Advanced Anime Discussion Part II (1 Viewer)

[JohnAD]

Kong:
I pretty much have to agree with Woo Jae. I thought that the whole Gekiganger III was one of the best things about the series, and I did get a Macross/Robotech vibe from the series, but I just think that it wasn't enough for me to say "Wow this was really good". Fun - yes; excellent - no.
John.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

I watched the first 3 episodes of Now and Then, Here and There. Is that a depressing program or what?

 

[Woo Jae]

Yes Todd - it is VERY depressing. This was is still remains for me the most depressing anime I have yet seen. I have a "bonus" disc with special features which I have not cracked open because I don't feel like being sad again.
Unlike GotF it is not uplifting in anyway, but it is quite a shock to see the things that adult soldiers do done by children. Sadly, this reality has happened many parts of the world, of which Afghanistan is a reality.
I popped in Video Girl Ai to relieve the gloomy cloud/mood that Now and Then, Here and There put me in. Another show that is cheerful is Mahou Tsukai Tai, aka Magic User's Club. Seven discs which cover both a OAV (6 episodes) and TV series (26 episodes) of innocent fun. Hope that helps.

 

[Kong Chang]

Woo,
mahou tsukaitai has only 13 eps for TV series, not 26.
Todd,
Yes, ima, soko ni iru boku ("Now and Then, Here and There") (Lit: "I Who Am There Now") is a depressing drama, directed by Akitaroh Daichi. But it's not as depressing as, say, saishuu heiki kanojo. NTHT is more traumatic in its depiction of children and their need of survival in a war-like state; while SHK is romantic story that is more heart-wrenching while still remaining poetic. Some people just can't pass that certain point in the series (ep. 9) to finish up the last 4 eps. That's how hard it is to watch the show.

 

[JohnAD]

Hey All:
I watched volume 5 of GTO yesterday, and am definitely stilled thrilled with the series. It's not quite as good as the previous four disks - maybe an A- from the usual A+ quality. There is kind of a 'mini' story arc in the middle two episodes, but mostly it seemed a little episodic. Maybe that will change on a second viewing. Anyway, I'm definitely looking forward to volume 6; I just wish they'd come out faster.
John.

 

[Ted Lee]

hey all -
does anyone know when the next dvd (#4???) for 'beserk' comes out? my friend and i are jonesin'.
ted

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Ted,
I dunno when the next disc comes out but I've been enjoying Berserk as well. Guts is a bad mofo with that huge sword.

 

[Kong Chang]

Ted:

Berserk #4 comes out November 19th, which is NEXT WEEK!!!

Cheers!

 

[Ted Lee]

oh boy!

"I'm as giddy as a little school-girl...."

 

[Eugene Esterly]

Eugene:

Perfect Blue is a very typical Japanese psycho-thriller genre plot that you will find in many Japanese psycho-thriller live-action movies. What makes this movie unique and worth a lot of attention by hardcore anime fans is that it is the first psycho-thriller in anime form. That's what is amazing about it. Just as Record of Lodoss War was the first OVA anime series to introduce RPG/Fantasy into the anime canon, so does Perfect Blue bring psycho-thriller to anime.

Since I liked Perfect Blue, I would like to know one thing. Are there any other psycho-thriller anime movies?

 

[Bill Harris]

So after finishing Episode 9 of Saikano close to 2 months ago , my anime club finally got the nerve to finish it up. Too damn depressing are the only thoughts i have about it. Really great series , but ill never watch it again. Props to Gonzo for a great series.

 

[Kong Chang]

Eugene:
Perfect Blue is the one and only psycho-thriller anime.
Bill:
You have to give props to the original manga creator, Takahashi Shin, for writing such a deep, sentimental storyline. 7 volumes...depressing.

 

[Andy_Bu]

I have a question that may have been answered much earlier but I missed it.

What was the first anime series/movie to introduce the giant robot mecha concept?

Andy

 

[JohnAD]

Andy:
I think that's a real toughy. Some of the animated shows from the 50's were already using giant robots. Tetsujin 28 was being shown in Japan around 1958. When it came to the US in 1965, it was called Gigantor. I'm not sure if this one was the first or not.
John.

 

[JohnAD]

Sorry about the double post. There seemed to be some issues on the server side...

John.

 

[JohnAD]

Dang it's getting slow again...
I watched volume 4 of Love Hina the other day. In my opinion, the series is getting better, maybe a C+/B-. I also picked up volume 7 of the Love Hina manga from Tokyopop, which, IMHO is about a B+/A-. Obviously, the manga has more room for character development and story lines, which I think is the deciding factor.
John.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

John,
What is Love Hina about?

 

[JohnAD]

Todd:
Love Hina is basically the story of Keitaro Urashima, and his adventures in trying to get into Tokyo U. His grandmother leaves him her all girls dorm so she can go globetrotting. Keitaro (19) is a third year ronin, who made a promise to a girl when he was very young that they would get into Tokyo U. together. The other main characters are: Naru (17), who is also trying to get into Tokyo U.; Mitsune (19), a writer who enjoys teasing Keitaro and Naru; Motoko (15), swordswoman extraordinaire; Shinobu (13), who looks up to Keitaro and has a crush on him; Kaolla Su (13), who comes from an unknown country and is a mechanical genius; and Haruka (28), Keitaro's aunt who runs the dorm.
Without giving away too much of the story, most of the plot revolves Keitaro and Naru trying to get into Tokyo U., and also the character interactions between Keitaro and the girls. Love Hina is very much a 'harem' series, with many similarities to Tenchi Muyo, except that Keitaro is pretty bumbling, and takes a lot of abuse from the girls. I have found that Love Hina the anime is a little derivative, but I'm warming up to it. The manga IMHO is better, simply because there is more room for character development.
I would say that right now, the anime is a C+/B-, but if it keeps going the way that it is, it'll end up being an overall B series. I certainly don't feel that I've wasted my money or anything. I would definitely recommend picking up the mangas, too.
John.

 

[Rob Lutter]

So, anyone getting the Cowboy Bebop: Best Sessions 2-disc set? I consider myself quite the "Bebop whore" so I will probably end up seeing it at Best Buy and colapsing to the 5.1 Bebop goodness

 

[Kong Chang]

Well, I bought Berserk Vol. 4 from the local Best Buy, and this volume gets even better. Damn, only two more volumes with 8 episodes left to watch and the next volume is anotherh month or so away. :frowning: *sniff* It's killing me. *heh* Naturally, the outtakes (dub) were hilarious. Media Blasters have some of the better dubs out there I gotta admit for anime. And listen to the creator's (manga) comments in the extra features as well. It's interesting to see what influenced him in making Berserk.
I've also invested into Dai Guard Vol. 1 & 2 and have watched both volumes (5 eps & 4 eps respectively), and it's a digital anime, no cel work. Story reminds me of Evangelion meets Patlabor meets something else I can't think of off the top of my head now. After 9 episodes, it's starting to get interesting, but it's like most mecha shows, an enemy of the weekly episode. This series was popular in Japan, so I'm gonna stick through it to see why it was so well received over there. 26 episodes to wade through...*sigh*...
Kinda reminds me of Blue Gender which was well received in Japan, but after watching it, it took them more than 12 episodes to really get into the meat of the series. Luckily, volume 5 on is the good part, and with one more volume in the U.S. to go, the series will be over.
Anyone collecting The Great Dangaioh? I still love the OVA series way back in the early 90's. This be the TV series a decade later. *heh* 4 eps on vol. 1 presented by Viz.