The General Anime Thread...

[C-ZETA]

She looks like she was formed by the merger of these two:

Spoiler: Anyway, there's an important birthday today.

Happy birthday to THE BEST GIRL™

 

[Jawehawk]

Question for you all. Has Hibike! Euphonium never been released in Europe with subtitles?

I can find a US release, but that is limited to Region A (Europe is Region B), and the Japanese release of course lacks English subtitles...
UK's Anime Limited appears to originally have acquired the license to distribute the first season in UK, and by extension, Europe, but then lost that licensing to Crunchyroll as far as I can tell. Not sure how that works, but it reeks of dirty tricks on their part to make streaming the only way to watch it with English subtitles for people not in the US.

It's frustrating how difficult it is to obtain blu-rays of various shows with subtitles in Europe... They certainly don't make much effort in inspiring the viewers to support the creators nor to use legal services.

 

[DesertPenguin]

So in looking for more English dubs and catching up I discovered I fully caught up to it and this Saturday is the next episode! I'm so used to the dub voices I don't think I can bear to watch ahead with Japanese audio and subtitles

Edit: Just realized looking back I never said what show. Dragon Ball Super

 

[dice1998]

Volume warning: lower your volume

 

[Rage Racer]

How about something that going on recently... World Cup in nutshell...

Certainly like how some people/artist poke fun at the global event and turned them into memes

The yesterday's one:

Kaga: "Go, to sleep, please! Do you know what time is this?"
(Akinfeev's winning save was on 01:45 JST)

 

[bdj57]

After few years since the anime is released, Kill La Kill game is finally here! (coming next year btw)



Not expecting this, but myself were pretty excited though...

 

[Rage Racer]

 

[bdj57]

Japan lost, but we should appreciate what they did after the match, leaving good impressions by tidying up the stadium and say thanks to the officials. Well done 👍

Alright, back to topic I guess some LL update first :



Yup that was first trailer for upcoming LLS movie. You can guess where this is going to take place...

Also, any recommendation for summer line up? (Besides sequels though)

Oh and some drops as usual :

This one for you @SVX :

Happy Summer everyone!

 

[dice1998]

I love Japan

 

[Jawehawk]

Couldn't help myself. Volume 6 is on the way too.

Of course now I feel inclined to also buy the 2nd season... I suppose paying rent and buying food isn't all that important anyway

Crunchyroll's stream really doesn't do justice to the phenomenal animation of the show, not to mention how flat their audio is. Blu-Ray is the way to go!


Edit: Actually, after just finishing the 2nd season, I feel no need to buy it. It's really not that good. The last two episodes in particular fell flat for me. There literally was no climax, and the epilogue failed to draw me in emotionally. While the 1st season kept music as its focal point, I feel that the 2nd season drifted around a lot not really knowing which story lines to pursue. Reina really got short shifted in the last two episodes. She's barely in them!

Am I alone in thinking that the 2nd season is much inferior to the first?

 

[C-ZETA]

Had myself a banging night to some iM@s tunes last night. Two of my friends have made up playlists compiling a bunch of its best songs.

Go on and give it a look. There's something in there for absolutely everyone, I swear.




You know the amazing thing? Some of the best songs aren't even in those playlists. There's so much more besides...

Hearing plenty of tales from AX round about now. Both LL and iM@s were there. Meanwhile some of my Touhou friends got pissed out their minds and had their apartment set on fire. Judging by the state of some in the Discord, it looked like an absolute belter. If something really good is there next year (like my best girl's seiyuu, again) then I might consider the flight over.

Spoiler: To finish up, images.

 

[bdj57]

Couldn't help myself. Volume 6 is on the way too.

View attachment 750044

Of course now I feel inclined to also buy the 2nd season... I suppose paying rent and buying food isn't all that important anyway

Crunchyroll's stream really doesn't do justice to the phenomenal animation of the show, not to mention how flat their audio is. Blu-Ray is the way to go!


Edit: Actually, after just finishing the 2nd season, I feel no need to buy it. It's really not that good. The last two episodes in particular fell flat for me. There literally was no climax, and the epilogue failed to draw me in emotionally. While the 1st season kept music as its focal point, I feel that the 2nd season drifted around a lot not really knowing which story lines to pursue. Reina really got short shifted in the last two episodes. She's barely in them!

Am I alone in thinking that the 2nd season is much inferior to the first?

I felt second season was quite a stretch (there is up and down between episodes I admit), but to say inferior I think it wasn't really.

Spoiler

Second season is merely focus on introduction for the new characters Mizore and Nozomi and later Asuka I think it just fine. Though if we compare the finale episode between seasons I would still prefer the glorious and stellar finish in first season to be honest. However, there is also good musical moments in second season too as I remember so it wasn't that bad.

Oh, about Reina... yeah I agree she doesn't have much enough screen time for second season but it is understandable in my opinion since Kumiko and her already get their relationship problem solved and get along together then the story could move from them, even though I think there is some shipping moments between Kumiko and Reina in second season, but not that much.

By the way we are getting movie adaptation next year so we can hope for more polished story and plot I guess.

 

[Jawehawk]

I felt second season was quite a stretch (there is up and down between episodes I admit), but to say inferior I think it wasn't really. Second season is merely focus on introduction for the new characters Mizore and Nozomi and later Asuka I think it just fine. Though if we compare the finale episode between seasons I would still prefer the glorious and stellar finish in first season to be honest. However, there is also good musical moments in second season too as I remember so it wasn't that bad.

Oh, about Reina... yeah I agree she doesn't have much enough screen time for second season but it is understandable in my opinion since Kumiko and her already get their relationship problem solved and get along together then the story could move from them, even though I think there is some shipping moments between Kumiko and Reina in second season, but not that much.

By the way we are getting movie adaptation next year so we can hope for more polished story and plot I guess.

Spoiler

It definitely has good moments too, including some nice musical moments. We even got the full performance of their main song, which is a beautiful music piece. However, it's incredibly jarring to have two seasons building up for that final competition, and then not actually show the competition at all. Not only that, but the characters reaction to the result was barely shown, in spite of this competition having been their main driving force for so long. Reina's drive to be special and win gold? Completely forgotten. In fact, I don't think she ever talked about anything but Taki-sensei in the 2nd season, making her a rather one note character. I don't go for the yuri stuff, so if anything, I'm happy the show didn't go down that route. Ultimately, I just think the show completely neglected Reina in the 2nd season. Kumiko's two friends, Midori and Hazuki, are likewise neglected to the point of barely existing.

Furthermore, the whole arc with Mizore and Nozomi felt pointless because it ultimately didn't matter. It might as well have been a separate story, as neither character plays any real role in the show post their story arc.

Asuka is one of the most interesting characters of the show, but ultimately, I don't understand why she'd choose to confide her real problems to Kumiko, rather than her two close 3rd year friends. It just felt like the show was trying really hard to get Kumiko into the center of whatever drama there was, even at times where she had no reason to be a direct player in it. Kumiko ultimately seeing Asuka as a form of older sister, or at least that is how I interpret the ending, makes sense, but the way it was done was weird to me.

As a side note, when Kumiko and Reina are listening to the Euphonium CD and talking about its musician, I actually muttered to myself, "plottwist, that dude is Asuka's father!". It made it all the more jarring when we're told the next episode that he is indeed her father. I just thought it was an unnecessary twist.

I definitely still want to see the movie, but I'm worried about the lack of Reina on the poster.

 

[bdj57]

(The following contains spoilers)

It definitely has good moments too, including some nice musical moments. We even got the full performance of their main song, which is a beautiful music piece. However, it's incredibly jarring to have two seasons building up for that final competition, and then not actually show the competition at all. Not only that, but the characters reaction to the result was barely shown, in spite of this competition having been their main driving force for so long. Reina's drive to be special and win gold? Completely forgotten. In fact, I don't think she ever talked about anything but Taki-sensei in the 2nd season, making her a rather one note character. I don't go for the yuri stuff, so if anything, I'm happy the show didn't go down that route. Ultimately, I just think the show completely neglected Reina in the 2nd season. Kumiko's two friends, Midori and Hazuki, are likewise neglected to the point of barely existing.

Furthermore, the whole arc with Mizore and Nozomi felt pointless because it ultimately didn't matter. It might as well have been a separate story, as neither character plays any real role in the show post their story arc.

Asuka is one of the most interesting characters of the show, but ultimately, I don't understand why she'd choose to confide her real problems to Kumiko, rather than her two close 3rd year friends. It just felt like the show was trying really hard to get Kumiko into the center of whatever drama there was, even at times where she had no reason to be a direct player in it. Kumiko ultimately seeing Asuka as a form of older sister, or at least that is how I interpret the ending, makes sense, but the way it was done was weird to me.

As a side note, when Kumiko and Reina are listening to the Euphonium CD and talking about its musician, I actually muttered to myself, "plottwist, that dude is Asuka's father!". It made it all the more jarring when we're told the next episode that he is indeed her father. I just thought it was an unnecessary twist.

I definitely still want to see the movie, but I'm worried about the lack of Reina on the poster.

I suggest to use spoiler function (I also forgot to use it in my earlier post... my bad ). That would be better 👍.

Alright, so here goes :

Spoiler: My thought

Agree with some of the point you said. By the way I thought Mizore and Nozomi part had fairly good story behind it in my opinion. It just got weak after their problem ends before moving to Asuka part, so it was inbetween episodes/filler that is lacking. The Asuka part however was pretty good too. I think why Asuka goes for Kumiko to tell the whole thing maybe because they share same passion and likeness as you can see both were euphonium player so I guess it is some kind of Asuka want to passing the torch to Kumiko as her successor in their school as Kumiko admire her as kind person and inspirational role model. That is what I thought though. We might catch the point differently but I also appreciate your impressions and opinion too 👍 .

 

[Jawehawk]

Anyone seen Hyouka? I can't quite tell if this show is going somewhere, or if it's just one small "mystery" after another. The intro is absolutely gorgeous though. Might be my new favorite intro animation, even if the song doesn't do anything for me.

Also watching Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho (A Place Further Than The Universe). Well animated, but the characters appear out of place somehow. It's like they have this white outline that make them look like cutouts inserted into the world. Still, fun show.

 

[AOS-]

Wow. People actually discussing anime? Moeblob shows no less?!

What timeline did I just hop into- because I miss this.

Spoiler: Hibike

I don't recall there being a giant motif behind the music band or the music itself. To me, Hibike was primarily about individuals growing up, learning how to deal with their working relationships with each other, including confronting their comfort zones and personal issues.

Kumiko does most of that observation for you as she has (IIRC) monologue moments about her own obstacles or has responded to her closer peers about theirs.

Hyouka doesn't really go anywhere despite the Mystery genre.

Imagine when you were kids and you got curious about one thing, like "what ever happened to our neighbour? Rumour has it something happened to them on the creek and now they remain restless spirits in their home." And then you let that imaginative story carry you away. But then you find out that the neighbours didn't actually die, they went on vacation, blew a tire on their road trip and delayed their return by 2 weeks.

Hyouka is kind of like this with their stories. The show lives on the premise of people finding ways to make slow moments in life more enjoyable.

I'm surprised in your taste in shows, Jawe. You don't enjoy certain plots of people struggling (as I recall you mentioning), but you soak up KyoAni stuff pretty quick.

 

[bdj57]

Wow. People actually discussing anime? Moeblob shows no less?!

What timeline did I just hop into- because I miss this.

Spoiler: Hibike

I don't recall there being a giant motif behind the music band or the music itself. To me, Hibike was primarily about individuals growing up, learning how to deal with their working relationships with each other, including confronting their comfort zones and personal issues.

Kumiko does most of that observation for you as she has (IIRC) monologue moments about her own obstacles or has responded to her closer peers about theirs.

In my opinion, moeblobs are just fine as long it has compelling plot and carrying weigh in it's story. Hibike is one of the example and that's why it became one of my favorite anime shows. KyoAni shows specifically.

Also :

Spoiler

Your opinion also reminds me that I was thought the same thing when watching Hibike. It is basically going of age/adolescence story. Most of us here already through this phase in our lives and Hibike does portrayed those quite nicely, giving audience sense of nostalgic feeling when they were in high school. Actually, myself feel the same way when watching this to be honest and it is good way to relieve and reflect what have you experienced in high school days. Of course there is bunch of high school themed anime out there, but only few of them could catch the realistic depiction of high school lives.

Alright, what you guys watch for summer season by the way? I found out this season is quite lacking but recently I find both of these were quite interesting to watch :

Banana Fish : Solid premiere and I had to say it is nice to see this kind of action anime that depicts gangsta life :



Asobi Asobase : Don't fooled by the cute character design and girly opening scene because what happened in the inside is... shocking... :

 

[Jawehawk]

Wow. People actually discussing anime? Moeblob shows no less?!

What timeline did I just hop into- because I miss this.

Spoiler: Hibike

I don't recall there being a giant motif behind the music band or the music itself. To me, Hibike was primarily about individuals growing up, learning how to deal with their working relationships with each other, including confronting their comfort zones and personal issues.

Kumiko does most of that observation for you as she has (IIRC) monologue moments about her own obstacles or has responded to her closer peers about theirs.

Hyouka doesn't really go anywhere despite the Mystery genre.

Imagine when you were kids and you got curious about one thing, like "what ever happened to our neighbour? Rumour has it something happened to them on the creek and now they remain restless spirits in their home." And then you let that imaginative story carry you away. But then you find out that the neighbours didn't actually die, they went on vacation, blew a tire on their road trip and delayed their return by 2 weeks.

Hyouka is kind of like this with their stories. The show lives on the premise of people finding ways to make slow moments in life more enjoyable.

I'm surprised in your taste in shows, Jawe. You don't enjoy certain plots of people struggling (as I recall you mentioning), but you soak up KyoAni stuff pretty quick.

This thread would be a lot more interesting with more discussion of the shows, rather than just random pictures

Spoiler

While the drama in Hibike goes beyond the music itself, all the drama in the first season had actual purpose. If you took it out, the end result would be different. Aoi leaving the band leads Kumiko to further explore what her own motivations are, as does her interaction with Reina, and the trompet solo drama was relevant to their performance as well as the dynamics between seniors and their lower class piers. In contrast to these examples, if you removed the Mizore and Nozomi arc, the latter half of the 2nd season would be no different. Our main cast was not directly affected by the events, and neither Mizore and Nozomi plays any significant part in any of the episodes post their arc. It's not that I dislike their arc in and of itself, I just don't think its well connected to the story as a whole.

The Asuka arc, which spans pretty much the entire season, is a lot better, because it's actually relevant. My issue there really comes down to how I think the other 3rd years were missing from the picture. I get that Kumiko admires Asuka, and the parallels between Asuka and Kumiko's sister are quite transparent. What I don't get is Asuka's unwillingness to share her issues with her close friends, but instead chooses Kumiko. That they both play the same instrument just doesn't do it for me in terms of explanation. To me, it comes off as the writers forcing Kumiko into a position of being a direct player in the events, rather than it being a natural result of who she is.

I don't think the 2nd season is bad by any stretch, but the music became secondary to everything else happening, which I don't think was the case in the 1st season.

I'm five episodes into Hyouka. I like their methodical approach to solving whatever mysteries they come across and the character interactions are okay. I'm unsure if it can keep my interest for the full 22 episodes, but thus far, I'm enjoying it well enough. One might say that I am curious

Can you elaborate on "certain plots of people struggling"? I mean, I tend to not like melodrama, but I guess what constitutes melodrama is subjective? I really like KyoAni's art style for both characters and background, and sometimes they really knock it out of the part with their characters in terms of being fun, interesting and complex, like in Chuunibyou S1 (not so complex I'll admit), Koe No Katachi and Hibike! Euphonium. That said, I found K-On to be boooooring, and Kyoukai no Kanata (beyond the Boundary) to be a complete mess from a story telling perspective. Violet Evergarden also failed to impress me beyond its animation, even through I liked the idea behind it.

I'd like to see more stuff, or just any stuff, from them that isn't set in high school, but at the same time, I can appreciate the setting too. It's certainly not a time I look back upon fondly, but the idealized version of it portrayed in anime can be very appealing sometimes.

On a final note, I had to look the definition to moeblob up, and I totally disagree with labelling Hibike as that . K-On seems a better fit to that descriptor.

 

[Sage Ages]

Spoiler: FLCL

I don't wanna spoil anything just yet, but I have a feeling that more people are gonna like Alternative than Progressive.

 

[bdj57]

@Jawehawk What is the first KyoAni anime you watched by the way? Mine was K-On! I know perhaps you and most people think the show is simply just cute girls doing cute things kind of stuff, but at first time it released somehow I throughly enjoyed it. It is relaxing and the plot were easy to digest combined with some of memorable moments in between. Also, their music also quite nice to listen as well I think. K-On! also turned me into KyoAni fan since then and enjoyed most of their shows until now.

Did you also watch Makoto Shinkai anime by the way? Recommended if you like gorgeous and artistic visuals while having good storyline in it.

 

[Jawehawk]

Hmmm. My first KyoAni show must've been either Hibike or K-On, although I never finished the latter. And don't worry about what others think mate. All that matters is that you enjoy it

I've seen Shinkai's Kimi No Na Wa, 5 Centimeters Per Second and Garden of Words. Visually, they're all masterpieces, and Kimi No Na Wa is among my all time favorite movies. Saw it twice in theaters and bought the most expensive collectors edition from Amazon Japan.

 

[bdj57]

Hmmm. My first KyoAni show must've been either Hibike or K-On, although I never finished the latter. And don't worry about what others think mate. All that matters is that you enjoy it

I've seen Shinkai's Kimi No Na Wa, 5 Centimeters Per Second and Garden of Words. Visually, they're all masterpieces, and Kimi No Na Wa is among my all time favorite movies. Saw it twice in theaters and bought the most expensive collectors edition from Amazon Japan.

Oh nice to knowing that! My favorite is 5cm Per Second by the way. Kimi no Na Wa is close to second. I feel that Kimi no Na Wa not as deeper as 5cm Per Second but it still impressive watch to say the least. However, the plot twist were quite surprising though. Didn't expect the sci-fi elements being used in Kimi no Na Wa at first. Was simply thought this as pure romance and slice of life anime but turns out it has more than that.

And about posting images I admit I did that a lot (and others too). This thread were most of the times going silent for a while, so I guess would be nice for having something added related to this thread to keep it active. However, I agreed on what you said earlier that having discussions like this is even better and thus the main purpose of this thread isn't it? It is nice to see some members here in several occassions having thoughtful opinion about anime and that is one of the reason why I joined this thread. 👍

 

[dice1998]

I really hope happy sugar life keeps the pace this first episode provided.

 

[bdj57]

I really hope happy sugar life keeps the pace this first episode provided.

How was it? Is it same with the manga? Read few chapters few times and it was fine I think. Hope it is slightly better when adapted into anime.

 

[Jawehawk]

Oh nice to knowing that! My favorite is 5cm Per Second by the way. Kimi no Na Wa is close to second. I feel that Kimi no Na Wa not as deeper as 5cm Per Second but it still impressive watch to say the least. However, the plot twist were quite surprising though. Didn't expect the sci-fi elements being used in Kimi no Na Wa at first. Was simply thought this as pure romance and slice of life anime but turns out it has more than that.

And about posting images I admit I did that a lot (and others too). This thread were most of the times going silent for a while, so I guess would be nice for having something added related to this thread to keep it active. However, I agreed on what you said earlier that having discussions like this is even better and thus the main purpose of this thread isn't it? It is nice to see some members here in several occassions having thoughtful opinion about anime and that is one of the reason why I joined this thread. 👍

I find that 5CM Per Second is thematically identical to Kimi No Na Wa in that they both revolve around distance in time and space being a primary obstacle for relationships, although the latter did so in, as you say, a more sci-fi way. Of course one ends on a sad note too, which is rare for the genre. What amazes me with Kimi No Na Wa, aside from its gorgeous animation, is how much I found myself rooting for the main characters, despite them not being all that complex. I really wanted them to get together. Here we have a romance where the two leads share at most 5 minutes of screen time together, and yet I was fully engrossed in their struggle to connect. The ending then portrays your own hesitation as the hardest and most important obstacle to overcome in finding love, almost overshadowing the obstacle of distance across time and space. Afterall, what does it matter if you're right next to your "soul mate" if in the end, you lack the ability and courage to act. The scene really resonated with me and it was a perfect way to end the amazing journey.

In response to your earlier question pertaining to what shows we're watching this season, I must confess that I usually stay away from the newest shows. The reason is simple. If I really like a show, I dislike having to wait one week after another for the next episode. Even worse would be the wait for the Blu-Ray release which is particularly long where anime is concerned, especially for English releases. I do occasionally watch completely new stuff, like Tsurezure Children, but for the most part I stick with anime from earlier seasons. This of course makes it harder for me to discuss it anime with those of you who keep up to date with the shows, as you're probably less inclined to talk about older shows, even if you have seen them.

 

[bdj57]

I find that 5CM Per Second is thematically identical to Kimi No Na Wa in that they both revolve around distance in time and space being a primary obstacle for relationships, although the latter did so in, as you say, are more sci-fi way. Of course one ends on a sad note too, which is rare for the genre. What amazes me with Kimi No Na Wa, aside from its gorgeous animation, is how much I found myself rooting for the main characters, despite them not being all that complex. I really wanted them to get together. Here we have a romance where the two leads share at most 5 minutes of screen time together, and yet I was fully engrossed in their struggle to connect. The ending then portrays your own hesitation as the hardest and most important obstacle to overcome in finding love, almost overshadowing the obstacle of distance across time and space. Afterall, what does it matter if you're right next to your "soul mate" if in the end, you lack the ability and courage to act. The scene really resonated with me and it was a perfect way to end the amazing journey.

In response to your earlier question pertaining to what shows we're watching this season, I must confess that I usually stay away from the newest shows. The reason is simple. If I really like a show, I dislike having to wait one week after another for the next episode. Even worse would be the wait for the Blu-Ray release which is particularly long where anime is concerned, especially for English releases. I do occasionally watch completely new stuff, like Tsurezure Children, but for the most part I stick with anime from earlier seasons. This of course makes it harder for me to discuss it anime with those of you who keep up to date with the shows, as you're probably less inclined to talk about older shows, even if you have seen them.

Good point with whole point you said. However, if you asked why I prefer 5cm Per Second to be my favorite it just because the plot twist near to the end is literally heart breaking and believe it or not in some cases it could happen in real life too. There is wise word saying "the world is small" as it means we might not aware that person we searching for is actually always being close to us but somehow both of us didn't noticed. While Kimi no Na Wa I think isn't that heartbreaking (more like both main couple have deja vu kind of stuff), but at least much better resolution then previous movie. What I mean better is the tone is closely resembles happy ending but not quite there yet. Guess that is Makoto Shinkai own style to conclude his story I think.

About your opinion following seasonal anime guess it is just fine. Some people including myself tend to enjoying anime in weekly basis as in my opinion it does much better way to reflect on each episode strength and weaknesses then catch some break to wait for next episodes instead of marathoning whole season because somehow it feels exhausting. Shows I have done in marathon as I remember were Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun and ReLife then the rest is simply following in weekly basis.

Your choice to catch up anime episodes in marathon isn't that bad either. You might enjoying it more in one take or couple of days then goes for another one. There is always a way for us to enjoy anime and this is simply a matter of preferences at the end.

And for the last, I'm okay talking about older shows to be honest. Of course I would give my opinion about the shows I have already watch obviously.

 

[AOS-]

Just found a even better RPS clip:

 

[bdj57]

Just found a even better RPS clip:

That also a good one

 

[C-ZETA]

Friendship ended with GBF


Now F/GO is my best friend

P.S. This literally means we have LL v iM@s now. And Aquors isn't going to beat these costumes.

 

[bdj57]

Friendship ended with GBF


Now F/GO is my best friend

P.S. This literally means we have LL v iM@s now. And Aquors isn't going to beat these costumes.

Woah hang on there better to keep it low mate. Both were good idol in their own

So we are just in the beginning of Summer season and this already became a meme :



Your decision would you want to watch it until finish or not...

Also, I don't know why suddenly loli characters are popular these days . Is it because of their innocence or something else? Yes they are cute I agree, but somehow it became overhyped...