Rate the last anime you watched out of 10

[awadama]

I finally finished Death Note.

I read the whole manga absolutely years ago, so I knew what to expect. I wasn't disappointed, but I also wasn't pleasantly surprised either.

Like the manga, it dragged on too long. It's a 37 episode series, but it could easily have been done in 26. There are some episodes where not much happens, so they could be combined without losing anything.

It's a story of three parts: the first is great, the second is OK, the third is just boring and totally unnecessary (in my personal opinion, obviously). The last episode was excellent though - the series really had a satisfying conclusion.

A lot of the time, the plot moves at a glacial pace. Someone explains what they're going to do. Then they do it. Then someone else explains what the other person did. I don't know if it was just to pad time out or if the show just thinks it's really smart and we're all stupid so we need everything explained to within an inch of its life.

Although it started really well, unfortunately, it became a chore towards the end, especially with the rubbish new characters who appeared in the third arc (is Death Note beyond the point of spoilers by now?). The characters I liked the most - Ryuk and Misa - mostly got forgotten about as the series went on and new randoms kept popping up. I liked Matsuda though.

The animation was decent. The dub was really really good. I didn't like the OPs or EDs at all (especially the second batch).

The first 25 episodes (and episode 37) were good to great - the stuff in between is the absolute pits though. The last episode went some way to redeeming it, but it's not a series I'd want to watch again anytime soon - 6/10

 

[Neil.T]

Like the manga, it dragged on too long.

How are you with Japanese live-action films, dude? I'd easily recommend the pair of Death Note movies.

(And they're missing the Mello/Near arc entirely.)

 

[awadama]

How are you with Japanese live-action films, dude? I'd easily recommend the pair of Death Note movies.

(And they're missing the Mello/Near arc entirely.)

I've got the blu-ray set of them both sitting on my shelf - I'll probably give them a watch soon, especially since that pair of twerps are absent!

 

[awadama]

From Up on Poppy Hill

WOW. I've had this BD hanging around for ages, but I was never really in a rush to watch it. I'm not really interested in romance and the description of this made it sound like that was the main focus.

There's an element of romance in there, but it's not overwhelming. For most of the movie, a lot of the focus is given to the potential demolition of a dilapidated building - this sounds like it should be a boring story, but I was really interested and invested in it.

The relationships between the characters almost take a back seat to the trials and tribulations of the battered old clubhouse and I'm glad. There's some light teenage romance stuff, some family drama, some sadness, all the stuff I expected - it's all very gentle and enjoyable.

There are plenty of quirky and fun side characters - my favourite was probably Sachiko (who I just found out was voiced by Aubrey Plaza in the dub, which was a perfect bit of casting).

Obviously, it looks amazing, because it's a Ghibli movie. Boats, towns, THE CLUBHOUSE, everything looks incredible. The soundtrack is lovely too (including some nice songs).

I really, really enjoyed it. It was a sweet, relaxed story with excellent visuals and sound. 9/10

 

[Neil.T]

it's all very gentle and enjoyable.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there, bud. That's what I think of it too, at least.

It's a very much underrated Ghibli film that has a lot to offer. Right from the off I found it engaging to watch: never has an animated character preparing breakfast been so much fun to observe — or so well soundtracked, for that matter.

It is a very gentle, whimsical nostalgia piece, I think. I still have in my mind since the last time I saw it the image of the jovial town planning bigwig that the kids go to visit, padding around in his office, with the sticky slap, slap of his carpet slippers just emphasising his unexpectedly laid-back nature.

The whole film's just a very pleasant experience, and it surely took a lot of hard work to make it so light and breezy. A tip of the cap to Goro Miyazaki as director. I honestly think he doesn't get all the recognition he should.

 

[awadama]

It is a very gentle, whimsical nostalgia piece, I think. I still have in my mind since the last time I saw it the image of the jovial town planning bigwig that the kids go to visit, padding around in his office, with the sticky slap, slap of his carpet slippers just emphasising his unexpectedly laid-back nature.

I loved that! He was built up like he was going to be like The Demon Headmaster, but he was so chill - and he had huge ears too.

I'll probably choose Tales from Earthsea (Goro's other movie) as my next Ghibli to watch. I've started it twice over the past couple of years, but I've just not been able to get into it (and I know the general consensus on it wasn't great. Hopefully it'll be third time lucky for me!

 

[Neil.T]

I'll probably choose Tales from Earthsea (Goro's other movie) as my next Ghibli to watch.

This is an unfashionable view, but I actually like Tales from Earthsea and don't really understand why it gets so much stick. (I do know it's regarded as a poor adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's novels, but I've never read them and have no plans to; I'm judging the film purely as an animated film, and not even necessarily as a Ghibli one. I don't care at all for the snobbery that sometimes surrounds their films.)

This is an even more unpopular view, but I like Earthsea more than either Princess Mononoke, Laputa or Nausicaa.

I hope Earthsea does something for you third time around, dude. And look out for singer Aoi Teshima again: Poppy Hill was her second Ghibli film after Earthsea. She also voices female lead Therru if you're watching in Japanese.

 

[awadama]

I watched all of Elfen Lied (plus the OVA).

This was another one that took me a very long time (about 14 years) to finish off. I owned the first few volumes of the original ADV release, but I found it too depressing (and TBH, the violence made me feel uncomfortable) and gave up on it. I saw the BD cheap fairly recently and decided to give it another go.

Overall - I liked it. It is a depressing series and I still found the violence/gore unpleasant, but the main storyline is interesting. The ending wasn't very good, but the rest of the story kept me interested. Aside from the violence, there's also some other pretty heavy stuff (especially in the flashbacks).

Every now and again, the series forgets what it's supposed to be and throws in some lighthearted harem-type scenes. These are generally quite sweet and contrast nicely to people getting sliced up.

The character design is pretty repulsive to me - most characters have got those weird downturned eyes, like in Clannad and Muv Luv. I read it's supposed to make you feel sympathy for the characters, but I always think they look gross.

Kohta (the main male character) was awful , but most of the other characters were decent. My favourite was probably Nana, but aside from Kohta, no one was really too bad. There was also some guy who was supposed to be some kind of elite assassin, but was completely useless, on a Team Rocket level.

The sound was messed up on the BD release, meaning the dub track is badly muffled and just sounds weird. I had to watch it with subs, which isn't my usual choice, but I didn't mind too much.

The OP is some maudlin choir-type stuff, but I absolutely loved the song on the ED. It sounds almost exactly like So Yesterday by Hilary Duff and really contrasts with the OP (much like how Lucy contrasts with Nyu).

Pretty depressing, a bit too gratuitous (with violence and nudity) and heavy in parts, but an interesting show - 7/10

 

[Girls with Guns]

From Up on Poppy Hill

WOW. I've had this BD hanging around for ages, but I was never really in a rush to watch it. I'm not really interested in romance and the description of this made it sound like that was the main focus.

There's an element of romance in there, but it's not overwhelming. For most of the movie, a lot of the focus is given to the potential demolition of a dilapidated building - this sounds like it should be a boring story, but I was really interested and invested in it.

The relationships between the characters almost take a back seat to the trials and tribulations of the battered old clubhouse and I'm glad. There's some light teenage romance stuff, some family drama, some sadness, all the stuff I expected - it's all very gentle and enjoyable.

There are plenty of quirky and fun side characters - my favourite was probably Sachiko (who I just found out was voiced by Aubrey Plaza in the dub, which was a perfect bit of casting).

Obviously, it looks amazing, because it's a Ghibli movie. Boats, towns, THE CLUBHOUSE, everything looks incredible. The soundtrack is lovely too (including some nice songs).

I really, really enjoyed it. It was a sweet, relaxed story with excellent visuals and sound. 9/10

The romance in Poppy Hill is the reason why I have it ranked in my top 5 favorite Ghibli movies, after Marnie, Nausicaa, Mononke, and Howls. For me, the best part of the entire movie is in the very last scene where they are all on the tugboat and his step-dad winks at him like "Go for it, Dude!"


[/QUOTE]

This is an unfashionable view, but I actually like Tales from Earthsea and don't really understand why it gets so much stick. (I do know it's regarded as a poor adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's novels, but I've never read them and have no plans to; I'm judging the film purely as an animated film, and not even necessarily as a Ghibli one. I don't care at all for the snobbery that sometimes surrounds their films.)

This is an even more unpopular view, but I like Earthsea more than either Princess Mononoke, Laputa or Nausicaa.

I hope Earthsea does something for you third time around, dude. And look out for singer Aoi Teshima again: Poppy Hill was her second Ghibli film after Earthsea. She also voices female lead Therru if you're watching in Japanese.

I also really like Earthsea, it is about #11 in my favorite Ghilbli films list, well above Kiki's, Spirited Away, Totoro, and Ponyo, all which rank fairly low on the list for me. I have never read the novels, either. Earthsea was a huge favorite of both my daughters when they were younger and really into Ghibli stuff. Also, Earthsea has my favorite "Ghibli Princess" in it - I so love Therru!

 

[WMD]

Genius Party and Genius Party Beyond

As @Neil.T wanted to hear my thoughts on this figured I'd give a slightly longer write up than I would've done in the your journal thread.

Basically I watched both back to back so this is still a fresh first impression of all if it. Overall I really enjoyed them. They're a pretty quirky bunch of short films and I'd be hard pressed to say theres any unifying theme other than maybe celebrating life and the myriad if journeys through it.

Genius Party is a cracking introduction. An eclectic music video with a mad narrative of living stones that can see the beauty in the world and then it all goes mental.

Shanghai Dragon was a fun sci fi romp but the weird and unnecessary exposition at the end kinda ruined the magic of it.

Deathtic 4 Now this one I really enjoyed! It had a Nightmare before Christmas aesthetic that I really enjoyed and the story of a group of underdog hero zombies trying to preserve this one living creature was really charming and it had some good humour too.

Doorbell had a interesting premise of a character who keeps encountering other versions of himself. Definitely put me in mind of the Lain simulwatch were currently doing. I also really liked the twist that the version we are following isnt the original but that he is now also chased by new versions of himself. As a metaphor for adolescence and growing up into who we become it's pretty cool.

Limit Cycle was the most cerebral entry and as I much as I loved it I can't say I followed it all properly on this first watch. I will definitely have to watch it again to digest it all. Also this only being subtitled made it really hard for me to keep up and try to enjoy the animation properly. I realise this is the one Neil most wanted my thoughts on so I think I'll rewatch this one again in a couple of days and then come back to assess it properly.

Happy Machine was a really interesting entry of a baby alone in a strange world of creatures who goes through many of lifes hurdles of trust, betrayal, grief, friendship. It's also Yuasa so it looks amazing in his style.

Baby Blue is a more slice of life entry about the anxiety of having to let go of the past and move ahead into a new future. It's interesting that this first collection ends with the saddest story but it still gives a glimmer of light and hope in the darkness to end on.

Gala was a really fun short and quite frankly would be one of the better candidates here to be developed into it's own feature length film. The way the story plays with scale is amazing and it's a pretty stunning watch.

Moondrive feels like a bit on an anomaly here. Its dirty and pretty much every character is a baddie or at least very selfish. The woman of the group is also treated pretty horrifically by everyone. The journey is fascinating to watch though and the animation is great.

Wanwa The Doggie is a crazed fever dream of a small child. Enthralling, confusing, scary, hopeful all at once. It was probably the least engaging story of the collection for me.

Toujin Kit was right up my street. A weird steam punk world where a silent protagonist illeagally brings plushies to life with some sort of alien lifeform and gets raided by the government. Sign me up for the full series of this!

Dimension Bomb is a breathtaking spectacle to end on. There are some shots in this worthy of Shinkai. It's mostly to dark electro music and the narrative gets so wrapped in visual metaphor you're not quite sure what is happening but it was so glorious and wonderful to watch all the same.

 

[Neil.T]

Limit Cycle
. . .
I realise this is the one Neil most wanted my thoughts on

Oh not at all, dude. I really wanted to hear your thoughts on the whole thing!

That was a great read. I'm watching Paprika right at this moment for the simulwatch, but I'll read your post over again tonight and then bounce some opinion back at you. Finally a fellow Genius Party viewer to chew things over with a wee bit. Exciting stuff!

Have you got the CE or the standard of it, btw?

 

[WMD]

I'm watching Paprika right at this moment for the simulwatch

Nice I'll hopefully watch that tomorrow night.

Have you got the CE or the standard of it, btw?

The CE. I havent really looked at the book yet but I'll hopefully get to that in the coming days.

 

[Neil.T]

The CE.

Nice one. Same here. Got it in the AL Xmas sale one year. Was it an EB pre-order? It might've been.
I forget now.

I havent really looked at the book yet but I'll hopefully get to that in the coming days.

It's a chunky book, dude! You'll be a while on that. I read mine a few years ago now, over days off during the festive period.

Nice I'll hopefully watch that tomorrow night.

Just finished it. Amazing film. Seen it so many times.

I'll attempt a post for it. 'Tis my favourite Satoshi Kon film after all.

 

[ActionFaust]

Genius Party and Genius Party Beyond

While I never really got on with the Genius Party films I think the concept of anthology movies/series is pretty awesome. Would love to see a similar project with newer directors like:
Naoya Wada (Japan Sinks 2020 episode 1)
Toshiro Fujii (18if episode 3)
Nakaya Onsen (Fate/GO: Babylonia episode 18)
Yuzuru Tachikawa (Mob Psycho 100)
Kiyotaka Oshiyama (Flip Flappers)

Heck maybe even Hakuyu Go (Mob Psycho 100 II episode 5) if he feels comfortable returning to the industry

 

[awadama]

I continued neglecting all those part-/never-watched series I've amassed over the last 20 years and watched a series I only bought on BD fairly recently - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (2012).

If 1980s WWF was an anime, this would be it. Ludicrously muscular men ranting and raving about how tough they are, before slapping each other around and doing weird poses, while some questionable ethnic stereotypes look on (and a guy in a big hat does commentary).

It was a wonderful series (but probably not quite as bizarre as I was expecting). It's got a distinctive visual style, with some shots looking really weird. The story is interesting too. It covers two parts - Phantom Blood (which I'd already read ages ago) and Battle Tendency(which I've only partially read).

Phantom Blood was the better half for me. The first Jojo is a very likeable protagonist and Dio is an excellent villain. Speedwagon is great too - all he really does is look startled and give running updates on what's happening. The story is mostly serious, with a few sad parts. There were a few unintentionally funny bits, mostly thanks to the great Speedwagon.

Battle Tendency was still good - I just preferred PB. The second Jojo is a bit of a dick TBH and the enemies/supporting cast aren't as interesting as PB's, but the story is a bit more varied in BT. There are a few bits of what I think were intentional comedy (a couple of scenes involving animals towards the end of the series), which were...something. There are also some rubbish Nazis, who didn't really add anything other than silly German accents.

The dub is decent. I really don't know why US dubbing companies choose not to use actual British people to dub British characters. They could have got the guy who plays Phil Mitchell to be Jojo, but they went with Adam from Power Rangers. Big missed opportunity there.

It was a fun series overall. Very macho, very silly and very fairly bizarre - 8/10

 

[Neil.T]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (2012).

If 1980s WWF was an anime, this would be it.

That is actually one of my favourite-ever quotes already!

The story is interesting too. It covers two parts - Phantom Blood (which I'd already read ages ago) and Battle Tendency(which I've only partially read).

I'm in pretty much the same boat as you, then, dude. I read (and enjoyed) Phantom Blood courtesy of my local library, would you believe, and I'd been reading Battle Tendency on publisher Shueisha's Manga Plus app, but I fell behind with it, and now I've missed several chapters. Oh, well.

I've never seen any of the anime. I can't help but think that manga is actually a better format for Jojo, because every panel can be a pose.

And it often is. Like...

Spoiler

Ha! You thought this was a spoiler, but it was me, Dio!


Sorry, I've just always wanted to try using that line.

 

[awadama]

My reaction to @Neil.T's spoiler:

 

[Onosume]

Finished Gundam ZZ last night. The silly first half is pretty terrible and the Moon Moon stuff is just downright weird and turns the show into a bad knock off of Scooby Doo. There's definitely some good bits in there in the second half that do elevate it a bit for me and the final few episodes were back on form, but overall the series is a bit of a mess. Worst Gundam series I have seen so far. 5/10

 

[WMD]

Phantom Blood was the better half for me.

That's interesting. I prefer Battle Tendency but I did enjoy Phantom Blood a lot more on a rewatch than the first time round.

Worst Gundam series I have seen so far

I actually enjoyed ZZ more to Zeta but that's mainly because I cannot stand Kamille. On any level whatsoever.

 

[Onosume]

I cannot stand Kamille. On any level whatsoever.

Yeah that's fair. I think in general Gundam struggles with creating convincing lead protagonists. They're usually either stoic emotionless heroes or utter brats. While I found Judau's "adults suck" attitude tiresome after a while, I would say he's better than Kamille, who I felt was billed as "just another Amuro".