Lordhippos
Pokémon Master
Alright I'm doing episode 2 today, 3 tomorrow, gonna batch them all and write here after #3 
Stay on track - Baccano! simulwatch [RS] (14/02 - 01/03)
- Thread starter Lordhippos
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- baccano renegade simulwatch
Geriatric hedgehog
Pokémon Master
Life has harangued me enough over the last two weeks and while I did manage to catch up on the main episodes a few days back, I didn't get a chance at all to comment on them. Overall I definitely enjoyed this series, it was a madcap dash through thirteen episodes and I certainly found the swapping timelines and bonkers variation in moods from comedy to carnage very entertaining. I also think those points helped overall to elevate the subject matter which could potentially just have been a lot of under-developed characters in some standard stories. But with the craziness none of that mattered and one was left admiring (or hating!) the creators' gall heh. It was like they took a standard script/plot, shotgunned it to bits and then put it back together with a bit of the old ultraviolence. Certainly in keeping with its namesake. I too feel like not working too hard to piece it together helped overlook some inconsistencies and tropes and aided the enjoyment. The comparison with Ritchie and Tarantino works was spot on but with a very Japanese flavour. And life is already back to harassing me so I'm going to have to be off without rambling any further but will leave with just a couple of chuckles:
Alright, hopefully watch the OVAs soonish and ramble about them if I can.
I am trying to do an epic fate re-watch before watching the final heaven's feel movie that was delivered (and which I've been waiting for for a fair while) and this comment cracked me up!
Ahaa you're on fire dude!
Alright, hopefully watch the OVAs soonish and ramble about them if I can.
Lordhippos
Pokémon Master
I've also seen the OVA episodes, I intend to come back and post about them here as well might be closer to the weekend though, looking forward to seeing your opinions on them!
D1tchd1gger
Shrine Maiden
OVAs 1-3 (complete)
A bit of a before and after the events in the main series with a new crazy moron who's crazy because he's crazy taking the majority of the screen time... I watched most of it on x1.5 which should tell all you need to know.
Some of the backstory would be interesting if I cared, same goes for the aftermath stuff, but the new guys actions added absolutely nothing apart from bringing a few of the characters back together which could have been done in a much better way.
The people who started us off are back spouting nonsense "rid yourself of the Illusion that stories have beginnings and endings." Of course they f***ing do, they're stories they have a beginning, a middle and an end with some sort of moral or point to them and this had none of that! He goes on to say that they are comprised of people with an "endless cycle of interaction, etc", but that sounds more like real life than a story.
In short pointless waste of time, as I didn't care, but they were there to watch and now I'm only 7 completed anime away from 700 on MAL!
4/10
A bit of a before and after the events in the main series with a new crazy moron who's crazy because he's crazy taking the majority of the screen time... I watched most of it on x1.5 which should tell all you need to know.
Some of the backstory would be interesting if I cared, same goes for the aftermath stuff, but the new guys actions added absolutely nothing apart from bringing a few of the characters back together which could have been done in a much better way.
The people who started us off are back spouting nonsense "rid yourself of the Illusion that stories have beginnings and endings." Of course they f***ing do, they're stories they have a beginning, a middle and an end with some sort of moral or point to them and this had none of that! He goes on to say that they are comprised of people with an "endless cycle of interaction, etc", but that sounds more like real life than a story.
In short pointless waste of time, as I didn't care, but they were there to watch and now I'm only 7 completed anime away from 700 on MAL!
4/10
WMD
Guild Member
Sorry for being completely absent. I made a last minute change to what dnd campaign I'm going to run and all my free time this last week has been spent on it.
Episode 11
Poor Czeslaw with Rail Tracer. Honestly what he goes through is horrific. And with his back story no wonder he trusts no one. Its so dark.
Ladd and Chane round 2 happens and a bit of Rail Tracer thrown in. It's loud and fun and awful!
Szilard confronts Maiza. First time I watched this had me on the edge of my seat. Its a great development.
Episode 12
Rachel on the move once more. A really understated character in the show.
All sorts of show downs come to fruition. Ladd with Rail Tracer, Nice and all her explosions Issac and Miria on the rope with Czeslaw is genuinely scary as you wanr the best for them and in the car as well as the gangster club has become a scary mess!
Episode 13
What a finale. Such a great capstone for this great series. (Obviously ovas to come)
Firo and ennis have such a touching monnet. And love the comedic angle of everyone watching.
Also love how Issac and miria saving everyone. Everywhere they go they bring joy. The way the last couple of episodes humanise Czeslaw is so well done and you feel for him so much. On that note Czes and Maizas reunion is unexpectedly emotional. It might be the first time I cried at it but cry I did.
The cut to present day is great. Perfect to end on Issac and Miria being ridiculous.
Episode 11
Poor Czeslaw with Rail Tracer. Honestly what he goes through is horrific. And with his back story no wonder he trusts no one. Its so dark.
Ladd and Chane round 2 happens and a bit of Rail Tracer thrown in. It's loud and fun and awful!
Szilard confronts Maiza. First time I watched this had me on the edge of my seat. Its a great development.
Episode 12
Rachel on the move once more. A really understated character in the show.
All sorts of show downs come to fruition. Ladd with Rail Tracer, Nice and all her explosions Issac and Miria on the rope with Czeslaw is genuinely scary as you wanr the best for them and in the car as well as the gangster club has become a scary mess!
Episode 13
What a finale. Such a great capstone for this great series. (Obviously ovas to come)
Firo and ennis have such a touching monnet. And love the comedic angle of everyone watching.
Also love how Issac and miria saving everyone. Everywhere they go they bring joy. The way the last couple of episodes humanise Czeslaw is so well done and you feel for him so much. On that note Czes and Maizas reunion is unexpectedly emotional. It might be the first time I cried at it but cry I did.
The cut to present day is great. Perfect to end on Issac and Miria being ridiculous.
João Gomes
Thousand Master
The free-time part of my life is a mess. I stopped halfway through the 2nd ova, stopped Kaiba halfway through, started playing Horizon but stopped after 30 min, am a few hours into Elden Ring but I
also stopped that
to, like @Geriatric hedgehog, watch Fate - I'm only going for HF, though.
Still, nice reading everyone's impressions! And I like seeing all the characters interacting outside of the train, so I'll get back to it and finish this thing. It's feel weird otherwise. (light ocd?)
also stopped that
to, like @Geriatric hedgehog, watch Fate - I'm only going for HF, though.
Still, nice reading everyone's impressions! And I like seeing all the characters interacting outside of the train, so I'll get back to it and finish this thing. It's feel weird otherwise. (light ocd?)
Geriatric hedgehog
Pokémon Master
Things have been relentless at my end but I finally got a chance to watch the OVAs just now so will finally put my thoughts down in my trademarked terribly rambling prose.
Isaac, Miria and the gang demonstrate why domino pieces are far superior in versatility to chess ones. Here I was foolish enough to expect some light-hearted fun in the OVAs but we segue straight into baccano madness territory with the return of narrative time-bending, the short-ish return of Ladd and yet another new unhinged moron in the form of the full metal jedichemist. The latter's great little rant on tedium in the second episode did give me a good chuckle. On that note, the somewhat reduced madness in the OVAs did allow the writing to shine I felt, and I'm guessing it's a reflection of the source material. And we end in the last episode with the best horsey nickname ever: sugarcube-kun, and the reveal of the identity of one devilish character featured in the ending credits that I thought had been eluding me but turns out just hadn't can revealed earlier. A great last few lines on the beauty of stories, which in my opinion the Japanese excel at in the modern age in probably all art forms.
The OVAs were great as a not-so-little epilogue to the main story, nicely adding a bit more flesh to conclude some character's unfinished stories with additional background. The only minor negative I would say about them, and it's nitpicking really, would be that we didn't get enough Isaac and Miria! I personally really enjoyed this bonkers series, though I can see how it wouldn't be to everyone's tastes, and look forward to hopefully watching it subbed next time, whenever that may be.
Isaac, Miria and the gang demonstrate why domino pieces are far superior in versatility to chess ones. Here I was foolish enough to expect some light-hearted fun in the OVAs but we segue straight into baccano madness territory with the return of narrative time-bending, the short-ish return of Ladd and yet another new unhinged moron in the form of the full metal jedichemist. The latter's great little rant on tedium in the second episode did give me a good chuckle. On that note, the somewhat reduced madness in the OVAs did allow the writing to shine I felt, and I'm guessing it's a reflection of the source material. And we end in the last episode with the best horsey nickname ever: sugarcube-kun, and the reveal of the identity of one devilish character featured in the ending credits that I thought had been eluding me but turns out just hadn't can revealed earlier. A great last few lines on the beauty of stories, which in my opinion the Japanese excel at in the modern age in probably all art forms.
The OVAs were great as a not-so-little epilogue to the main story, nicely adding a bit more flesh to conclude some character's unfinished stories with additional background. The only minor negative I would say about them, and it's nitpicking really, would be that we didn't get enough Isaac and Miria! I personally really enjoyed this bonkers series, though I can see how it wouldn't be to everyone's tastes, and look forward to hopefully watching it subbed next time, whenever that may be.
Heheh, you and me both man, your list sounds just like the many plates I'm trying to spin in my free time. Just to divert a bit, I had started playing 13 sentinels at the same time as watching Baccano, which was a terrible idea to have two art forms with numerous characters and even more names to remember and keep track of!! As you can likely imagine my progress through my PS4 games is even more snail-paced for obvious time reasons, so I'm not anywhere near being bothered by the ps5 ones yet heh. Kaiba I'd definitely be up for simulwatching at some point. I suspect things will remain very busy for me for at least a few months still this year, so I may not be able to join in as much with the next few simulwatches if any are planned imminently, but hoping to get back into the game midway through the year. And now to get back into my Fate re-watch - I've scraped to fate zero now with my order being fate/stay night, zero, unlimited bladderworts (yes, I decided to stick with that ingenious spell-check from my phone) culminating with heaven's feel. I am regretting not just watching heaven's feel as that third movie keeps taunting me from my shelf...
Lordhippos
Pokémon Master
Apologies on my end as well, I did see the OVA's and went in expecting more side story than continuation. I'll be honest and say I wasn't really into the over the top spanner wielding guy. Ladd has kind of a psycho side and a more normal one, and it gives a nice combo of pacing to his character.
Spanner guy was more about the insanity full throttle antics, and to me it was a bit too much.
On the whole I still liked the main series for what it was worth, I don't think I'd throw it onto my highly recommended classics/shows personally, but I'm glad I got to the end as it's one show on my list (along with stuff like Cowboy Bebop) that I think are at least working through once.
I think you liked it the least out of all us here! but at least you crossed it off the list
They were a lot of fun to watch, I think helped by the fact the show isn't super long. I think their shenanigans work best in smaller doses like this.
I have a friend like you, never finishes anything!
Me? I'm all about trying to do one or two things at a time, I enjoy having something crossed off my list so I have one less thing to worry about. Smallest thing first usually is my tactic.
Kaiba is one I haven't seen yet, and I think people were keen to do a Durarararara Season 1 watch as well. From my point of view I'd like to organise one or the other in the near future but I'd guess probably not this month maybe, perhaps somewhere in April!
For Durararara might trial doing episode batches rather than getting people to write about them each day, this way more watching less writing I guess, as it's a longer show as well less ongoing commit. I'll have to consider how to approach it.
Spanner guy was more about the insanity full throttle antics, and to me it was a bit too much.
On the whole I still liked the main series for what it was worth, I don't think I'd throw it onto my highly recommended classics/shows personally, but I'm glad I got to the end as it's one show on my list (along with stuff like Cowboy Bebop) that I think are at least working through once.
I think you liked it the least out of all us here! but at least you crossed it off the list
They were a lot of fun to watch, I think helped by the fact the show isn't super long. I think their shenanigans work best in smaller doses like this.
I have a friend like you, never finishes anything!
Me? I'm all about trying to do one or two things at a time, I enjoy having something crossed off my list so I have one less thing to worry about. Smallest thing first usually is my tactic.
Kaiba is one I haven't seen yet, and I think people were keen to do a Durarararara Season 1 watch as well. From my point of view I'd like to organise one or the other in the near future but I'd guess probably not this month maybe, perhaps somewhere in April!
For Durararara might trial doing episode batches rather than getting people to write about them each day, this way more watching less writing I guess, as it's a longer show as well less ongoing commit. I'll have to consider how to approach it.
Geriatric hedgehog
Pokémon Master
Oh yeah, I'm definitely up for Durarara season 1... Correction: I WAS very up for that but I see now that it's not on any of the streaming services I'm subscribed to anymore!! Bloody hell, should've just watched it on Netflix while I had the chance. I'm so irritated with myself...
Oh well, sorry dude, I'll have to bow out of that one for now as I don't have a physical copy either and have far too many things that I've bought over the last two years and am yet to watch to want to go start a spending spree on another series heh.
Oh well, sorry dude, I'll have to bow out of that one for now as I don't have a physical copy either and have far too many things that I've bought over the last two years and am yet to watch to want to go start a spending spree on another series heh.
Lordhippos
Pokémon Master
Could stick to the other plan and do Kaiba instead, honestly both are new to me, so if nothing changes then I could put up a vote and see what people want.
Likely look at arranging in April still, I'd like to see how to split them up to get things more manageable for people as well, you can see I'm generally pretty good at sticking to 1 a day and posting on the right day, but often people are unable to keep on that same track (this isn't a dig at you btw, I appreciate you said you're very busy in real life!).
I don't mind slowing stuff down or batching things up, but I'd certainly like higher levels of engagement on the appropriate days as it's one of the things that makes simulwatch better than just solo watching stuff, some discussion about things as they are seen.
Geriatric hedgehog
Pokémon Master
Hey dude. Sorry for being MIA, have been trying to pick up the pieces from the fallout of a family bereavement. I hope you got to watch Durarara, I will aim to get to it eventually to watch as well. I certainly agree about your thoughts on the simulwatch and how you definitely need regular engagement to get the most out of it (or else how is it any different from a regular watch?!) and I always feel guilty when I inevitably fall behind but thank you for being understanding and bearing with me heh. I tend to struggle as there are often strings of days when I don't get a chance to watch at all, so I end up having to batch up episodes when I do get the chance.
I'd certainly be up for Kaiba, if you haven't seen it already. Yuasa works generally tend to make good simulwatch fodder. But overall I'm not to fussed and happy to get back into any simulwatch people are interested in.
I'd certainly be up for Kaiba, if you haven't seen it already. Yuasa works generally tend to make good simulwatch fodder. But overall I'm not to fussed and happy to get back into any simulwatch people are interested in.
Sad to hear that bad news, buddy. I hope you and your family are doing okay.
Good to see you posting again.
Geriatric hedgehog
Pokémon Master
Thanks dude, very kind of you and yes, we're managing as best as possible hopefully. Such is life and things do eventually improve with time.Sad to hear that bad news, buddy. I hope you and your family are doing okay.
Good to see you posting again.