The Anime and Manga Thread

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  • edited February 2011
    I knew someone on here had, because I remembered posting about it briefly before. I'd love to get my hands on the game sometime as well, as apparently it plays like a cross between Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Luigi's Mansion, and Alone in the Dark 1-3. At least that's how it looks from what little gameplay I watched without spoiling myself on it too much. ANN gave the show a pretty fair review, although one I disagree with on some points. Sadly, this is a show that's been ignored largely in the anime community, which, while a shame, isn't a surprise. It's one of the only shows I can say I like that seems extremely obscure. I don't even remember where I learned about it. It's a pleasant enough surprise to me that the episodes up on Youtube have as many views as they do.

    @division: That's a pretty good description. I'm glad to hear you liked it! I take any opportunity to spread the word on this one as most people wouldn't stumble onto it easily.
  • edited February 2011
    I knew someone on here had, because I remembered posting about it briefly before. I'd love to get my hands on the game sometime as well, as apparently it plays like a cross between Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Luigi's Mansion, and Alone in the Dark 1-3. At least that's how it looks from what little gameplay I watched without spoiling myself on it too much. ANN gave the show a pretty fair review, although one I disagree with on some points. Sadly, this is a show that's been ignored largely in the anime community, which, while a shame, isn't a surprise. It's one of the only shows I can say I like that seems extremely obscure. I don't even remember where I learned about it. It's a pleasant enough surprise to me that the episodes up on Youtube have as many views as they do.

    Oddly enough I knew about the game first, and have known about it for quite a few years.
    (I even had a little store nearby that sold PS2 games like this, but at £15 it was a bit of a stretch. Shame the store suddenly closed down one day. I might track this one down on ebay, or CEX or something...)

    Once I found out there was an animated version, I had to check it out. Its too unique not to.
    (In fact I wish more shows/videogames were as creative as this one)

    EDIT: Oh shweet! I managed to pick up a used copy off ebay for £6.50
    Once I finish watching the series, I'll give the game a go, and you can see what I think about it all! :D
  • edited February 2011
    Oh shweet! I managed to pick up a used copy off ebay for £6.50 Once I finish watching the series, I'll give the game a go, and you can see what I think about it all! :D

    Oh, nice! I'm definitely interested to hear what the game is like. I'm just too afraid to watch a Let's Play, because I may play it myself someday and don't want major spoilers.
  • edited February 2011
    I watched an entire lets play of the game knowing that I'd never be able to play it, and it's pretty neat. It's a legitimate survival horror (none of that space marine shooting the shit out of everyone stuff) that's cartoony, and yet isn't entirely childish.
  • edited February 2011
    Switching up topics a bit, I'm just curious: what anime do you guys normally steer away from?

    I have a really hard time getting past my dislike of mecha series. I love BUILDING mechs, but it came close to my friends strapping me in a chair to view Gurren Lagann. And even after that, I still can't really say I liked it.

    I had to marathon Evangelion fr a film class (yes it was required, and the teacher was present at the screening), so I think it may have spawned from that. Shudder.
  • edited February 2011
    So...I recently had about three years worth of Shonen Jump dumped on me. I'm actually being forced to borrow it because my friend has no room for it. She has almost every issue and plans to set aside a bookshelf for it when she gets a house, but for now she's using my bookshelf as storage space, and it's started to overflow the space I have for it.

    Also, I'm also borrowing (and am not allowed to return) the box sets of Evangelion (which I saw once and can't remember any of but the beginning) and Chrono Crusade (which I saw once but it was a bootleg fansub one of our friends had us borrow).
  • edited February 2011
    I have a really hard time getting past my dislike of mecha series.
    Huh, really?

    Mech series are a huge soft spot for me, especially ones of this era. How can you watch those intros and NOT smile?

    Me, I avoid most of the current Shonen Jump run and things like it, 99.8% of "harem" anime, and really most of what Funimation sells lately. Ugh, Negima....excuse me while I go off to vomit.
  • edited February 2011
    Honestly, I don't know if I'm even going to bother with all this Shonen Jump. At this point, I think the only thing left that I might read is Naruto. I'd consider reading Bleach if I hadn't gotten lost so long ago. Other than that, I wouldn't have any idea whether or not there's anything new they've started that would interest me.
  • edited February 2011
    Aren't they still running Dragonball? Granted, their release of that manga has some major faults in it, especially with some odd translation choices in the Buu arc and the usual Viz annoyances(translated sound effects? That's PART OF THE ART you're messing with, Viz!), but compared to almost everything else in Jump?

    I mean, granted, I have no idea what's running. Is Hikaru no Go still there? That was kind of cute, if only because it focused around a really neat strategic board game.
  • edited February 2011
    Aren't they still running Dragonball? Granted, their release of that manga has some major faults in it, especially with some odd translation choices in the Buu arc and the usual Viz annoyances(translated sound effects? That's PART OF THE ART you're messing with, Viz!), but compared to almost everything else in Jump?

    I mean, granted, I have no idea what's running. Is Hikaru no Go still there? That was kind of cute, if only because it focused around a really neat strategic board game.

    Dragonball ended its run a LONG time ago in the US SJ. And they phased out Hikaru no Go (they're still selling it in paperbacks, but it's not in the magazine proper anymore).

    Yu-Gi-Oh! (the original series, ie, the one that was GOOD, before all the card games occurred), YuYu Hakusho, and Sandland all finished their natural runs in SJ. Now, other than the Big Three of Naruto, One Piece and BLEACH, I don't have a clue what's in the mag.
  • edited February 2011
    I'm saddened that you completely ignored my reply to your post on mech anime :(
  • edited February 2011
    I'm saddened that you completely ignored my reply to your post on mech anime :(

    Ah, sorry. I'll be happy to look at the link.

    Ah. Mazinger Z. I just have a hard time getting interested in giant robos. To get to the root of the problem- I don't really like fighting anime at all- calling name attacks, elaborate move sequences to pull crap off. Other than Fullmetal Alchemist, I can't really think of any anime I like that as all that much fighting in it. Ok, maybe Cowboy Bebop.

    For the most part, I'm interested in complex plots, good comedic timing, and interesting stories. I prefer fairytale, fantastic world, and ghost story anime like Spirited Away, Mononoke, Princess Mononoke, and Mushishi. I like science anime like Moyashimon. I like near-future anime like Dennou Coil. And I like comedies like Abenobashi and Excel Saga.
  • edited February 2011
    Also wow, Shonen Jump is a who's who of what's wrong with the industry. Except I don't know Psyren, so I have no idea if that's any good. But even if it's the best damn thing ever written, that's a pretty awful crap to quality ratio.
  • edited February 2011
    One Piece.

    Yep, that's all. :)
  • edited February 2011
    Also wow, Shonen Jump is a who's who of what's wrong with the industry. Except I don't know Psyren, so I have no idea if that's any good. But even if it's the best damn thing ever written, that's a pretty awful crap to quality ratio.

    I read Psyren back when it first came out here in Japan. It's not bad, it has an intriguing premise... but that's about it. Same with most every other SJ title.
  • edited February 2011
    Why can't we get a Seinen magazine around here?

    ...

    Or maybe a company that actually translates seinen manga?

    Or maybe even a dedicated scanslation/subbing group?

    If anybody knows of some good alternatives, let me know, because as far as I'm aware the vast majority of the US anime industry and fanbase is busy translating a handful of major Shonen series and a swath of terrible terrible fetish and romance books/shows.
  • edited February 2011
    Why can't we get a Seinen magazine around here?

    ...

    Or maybe a company that actually translates seinen manga?

    Or maybe even a dedicated scanslation/subbing group?

    If anybody knows of some good alternatives, let me know, because as far as I'm aware the vast majority of the US anime industry and fanbase is busy translating a handful of major Shonen series and a swath of terrible terrible fetish and romance books/shows.

    Um... hi. What are you looking for? I can mail it to you.

    Also, have you read Monster? Heard that's out in English.
  • edited February 2011
    Switching up topics a bit, I'm just curious: what anime do you guys normally steer away from?

    Anything over the 55 episode mark has to be pretty damn good for me to even consider watching all of it. Currently the only series I know of that exceed that length that I want to put the time in for are Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Hajime no Ippo a.k.a. The Fighting Spirit, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Rurouni Kenshin, and Hunter X Hunter, although the last one keeps putting me off due to the fact the mangaka keeps taking hiatus on the manga version constantly.

    As far as mech anime, my favorite is also my second favorite anime: Eureka Seven. It's a show where every reason it pisses everyone else off are some of the biggest things I think it does right. I might do a writeup on it eventually. I also plan to do a writeup on why I really dislike FMA: Brotherhood, but as far as E7, anything with music like this (IMO possibly the greatest piece in an anime I have ever heard), this, this, or this can not be bad. Such a thing is utterly impossible. Then again, you're talking to a guy who will sometimes rewatch anime and movies just to hear the music.

    This post took me gorram forever to write for some reason.
  • edited February 2011
    Um... hi. What are you looking for? I can mail it to you.

    Also, have you read Monster? Heard that's out in English.
    Honestly, I was just thinking out loud about things like english translations for series and the like. You I'm sure could send over raw manga(video is probably obscenely expensive and I'd feel terrible not finding some way to compensate you for it), but honestly since my Japanese is limited to a one-semester college course to satisfy some extra-curricular language credit, I probably need someone with more language skills to help with that. It's not like I could just pick up an issue of Afternoon or Big Comic and just read it.
  • edited February 2011
    I agree. I do find large series rather daunting to get into.

    I currently have a craving for Fist of the North Star, however, getting a box set of it looks to be very difficult, (and expensive). :/
  • edited February 2011
    I agree. I do find large series rather daunting to get into.

    I currently have a craving for Fist of the North Star, however, getting a box set of it looks to be very difficult, (and expensive). :/

    Holy...over 100 episodes? Oh, Fist, why dost thou taunt me so...
  • edited February 2011
    Holy...over 100 episodes? Oh, Fist, why dost thou taunt me so...
    For something more bite-sized, I recommend the movie. It stands on its own fairly well as a montage of badass.
  • edited February 2011
    ...as a montage of badass.

    I'm stealing that quote and filing it for later use.
  • edited February 2011
    That is an amazing phrase.
    Switching up topics a bit, I'm just curious: what anime do you guys normally steer away from?

    I have a really hard time getting past my dislike of mecha series. I love BUILDING mechs, but it came close to my friends strapping me in a chair to view Gurren Lagann. And even after that, I still can't really say I liked it.

    I had to marathon Evangelion fr a film class (yes it was required, and the teacher was present at the screening), so I think it may have spawned from that. Shudder.

    I'd actually recommend RahXephon. It's a mech series that is pretty wildly different from the standard fare. Its focus is much more on character than it is on the fights themselves and the characters as individuals are well constructed and react realisitically to the situations at hand. The show itself is heavily built off of music (the Mechs are all music based) so the fact that Yoko Kanno is their composer just sort of pushes it over the edge.

    As for genres' I myself steer away from...I guess I'd say harem anime with maybe the exception of the Tenchi series. I don't know, it just...doesn't appeal to me as a genre. I think it's because a lot of it seems to come off as pretty pointless overall. I sort of blame Love Hina for a lot of my antipathy towards the genre, it was just such a waste of time in my mind that I've never really been able to get away from that association.
  • edited February 2011
    For something more bite-sized, I recommend the movie. It stands on its own fairly well as a montage of badass.

    I still need to watch it...that also reminded me that I need to finish the manga one of these days.

    Also, my weekly reminder for you people to read Neuro.

    Neuro-the-ceiling-creeper-anime-16048622-1280-720.jpg

    He'll be on your ceiling spying on you until yo do it.
  • edited February 2011
    I'm stealing that quote and filing it for later use.

    He stole it from me! I'm so distressed now.
  • edited February 2011
    This seems appropriate:

    e35e0e42b38ad342ae1ca530b69dcc3c1293213020_full.gif
  • edited February 2011
    Saved
  • edited February 2011
    mgrant wrote: »
    This seems appropriate:

    e35e0e42b38ad342ae1ca530b69dcc3c1293213020_full.gif



    Is it just me, or does that guys shirt/whatever the hell that is have a Stan effect?
  • edited February 2011
    She stole it from me! I'm so distressed now.

    fixed. Why does everyone think I'm a dude?
  • edited February 2011
    fixed. Why does everyone think I'm a dude?
    It's probably based on the assumption that C-4 and indiscriminate cannon fire aren't feminine.
  • edited February 2011
    I call bull on that. C-4 is totally feminine.
  • edited February 2011
    I think he was saying Rather Dashing stole it from him.
  • edited February 2011
    Remolay wrote: »
    I think he was saying Rather Dashing stole it from him.
    *blink*

    Oh hey, that IS what he's saying! And it's totally true!
  • edited February 2011
    Yeah, sorry Division Ten was being paranoid. (Sorry!) But I was referring to Rather Dashing stealing my words!
  • edited February 2011
    Which I did! Shamelessly! Without giving credit! :D
  • edited February 2011
    Par for the course! XD
  • edited February 2011
    I'm really confused now... anyway, BACK ON TOPIC!

    What's the weirdest piece of anime related merchandise that you own?

    Mine is definitely One Piece flavored candies. I got them for the sheer WTFness. Haven't eaten them, and I probably won't.
  • edited February 2011
    I bought my (ex) Girlfriend Soul Candy once. We were both Really into BLEACH at the time, and I was at Borders and saw what looked like the bunny. It was, they don't taste too bad if I remember correctly. But then again the taste means less to me than the rest of our relationship, which at the moment is not much, so my memory may serve me horribly.
  • edited February 2011
    I own a coin bank that's shaped like the Korin's senzu jar. Otherwise I'm fairly typical. I have a handful of gashapon, but otherwise I'm more likely to own DVDs and manga rather than merchandise. The only other thing I can think of that would be considered merchandise that I own is Viz translation of the first Dragonball Daizenshuu.
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