Your anime viewing journal

Vashdaman said:
bakemonogatari ep 1 and 2:
I tried this show years ago and wasn't a huge fan but I've mostly forgotten it except for the fact it was was a little bit on the pervy side. So I'm trying it again as I know it's very popular and wondered if I was missing something.
Well it's starting to come back to me now, why I didn't click with it. First of all, it's more pervy than I remembered. And the characters don't behave or talk like real people. And the show just exudes smugness, it's all rapid fire banter and puns (which crucially, so far are not actually funny), rapid cuts and editing with text that doesn't stay on screen long enough to be read. And ep 2 ends with the revelation that Senjogahara's problems
were essentially precipitated by her sexual assault
which just makes the show's incessant perving and objectifying of her over these two episodes seem even worse and makes the show seem a lot less self-aware than it think it is. So far all it really has going for it is its style. I'll continue though as it's only early days, hoping it gets better!
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the rapid fire banter & fast cutting pop art direction are two of the main draws so if you don't like them now then it's going to drive you crazy! a lot of the writing is satirical of anime tropes, the writer Nisio Isin loves ******* with tropes. buuuuuut those lines get blurred at points - if the reader/watcher can't tell the difference between something being pervy & and something satirising that kind of perviness then .... it's just pervy. and Monogatari has too much of that kind of blurring
hello toothbrush
in summary: I really like the Monogatari series, but would never recommend it to anyone!
 
As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World Episode 8

Blue Archive The Animation Episode 8

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc Episode 3

Mission: Yozakura Family Episode 8

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation II Part 2 Episode 43

The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 3 Episode 32
 
zappi said:
the rapid fire banter & fast cutting pop art direction are two of the main draws so if you don't like them now then it's going to drive you crazy! a lot of the writing is satirical of anime tropes, the writer Nisio Isin loves ******* with tropes. buuuuuut those lines get blurred at points - if the reader/watcher can't tell the difference between something being pervy & and something satirising that kind of perviness then .... it's just pervy. and Monogatari has too much of that kind of blurring
hello toothbrush
in summary: I really like the Monogatari series, but would never recommend it to anyone!
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Yeah I get the feeling it is one of these highly self referential of anime and otaku culture kind of shows. That's ok and if done well can be a great show with extra satisfying meta layers to enjoy if you get it, something like Eva you know which is obviously screwing around with mecha show tropes in ways that I don't get because I haven't seen many mecha shows but I can still enjoy it without any of that either. On the other hand I think the self referential atmosphere of Bake is just coming across as just sort of smug to me, like in a oh aren't you such a clever little otaku to be enjoying this sort of a way. And that's ok too of course, but I'm not sure it's for me. Also, I'm only 3 episodes in now, but I can't really notice any big subversion from familiar anime tropes. Where's the satire? I feel like I've seen a ton of Araragis and Senjougaharas before, but I'm not sure if that's the case or just due to the fact I've actually seen this show before years ago. Maybe it's the fact that I haven't seen enough anime to be to be able to tell? Time will tell though as I'll keep watching! I love shows and films and books that are dialogue and banter heavy, where nothing really much happens but weirdness, and that ticks all those boxes so I want to like it.
 
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro Film
Another 4k pick up from this month and another gorgeous HDR experience with a classic. Such a wonderful romp and a film that everyone should experience. Oh, and not just because of the director 🤣

My favourite thing about the movie is just the scenery and space where it all takes place. Such amazing imagination created a world that feels so lived in.

It’s got me in the mood for more Lupin, I might checkout the Lupin vs Cats Eye movie later as it’s on Prime.

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Vashdaman said:
Yeah I get the feeling it is one of these highly self referential of anime and otaku culture kind of shows. That's ok and if done well can be a great show with extra satisfying meta layers to enjoy if you get it, something like Eva you know which is obviously screwing around with mecha show tropes in ways that I don't get because I haven't seen many mecha shows but I can still enjoy it without any of that either. On the other hand I think the self referential atmosphere of Bake is just coming across as just sort of smug to me, like in a oh aren't you such a clever little otaku to be enjoying this sort of a way. And that's ok too of course, but I'm not sure it's for me. Also, I'm only 3 episodes in now, but I can't really notice any big subversion from familiar anime tropes. Where's the satire? I feel like I've seen a ton of Araragis and Senjougaharas before, but I'm not sure if that's the case or just due to the fact I've actually seen this show before years ago. Maybe it's the fact that I haven't seen enough anime to be to be able to tell? Time will tell though as I'll keep watching! I love shows and films and books that are dialogue and banter heavy, where nothing really much happens but weirdness, and that ticks all those boxes so I want to like it.
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It’s been a few years since I last saw it, but based on that first season, I would definitely question how much Bakemonogatari works as satire - frequently when it does things that do feel like they might be a critique of anime tropes, it feels like it gets there by also just doing the thing it may or may not be criticising. I don’t know. In the time since it first came out, we’ve had a lot of anime series come and go that have been heavily influenced by the franchise, so it’s also entirely possible that it just doesn’t feel as fresh as it did at the time.

Personally, I think a lot of the appeal is just in the sheer weirdness of the atmosphere it creates. Between the heavy emphasis on character dialogue over action and the complete exclusion of everyone who is not needed for a scene (I don’t think there are ever any background characters in the entire franchise), I think it catches something of the intimacy of watching a play on the stage.
 
Gods’ Games we Play episode 9 Played hand.

Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf episode 9 Money’s too tight to mention.

Train to the End of the World episode 9 Transformed.

TSUKIMICHI -Moonlit Fantasy- season 2 episode 33 Strength of a hero.

Princess Nine: Kisaragi Joshikou Yakyuubu episodes 6-26 (Complete. This was a decent watch but the final quarter or so was a let down.) 3/5
 
The Apothecary Diaries eps 19-24 (dub) (complete)
More interesting reveals.
Mystery, comedy, romance and an historical setting, probably couldn't get much better for my tastes. My only quibble is the slight inaccuracies and looking up the time period only made it worse, chocolate in China before South America was discovered! Although someone in the same reddit thread said they never specifically said it was China and it's supposed to be an alternate universe version. Still to do so much research just throw in inaccuracies for plot reasons and say it's not the real China seems odd, but that's just the Archaeologists in me!
Art and animation were very good, a few fumbles here and there.
9/10 (real toss up between Frieren and this between which is better. Frieren had some good action and the better animation and this has pretty much none, but this does have the better pacing and Maomao is probably my favourite out of all the characters). This has an announced second season too with stuff hinted at still to be revealed!

Next!:
Undead Unluck eps 1-3 (dub)
Dumb Shounen action (rom?) com! It's a bit OTT straight away, but seems fun enough.
Seems like Disney+ doesn't have all the episodes yet though, so I might leave it for a bit.
 
D1tchd1gger said:
The Apothecary Diaries eps 19-24 (dub) (complete)
Mystery, comedy, romance and an historical setting, probably couldn't get much better for my tastes.
9/10 (real toss up between Frieren and this between which is better. Frieren had some good action and the better animation and this has pretty much none, but this does have the better pacing and Maomao is probably my favourite out of all the characters). This has an announced second season too with stuff hinted at still to be revealed!
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I would have to say Apothecary Diaries is pretty much my second favorite anime series of all time now, right behind Violet Evergarden and just ahead of Hanasakeru Seishonen and Raven of the Inner Palace. I still have to finish watching Frieren, but I'm sure that will be up there in my Top 5 somewhere too.
 
Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers Episode 8

Gods' Game We Play Episode 9

I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince So I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability Episode 9

Re:Monster Episode 9

Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf Episode 9

The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases Episode 10

TSUKIMICHI -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 Episode 33
 
Tsukimichi Moonlit Fantasy S2
Episodes 1-12

Really enjoying this. The comedy is right up my street, particularly from the 3 supporting characters. Plenty of fights.
It's not finished but seems a good place to pause.

Edit
Just a thought, silly is the perfect word.
 
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Armored Police Metal Jack - Episodes 23 - 27

The second half of Metal Jack has so far been consistently better than the first.

New Hurricane Polymar

A very odd, very 90's and ultimately very average OVA based on the 70's TV show. This time I watched a fansub based on the Japanese Blu-ray and it looks amazing (I remember thinking it would look good in HD when I first watched it) but it tries to be too 'abstract' at times which makes the storytelling and pacing uneven and the cancelled 3rd episode makes it very inconclusive as well.

Kaiju No. 8 - Episode 7

I am enjoying this a lot.

AgeOfBoredom said:
Is there significant changes (other than not being compressed into 90ish minutes) to the story? I think it will be something I pick up in the next few months.
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There is a lot more going on with the other characters surrounding Hiromi in the TV series which gives the series much more depth. I like the film and it's a great introduction to Aim for the Ace, but he TV series is another level imho.

AgeOfBoredom said:
Space Adventure Cobra Film
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I've heard so many good things about the Cobra 4k release, I thought it looked good in HD and looking forward to getting it in UHD now I have finally upgraded to a 4k TV.
 
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