Topic: Anime & Manga (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)

@Heavyarms55 I don't trust Funimation's translations. Their dubs can be even worse, as with the infamous case where they added a reference to Gamergate to an episode of Prison School.

@Ralizah I understand how some companies try to do more than translate when they localize, but not only do some of their decisions come off as condescending, but for those people who actually do speak both languages watching it, laughable. But even that I can forgive to a degree. Inserting things that weren't in the source material - sickening. Personally I prefer a mostly direct translation, with liberties taken only with aspects of the Japanese that don't easily 1 to 1 translate. I know enough Japanese after living in Japan for 4 years that I can spot when they are just pulling crap out of their bums.

With the most recent season of anime coming to a close, and several very good titles finishing or going on hiatus, I think now is a good time to talk about this. I think it deserves a separate thread from the main anime post because this is about the industry, rather than specific shows.

It feels like more than ever before anime are being made, one season covering the first portion of a story and leaving everything largely unresolved. More and more anime are just stopping, with their stories unfinished and studios waiting to see what sells DVDs or merchandise to judge, which, if any, will get another season. Other studios are seeing the unlikelihood of a second season and throwing proper pacing out the window in a mad rush to get to a certain scene or exciting story point.

Another growing problem is how painfully standardized seasons are becoming. Anime seasons are divided like real seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter season, each being 12-13 episodes/weeks. About 3 months. A "one cour" anime is one season, occasionally you get 2 cours or 2 seasons, and very rarely you get an anime that airs for a full year(4 cours/seasons). (if there has been an anime that did 3 cours nonstop, I haven't seen or heard of it). This system is warping anime because it is forcing studios to build all their shows around this, usually resulting in rushed shows crammed into a single season. Or shows that don't finish because they only get that single season. Mega-anime in the vein of Dragon Ball, Detective Conan, Naruto and Fairy Tail with hundreds of episodes are a relic of the past. Boruto and Dragon Ball Super being the most recent but both can be seen as continuations, not new series.

As a long time and very big anime fan I will be the first to admit that the anime industry can create total garbage just as notably as it can deliver epic adventures, heart breaking tragedies and wondrous sci-fi/fantasy. But the trend I am talking about is warping the industry and taking shows that should have been much better and crippling them.

While this last season had several very good shows, it also had several more that were warped in the way I describe. It feels like this trend is getting worse and worse. I've lost track of how many anime I have seen in the last 5 years that just stop or were bum rushed so they could fit into a single season...

@Link-Hero Perfect Blue is the least disturbing out of any of the ones you listed there, IMO.

Anyways, I've actually been watching quite a bit of anime lately, so I guess it doesn't hurt to post some thoughts:

My Hero Academia - I almost forgot to get caught up on this, but I'm glad I finally did! This show is still exhilerating to watch, and I can hardly wait to see it continue!

Seven Deadly Sins - I watched up through season 3 on Netflix (season 2 was only 4 episodes, though, and it felt like filler. I think they were just the OVAs). This show is fun, albeit flawed. I love the characters (for the most part), but its sense of escalation is all off, and combine that with how little the powers of most characters are defined and how so many seem invulnerable or invincible, and the action is about as interesting as your average Super Friends episode, despite all the top-grade animation. The season also ended a bit anti-climacticly, IMO. Hopefully season 4 will see some improvement.

Mob Psycho 100 - Finally got around to watching this, and barreled through the first season. This was actually quite heart-warming, and of course the comedy was hilarious! I can hardly wait to season season 2, but I've been watching it dubbed, and not all of the dubbed episodes are available for streaming yet, so I guess I'll be patient just to ensure I have maximum enjoyment.

Dragon Ball Super - I finally got to some new content, and God was it worth it! The pacing got better, and in general it's nice not having to constantly complain about how "the movies did this same arc better!!!1" and just enjoy watching some iconic characters do their thing. I'm finally on the Future Trunks arc, and I couldn't be more excited to dive into it!

Jojo's Bizarre Adventures - Stardust Crusaders - They FINALLY made it to Egypt! I've been trying to trudge my way through this season for 4 freakin' years, and I FiNaLlY get to see them arrive at their destination!

...now if only I could remember why they needed to get to Egypt in the first place...

(and before the Jojo fans crusify me, this season took on a "monster of the day" formula that I can't stand in any show. It's a testament to its quality that I finished any episodes at all, let alone a full season. I just can't wait for this whole road trip business to be over and we can finally have some decent pacing again)

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection - I went to the theaters to watch this, and it was definitely worth it! It was great seeing the cast again, the plot fit the timeframe it had to work with well enough, and the action as as stellar as the franchise as always had. I did have a few quibles with the story (It's not airtight, simply put), but damn was it exhilerating to watch the whole way through!

...and now I find out that this was just phase 1 of a 10 years plan to flood the market with Code Geass related content...I'm not sure how I feel about that...

I still got one more movie to watch this week, but I guess that's enough for one post.

@Link-Hero That's the thing, though - I understand that. That's why it's less disturbing than, say, alien body horror that makes me want to vomit out my organs that comprises the latter portions of Made in Abyss. Or the unabashed torture porn that makes up much of Higurashi: When The Cry. Or the ungoddly horror that is high school.

I'm just saying, Perfect Blue, for all it's insanity, I can at least tell where it's coming from. That makes it much less disturbing in my eyes. It's easier to be afraid of that which I don't understand.

@Link-Hero Well, yeah, I mean, I'm not enough of an idiot to completely dismiss the movie like that, especially when considering the director's entire body of work. That sounds like a very biased attitude that was more concerned with the violence and ignored how it fit into the overall movie.

I haven't really been keeping up with any series lately (other than the occasional Dragon Ball Super episode on Toonami), but I've watched a few anime films in recent weeks.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly - Even as someone who is lukewarm on Super as a whole, this was absolutely awesome. Other than one or two hiccups this was pretty much everything I wanted in a Dragon Ball movie.

Eureka Seven: High Evolution - The first entry in a planned film trilogy to retell the story of the original TV anime. The opening act is a true feast for the eyes that delves into an important event that took place 10 years before the start of the series, but it just jumps right into things so it doesn't make much sense unless you have intimate knowledge of the series' technobabble, making it an unoptimal starting point for beginners, or even fans who haven't watched it in awhile. Then it oddly jumps to the middle of the series, the Charles & Rey arc, and occasionally jumps back & forth from the events of the first episode from there, making it even more confusing for newcomers (and as a fan even I wasn't thrilled with this approach). Then there's the fact that they simply reuse animation from the TV series for this segment (which is the bulk), and while it wasn't a bad looking show by any means (and I'd argue it still looks good), it is a bit jarring going from the modern, film quality animation in the first act, back to the original animation (especially the 4:3 aspect ratio), and ultimately a bit disappointing.

InuYasha the Movie 2: Castle Beyond the Looking Glass - A rewatch. InuYasha is one of my all time favorite anime/manga series, and since watching a movie is much easier for a nostalgia kick than committing yourself to a 100+ episode TV anime (and since the 2nd movie is my favorite of the bunch), I gave it a watch.

@RR529 The second Eureka Seven movie looks to be better, but yeah, that was a terrible start to a trilogy that seemed slapped together at the last minute rather than a full production worthy of a theatrical release...

Castle Beyond the Looking Glass was also a good Inuyasha film. I never liked the series, but that was more due it's pacing issues and a couple annoying characters, and really just a lot of mounting annoyances over the course of its bloated run time. The theatrical films are just a better match for the franchise as a whole, IMO.

He guys? What've you been watching lately? I think the big ones for me this season are continuing Rise of the Shield Hero and Fairy Tail's final season. But I've been enjoying Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba a lot too.

Also watching a good bit of fluff this season because I like my Sunday after Anime time wasters, there is a harem anime about a tutor teaching 3 girls, and a... I don't even know what you would call it, some weird anime about an office worker with a pet/wife/fox-girl. (I think it is just the author's fantasy) And Yu-No, some sort of time travel/parallel world anime based off an old VN from the 90s.

Whoops, I thought I posted this here...

SSSS.Gridman - I finally got around to watching this the whole way through, and I was pleasantly surprised how good it was, especially towards the end. It definitely had some neat twists that got to me even when I knew they were coming, and overall, I was just glad to see something I was nostalgic for (I had a VHS tape of Super Samurai Syber Squad as a kid that I watched pretty frequently) presented in a new light that feels like it grew up & matured, just as I did.

I also rewatched a couple episodes and scenes of old school classics that I loved, like Dragon Ball Z & Robotech, and really helped to remind me why I love anime. There's an endless ocean of classic shows just waiting to be experienced, it really gets me excited!

Speaking of: did anyone else notice that Crunchyroll has been getting a lot of old shows this season, mainly from Discotek? A lot of them are ones I've been meaning to get to for a long time now, and now that I'm really in the mood, I might dive into them soon. I still gotta watch the Future Trunks arc in Dragon Ball Super first, but I know what to watch when I need a palette cleanser!

I also want to mention that I recently found out Vinland Saga is getting an anime adaption, and now for the first time in a while I'm excited for a new show to the point where I'm seriously considering watching each episode on a weekly basis. Though, that excitement is tempered by the fact that it's Prime exclusive. I can't afford another streaming service, and Prime is the worst value proposition as far as anime is concerned, so I'll probably have to turn to piracy...just as I had to when the manga was distributed as those overly large books that were too big and uncomfortable to hold. :/ There's always gotta be a catch with this series...

Anyways, that also got me to look around at a few others set to air this summer. It's way too early to say much, but for future reference, I currently have my eyes on Dr. STONE, Astra Lost in Space, To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts, and Granbelm.

Watched those anime Godzilla movies on Netflix two days ago and not gonna lie I both hated and loved it. It was like a conglomeration of really interesting and fresh ideas mixed with boring angst and bad execution. A lot of it largely due to them being movies, so things were very rushed. The writing was still very iffy however, some scenes were genuinely awesome while others had me just annoyed at the characters.

The main character served to reconfirm my hatred towards their archetype. Always angry characters who are perpetually hailed as amazing and placed in power will always just rub me the wrong way. It just makes everyone else look stupid and makes very little logical sense. It’s like early Eren from AoT but even worse since the main protagonist in the movie doesn’t have plot powers on his side. He’s is quite literally just really angry, entitled and hateful.

@-Green- I strongly disagree, and genuinely feel like we've seen completely different movies. I honestly enjoyed the first two movies, and I only felt that the third one was rushed. The main character's role is made clear within the context of the story, he's purposely set up by others above him to be a martyr, and I honestly don't see why he shouldn't be frustrated by his situation. Everyone gave up on their home to pursue a pipe dream instead of redoubling their efforts to face the threat right in front of them, and the only result has been more misery - they traded in their humanity for temporary survival. It's very clear that they weren't going to last much longer and needed literally any good news, which he attempted to provide with his strategy to defeat Godzilla, which his superiors refused to acknowledge at first, but ultimately made him useful for their own ends, especially when you consider how tenuous the relationship is between the 3 factions that have been forced together after their own failed attempts at defeating Godzilla.

@CanisWolfred I agree that his role is clear in the narrative. He’s very much the revolutionary focused type, who is willing to sacrifice himself for his grand cause/dream, but it’s with his naivety and recklessness that I take most issue. He also comes off as very entitled in how he views the Earth as something that is rightfully theirs, which while understandable comes off as silly since he neglects to take into account that massive harm his people had done before. His final decision at the end was just wtf in my eyes. He just made the decision for everyone else, and honestly crushed a lot of what he originally tried to stand on. Which can be seen as change in his character but to me just comes off as stupid once more. But tbh, I don’t think his archetype is badly written per se, it just usually rubs me the wrong way. Eren from AoT is probably the most well known example, as a person, he’s awful, but as a character, I can respect the writing.

As for the pacing, characters and relationships really just develop and are introduced incredibly quickly. Very little time is given to even know the names of more important characters. I really only ended up finding Mephties interesting, because while he is delusional and crazy, the idea of Ghidorah being their highly developed races monster and the impact it’s had on their long lives and views was interesting. Definitely an interesting contrast to the protagonist at the start.

@-Green- To be fair, the entire third movie deals with the aftermath of some of his more rash decisions, and much of the story is dealing with the question of what it means to be human, and the trade-offs that often come with war and desperation. His ideals are meant to be strongly tested, and whether or not he's making the right choices are a major part of the story. I also find it difficult to call him entitled when his ideas, while extreme, do enforce the belief that humanity shouldn't just give up and die in face of the extremes Godzilla presents. I understand if that type of character rubs you the wrong way, hard-headed people tend to be difficult to work with in real life, but I think it's important to see where they're coming from.

As for the pacing...only the characters that matter really get much focus. The rest are meant to be fodder, archetypes whose ideas and relationships drive the story. While that can definitely be a problem, it's a necessary evil in the face of the limited running time movies always have, as you alluded to before. Plus...it's a monster movie, at the end of the day. As long as characters like Haruo, Metphies, Dolu-Do, and Godzilla are all interesting enough to drive the plot, in my opinion, the writing has done its job. The world-building could definitely have been smoother, though.

I've really just been getting into Anime and Manga. Started watching SAO

@CanisWolfred I enjoyed Gridman but overall found it to be one of the weakest shows Trigger has done to date. It just didn't match the suspense and chaos of Gurren Lagann, Kill La Kill and Darling in the Frankxx or have the emotional impact of Kiznaiver or cuteness of Little Witch.

There are some great classic anime on CR these days. A few months ago I rewatched Full Metal Panic, a long time personal favorite. And have been working my way through Gundam Wing again, which is perfect to watch while building Gunpla.

@LetsGoSwitch SAO can be a lot of fun, but don't let it cloud your judgement on anime as a whole. It has some weird things in it too that aren't really too reflective of other series.

@Knighty_IX Sounds like we have similar tastes. ZZ Gundam is definitely a lot more silly than Zeta was, but it still has some dark and twisted things at times. Gundam the Origin has a stellar story but I am not a fan of the CG heavy art style. Demon Slayer has been great thus far, but my friend who has read the Manga warned my that it gets repetitive later on. I'm curious why you may drop Tate no Yuusha?

@Heavyarms55 I didn't expect it to be. In fact, out of all their shows, Gridman was the closest to a "Gainax" show I've seen Studio Trigger put out. It took a clear homage to various super robot anime, tokusatsu, and old-school Kaiju movies, and threw in a lot of subtle twists that ultimately subverted my expectations. It's the kind of show that really feels like it's made by nerds, often causing me to nerd out over certain scenes, like all the blatant Obari homages during fight scenes that bordered on plagerism, or how they tied in depression and escapism into the whole thing without being overbearing.

Then again, I'm also of the opinion that Darling in the FranXX was poorly written garbage that I'm still angry about for wasting my time, Kiznaiver failed to have any impact whatsoever, and Gurren Lagann will never be replicated. I mean, how are When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace, Space Patrol Luluco, Ninja Slayer, Inferno Cop, and Turning Girls all more impressive series than SSSS.Gridman? I really don't think a lot of Trigger's shows actually have long-term appeal. They're all good, and enjoyable in the moment, but Kill La Kill was the only one that has lot of ideas and scenes that I frequently reminince on. Which is fine, but it also means I have to keep that in mind every time I see a new series from them, so I don't get my hopes too high. Though, that still doesn't help certain series, obviously...

With that said, SSSS.Gridman made me feel likes that I hadn't felt since the first time I watched Gunbuster almost a decade ago. Considering how much of an impact that OVA series had on me, I think it might have a decent chance of reaching that classic status, at least in my book.

@CanisWolfred It's actually amazing just how much we disagree on this point. I'm almost of the exact opposite opinion on many of the things you said, except that I quite liked Gunbuster as well. I don't want to just spit on Gridman, I just found it very bland and forgettable. The characters felt like cardboard cutouts to me, and the I found many of the twists pretty predictable. I certainly didn't hate it, but I found shows that you clearly didn't like, like Frankxx and When Superpowers become commonplace to be far more interesting than anything Gridman did. To each their own I suppose.

@Heavyarms55 Admittedly, the first draft of that post was, "I'm going to save myself some time by telling you to take that entire paragraph, and inverse all of it - that is my opinion." I was afraid that might've come off as condecending, but I think I might just do that next time...

@CanisWolfred It's fine. Everyone has different tastes about what they like. I think we were pretty cordial with each other. Especially compared to some of the toxicity that sometimes pops up with these sorts of threads.