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Clouded said:
K-On Episode 12 - Probably the best one so far, the live was exceptional. Thankfully there is one more episode after this
:eek:

Wow. Seems like it was only the other day I was thinking about watching this series when it started. Times flies when your stuck, struggling to find time for anime...
 
Narutaru: 1-5

Uninteresting. I wanted it to creep me out, I wanted it to pull me in... but there's nothing for me to get my hooks into. No character development, no explanation as to what exactly is going on, no plot, poor visuals, no memorable music... no nothing. I'll push on to the end, but I can't see myself ever bothering with the manga.

Black Blood Brothers: 6-8

It's gone **** after the first disc. The pacing has gone to hell because there's very little connecting any of the events, the virgin woman gets all emotional over Jiro for no reason, the action has failed to excite and, with only four episodes to go, the back-story hasn't been explained at all. It seems like I got exactly what I paid for and not a penny extra. In the future, I'll be wary of £12 Manga complete series sets...

Starship Operators: 9-13

In contrast to the above, this series turned out to be very good, despite me not liking it a lot early on. It started badly because there was no build-up and the premise is a little far-fetched - even for a sci-fi series - but it got better as it went on. The tactical space battles were quite intense, though the tactics were rather simple, only made complicated by the use of sci-fi jargon. If it had been longer and there had been time given to character development, it could've been a top series.
 
Started the second season of Legend of the Galactic Heroes yesterday (eps. 27 + 28). It's awesome, and there are no signs it will deteriorate in quality. I'm completely on the side of Empire; Reinhard von Lohengramm ftw!
 
Phoenix: 1-7

First of all, I love the book-like cases the DVDs are packaged in. I paid a lowly sum of £14 and received a thin box, complete with three cases that are basically hardback book covers with bits of plastic stuck inside to hold the discs. The covers are even reflective/shiny. Great value for money.

The series itself is different from other anime I've watched, in a good way. The art is almost cartoony, featuring characters with huge noses and the like, but I like it because the character designs aren't the norm. The stories vary from a down to earth, Apocalypto style story about survival, death and nations falling to futuristic tales about humans having moved away from the Earth because of the planet being on its legs. There's lots of variation.

The opening four episode arc, about a primitive tribe getting slaughtered, a warrior taking a boy from the village under his wing because the same thing happened to him once and a dying ruler searching for the Phoenix in order to keeping living was very involving. There weren't any epic, over the top moments - it was purely a solid, down to earth story - but it kept me coming back for more. I can see some find the story a bit boring because of the slow(ish) pacing, but I never lost interest. Like the IGN quote on the back of the first volume points out, Phoenix simply has a quality that keeps its viewers watching until each episodes conclusion.

The second, two episode arc was more interesting, though it wasn't as involving. It was about a researcher on the moon getting caught in an accident and ending up being revived, the cost being half his brain being replaced by a machine. When he awoke, he could no longer see humans, instead finding himself only able to see monsters, and he had no memories of what lead up to the accident. Yet, for whatever reason, he discovered that he could view machines as living organisms, and an encounter with one machine resulted in him turning on the humans and running away with 'her'. A fascinating story, overall.

I watched the seventh episode, too, but that wasn't amazing, it being a standalone affair and the story being nowhere near as engaging as what had gone before it.

My only complaint so far is that, for a series called "Phoenix", the bird itself has barely featured in any of the stories, it always lurking in the background and never being of any great importance. Going into the series, I expected to see a series of stories with one message: that, in every age, humans are foolish creatures. That turned out to not be the case, though...

I can't see the whole picture yet, but so far Phoenix has all the makings of an unknown gem. I'm glad I picked it up at random.
 
Aion said:
Narutaru: 1-5

Uninteresting. I wanted it to creep me out, I wanted it to pull me in... but there's nothing for me to get my hooks into. No character development, no explanation as to what exactly is going on, no plot, poor visuals, no memorable music... no nothing. I'll push on to the end, but I can't see myself ever bothering with the manga.
So you didn't like it? I actually started reading the manga on that super manga blast dark horse compilation and I actually wanted to know what happened next.
But the manga vanished (I take DH dropped the series).

I've just read Alien Nine which has some similarities to it and I would recommned as an enjoyable - yet a bit predictable - short manga (3 volumes).
 
Kare Kano 7-9 (rewatch)

I had forgotten how annoying it is when the characters launch into monologues that go on forever. Anno's direction keeps it looking interesting, at least. Otherwise, no complaints. There's a sincerity to the characters' emotions that's lacking in most other romance anime.
 
Fate/Stay Night Episodes 5 - 13
Still enjoying the series but still getting the feeling it is yet to peek. Looking fwd to seeing what happens.
 
I re-watched The Gokusen whilst down my folks for the weekend, I decided to take it with me after Aion had been watching it. I forgot just how much I enjoyed the show, and can highly recommend it to anyone who wants to try out a school/yakuza comedy that does not just fall back to the now usual fan service.
 
Since it's my latest box set, I had a look at three episodes of Air last night, falling asleep during the 4th. Based on the first disc, it's up there with the most boring and pointless anime series in existence, and the only reason I can see for its high rating is that it has all of the usual harem female personalities and a character that says a stupid, newly created word (Gao, FYI).

...oh, and the town the story takes place in comes across as totally unrealistic - there don't seem to be any lifeforms other than the main characters living there. And, main character aside, there's only been one other adult male shown to date.
 
Aion said:
Since it's my latest box set, I had a look at three episodes of Air last night, falling asleep during the 4th. Based on the first disc, it's up there with the most boring and pointless anime series in existence, and the only reason I can see for its high rating is that it has all of the usual harem female personalities and a character that says a stupid, newly created word (Gao, FYI).

...oh, and the town the story takes place in comes across as totally unrealistic - there don't seem to be any lifeforms other than the main characters living there. And, main character aside, there's only been one other adult male shown to date.

That sux! I just got the series too. :(
 
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