Anime What are You Watching/Reading Now?

[Ninja Spoon]

Watching? Nothing tbh. Reading? Axels got me started on Lupin III books and Astro Boy.

Lupin III is a classic and Im enjoying every minute of it.

[Magus]

I'll probably watch shonen anime from time to time but for the most part I'm taking a break from reading them. I've fallen into a major slump with the shonen genre as of late. Now what could possibly cause this? [b]Fullmetal Alchemist[/b] would be the answer to that. I enjoyed it so much to the point where I can really get anything else at the moment. [b]Psyren[/b] (read the latest chapter) , a series I've been praising for quite some time now is not even appealing to me, granted this weeks chapter was nice but underwhelming. All the shonen series that involve some form of tourney style fighting has been in a slump since I've started (finished) reading FMA. (I can probably still read Rurouni Kenshin though since that is my favorite and I don't think anything really tops it)

Anyway, I'll be putting off on reading stuff like Psyren and Bleach for the time being... (May read RK from time to time though) Anyway, with that being said,

[b]Fullmetal Alchemist[/b] - It finally came to an end. Complete 180 from the original anime. Ed and Al were definately a lot more enjoyable this time around seeing how I couldn't stand them in the original anime. Didn't have to put up with any obnoxious bratty moments from Ed nor whiny moments from Al. (Maybe a little but nothing major) Almost every single character was great here. Outside of Winry (and even she wasn't so bad. She made me want to choke her in one chapter though), the women of FMA are great. Hawkeye, Lust, Ross, [spoiler]Olivia (she's a friggin Beast)[/spoiler], and Izumi are some of the greatest (probably the best) female characters in all the manga/anime I've come across. Couple of moments had me raising an eyebrow here and there... I'm a church/christian guy but it didn't really hamper anything. Just an interesting take on western religion. It's been hard for me to catch Brotherhood on adult swim, but seeing how it's on demand I'll be tuning in. A lot of these fights I have to see in animation. I'll stop there before I go into favorite moments, characters, chapters, etc..

I'll be reading Trigun, Hellsing and possibly Darker than Black soon. Hopefully these'll give me that new experience I've been looking for. I'll also be reading Death Note again as well.

Edit: Uhhh yeah, dismiss all of the not reading shonen bits lol. That's like impossible for me to do mainly because that's the only type of manga I read at the moment. I did give Trigun and Hellsing a shot but those are meant to be watched than read. It's like anything with gunfights just don't strike out at me unless I see it on the big screen.

I think what I'm going to do to keep myself from getting worn out on these manga's is take frequent breaks or rotate between series weekly (read only 1 series per week) Edited June 15, 2010 by Magus

[The_letter_L]

Reading?

Claymore, Genshiken, Fruits Basket and

Watching?

Darker Than Black, Area 88 and Initial D

[Gavin]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Recently started watching [b]Shigurui[/b] and [b]D.Gray Man[/b], though I'm having trouble staying watching episodes. [/size][/font]

[Magus]

I've been tempted to check out D-Grayman, especially since I've been told that it was similar to Fullmetal Alchemist, but if I do check it out, it'll probably end up being the manga version of it. But then again, we'll see.

[Shinmaru]

[b]Skip Beat![/b] was awesome right to the end, although I am slightly concerned that the series will amount to nothing more than an advertisement for the manga (albeit a damn good advertisement), and that we'll never get a second season. Sigh. Oh well. Definitely worth watching, especially if you like a little kickass in your shoujo.

Finished [b]Berserk[/b] recently, and it's faaaaaaaaaaaaaantastic. (And, unfortunately, [i]another[/i] show that is essentially an advertisement for its manga.) Very violent, but definitely has brains and is fantastically constructed from start to finish. I heard about a bit of weirdness near the end, but those final three episodes are my favorites in the whole series (although I do agree that the very end of the show concludes at an awkward point). Love how the series comes off like a myth ripped from the pages of ancient times; makes me want to read all those cool myths I've been putting off forever.

Now I'm starting on [b]SDF Macross[/b] -- hoping to make it through every [b]Macross[/b] that matters ([b]Macross 7[/b] doesn't count, because I hear it blows) in a month or so. Good times!

[Magus]

[u]Reading[/u]
[b]Hunter x Hunter[/b] (chapter 5) - Well, I haven't read anything yet, but chapter 5 will be my starting point... I do remember already reading the first few chapters, so I don't need to do what I'm doing with the other series (starting from the very 1st chapter). I'm starting this one over so I can get back in the grove of knowing the "Nen" techniques and whatnot because last time I jumped right back into chapter 75 and was lost.

But for everything else (in my sig), I'm starting from the very first chapter just to see if I can piece everything together. A lot of people do a lot of marathoning and that's good for them, but I will never marathon (or whatever term people use for going through all of a manga in 1-5 sittings.) again since that is too much for me, and will ultimately burn me out. I think I'm gonna do 2 chapters of each before calling it a day.

[Pleiades Rising]

I started [i]Mushi-shi[/i] not that long ago, so I'm still early into the series. I'll admit that I didn't really know what to expect from it, since I picked it up on a suggestion from a friend over at theO (thank you Shishou!). I can now see why she suggested it to me, since it is absolutely beautiful. Not only are the stories nicely self-contained (so far, since I've only watched up to ep.8), but it's just so darn aesthetically captivating - the music and art direction work so well together that's it's almost unfair to think of them as two elements, instead of a single entity.

Also, I'm still waiting for my copies of the first two [i]Haibane Renmei[/i] DVDs to arrive. When they do (which will probably be this week) I'll add that to the watch-list.

[Magus]

I decided to take a break away from manga for a little bit to get into their anime counterparts since I tend to compare the anime to the manga quite a bit, and for the most part I'd end up disappointing myself because I set such a high standard for the fights (if there are any fights in that series). I do plan to get back into manga eventually but for now I'm gonna leave them alone... Anyway..

I watched [b]Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood[/b] this past Saturday/Sunday on adult swim and was quite pleased with what I saw. I've been debating on if I want to watch the subs or not since it's been hard for me to catch it on Saturdays though. [spoiler]Lust.... [/spoiler]

Started watching [b]Gundam 00[/b] on Syfy Monday/Tuesday.. Man, I completely forgot about Saji being a nuisance. At least he's not unbearable though.

Episodes 2-3 of [b]Baccano[/b] and 3-4 of [b]Claymore[/b] are on demand and I plan to check those out sometime soon. I just might get back into [b]Soul Eater[/b] while I'm at it. I've wanted to check out the rest of its dub. I have [b]One Piece season one, 2nd Voyage[/b] (I decided to give it another go) coming in the mail from blockbusters, so yeah, probably be occupied with quite a few series from time to time. We'll see if I can squeeze in some time for some of the other series in my siggy. Edited June 23, 2010 by Magus

[Pleiades Rising]

Okay, I've added [i]Haibane Renmei[/i] to the lineup. I'm currently on ep.5, and the tone is pretty consistent so far. It's a very quiet and muted little series, but I find it compelling for those reasons. It has a painterly beauty to it (for some reason, some of Van Gogh's works spring to mind, especially his "Starry Night" and "Irises"), and for that reason I'm just drawn to it. It has a certain aesthetic to it, very austere. I hope it maintains that tone throughout the series! Edited June 26, 2010 by Pleiades Rising

[Magus]

I've been watching [b]Dragonball Z Kai[/b] on Nicktoons despite my better judgment, but honestly, this's not as bad as I thought it'd be. The new voices do sound fairly nice, and the dialogue's not attrocious like it used to be. From what I heard so far (I haven't really caught this from the beginning) characters actually sound like they know what they're talking about. However, I do miss Faulkoner's music, but I suppose those themes didn't really kick in till Goku arrived and the sudden Funi voices came about. I still roll my eyes everytime I hear "we need Goku".

Back to voices though. The new Frieza (sp?) and Zarbon voices are pretty good, although I do like Paul Dobson as Zarbon (Viz) and Funi's Frieza (I can't remember her name for nothing.... I know she was Genkai) But yeah, I'll keep checking with this whenever I can and hopefully I won't run into anymore excessive/elitist fans.

[Botar]

[quote name='Magus' date='01 July 2010 - 05:51 AM' timestamp='1277977910' post='696268']
I've been watching [b]Dragonball Z Kai[/b] on Nicktoons despite my better judgment, but honestly, this's not as bad as I thought it'd be. The new voices do sound fairly nice, and the dialogue's not attrocious like it used to be. From what I heard so far (I haven't really caught this from the beginning) characters actually sound like they know what they're talking about. However, I do miss Faulkoner's music, but I suppose those themes didn't really kick in till Goku arrived and the sudden Funi voices came about. I still roll my eyes everytime I hear "we need Goku".

Back to voices though. The new Frieza (sp?) and Zarbon voices are pretty good, although I do like Paul Dobson as Zarbon (Viz) and Funi's Frieza (I can't remember her name for nothing.... I know she was Genkai) But yeah, I'll keep checking with this whenever I can and hopefully I won't run into anymore excessive/elitist fans.
[/quote]

[color="#008000"]I can't watch it cause they screwed up the over 9000 part. Its completely different besides the it's over 9000, all the build up is different. [/color]

[chibi-master]

Does anyone have any idea where I can find somewhere to watch episodes of [b]Skip Beat![/b], please? I love the manga, so I'd like to see if the anime is nearly as good.

[Botar]

[quote name='chibi-master' date='02 July 2010 - 12:47 AM' timestamp='1278046024' post='696308']
Does anyone have any idea where I can find somewhere to watch episodes of [b]Skip Beat![/b], please? I love the manga, so I'd like to see if the anime is nearly as good.
[/quote]

Youtube, thats were i watch LuckyStar.

[chibi-master]

[quote name='Botar' date='02 July 2010 - 01:25 AM' timestamp='1278048303' post='696312']
Youtube, thats were i watch LuckyStar.
[/quote]
Okay then, I'll try that out!

[Magus]

[quote name='Botar' date='01 July 2010 - 09:52 AM' timestamp='1277992332' post='696271']
[color="#008000"]I can't watch it cause they screwed up the over 9000 part. Its completely different besides the it's over 9000, all the build up is different. [/color]
[/quote]
Yeah.... I sort of missed that episode. I think the only episode(s) I really caught during the Saiyan saga was the fireball clash and then Vegeta getting hit by the spirit bomb. As for build up, I don't know yet. As far as I know almost all of that build up is suppose to be removed. It's only going to be 100 episodes (or so I've heard... I just don't see how that will be possible especially if it's going up to Buu), so, yeah.. Edited July 2, 2010 by Magus

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='chibi-master' date='01 July 2010 - 09:47 PM' timestamp='1278046024' post='696308']
Does anyone have any idea where I can find somewhere to watch episodes of [b]Skip Beat![/b], please? I love the manga, so I'd like to see if the anime is nearly as good.
[/quote]

If you want to watch the show legally, all the episodes are on Crunchyroll.

[Pleiades Rising]

I'm now thinking of watching [i]GitS: SAC 2nd Gig[/i] again. I really liked the second season, even better than the first. I want to see what I get out of it now, since it's been a while since I first watched it. Maybe some things won't go over my head this time around.

I'm also wondering why I'm watching [i]Mahoromatic[/i] - and I've only watched the first episode, so far! Will it trap me like [i]Fafner[/i] (which gave me headaches from beginning to end, though it had something going for it at times), or will robot-maids win me over? Don't screw with me, Gainax.

Lastly, [i]Mushi-shi[/i] is headed into the home-stretch (I've watched up to ep.19). I really want the soundtrack to this series. I even look forward to the endings of each episode just so I hear what song they close out with. Edited July 13, 2010 by Pleiades Rising

[chibi-master]

[quote name='Shinmaru' date='02 July 2010 - 09:05 AM' timestamp='1278075904' post='696342']
If you want to watch the show legally, all the episodes are on Crunchyroll.
[/quote]
Legally? That sounds much better than illegally. I think I'll do that instead... Thank you very much, Shinmaru!

[Magus]

[b]Hajime no Ippo[/b]
Despite my utter disappointment in New Challenger, there's no denying that the first season was a masterpiece. Although, I've only been watching it for the fights at the moment. I will watch it for the workouts and characterization as well. This series can be inspiration especially when it comes to working out.

[Gavin]

[quote name='Magus' date='01 July 2010 - 10:51 AM' timestamp='1277977910' post='696268']
I've been watching [b]Dragonball Z Kai[/b] on Nicktoons despite my better judgment, but honestly, this's not as bad as I thought it'd be. The new voices do sound fairly nice, and the dialogue's not attrocious like it used to be. From what I heard so far (I haven't really caught this from the beginning) characters actually sound like they know what they're talking about. However, I do miss Faulkoner's music, but I suppose those themes didn't really kick in till Goku arrived and the sudden Funi voices came about. I still roll my eyes everytime I hear "we need Goku".

Back to voices though. The new Frieza (sp?) and Zarbon voices are pretty good, although I do like Paul Dobson as Zarbon (Viz) and Funi's Frieza (I can't remember her name for nothing.... I know she was Genkai) But yeah, I'll keep checking with this whenever I can and hopefully I won't run into anymore excessive/elitist fans.
[/quote]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Given that DBZ was the first anime I followed seriously I've been waiting to see how the (re)dub would be handled. Quite happy to see so many of the old cast return although I'm curious to see how the new Gohan will work out (if any of them needed changing it was Cell Saga Gohan). I am very disappointed however we're not going to have Bruce Faulkoner's music this time around, as personally I thought his work far exceeded the originals. [/size][/font]

[Nony]

[quote name='Pleiades Rising' date='02 July 2010 - 08:39 PM' timestamp='1278128345' post='696412']
Lastly, [i]Mushi-shi[/i] is headed into the home-stretch (I've watched up to ep.19). I really want the soundtrack to this series. I even look forward to the endings of each episode just so I hear what song they close out with.
[/quote]
inorite? Mushi-shi rocks my socks off. I'm so glad I own the whole series. I even bought the full version of the opening song the other day.
Just, yeah. Major brownie points to you. lol

Anywho, some things I've been reading over the past few days:
[i].hack//Link[/i] - Got the first English volume of this in the mail the other day! I had such major hate for this manga before when I was following the scanlations, and there are still parts I hate (*coughpantyshotscough*) but it's better than I originally thought. Considering it's another alternate retelling manga -- and trust me, .hack has way too many of these -- the pacing is good, the art is nice, and the comedy is much appreciated. I look forward to volume 2.

[i]Watashi ni XX Shinasai ch 15[/i] - All I will say is, "Holy crap, Shigure just keeps getting cuter! *3*"

[i]Faster than a Kiss ch 31[/i] - Yay, the flashbacks are finally done! \(*v*)/ Kinda interesting, I guess? I dunno, it was nice to learn more about Ojiro's past sorta, but I'm glad it's over maybe.

[Magus]

[quote name='Gavin' date='10 July 2010 - 08:22 PM' timestamp='1278807769' post='697077']
[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Given that DBZ was the first anime I followed seriously I've been waiting to see how the (re)dub would be handled. Quite happy to see so many of the old cast return although I'm curious to see how the new Gohan will work out (if any of them needed changing it was Cell Saga Gohan). I am very disappointed however we're not going to have Bruce Faulkoner's music this time around, as personally I thought his work far exceeded the originals. [/size][/font]
[/quote]
I'm not really sold on Gohan's voice actor. Sounds like the same person that's voicing Luffy in One Piece and I don't care for her work in that. The Ginuy Force... outside of Ginyu himself I didn't really care for them. I liked Jeice's old rock and roll type voice over this one.

Yeah, the music in Kai is definately lacking compared to Mr. Bruce's work. Nothing really seem epic anymore.

[Blue]

I'm still trying to mow my way through High school of the dead episode 02. Episode 01 was good but for some reason episode 02 is just boring me. I'm terrible with names so I'll describe them, but Fatso's voice is really pissing me off. And I know the "smart girl" is supposed to be a tsundere and tsunderes are the very definition of annoying, but its annoying me more than usual because of her big ego. Edited July 14, 2010 by Blue

[CaNz]

a drama called one liter of tears... because you will cry a whole liter by the end of it.
its all in Japanese so you probably need subtitles, but if you want to test its title, this link will start you off.

start [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajbrJR8ZPKw"]here[/url] you cry babies! Edited July 14, 2010 by CaNz