Anime/Manga Discussion

Hard to believe I've been here for a few hours and haven't made this thread yet.

As the title says, this is a discussion topic pertaining to all things relating to Japanese Anime and Manga.

I'll start the discussion by asking a few simple questions:

What's your favorite Anime? Your favorite Manga?

What Anime are you watching? What Manga are you reading?

To answer my own questions:

My favorite Anime is Mobile Suit Gundam, specifically the original 0079 series, but I've enjoyed nearly every entry in the series, barring the latest entry, Gundam AGE, which was the most bland entry in the series I've ever seen, with absolutely no redeeming qualities from as far as I can tell - which is saying something, since the series has seen a few stinkers here and there, yet I always managed to find a reason to enjoy them. Not so with AGE. Level 5 should stick to video games...Ironically, apparently the video game adaption was excellent...

My favorite Manga is Monster, although I've yet to finish it (so don't ruin the ending, please!), though I'm also partial to Crossbone Gundam (Sunrise! Make an anime adaption already!) and Gundam SEED Astray (I swear this is the best thing to happen to the SEED universe - interesting characters, good use of lore and limitations, battles that don't just amount to beam spam...why wasn't this the anime instead of SEED and SEED Destiny?).

I'mcurrently in the process of trying to figure out what to watch, actually. Just choosing the genre is hard enough. I'm leaning towards mecha, since I haven't seen much in that category in quite some time (the last mecha anime I watched more than a few episodes of was over a year ago...I blame Gundam AGE), though I'm not sure if I should rewatch a Gundam series, finish a backlog title, or find something new to indulge in.

And I'm not reading anime manga, though I've been thinking of reading more Crossbone Gundam, or maybe see if I could track down the next volume in SEED Astray.

Favorite anime? That's hard to narrow down so I'll go with the best of recent memory: Durarara. I appreciated the perspective-shifting storytelling and all that but what really elevated it was the characterization. Aside from the intentionally unremarkable bit players, I found this to be the most memorable cast I've seen in some time. Oh, and one of the best opening themes too (until they went and killed it with the second one). Mirai Nikki might have been a runner-up at one point but oh boy that late plot twist and yikes that ending. 

Favorite manga? I'll go with a more general answer and say Bleach. Yes, it has its share of issues and I'm probably picking it more on the basis that I've been reading it for years, but I am consistently excited for it. I also feel like the universe has a logical flow that many other combat-heavy shounen animes lack, though this doesn't seem to be a popular opinion. Either way, Kubo's gorgeous character designs don't hurt and only seem to get better over time. 

I'm currently watching "season zero" of Yu-Gi-Oh (basically before the entire thing was based around duel monsters and with a more sadistic version of the pharaoh). I read the manga many moons ago and randomly felt like seeing how the anime would adapt some of the uh, "darker" scenes. Not the deepest thing in the world and pretty formulaic but still decent fun for what it is. 

In terms of current manga, I haven't touched much other than Bleach lately (mostly due to pursuing already-finished series or dropping them outright).

It's been a few months since I picked up a manga or watched an anime.  I really need to remedy this.

I have noticed that I tend to like everything published by 7th Seas for manga. I don't even read the description any more if I see their logo, I just add it to the list of things I need to read.  The last manga series I was reading were Ikagami, Psyren, and Pretty Face. 

For Anime, gotta go with Strike Witches.  Winning the war on pants in every episode!   Angel Beats would probably be a close second place.  I was watching Ah! My Goddess on Netflix but it got pulled before I could finish, I only had 2 or 3 episodes to go.  Before that I watched Rosario Vampire.  My wife doesn't believe me when I say that there's more to that show than panty shots.  A really good but extremely sad anime is Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.  I challenge anyone to watch that and not cry a river by the end of the series.  

Never got into any mecha series. Not sure why.

I very nearly made this topic, but then I saw that you had signed up, Canis, and I just couldn't take the honour away from you ;-)

For me, I've finally caught up with the Bleach anime. From not having seen a single episode at the start of the year, I'm now up to Season 15, and still enjoying it greatly. Yes, it's relatively stupid fun, but emphasis is on the fun there. 

I've also just started watching Photo Pano Kiss, which is a high school drama/ romance show. I was a fan of the Vita game, so I'm rather enjoying this. It gets a little creepy voyeuristic at times, but for the most part it's nowhere near as bad as it could have been. In fact it's got a streak of honour and morality to it that is quite charming, considering the whole Otaku genre and everything.

Glad to see you guys aren't afraid to extrapolate.

Midori wrote:Favorite anime? That's hard to narrow down so I'll go with the best of recent memory: Durarara.

... 

Favorite manga? I'll go with a more general answer and say Bleach....I also feel like the universe has a logical flow that many other combat-heavy shounen animes lack, though this doesn't seem to be a popular opinion.

...

I'm currently watching "season zero" of Yu-Gi-Oh....Not the deepest thing in the world and pretty formulaic but still decent fun for what it is. 

I can't believe I haven't seen Durara yet. I keep putting it on my to-watch lists, yet I never seem to get around to it. Shame, since it does seem really great, and your description just makes it sound even more interesting.

And I just had a conversation with my bro about Bleach, who to some effect noted the logical flow you mentioned.

Also, glad to see someone else here who is willing to watch a formulaic show, I know I like myself the occasional Super Robot and magical girl anime despite their formulaic nature - So long as it's still fun to watch, I don't find it to be that big of an issue.

segisaurus wrote:For Anime, gotta go with Strike Witches.  Winning the war on pants in every episode!   Angel Beats would probably be a close second place.  I was watching Ah! My Goddess on Netflix but it got pulled before I could finish, I only had 2 or 3 episodes to go.  Before that I watched Rosario Vampire.  My wife doesn't believe me when I say that there's more to that show than panty shots.  A really good but extremely sad anime is Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.  I challenge anyone to watch that and not cry a river by the end of the series.  

Never got into any mecha series. Not sure why.

Hah, they got me with that advertising campaign, too. I Normally dislike shows with lots fanservice, but I couldn't resist watching it after reading that slogan, and it turned out to be a rather fun show, if a bit forgettable in my mind.

I never saw the newer Ah! My Goddess series, but if its anything like the 5-episode OVA I saw, I'm sure it's sad you couldn't finish it.

Have you read the Manga to Rosario? It's far and away better than the anime adaption, which spent far too much time on harem fanservice rather than the actual plot, which in itself was actually fairly interesting.

AnoHana just went free for all users on Crunchyroll, so I'm thinking of giving that a go soon. I already saw the first episode (twice) and was crying, like, 5 minutes in.

And what mecha anime have you tried, if you can remember? Mecha can be a very varied if you know where to look...though sadly, most don't know where to look.

MattS wrote:I very nearly made this topic, but then I saw that you had signed up, Canis, and I just couldn't take the honour away from you ;-)

For me, I've finally caught up with the Bleach anime. From not having seen a single episode at the start of the year, I'm now up to Season 15, and still enjoying it greatly. Yes, it's relatively stupid fun, but emphasis is on the fun there.

Thanks.

And are you watching the filler to Bleach? Because ironically, one of my personal favorite arcs is a filler arc that you should either be on or just passed, and I wanted to know what you think of it? (also, it would severely lower your accomplishment, since there's a lot of filler to skip )

CanisWolfred wrote:Glad to see you guys aren't afraid to extrapolate.

segisaurus wrote:For Anime, gotta go with Strike Witches.  Winning the war on pants in every episode!   Angel Beats would probably be a close second place.  I was watching Ah! My Goddess on Netflix but it got pulled before I could finish, I only had 2 or 3 episodes to go.  Before that I watched Rosario Vampire.  My wife doesn't believe me when I say that there's more to that show than panty shots.  A really good but extremely sad anime is Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.  I challenge anyone to watch that and not cry a river by the end of the series.  

Never got into any mecha series. Not sure why.

Hah, they got me with that advertising campaign, too. I Normally dislike shows with lots fanservice, but I couldn't resist watching it after reading that slogan, and it turned out to be a rather fun show, if a bit forgettable in my mind.

I never saw the newer Ah! My Goddess series, but if its anything like the 5-episode OVA I saw, I'm sure it's sad you couldn't finish it.

Have you read the Manga to Rosario? It's far and away better than the anime adaption, which spent far too much time on harem fanservice rather than the actual plot, which in itself was actually fairly interesting.

AnoHana just went free for all users on Crunchyroll, so I'm thinking of giving that a go soon. I already saw the first episode (twice) and was crying, like, 5 minutes in.

And what mecha anime have you tried, if you can remember? Mecha can be a very varied if you know where to look...though sadly, most don't know where to look.

The Rosario Manga is on my To-Buy list. As for Mecha, I can't remember the name of anything. What would you suggest to try?

And are you watching the filler to Bleach? Because ironically, one of my personal favorite arcs is a filler arc that you should either be on or just passed, and I wanted to know what you think of it? (also, it would severely lower your accomplishment, since there's a lot of filler to skip)

I have no idea to be honest. I've seen filler episodes, but I don't know if they constitute everything - I have a subscription to CrunchyRoll, which is how I watch. If it's on CrunchyRoll, I've seen it

MattS wrote:

And are you watching the filler to Bleach? Because ironically, one of my personal favorite arcs is a filler arc that you should either be on or just passed, and I wanted to know what you think of it? (also, it would severely lower your accomplishment, since there's a lot of filler to skip)

I have no idea to be honest. I've seen filler episodes, but I don't know if they constitute everything - I have a subscription to CrunchyRoll, which is how I watch. If it's on CrunchyRoll, I've seen it

Then yes, you should be on the filler arc I was talking about from 317 to 340-something, I think. Let me know what you think of it!

segisaurus wrote:As for Mecha, I can't remember the name of anything.  What would you suggest to try?

It depends on what you're looking for:

If you want a straight Military sci-fi show with mechs and lots of political intrigue, there's always Mobile Suit Gundam, Dougram, and Votoms.

If you want something more Space-opera-ish, there's Zeta Gundam and Macross. Ideon may also count among this.

If you want something with more Fantasy to it, there's Dunbine, Wings of Rean, and Escaflowne. Panzer World Galient might also fit into this category.

If you want something more light-hearted, there's Xabungle and Dragonar. Vifam might also fit into this category.

If you want a Post-apocalyptic setting, there's After War Gundam X. Layzner may also fit into this category.

If you want something that focuses more on the Civilian uses of Mechs, there the entire Patlabor franchise.

And if you want something where the mechs could easily be taken out and replaced with something else, and the plot would more or less remain the same, there's always the first season of Full Metal Panic!, as well as Code Geass, Gargantia, and possibly Eureka Seven.


Um...Sorry if this list seems overwhelming. I guess I got carried away. :PIf I had to chose just one to get started with Mecha, I guess my choice would be either Mobile Suit Gundam or Macross, since those are two of the oldest Mecha that still influence the genre to this day. Of course, that's coming from someone who loves older mecha, since the genre's not what it used to be. I'm sure Code Geass or Eureka Seven would also be good places to start as well.

Then yes, you should be on the filler arc I was talking about from 317 to 340-something, I think. Let me know what you think of it!

Is that the one where all the Zanpakto's rebel?

MattS wrote:

Then yes, you should be on the filler arc I was talking about from episode 317 to 340-something, I think. Let me know what you think of it!

Is that the one where all the Zanpakto's rebel?

No, that was 80 episodes ago. You should be on it right now.

CanisWolfred wrote:

MattS wrote:

Then yes, you should be on the filler arc I was talking about from episode 317 to 340-something, I think. Let me know what you think of it!

Is that the one where all the Zanpakto's rebel?

No, that was 80 episodes ago. You should be on it right now.

Hm, Crunchy Roll in Australia might not be able to play those episodes right now then. I don't think they're there yet.

Season 15's not available?

CanisWolfred wrote:Season 15's not available?

Oh, no

I've got through season 14.

Ouch, major bummer, dude.

Also, I just feel like mentioning this:

I haven't really been watching new anime since Fall 2012, and it doesn't seem like I've missed much. I think there's only 3, maybe 4 shows that seem like they'd appeal to my tastes, and even then I doubt most of them would be that good. Granted, that's just out of the Simulcast ones, but still...

CanisWolfred wrote:Ouch, major bummer, dude.

Also, I just feel like mentioning this:

I haven't really been watching new anime since Fall 2012, and it doesn't seem like I've missed much. I think there's only 3, maybe 4 shows that seem like they'd appeal to my tastes, and even then I doubt most of them would be that good. Granted, that's just out of the Simulcast ones, but still...

Good stuff. It's there now. Might have just been off briefly. Time to catch up!

On another note, I just discovered Demon King Daimao. It's nuts.

On another another note, if you've never seen Chi's New Home, then be sure to watch it and prepare to have your heart melted from cuteness.

I'd watch Chi Home, but it doesn't have enough action or story...

BTW, I think I've only watched a significant amount of 4 different shows this entire year so far - 100+ episodes of One Piece, 50+ episodes of Hunter X Hunter (2011), 35 episodes of Fairy Tail, and 10 episodes of Gintama. I've seen bits of other shows, but otherwise, most of my time has been taken up by long-running shounen shows. I intend to change that soon, though. I only got 2 more episodes of Hunter X Hunter before I'm out of completed arcs, so I'll be taking a break from Shounen shows to finish The Unlimited and get caught up with Space Battleship Yamato 2199 - my two favorite shows that have aired this year.

I just finished Deadman Wonderland (Manga). One of the best ending I've seen. I am in the slow process of calming down after an epic ending. I have no idea what to read now.

As for anime, I saw Persona 4 The Animation, Devil Survivor 2 and Mirai Nikki last month. Persona 4 was almost as good as the game, and the story even got some cool extras that where not on the game.
Right now I just saw the second episode of Corpse Party: Tortured Souls and it was amazing.

In no particular order, some of my favorite anime series are Evangelion (Both the series and the new movies), Deadman Wanderland, Blood + and Elfen Lied.
Honorable Mention to Mirai Nikki and for some reason, Baka to Test, because I never laughed so much in my life.

Astor M wrote:some of my favorite anime series are Evangelion (Both the series and the new movies)

+1 for not listing the old Evangelion movies.

Also, I've been rewatching the first season of Bleach. It's always been my favorite season, and I can see why - it sets up a brilliant premise, and each little story is very heartfelt. Too bad I felt later arcs never really live up to its promise.

And I think Hunter X Hunter 2011 is my fourth favorite shounen anime right now, after One Piece, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, and Rurouni Kenshin; it's also my second favorite out of ones that are still airing.

I still have to see Fullmetal Alchemist. Should I just watch the Brotherhood series or do I have to watch the first one too?

The original FMA anime began similarly to the manga but quickly took on its own identity and essentially became an entirely different product before the half-way mark. Brotherhood is a more faithful manga adaptation and, from what I've seen, it's considered the better of the two by the community. I personally preferred Brotherhood as well (having been a reader of the manga while watching the original show and being slightly disappointed with the show's developments) but found both to be solid for various reasons.

Either way, it's not as if you'll be missing out on crucial plot information should you opt for one or the other since they have different continuities. If you intend to watch both though, maybe start with the first series just so you can appreciate Brotherhood that much more.

BTW, Space Dandy is a thing. It's a show about the dandiest man in space. I am ready.

Astor M wrote:I just finished Deadman Wonderland (Manga). One of the best ending I've seen. I am in the slow process of calming down after an epic ending. I have no idea what to read now.

As for anime, I saw Persona 4 The Animation, Devil Survivor 2 and Mirai Nikki last month. Persona 4 was almost as good as the game, and the story even got some cool extras that where not on the game.
Right now I just saw the second episode of Corpse Party: Tortured Souls and it was amazing.

In no particular order, some of my favorite anime series are Evangelion (Both the series and the new movies), Deadman Wanderland, Blood + and Elfen Lied.
Honorable Mention to Mirai Nikki and for some reason, Baka to Test, because I never laughed so much in my life.

Hey Astor! Told you I was coming to the forums! Love your taste dude! Hmm,they all have something in common, including Baka to Test. Guess!  

Glad to see you here! About time you left the "other" forum!
First of all, love your avatar!
I was trying to figure out what could DW or Elfen Lied have in common with Baka to Test? I mean they are so different, yet you seem to find a similarity.
After concentrated thinking I think I got it!

Am I right?

Hahaha, yup! Muttsurini is the best.