Anime What are You Watching/Reading Now?

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Oddly enough, I was planning this before [B]Revy's[/B] threads in the other categories ^^;; This one's different, though.

Let's talk about what we're watching or reading. You can make a list or just talk about a thing or two. My main goal with this is that we will discuss all sorts of series outside of what we normally discuss and to open more people up to more shows/manga. This is a place for postin every time you start a show or watch an episode or buy something.

Many of the shows I was watching last month or am supposed to be watching now, I haven't gotten to yet this month ^^;; since the list would be enormous if I went for all them, I'm only conting the ones I've watced since the first.

Firstly, I just marathoned [B]Genshiken[/B] two days ago with my brother. I wasn't sure how good it will be since the first two episodes weren't nearly as good as their mnga counterparts, but the show really picked up later and wound up being completely amazing. There were some absolutely hilarious scenes and some that were just fun to see. I definitely look forward to the second season starting this fall.

I got to see the first DVD of [B]Gunsinger Girl[/B] yesterday, which is interesting. The first 2 episdes seemed rather disappointing, but then the net three were great. I like the humble feel of the anime where the manga sometimes seems less relaxed, even when it tries to be.

I watched [B]PaniPoni Dash[/B] first 10 episodes, and it's good enough that I might go for the rest of the DVDs very soon. I'm mad that [B]Bestbuy[/B] only ever has volumes 2 and 4 >_>

I also started with DVD one of[B] Coyote Ragtime Show [/B]- the only of [B]UFOTable's[/B] magic trio to have made its way overseas. It's managed to be consistently entertaining thus far, so I'll definitely buy te rest. The only problem is finding somewhere that carries the vol. 2 + box.

I've also got the first volume of [B]Mushishi[/B] which I will be watching later today, though I already saw this part watching fansubs. The pacaging of the box and the DVD are breathtaking. Probably my favorite box beside Haruhi.

Rounding off DVDs I will be buying [B]Air[/B] in a cople of days. I might also be rewatching some of my other complete series like [B]Boogiepop Phantom[/B], [B]Lain[/B], or [B]Kino's Journey[/B]...

About 4 days ago, my house was equipped with cable to replace our satellite and we now get the [B]Funimation Network[/B], so I've started leaving it on at all times and watching some of the stuff making the rounds.

The only show I've been recording and making special effort to view at it's times is [B]His and Her Circumstances[/B], which, within 3 episodes, has proven itself to be to most amazing shoujo ever. I can't wait to see it through.

Oddly enough, both of my brothers' favorite anime are being shown on this channel: [B]Hare + Guu[/B] and [B]Detective Conan[/B], so those should keep them busy at times.

I managed to record the first episode of [B]Kiddy Grade[/B] when it came around, so I'll be checking that out as well. I've also found some of the random episodes of shows I've seen to be entertaining. [B]Kodocha[/B] seems like a hilarious wacky comedy that I'm willing to let stay on.

Finally, there's the fansubs. I haven't had time to get to this much at all this month, what with having bought so many DVDs right after getting internet back. The one show that is a definite is [B]Zero no Tsukaima[/B], which my brother and I have been watching together and he's a big fan. I've also been, of course, watching [B]Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei[/B] - the best show evar.

Baccano! I watched the first episode of and I'm not sure if the second is around yet, but I'll check it out when I can. I also absolutely need to hurry and find time to finish [B]Hidamari Sketch[/B]. Not only i it one of my favorite shows, but it gets some kind of special this fall!

I'm also trying to get time to watch [B]Manabi Sraight [/B]with my brothers since I never finished it myself, and it's a truly amazing show, not to mention one of the three magic OFUTable shows.

For manga, there are several things I am simply waiting for the next release of [B]Hayate the Combat Butler[/B] needs volume 4 out, and [B]Gunslinger Girl[/B] needs volume 5. Gunslinger Girl is currently my favorite manga - the brand of storytelling is simply superb.

Also, Mushishi volume 2 came out just recently, and this time had a couple of stories I hadn't watched yet in the anime, which is nice.

I've also picked up [B]Venus Versus Virus [/B]volume one, which is one of those that you really need two volumes to decide, but volume 2 hasn't come out yet. There's also [B]Welcome to the NHK[/B] which I'd be buying a lot faster if I was 18!

Also, I'm thinking of ordering all three volumes of [B]ROBOT[/B] which were on sale at this website for 10 bucks apiece. A monster deal...

Oh! And [B]Grave of the Fireflies[/b] comes on at 8, which I've only seen half of.[/COLOR]

[Dagger]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]The only show I've been recording and making special effort to view at it's times is [B]His and Her Circumstances[/B], which, within 3 episodes, has proven itself to be to most amazing shoujo ever. I can't wait to see it through.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]
If you've got the Funi channel, you can also watch [b]Revolutionary Girl Utena[/b], which [i]is[/i] the most amazing shoujo ever. :p The dub in the earlier episodes isn't up to par, unfortunately (and some would say that it never gets particularly good).

At this moment--literally--I'm watching [b]Seirei no Moribito[/b]. In addition to having an awesome older heroine, it boasts the most likable and intelligent child character I've seen in a while. Really looking forward to seeing this again when it comes out on DVD.

~Dagger~

[2010DigitalBoy]

[quote name='Dagger']If you've got the Funi channel, you can also watch [b]Revolutionary Girl Utena[/b], which [i]is[/i] the most amazing shoujo ever. :p The dub in the earlier episodes isn't up to par, unfortunately (and some would say that it never gets particularly good). [/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Ah. I'll try catching ep 1 on it's next circulation, though they play this show so many times a day I may not be able to keep up with it ^^;; I saw a bit of an episode and wasn't all that interested - it looks like it takes itself very seriously, which I'm not sure about, but with your reccommendation it can't be bad.

In the episode I saw the green haired guy slaps the purple haired girl (I've seen this in an AMV as well, how often does this happen?!) and I kept rewinding it so my brother and I could do our own captions. "where my money?!" "THIS IS SPARTA!" and "Iron reaver soul stealer!" were my favorites.[/COLOR]

[Dagger]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR="DarkOrange"] it looks like it takes itself very seriously, which I'm not sure about, but with your reccommendation it can't be bad.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]
Ahahahaha. Couldn't be further from the truth. One might even view the show as a never-ending spiral of self-mockery. It certainly doesn't hesitate to make fun of everything that came before it in the genre.

(Wait... I thought you liked yuri? How have you [i]not[/i] seen this?)

~Dagger~

[Kanji]

First and foremost, I guess there's Mushishi. After snagging a fansub of the first episode the other day, I was compelled to make my way over to the local Best Buy and purchase the collector's box and volume 1 of the anime. Haven't gotten around to watching all these episodes just yet, but I plan to shortly. I totally second 2007DigitalBoy's sentiments on the box - pure resplendence. After witnessing a few minutes of the dub, I can safely say that's decent; while Travis Willingham can't hold a candle to Yuto Nakano as Ginko, it's still a fair attempt. The other characters seem well-voiced, however.

I'm also finally jumping on that Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya bandwagon, after months of procrastination. After watching the first two episodes, I have no idea why I didn't get to doing this sooner. Excellent stuff so far.

I'm looking into Wolf's Rain lately as well, solely on a friend's recommendation. I've heard mixed things about the series, but I like it so far. Nothing about it truly beckons me to watch more, but when I do get to seeing an episode I have a fun time. The music is fabulous too, so there's at least one factor that keeps me watching.

To move on to more recent anime, Darker than Black is a recent addiction of mine. More Yoko Kanno goodness here, and I love the bi-episodic structure of the series. I just caught up with episode 18 yesterday, so I look forward to keeping up with it (hopefully) as the weeks go on.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni-Kai has kept me glued too, after enjoying the surreal macabre style of the first season. So far, it's definitely enjoyable, though I've noticed a significant lack of "oh shi--" moments on my part... maybe I just got desensitized after watching the season one. :p

Baccano! and Mononoke are extremely recent, but they've caught my eye for various reasons. As things stand, I'm not sure if I'll lose interest in them, but Mononoke especially seems to hold promise in its concept (a wandering medicine seller who solves problems involving spirits) and art style. As for Baccano!, I dig the music, though I question whether I'll enjoy watching it in the coming weeks. The first manga volume won Gold in the 9th Dengeki Novel awards, so if I don't enjoy the anime I may go ahead and look into the light novel series.

Speaking of manga, I guess there's not much that I'm personally following. After recently watching the infinitely alluring oddity that is FLCL, I feel like checking out its manga, although this is not exactly at the top of my list of priorities. After hearing that the Mushishi manga contains some stories that weren't animated, that may be something to look into as well.

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]The [B]FLCL [/B]manga is boring as hell and not worth it. I love the surreal art style, but it ruins the story of the anime. Unlike it, it is not only not hyperactive but simply not active at all. Totally monotone. I don't recommend it at all.

I also forgot to mention that I was starting to check out [B]Gankutsuo[/B]. The absolutely superbly magical artstyle is a definite draw, but I feel like not much was explained from the first episode. I want to watch a few before I decide on purchasing the DVDs.[/COLOR]

[Dagger]

You might want to check out [b]Mononoke[/b] (which Kanji mentioned, and which I'm also watching currently) if you like Gankutsuou's art style. Not that they're the same--Mononoke is way further out there, so to speak. Incredible backgrounds.

~Dagger~

[Kanji]

Thanks for the input on the FLCL manga; I wasn't really sure what to expect, although unique art style was one element that drew me in. I guess it should come as no surprise that it lost a lot of life in its translation to black & white pages. One thing I've heard is that it captures a few of the anime's mature themes more effectively... would you have anything to say on that?

Gankutsuou evolves into something truly gripping in later episodes, although I admit it does take a while to garner enough momentum to sustain an addiction. In the meantime, if you can resign yourself to watching it for its surreal setting and nifty music, you'll probably have a good time. That's what I did, at least. Episode ending cliffhangers abound too, so there's a fair chance that those will keep you watching.

The payoff, storyline-wise, is unbelievable and well worth the wait. On that note, I'd encourage a DVD purchase, though you're wise in waiting a little more before going for it.

[Panda]

A few days ago I did a marathon of [b]Gankoutsuo[/b] since I absolutely love the story of the Count of Monte Cristo. It was an interesting spin on the story and the innovative animation style at first, for me, was distracting but I eventually got use to seeing it.

Currently I am watching [b]Berserk[/b] since I have been wanting to watch something a bit older. Other than that I would have to say my current love is [b]Le Chevalier d'Eon[/b] which I am watching as ADV releases volumes.

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"][B]Kanji[/B]: You could say it captures the adult themes, but not in a unique way, just in a more obvious way. you could say it pronounces that part of the story more. If you're looking at the art, though, the writer of the [B]FLCL[/B] manga also did the unique manga [B]Project A-Ko[/B], which is pretty cool. They sell a thing where you can get both volumes in one, which is nice, cuz it's only two volumes. It's got a very strange story with possibly the weirdst ending ever and te same art style.

I will probably check out that [B]Mononoke[/B] thing now that you both have said good things about it.

Also, regarding [B]Le Chvalier[/B] - I read the firsst chapter of the manga and rather liked it, but I have some questions about it. Firstly, is the plot very linear, or more about just killing random baddies? Also, is it as much like Hellsing as it seems? I'm not a fan of Hellsing, so I don't want to reinvent the experience. Also, from the pics I've seen, the anime has a completely different art style from the manga, which was my favorite part of the manga.[/COLOR]

[Dagger]

The Chevalier novel, manga & anime were all planned out by Tow Ubakata (the writer of the good parts of Fafner, as well as Heroic Age and several acclaimed sci-fi novels). However, their storylines differ, sometimes rather drastically.

Personally I love the character designs in the anime. Production I.G. made them subtly gorgeous (as BONES did with designs from the same person in Kurau).

It's nothing like Hellsing as far as I know... and no, the plot is not episodic. It more or less hits the ground running.

~Dagger~

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]Right now, I'm watching [B]Ergo Proxy[/B] on fuse. there is a marathon on which started at episode one, currently [B]episode 3: Mazecity[/B], is on. I love this series, in fact I love a lot of things by [B]Manglobe[/B]. And I must admit, Reel (Sp?) is pretty cute.[/COLOR]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]I believe it's Re-I. I have the first DVD of [B]Ergo Proxy[/B] and thought it was pretty good, but I'm not sure if I want to keep going. It doesn't seem like my kind of show. I mght try and catch it on [B]Fuse[/B] sometime, but - meh.[/COLOR]

[strwpoptart]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][COLOR="Green"]Well I'm currently~and literally~watching [b]Saiyuki Reload[/b]. It's sort of like the continuation from [b]Saiyuki[/b]. Saiyuki was awesome and actually pretty funny, I really enjoyed it, but the one thing thats really pissing me off about Reload so far is the fact that they changed the main character's voices. First off the voices don't fit with the character's personalities and I think the voices from the 1st series was so much better. So now I'm trying to adjust to watching the same character's, but with different horrible voices XD. Its frustrating!

For Manga I'm not currently really reading anything. I'm waiting for the next Tsubasa, Fruits Basket, and Negima to come out. I have all of them pre-ordered on Amazon already ^^
[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Andy]

[FONT="Garamond"][SIZE="2"][B]Devil May Cry[/B]. Although I have never played the video game, I don't really have much trouble understanding what's going on(in other word's, you pretty much just jump right in on the first episode. And also, Claymore. The show is awesome, to say the least. And...yeah, I think that's about it.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Xerxes]

[COLOR="Purple"]Currently I'm watching [B]D. Gray Man[/B]. It caught my interest about a mouth or so ago and now I thought I'd see it. It's very good and it has the gothic fiction and horror that I like in a story. It's very funny and if you like gothic fiction like I do than I would recommend it. I'm only on episode nine so not much has happened except you seeing into Allen's past on how he turned his "father" into an Akuma but no much so far.

I'm also watching [B]Bleach[/B] on Adult Swim which is coming out with new episodes on Saturdays at 9pm but I'm gonna record it so I won't have to sit through the long commercial that it has. Right now I'm in the Soul Society Arc where Ichigo goes and saves Rukia from being executed and all the confusion that is happening in the Soul Society.

[B]FullMetal Alchemist [/B]is on the list too even though I know that all the episodes have been dubbed I just got into it about a few weeks ago. Me and my sister love the comedy but are sad the Maes Huges died. Right now we just met Wrath or rather that no one knows that he's a homunculist yet.

As for reading, I'm currently collecting [B]Fruits Basket[/B], [B]OHSHC[/B], [B]Tsubasa[/B], [B]XxXHolic[/B], [B]Vampire Game[/B], [B]Vampire Knight[/B], [B]Millenium Snow[/B], [B]Shinshi Doumei Cross [/B][Gentlemen's Alliance Cross], [B]Negima[/B], [B]Rozen Maiden[/B], [B]DNAngel[/B], [B]Lagoon Engine[/B], [B]Plantinum Garden[/B], and some others that I can't remember at the moment.

I'm currently re-reading [B]Rurouni Kenshin [/B]which is bringing back a lot of things that I have forgotten. I'm only on volume 5 cause I don't have a short intention span when I want to read but I have all the time since I have all 28 volumes. I believe that that is all I have for now and some of the animes/mangas that you all suggested sound totally cool to see. I'll check them out.[/COLOR]

[Raiyuu]

[b]Chevalier[/b] is worth it. It's nothing like Hellsing. It's even historically accurate in places (notwithstanding mercury-blooded zombies and magic poetry). [b]Gankutsuou[/b] is also amazing - artistically and in plot, especially if you've read [i]The Count of Monte Cristo[/i], though it lack pace in some earlier episodes. I don't think [b]Saiyuki[/b] or [b]Saiyuki Reload[/b] have any redeeming features beyond attractive bishie main characters. The manga is engaging, gory and occasionally self-deprecating - I enjoyed it a lot until I realised there was some storyline in volume one, and some more in volume nine, and then monster-of-the-week for the in-betweens. Not even interesting monster-of-the-week - they defeat the bad guys the same way each time. The anime doesn't even keep the good features of the manga. It loses all the gore, tones down the backstory and the English dub is plain awful.

Now I'm done critiquing everyone else's choices :p I'm currently watching [b]Darker Than Black[/b], a dudes-with-superpowers-do-battle show with some big mysteries in the background (Cowboy Bebop comparisons to the usual address); [b]Heroic Age[/b] (giant robots in space, except some of the giant robots are [i]really[/i] giant, are the remnants of an extinct alien race and live in certain people's right eyes); not [b]Bleach[/b], at least while it stays on filler; [b]Naruto Shippuden[/b], though if it carries on snailing along like it has been I'll be dropping that too; and [b]Baccano[/b] (jigsaw storyline with immortal people fighting Mafia turf wars in Manhattan).

I'm reading [b]Bleach[/b], [b]Naruto[/b] and [b]Fullmetal Alchemist[/b]. The usual suspects. FMA looks like it might be building to a climax fairly soon. Exciting times.

.:EDIT:.
Also reading [b]Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World[/b] by Haruki Murakami. That might not be relevant to Anime Lounge but I had to mention it because Murakamiis a genius (and has an excellent English translator, which helps a heck of a lot).

[Japan]

[COLOR="DarkRed"]There's only three anime that I am watching right now. Bleach is one of them. However, I do not see my friend much that downloads them. Well, that is not entirely true, but he uses the school's internet connection to get them and it is summer break. Episode 128 was the last one that I've seen.

Other than that, I am also watching Kodocha and SuperGALS. I am on episode 48 of SuperGALS and episode 51 of Kodocha. I have to wait before my friend finishs Kodocha before I can borrow it. >_< And I have to wait for more episodes of SuperGALS to come onto ON DEMAND on Comcast.

As for my reading list, I am just reading Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles and Fruits Basket. I tried several other manga but I stop reading them if they bore me. I want to read Kodocha and Kare Kano again.[/COLOR]

[Dagger]

[quote name='Raiyuu'][b]Heroic Age[/b] (giant robots in space, except some of the giant robots are [i]really[/i] giant, are the remnants of an extinct alien race and live in certain people's right eyes)[/quote]
Woo! Someone else is watching Heroic Age! You just inspired me to catch up with the last few episodes. *runs in happy circles*

Bonus points for Murakami. If he doesn't get the Nobel Prize in the next ten years, I will take it as clear proof that there ain't no justice in the world.

~Dagger~

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]I've been watchiing [B]Blood+[/B] lately. Of coarse I don't get all of the story because I flip flop, miss it one week, see it the next. But it's an easy anime to keep up with. I just want to know why Haji never dies seeing he's been stabbed a bunch of times. I loved the episode where Saya discovered she [spoiler]was Diva's sister.

Too bad that Saya dies later in the series. Damn you wikipedia![/spoiler] I really enjoyed the battle scene between Haji and [B]The Shiff[/B], which really heated it up yesterday on [AS]. They sent me a KHtsy vibe with their robes though. XD[/COLOR]

[Magus]

[COLOR="Navy"]I normally just watch what I've recorded which is mainly the shows from Cartoon Network. [b]Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, Naruto, Ghost in the Shell, Trinity Blood, IGPX, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Yu Yu Hakusho[/b].

And then there's on demand. I've managed to catch the 1st episode of [b]Jubei-Chan[/b]. Well, take that back. I haven't seen it, I was more like fast forwarding to fights just to see how the fights look. I did like what I saw, but what has me worried are the so called "fun" parts to it. But seeing how it's only the 1st episode, and that I was fast forwarding, I won't place judgment yet.

Also, [b]Eureka 7[/b] is on demand so I've been watching that since I've missed majority of the episodes while it was on adult swim. I wish they would start with episode 1 of Big O and put Trigun (my tape is messed up.) on demand.

As far as reading goes... It's basically your top mangas you hear about everyday. [b]Bleach and Naruto[/b]. I have a folder for [b]Yu Yu Hakusho[/b] as well, but I haven't started to read it. [b]Tenjou Tenge[/b] is another one I read every once in a while.[/COLOR]

[Dagger]

The fights in Jubei-chan are decent. I don't think you'd like the comedy or the story (I did, but it's Akitaroh Daichi at his wackiest, and I get the impression that it isn't your kind of thing).

However, the fights in Jubei-chan 2 are simply unmissable. Those are the ones you'll want to fast-forward to... and gape at, and watch again and again.

~Dagger~

[eleanor]

[font="trebuchet ms"] I'm almost done watching [b]Gunbuster[/b], which is a pretty good OVA. Cheesy mecha parts included, but hey. :p

But right now I'm not watching any ongoing series, which makes things sort of boring for me. Mostly I haven't been trying any out either, though. v_v Anime takes too much time, lol. Any recs? (Other than Bleach/Naruto/One Piece/Death Note?)

But I'm still actively reading the [b]Naruto[/b] manga and periodically checking up on the [b]Fullmetal Alchemist[/b] and [b]One Piece[/b] manga as well. [/font]

[Korey]

Currently I'm only keeping track of the Hikaru no Go series in Shonen Jump. The other series are cool, but One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh and Naruto are all wayyyy past where SJ is right now....sooo I only keep up with Hikaru no Go. Very neat little series to get into. Art by Takeshi Obata of Death Note, but very different story. I like it because it can get intense without all of the blood and gore of other series. It's a psychological series, kind of like Death Note but with an ancient Japanese board game-and no death....>_<

As far as anime series go, I've been keeping up with a lot. Sayuki:Reload (This is my fourth time through the series), Gungrave (Just finished collecting it), Lucky Star (thank you veoh.com!), Tenjho Tenge, Samurai Champloo (I've seen it all like a billion times and I still am amazed by it), FLCL (same as Champloo), Full Metal Panic?Fumoffu!, and Full Metal Alchemist. I mostly watch videos online because I don't have the time to watch the anime because of work and upcoming school events.

[Dagger]

[quote name='Lunox'][font="trebuchet ms"]Any recs?[/font][/QUOTE]
Gunbuster 2. :p

Good ongoing series: Seirei no Moribito, Dennou Coil, Mononoke, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Baccano! (depending on how future episodes develop).

Good recent movies: 5cm Per Second, Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo.

The second episode of Mononoke [i]freaked me out[/i]. It's the perfect example of how a story can be horrific without showing any on-screen violence. There's maybe one drop of blood in the whole thing. Everything else is either off-screen or alluded to symbolically--those hideously creepy red ribbons and so forth.

I might start a topic for the series. It leaves a fair amount up for interpretation, so there should be fodder for discussion.

~Dagger~