Anime What are You Watching/Reading Now?

[Lyndy]

I started watching Ouran High School Host Club a couple months ago, but I haven't really been keeping up with it. But yesterday, I started to watch Lucky Star, and I actually like it. Oo
But I am still waiting for the second season of FMA:B to start up. <33333

[Japan]

[quote name='Lyndy' date='11 November 2010 - 02:21 PM' timestamp='1289514106' post='701758']
I started watching Ouran High School Host Club a couple months ago, but I haven't really been keeping up with it. But yesterday, I started to watch Lucky Star, and I actually like it. Oo
But I am still waiting for the second season of FMA:B to start up. <33333
[/quote]

At least both Lucky Star and Ouran High School are both under 30 episodes! It shouldn't be too hard to pull through them.

[Shinmaru]

Finished [b]Princess Tutu[/b] a few days ago. The first half is OK; I mostly dug the fairy tale angle and the music and whatnot, but it's pretty basic. The second half is where the story starts taking on the [i]really[/i] dark aspects of the fairy tales from which it takes its inspiration, and the story also turns meta in a lot of interesting ways. It gets pretty emotional at the end, too; I liked it a lot.

Now I'm watching [b]GaoGaiGar[/b], which is often hailed as [b]Gurren Lagann[/b] before [b]Gurren Lagann[/b]. So far that's a bit inaccurate ... not really because [b]GaoGaiGar[/b] is [i]bad[/i], but more because [b]Gurren Lagann[/b] is a loving tribute/parody to super robot series, while [b]GaoGaiGar[/b] [i]is[/i] a super robot series like those from way back when. It's fun, but also sometimes kind of repetitive and dull. I'm told the second half is where it really shines. Edited November 27, 2010 by Shinmaru

[mangamaniack21]

Gurren Lagann is goood stuff
I want to watch Yu Yu Hakusho afterwards, because the manga = lolzy awesomeness
anyway, i haven't been watching much outside of Yugioh of Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
and I want to rewatch MegaMan Nt Warrior: Axess but youtube has the fancy for removing stuff left and right D:
OTL
also i should get caught-up on Azumanga Daioh, 'cause i have the boxset, and finish what i have of Kiddy Grade because it seems awesome already.

[The Tentacle]

At the moment I'm rewatching [b]Ragnarok: The Animation.  [/b]I've never been a fan of MMORPGs but the anime based off of this one in particular is better than most sword & sorcery series I've seen.  

Once that's over I'll be digging into the phat stack of DVDs I just ordered from Amazon.  I got the second half of [b]Xamd: Lost Memories[/b], [b]Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha[/b], [b]Kurokami[/b] #4 and [b]Canaan[/b] in the mail today [b]with Hell Girl - Three Vessels[/b] #2 and both volumes of [b]Birdy the Mighty: Decode[/b] coming by the end of the week.  The first volume of the [b]Original Dirty Pair[/b] rerelease has also bee preordered.

That'll keep me going for the rest of the year maybe.

[James]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]I mentioned something about this on my World at theO recently, but I'm attempting to dip my toe into the anime pool again at the moment.

I've made two purchases this week. First is Ghost in the Shell: Special Edition. That one is apparently on back-order, which sucks. But anyway, it's one of my favourite anime films but somehow I don't own it. Crazy, no? So I figured I'd pick that one up.

Also I used to be very much into NGE when it was actually airing on TV here, but again, the only DVD I own is Death & Rebirth (which is frustratingly incomplete anyway).

So I've decided to buy Evangelion: 1.11. The Rebuild movies appeal to me for a few reasons, but primarily I think they'll be fun because I haven't watched the original series in such a long time. It'll be nice to re-visit it, albeit with the visual and plot variations. I can't wait 'till that one arrives! [/font]

[Magus]

Now that I'm officially done with school I get to catch up on a few things but at the moment I'm currently watching (rewatching) [b]IGPX[/b]. Despite my issues with Takeshi in the 2nd season I completely forgot how great a series this was. I'm not a big fan of either racing (I do like cars though) or mecha but I suppose if you combine the 2 you can get a masterpiece. The animation and fights are great (it's Production I.G. for crying outside. I expect nothing less that stellar material when it comes to animation) and they keep me on the edge of my seat. Favorite race so far is Team Satomi vs Team Velshtine (sp?) season 2, round 2 with Team Satomi vs Team Sledgemama afterwards (same, season 2).

I'm also thinking about watching Gundam 00 and Code Geass again. While I've seen the 1st season of both seasons I didn't, however, see the 2nd season of either series. I also gotta finish up on [b]Darker Than Black[/b].

Some other series I've thought about starting are Baccano, Claymore (people have been telling me to stick with the manga), and Hakuoki season 2.

I Dropped Soul Eater. For some reason I just can't stick with this series, or rather, I just can't seem to keep myself interested in the series.

And then there's the not anime. [b]Young Justice[/b] is great. I have something to look forward to come next year.

[u]Manga[/u]

I just started reading [b]D-Grayman[/b]. I'm only on chapter 30, but honestly, I don't really see anything special about this one. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad (at least not at the moment) but it's not great either. I'm not finding that "freshness" (like it's something new or something of that nature) like I found in Claymore or Psyren (Psyren does nothing new it just does everything better). There have been some interesting moments along with some interesting characters. It does have a slow start but not like some of the other series out there. Things actually do happen and it don't take too long for something to jump off, but at the same time nothing real big has really jumped off yet. I think where I'm at right now is the setup for something real big. Edited December 1, 2010 by Phenom

[The Tentacle]

[quote name='Shinmaru' date='27 November 2010 - 12:09 PM' timestamp='1290877749' post='702215']
Now I'm watching [b]GaoGaiGar[/b], which is often hailed as [b]Gurren Lagann[/b] before [b]Gurren Lagann[/b]. So far that's a bit inaccurate ... not really because [b]GaoGaiGar[/b] is [i]bad[/i], but more because [b]Gurren Lagann[/b] is a loving tribute/parody to super robot series, while [b]GaoGaiGar[/b] [i]is[/i] a super robot series like those from way back when. It's fun, but also sometimes kind of repetitive and dull. I'm told the second half is where it really shines.
[/quote]



I forgot to ask before but is this show any good?  I took an interest in it before because someone compared it to [b]Gravion[/b] but the footage I saw looked more like a Saturday morning cartoon for kids.  How does GaoGaiGar stack up to other robot shows?


Most of the titles on my wist list after the last big purchase fall into the "to be announced" category so I'm thinking about adding a couple of box sets to my list.  GaoGaiGar is one of them but if anyone has any recommendations I'd appreciate it.

[Shinmaru]

I'm 22 episodes into it right now, and "Saturday morning cartoon show for kids" is right on the money. It's one giant throwback to old super robot shows -- simple characters and story, WORK THROUGH EVERYTHING WITH GUTS AND PASSION, monster of the week storylines, etc. It's fun because it's so weird and crazy, but I wouldn't say it's a must-buy or anything so far.

[CaNz]

I just rewatched R.O.D. Paper Master OVA.
I honestly don't know why I haven't done this before, I absolutely love that three episodes movie.
All of the characters are likable, especially the adorable Yomiko, and the action is pretty intense... they have no problem with killing people and at some parts kinda bloody and gory deaths.
oh yeah, and the story is really good.

now i am on the lookout for the R.O.D. the TV series, and even the manga/novels if i can find em.

[The Tentacle]

I've got the entire R.O.D anime/manga series and I can tell you that the events of the television series are set after the events of the Read or Die manga so you may want to look into that one first.  Otherwise you will miss a few pivotal events.  The Read or Dream manga is more akin to side-stories than an actual sequel so you can read it at your leisure.

[CaNz]

yeah, i know the manga come before it... but since I already watched the series and movie all the details i missed are don't bother me.
I still really want to find the mangas of course, but if i don't get them before i find the tv series i won't mind too much.

and i had no idea Read or Dreams even existed, but its yet another thing to look out for.
i wish i could just buy up everything but Christmas is just about here and i got a big family.

EDIT: found the Manga online! also found the TV on megavideos. Edited December 5, 2010 by CaNz

[Magus]

I've been rereading [b]Psyren[/b] since it's ending. Currently on chapter 19 and it still remains as good as ever. Why it never succeed in Japan is beyond me. Anyway, ever since it ended I've been trying to find something else to read. I just might start reading [b]Hunter x Hunter[/b] again since I never got past that arc where [spoiler]Kurapica kills that big guy that's like a beast or something[/spoiler]. I've also been thinking about rereading the holy trinity from the very beginning because I've been so bored as of late. And then I've yet to make my 2nd run with [b]Death Note[/b] so I've been thinking about rereading that as well. We'll see.

[Shinmaru]

So, [b]GaoGaiGar[/b] is what it is -- lots of fun, and the series does get really good in the second half, but my god the repetition. I couldn't watch more than a few episodes per day because of it. But I'm watching [b]GaoGaiGar Final[/b] right now, and it's AWESOME. Everything that is great about [b]GaoGaiGar[/b], but without any of the crap and with decent animation. Love this.

Also watched [b]I My Me! Strawberry Eggs[/b]. Was pretty frustrating since there was some actual clever gender satire in there, but all the stories are resolved in the easiest, most asinine ways, and there's so much anime comedy bullshit that I've long grown tired of. Still better than a fair number of shows, but I'm kind of pissed at it for actually raising my expectations and then pulling the rug out from under me. Edited December 14, 2010 by Shinmaru

[The Tentacle]

I just finished up [b]Birdy the Mighty: Decode[/b] and I'm a little bit disappointed.  Not that it was a bad series or anything.  But I waited for years for this show and I'm shocked that it didn't hold a candle to the orignal OVAs that came out way back in the 90's.  Oh well, there's no school like the old school I guess.

Then again I'm watching the original [b]Dirty Pair [/b]television series right now.  It isn't quite as impressive as the OVAs or movies that came out nearly a decade later.  Maybe the 90's were just a good decade for anime.

[Pleiades Rising]

I've somehow managed to slog my way through 25 episodes of [i]Blood+[/i], and I'm no longer sure if I can carry on any longer. Watching it this far makes me feel like I'm starring in the sequel to [i]The Rime of the Ancient Mariner[/i]. I really don't think I can watch all 50 episodes (did it really need that many to tell this damn convoluted story?), and I don't think I can tolerate Kai any longer, too. I mean, [spoiler]just when we're [i]finally[/i] going to see Saya go berserker, Kai stops her and the viewers' fun, and ruins it for everyone. Furthermore, in that same scene, they don't even show her going berserk, but instead they show the aftermath right before she was about to fight - [i]groan[/i] - Karl, "The Phantom".[/spoiler] Top it all off with underwhelming art (what happened, Production IG?), where almost every character is standing straight up in almost every scene (gotta make that art easier to draw, I guess), and all the characters are drawn with very simple sharp lines and very basic shading - ah, I must stop myself.

At least I was watching [i]Kanon[/i] at the same time, where I didn't mind watching characters with obligatory memory problems. Oh yeah, [i]The World God Only Knows[/i] is amusing enough: "Math is beautiful; therefore, characters created though math must be beautiful!" Amen, man, amen. Edited December 19, 2010 by Pleiades Rising

[Magus]

Pleiades, I feel your pain with Blood+ and honestly you're way better than I am because you at least got through 25 episodes. I couldn't make it past 4. I jumped in and out on some, but Kai, Riku, and Saya were far too annoying for me to get into the series.

Anyway, I finally got over my IGPX craze and am now re-watching [b]Black Lagoon[/b]. Between this and Hellsing, whenever I'm in a bad mood I can always watch these 2 shows for some slight anger management. Both shows got the violence/action and the adrenaline that I need to relieve that tension. Anyway, while I haven't seen the sub to Black Lagoon I do enjoy the dub a lot but I also have some issues with it as well, mainly Rock. Brad Swailie (sp?) just don't sound right trying to cuss, or rather I can't get used to the guy dropping f-bombs, hell, I can barely get used to him saying [i]hell[/i]. He just don't sound right. Favorite episodes involves the maid chasing after the Lagoon company... (best adrenaline rush type episode ever) Not sure what I'm gonna watch after that. I'd like to watch Death Note, but I don't want to see the sub and blockbuster suck. Edited December 17, 2010 by Magus

[Shinmaru]

OK, now that I've watched all the anime I bought a while back, I'm going through another famous anime franchise -- [b]Patlabor[/b]! Starting with the original 7-episode OVA. It's not mind-blowingly amazing so far, but it is a lot of fun. The basic concept involves a section of the police that use giant robots in the line of duty, but they're always shafted on budget and bored out of their skulls because there is barely anything to serve and protect. So it's like half crime thriller (when things of that sort happen) and half sitcom. Sounds like a weird combo, but it works. Third episode is my favorite so far: It takes a ridiculous scenario (mad scientist), plays it completely straight at first and then makes it progressively more ridiculous as the episode goes on. It's hilarious.

[The Tentacle]

Dude, I have the entire [b]Patlabor[/b] series on VHS and it's easily my favorite anime to date.  If you like the OVAs even a little you'll love the television series.  It's not really your run-of-the-mill giant robot show though.  Patlabor is mostly a character-driven comedy.  The mecha designs are quite well done though and very memorable (to me anyway) even if they're glorified construction machines rather than space-age super Gundamechs.  

Individual episodes are all pretty entertaining but the setting and situations therein play into the show's events a lot so the television series is a lot more cohesive than what you're seeing in the OVAs.  Plus there's an underlying plotline that comes into play part of the way through (although you'll come to realize seemingly stand-alone events are actually a precursor to this).  

The tv series spans around fortysome episodes with sixteen more contained in the "New Files" that are a direct continuation of the tv series.  There are also three movies but these have a totally different vibe.  They're more serious and, in the case of WXIII, the original cast is reduced to little more than a cameo appearance.

[Shinmaru]

Yeah, I was told that [b]Patlabor[/b]'s approach -- at least when it comes to mecha -- is much more down to earth than most series, to the point where the mecha are basically like any other machine. I like the characters so far, though, so that's no biggie. I especially love Goto. Dude's awesome.

The order I'm going through them is original OVA --> movie 1 + movie 2 --> TV series --> New Files. I heard the third movie sucks, so I don't know if I'll watch it.

[The Tentacle]

Well [b]Patlabor WXIII[/b] didn't suck so much as it just didn't to have much to do with Patlabor.  If you treat it more as a side-story or standalone movie it's actually awesome, possibly moreso than the other two movies.  

Anyway back on track.  I'm watching [b]Canaan[/b] right now.  Its along the vein of [b]Noir [/b]or [b] Madlax [/b]but thus far it's a little more lighthearted than either.  It's still a little early in the series for me to give it a final grade but so far, so good.

Also, I found a good deal on ebay and I now own the entire collection of the [b]Dirty Pair[/b] anime.  Sadly it's not the original dubbing with Lara Cody & Wendee Lee playing the girls so I'll be watching this one in the OJ.  Really can't wait to watch [b]Project Eden[/b] again after so many years.

[Shinmaru]

Finished the [b]Patlabor[/b] OVA a few days back. Third episode is still my favorite, but the ones after that are pretty cool too. Goto is my hero. Also watched the first [b]Patlabor[/b] movie today. Definitely a bit more serious than the OVAs but with some good humor here and there. I loved it about as much as the OVA. The budget's a bit bigger for this, too, so there's some wonderful animation, especially at the climax. And NOA~ <3

[Morbo]

[font="Comic Sans MS"][color="#800080"]I'm watching Final Fantasy Unlimited right now, got to episode 3 and I think this is the first anime I feel I should drop. Its nothing short of pandering to fans in a very poor way. Can anyone tell me if this gets better or have I wasted £15 on a really bad series?[/color][/font]

[Magus]

[quote name='Morbo' timestamp='1293486152' post='703348']
[font="Comic Sans MS"][color="#800080"]I'm watching Final Fantasy Unlimited right now, got to episode 3 and I think this is the first anime I feel I should drop. Its nothing short of pandering to fans in a very poor way. Can anyone tell me if this gets better or have I wasted £15 on a really bad series?[/color][/font]
[/quote]
I've actually never seen it and because of the views from others I've never bothered to even give it a shot. Just about everyone I know who've seen that series hates it.

I'm watching more [b]Fairy Tail[/b]. I'm just getting to the episodes where it's [spoiler]Fairy Tail vs Fairy Tail[/spoiler]. I've also be re-watching [b]Ghost in the Shell: SAC[/b]. Still my favorite series ever and it's still as epic as ever.

[Morbo]

[color="#000000"]Thanks Magus, I have decided to leave Final Fantasy Unlimited and call it a lost cause. I am now starting on [b]Escaflowne[/b], which so far is pretty good. [url="http://myanimelist.net/anime/182/Escaflowne"][/url][/color]