Your anime viewing journal

I finally started in on watching some of the Summer 2024 anime series:

The Ossan Newbie Adventurer, Trained to Death by the Most Powerful Party, Became Invincible Episodes 1-2

The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies Episode 1

No Longer Allowed in Another World Episode 1

The Strongest Magician in the Demon Lord's Army Was a Human Episodes 1-2

Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World Season 2 Episode 1

Bye Bye, Earth Episode 1

Quality Assurance in Another World Episodes 1-2

My Wife Has No Emotion Episodes 1-2

Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World? Episode 1
 
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Flying Phantom Ship

This is a film I've seen several times and enjoy a lot and I was very happy that Discotek licensed it, Flying Phantom Ship is an incredibly ambitious film both creatively and visually and an interesting time capsule of how Toei were pushing animation in the 60s. The HD transfer is great and shows off Toei's lovely animation. Definitely a recommendation.

Space Emperor God Sigma - Episodes 5 - 15

After a bit of a slow start God Sigma is now getting quite good.

AgeOfBoredom said:
I’m looking forward to going back and watching those subs. On the day I watched it, I was feeling more in the mood for manga 90s dub with all the stupid swearing. Great series dubbed even if the OG sub has its issues.
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I had only seen the sweary UK Angel Cop dub before as it was on VHS so it was good to see it in it's original format with the correct context.

HWR said:
STRAIN: Strategic Armored Infantry episodes 5-13 (Complete. A mediocre watch that unfortunately didn’t improve.) 2/5
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I thought this was OK and that it had some decent action but some of the humour was a bit out of place at times.
 
The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie (English dubbed) - A lovely end to a delightful series, this is far better than it's gimmicky premise might suggest and def one of the best harem rom-coms as well, might check out the bonus episodes too :)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4 Episodes 6-8 (REWATCH) - With Friend B, the Thanksgiving episode isn't actually as bad as I remember, also Parker is a total dick, Riley's pretty endearing for now, Xander is a total snack and I'll never get tired of seeing Giles being adorkable in that sombrero, gonna miss Oz and feeling sad for Willow and Buffy rn too, we've gotten to the start of Spike's redemption arc with the microchipping thing and I'm here for it and I laughed so hard when he was tied to the chair and got arrowed XP

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Episodes 3-6 (REWATCH) - With Friend C, just watched the first Halloween ep of the series, where we start finding out more about Giles' past and meet recurring minor villain Ethan Rayne :)

Cardcaptor Sakura Episodes 10-18 (REWATCH, English subbed) - So sweet and wholesome and I enjoyed finding out more about Sakura's mother, I'm really enjoying Megumi Ogata (seiyuu of Shinji Ikari) as Yukito as well :)

Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo Episode 25 (English dubbed) - Still enjoying this, will prob get on with finishing it when I've watched the rest of the Fate/ stuff I have :)

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Episodes 13-14 (English dubbed) - This can be grim but I love it's fascinating themes and complex characters, it's a bit like Durarara that way though obviously rather different in a number of aspects too, I am looking forward to seeing the Heaven's Feel films after I finish this series as well :)

The Irresponsible Captain Tylor TV Episode 1 (REWATCH, English dubbed) - With Friend A, they enjoyed it and we'll be watching more (I don't think I'll be seeing Person E again anyway lol), I can't wait to rewatch more of this and get into the fun philosophy and outlook of the show and Tylor who is one of the best male MCs from any anime of that era IMO :)

Noting here also that Friend A wasn't that into Toilet Bound Hanako-kun, but I will probably continue rewatching it on my own at some point in the nearish future :)
 
RonJB said:
This was the first episode I ever watched and it impressed me greatly. Almost makes me want to go back and watch it all again (still waiting for the remastered version, even though I know it'll never come).
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They have done an HD version but apparently it has major problems, you prob already know that though tbf. I do hope they do that remake that's been floating around as a possible thing at some point, I'd be really interested to see one (and I'm not the biggest remake/reboot person, but a new Buffy for a new generation could be something really special if done right) :)
 
Shy Season 2 Episode 15

Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf Episode 16

The Ossan Newbie Adventurer, Trained to Death by the Most Powerful Party, Became Invincible Episode 2
 
Goku: Midnight Eye OVA

I think it might have become apparent that I love the 80/90s OVA cheese. I watched this one with the Manga Entertainment UK dub because I’m compelled to by nostalgia.

I think this is the first one where I didn’t enjoy it all that much. It felt like the hero Goku just given cheat codes and then all the mysteries were there to solve with no real effort as he essentially Googles the answers.

On the positive side, the first OVA had a cyborg that’s half stripper and half motorcycle being rode around by a small chap in techno knights armour… so there’s that. Oh, and the actual visuals are pretty cool.

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It was really hard to find a frame that was safe for work of this 🤣
 
Ayla Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 3 Work together.

Oshi no Ko 2nd Season episode 14 Assistance.

Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World Season 2 episode 2 Agitated.

Sengoku Youko episode 14 A fresh start.

The Strongest Magician in the Demon Lord’s Army Was a Human episode 4 Build.

Summer Time Rendering episodes 15-25 (Complete. I thought this was quite an impressive watch - I’d like to add a boxset to my collection one day if anyone can get it licensed.) 4/5
 
My Deer Friend Nokotan ep1

Seen some quite divided opinions on this one, but having gone into it with no great expectations, I thought it was endearingly (sorry) daft. There’s not much else this season that appeals to me, so I’ll likely stick with it.

Cleopatra DC (1989)

Not to be confused with Blaxploitation favourite Cleopatra Jones (as I keep doing for some reason), this 3-part adaptation of a Kaoru Shintani manga sees the jetsetting young head of a multinational corporation using her power and influence to tackle various criminal misdeeds, all of which seem suspiciously linked to a rival company. Now that we have reached the terrifying future of 2024, it’s a little hard not to think that Cleo’s immense wealth and apparent sway with world powers puts her in much the same position as the baddies in a Call of Duty game, but this is all quite genteel, and seems heavily influenced by glossy American adventure shows of the late 70s. The overall effect is a bit like someone spun Hideo Kojima around until he was dizzy, then got him to watch Charlie’s Angels and Hart to Hart on repeat.

It’s a little hard to know how seriously the show wants you to take it at times (attempts to build tension towards the high stakes finale in episode 3 are undercut by an admittedly very funny running gag, for example) and, in the pantheon of Shintani things which are not Area 88, I liked this a little less than the grittier, tighter focused Desert Rose, but it’s an appealing bit of escapist nonsense that doesn’t outstay its welcome.

AgeOfBoredom said:
Goku: Midnight Eye OVA

I think this is the first one where I didn’t enjoy it all that much.
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I get that. Considering that it’s Kawajiri adapting a Buichi Terasawa manga, I was surprised at how middling the end result was. I did get a laugh out of the villains’ nefarious plan boiling down to ‘let’s give everyone bird flu’ though, and I think there’s a cheeky reference to what else was in production at Madhouse at the time, given that ‘808’ is displayed very prominently on a container in one shot…
 
@Professor Irony i forgot about the swans 🤣 Jesus Christ! Yeah it was no space cobra for sure. It’s the creative team is 2+2 but came out with 3 which wasn’t the magic number in this case. I just wish it was more camp or more 80/90s bonkers ova or more something but it seemed to sit in the middle and not really do any of them well.

I’d watch it again but maybe at the start of an OVA watch day so it’s not outshined by more bonkers stuff.

Kawajiri does excellent colour work though.

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Isekai Quartet season 1 & 2 episodes 1-12.

Latest title from my backlog with the short episode series involving characters from various titles thrown together in a school setting.

Explosion!
 
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