Anime/Manga thread

electricpanda · Joined: 03 Sep 2008 Posts: 608 Location: Smelbourne

I just finished watching Lucky Star, which was an enjoyable escapism-style deal, and Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged (or at least what there is thus far), which I also found immensely enjoyable.

And now I'm perusing the thread for recommendations.
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Grimwatch · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 5:25 am Post subject:

Ive just had a friend recommend Azumanga Daioh to me, and was wondering if any forumites can give me any feedback? (The friend in question was the one who lent me "Excel Saga" to me while swearing with a straight face that it wasnt as warped as I'd heard. I tend not to trust that friend on matters like that now..)
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TheBritishInvasion · Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 1852 Location: The couch

Azumanga Daioh is um....average I guess. It's quirky, not as warped as Excel Saga but strange in its own way. I don't think it's great but it's watchable.

It has been more than a year since I've seen it though.
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Tinu. · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 5:10 pm Post subject:

Azumanga Daioh is similar to excel saga in the fact that it's random and has practically no plot. Except it takes place in a high school and isn't quite so warped. It still makes no sense. Basically a bunch of high school girls flipping out about random stuff - from what I've seen of it and heard about it. It is funny, really, but only in small doses.

What sort of anime do you like, anyways? I may be able to give some recommendations, or get a friend of mine to do so (she's an animaniac, raised that way, and has good taste in just about every genre).
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Virturealm · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 162 Location: OH!

Whoa, Azumanga like Excel Saga? Excel is Looney Tunes with a little Family Guy. Azumanga, Lucky Star, and the like are animated sitcoms. Character comedies with none of that slapstick indom ransanity. "Slice of life" I believe is the common term.

Honestly, I've never been able to really get into japanese comedies, I assume because the references are still too foreign for me, but I've made an attempt at several of them (the three above plus Zetsubou Sensei). The only one that's really clicked so far is Host Club.
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Tinu. · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:19 pm Post subject:

Grimwatch · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 10:58 pm Post subject:

My anime likes and dislikes are a bit hard to pin down. This largely stems from the fact that when I got into anime, I was limited to what I could order from a national club, since my towns kinda limited in 'pop culture' type stores etc, and this was in the dim dark days before the mass explosion of the Internet. You may know this as the dark ages. To those that lived through it, we just called it the early 90's.
At any rate, it meant I pretty much had to take a stab at what sounded good, so my early collection was eclectic to say the least, and its affected my preferences from the norm a little bit. For example, I love good plot-lines, yet I found excel saga highly enjoyable when I wasnt going 'buh..what?'. Conversely Ive found some anime with good deep plotlines and story to be so full of themselves Ive stopped it, taken the DVD out and returned it asap.
Big giant robots? Love em and hate em from different animes. Sci-fi vs fantasy setting? Both have their good points and have great (and not so great) examples. Cheesy comedy vs deep and meaningful? Im happy to watch both.
Ultimately if you can recommend something with good character development, a well though out storyline, and dialogue that hasnt been trashed beyond coherency by translation, then I'll be a happy man.
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Tinu. · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:34 pm Post subject:

My first recommendation would be Escaflowne, and my second would be Soukou no STRAIN - which is currently being dubbed. Hope they don't screw that up. They're both mecha, one fantasy, one Sci-fi.
I've heard great things about Ergo Proxy, though I haven't seen all of it.

Rozen Maiden's fun, if a tad generic, and if you don't mind something that seems unbearably silly and sappy the first several episodes, try Princess Tutu - you won't be disappointed.

*shrug* some stuff, actually, my favorite stuff. <3
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Namrorrim · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:40 pm Post subject:

Ehh, on my list go:
Elfen Lied
Cowboy bebop
Fate stay night
Gunslinger girls
Bleach
.//hack

I watched a whole bunch of ergo proxy and I just couldn't wrap my head around it and 'That' really says something. . .

I watch most things a couple of episodes in I decide if I like it, and then finish, or stop fromt here ^^
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Lady Calie · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 51 Location: somewere in texas

*pops in* wow this thread is still around

i'm currently watching Code Geass and its good =o
Gurren Lagann is also good but i'm only on episode emmm like 6 lol

Soukou no STRAIN i've heard about but havnt been able to find more than a few amv's about =/
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Squeeself · Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 258

Squee likes Azumanga Daioh, and if you could stand Excel Saga, AD is honestly better then Excel, imho. As for Lucky Star...It's humor is aimed squarely at otaku, so not everyone will enjoy it. Squee does. Squee's a big fan of Kanon, Clannad, and Ah! My Goddess as well (although these are romances rather than comedies).

If you're big on character development, Squee highly recommends The Twelve Kingdoms. Yes, the main character's very annoying at first, but that's the whole point. Takes about five episodes and you start to see some good character changes. Fairly well done, though there are story elements that seem a bit trite to a western audience. The only big problem with Twelve Kingdoms is...it starts a couple of subplots and doesn't finish them. Since it's based on a series of novels (not manga), it jumps subplots between novels, and they stopped the anime series before getting to the whole point of them. It saddens Squee greatly Sad

Death Note has a pretty darn good plot that'll have you hanging on every episode, if that's what you're after. While there's no real plot to speak of, I highly recommend Cowboy Bebop. Good (static) character development there, as well as being a classic must-see anime anyway. Smile

Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli movies are, of course, great, but it's like recommending Pixar movies to animation lovers... Rolling Eyes

Recommendations are always great of course, but if you really want to nail down the type of anime you like, best thing is to watch a wide variety. You could do what Squee does: go to an anime listing online, such as animenewsnetwork.com, and look at their top lists. They're usually pretty varied. Read the summaries, watch the ones that look interesting, see what you like. Then it's easier for people to give recomen dations. For example, Squee's friends what watch anime know the type of anime Squee likes and recommend new stuff all the time. Also means Squee doesn't have to watch stuff Squee isn't gonna like much (like robot anime...all really lame except for Full Metal Panic, which is ok)

Namrorrim · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 3:11 am Post subject:

o.O I just go to a site like Animeviewer.net and pick a random series, watch a couple of episodes, if I like it I continue, if not. . . Then onto another one ^^
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Tinu. · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:14 pm Post subject:

unimportant · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 566 Location: Right behind you.

This isn't anime/manga, but Japanese live action. But I'm so tickled I have to mention it anyway.

I believe the film is titled "Kalamari Wrestler" ? I haven't seen it, but my friend did while attending Japanese camp and I'm dying to know if anyone else has experienced this seemingly ridiculous movie. It sounds amazing, in a terrible way.
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Grimwatch · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 4:52 am Post subject:

TY to all for the views on Azumanga - I figure I'lll watch at least the first 1 or two episodes and see how things go. I tend to like my sub-plots resolved, but Ive heard good things about twelve kingdoms so I'll chase down a copy.
As to watching a variety of anime, I refer you to my earlier post. Seriously, no net to refer to in my house, so it was a case of "Hey, this sounds cool, I'll order that one next!". I had a very varied collection (now defunct on VHS, curses)
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