don't even care that I still don't know, because the barrage of new information about the world and the titans has been coming in so thick and fast for the rest of the series that it never gave me time to dwell on it or become impatient.

The action is incredibly tense as well, because you know that no-one is safe. More than once I suspected characters were done for only for them to scrape a victory or escape, other times I thought a character had it in the bag only for them to get pulped seconds later. And that leaves you feeling quite on edge for the characters, at least the characters you care about. And that brings me to my only real criticism of the show - I didn't feel like I knew anywhere near enough about anyone other than Eren, Armin and Jean to particularly care about them, with most of the cast's characters and personalties being defined by one-note quirks. Even Mikasa, who we at least get to see a tragic back-story for, still comes across as fairly under-developed beyond being Eren's childhood friend who exists simply to protect him (because he protected her once) and potentially develop into his love interest. Armin and Jean get some pretty great development, better than Eren even (who is a pretty straightforward guy to understand) but most of the other characters can be summed up in a single sentence like "the girl who eats a lot" "the unsure guy" "the cute girl" or "the tough girl". And that strikes me as pretty woeful after spending 25 episodes with these characters. A major reason I did want to see more of Annie was because she had some intriguing things to say - I got the sense she had opinions and beliefs about the world and society that she was just barely holding back, and I still hold out hope for the future that I'm going to find out more about them.

Still, for the fantastic and mysterious story that still has me gripped for future instalments and the well realised and relatively unique world, Attack on Titan still deserves a solid 8.8/10 by my reckoning.

 

[Neil.T]

Still, for the fantastic and mysterious story that still has me gripped for future instalments and the well realised and relatively unique world, Attack on Titan still deserves a solid 8.8/10 by my reckoning.

I'm (truthfully) glad you found enough things to like about Attack on Titan, ayase. It's got to be one of my all-time least-favourite anime series.

For me, AoT very much fell into working to a formula as it went on: start with an overly long recap to cut down the episode length; waste that running time by dragging everything out, resulting in a painfully slow lack of progress to the story, like a whole episode spent making what seemed like only a few hundred metres' worth of progress through a wood; but always, always remember to end the episode with a cliffhanger. Then, next episode, another five minutes of recap; followed by a swift resolution to the "cliffhanger"; followed by more painfully slow non-progress; followed by another bloody cliffhanger. Repeat until the episodes run out, leaving you feeling short-changed by the end of it all.

I just got tired of it. I rolled my eyes at the end of the last episode, thinking "Oh, look: another cliffhanger ending. How much more blatantly could you possibly scream 'Make sure you watch season 2. Some big stuff will happen!' " If only some stuff had happened in season 1, I might actually still be interested. In the end, I had to admit that it was a very skillful exercise in how to create the greatest amount of fuss and bluster from so little material.

I hear that some people liked it, though.

P.S. I hold my hand up and admit to being one of the people who didn't work out the female Titan's identity. I blame that partly on having already lost interest in the series by that point and not being particularly bothered about looking for clues.

 

[Lord Bacchus]

For me, AoT very much fell into working to a formula as it went on: start with an overly long recap to cut down the episode length; waste that running time by dragging everything out, resulting in a painfully slow lack of progress to the story, like a whole episode spent making what seemed like only a few hundred metres' worth of progress through a wood; but always, always remember to end the episode with a cliffhanger. Then, next episode, another five minutes of recap; followed by a swift resolution to the "cliffhanger"; followed by more painfully slow non-progress; followed by another bloody cliffhanger. Repeat until the episodes run out, leaving you feeling short-changed by the end of it all.

Don't worry, you aren't alone on this one. I'll admit for the first few episodes I was aboard the AoT hype train as much as anyone else, but I got sick of it for the exact same things you list here. I am so glad I'm not the only one who couldn't stand the recaps! Nobody I have ever talked to about that series mentions them, and I felt like they sucked so much enjoyment out of it, along with the stupid cliffhangers.

I am actually one of the few people who didn't care all that much about series 2 coming out, or how long it took, whereas many people have been getting incredibly impatient for it. I'll probably watch it, but not until every episode is out and I can binge it in 4 hours. I'm actually very happy that it's only 12 episodes this time, because maybe they'll tighten everything up and fix their pacing issues (small hope I know, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt).

A few people I know think I'm just being a contrarian when I say that I have like three other shows this season I am more interested in than AoT (I feel like I'm the only one hyped for the second series of Uchouten Kazoku, or rather even knows what Uchouten Kazoku is), but while I acknowledge its high production values and everything, I've never understood why a lot of people think it's one of of the best shows ever. Now as a gateway anime, AoT is obviously a huge success, given how many people outside the fandom watched it.

 

[ayase]

See the recaps didn't really bother me - I just skipped them anyway to get to more of the story much like I'm used to skipping next episode previews. I'm more than fine with unsolved and slow-burning mystery, Hell I'm a big fan of Twin Peaks, at least the wait for more Attack on Titan hasn't been 25 years.

In fact it was the start of Season 2 and friends' hype for it that finally motivated me to watch the first season, and I was very pleasantly surprised by how little focus was on fighting, something that does really bore the arse off me when it constitutes the majority of a show. The elitist in me had never been particularly inclined to try it before now mainly due to its reputation among younger and newer fans, something that led me to suspect it would be a lot shallower than turned out to be the case, but in truth I haven't been able to marathon something so easily for quite a while.