The last thing we watched, cartoon/animu edition

[gorfias]

Arcane on Netflix got some great word of mouth so I checked it out.

I think it is based upon the video game league of legends so I'm asking how good a story can it be? I don't think that online multi player really even has a story.

3/9 episodes into it. Took some warming up to it but by episode 3, I have to agree. This thing is really, really good. So far, some street rats accidentally stole
some important tech causing a huge conflict. ITMT, a young academy student is illegally experimenting on using science to tap into magic.

This thing appears to have been written by adults, for adults.

 

[Worgen]

I just finished rewatching MLP FIM and its still damn good with a great series finale that uses the word "friendship" a bit too much.

 

[Piscian]

I binged Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba this weekend. All of it, when I ran out of netflix I ran out and dug up whats subbed so I'm on episode 2-3 of the Entertainment district. I must say I'm hooked. I kinda want to avoid the manga and just enjoy watching this play out.

I rarely watch anime anymore as so much, even whats considered good shows, feels like endless shovelware. I'd watched the first episode a while back and it didn't really grab me, but after finding out the series was so wildly popular and the manga already ended I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm really digging it, it reminds me of what my hero academy might have been like it were made in the 90s where there was much more fearlessness around mature work targeted towards young adult audiences. The amount of death, gore and misery near perfectly balances the comedic tone so that it doesn't come off as cloying and exhausting where the majority of shows and manga do these days.

If I had one complaint about the anime, as I havent read the manga yet, it would be that inclusion of the typical jarjar binks perverted clown that seems to be included in everything these days. I'm talking the zenitsu for those familiar. God I wish creators would tone that shit down a little, he's a surprisingly empathetic character ruined by being pure ADHD noise pollution. Your Ryuji Sakamotos and Minoru Mineta's of the weeb world. Some more tolerable than others, but in general it's really irritating to constantly hear them scream and whine about boobs.

 

[BrawlMan]

Your Ryuji Sakamotos and Minoru Mineta's of the weeb world. Some more tolerable than others, but in general it's really irritating to constantly hear them scream and whine about boobs

Pandering and stereotyping their audiences. I pretty much lost patience with perverted type characters. There's really not much you can do with them, or they're so two dimensional or one-dimensional, that you wonder why they're even in the group? You can cut out these characters, and almost nothing would change.

I recommend you watch the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, if you haven't started yet. It's a shounen series that actually a avoids this problem nearly all together. When a character does show up like that, are either a villain or one shot character. Never to be seen again after their debut.


Edit: Demon Slayer is pretty much the new Bleach or Inuyasha. Though I would happily take DS over Inuyasha, any day of the week.

 

[Fallen Soldier]

Pandering and stereotyping their audiences. I pretty much lost patience with perverted type characters. There's really not much you can do with them, or they're so two dimensional or one-dimensional, that you wonder why they're even in the group? You can cut out these characters, and almost nothing would change.

I recommend you watch the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, if you haven't started yet. It's a shounen series that actually a avoids this problem nearly all together. That's a character does show up like that, are either a villain or one shot character. Never going to be seen again after their debut.


Edit: Demon Slayer is pretty much the new Bleach or Inuyasha. Though I would happily take DS over Inuyasha, any day of the week.

Jojo sounds like my type of anime then

 

[BrawlMan]

Jojo sounds like my type of anime then

Please do. All are on Netflix. So if you got it, use it.

 

[Fallen Soldier]

Please do. All are on Netflix. So if you got it, use it.

Will do!

 

[evilneko]

It had been a long, long time since I had seen the Nadesico movie, and I had rewatched the series proper a couple of years ago. Been thinking of doing a rewatch of the movie ever since. I'd only seen it once, and I remembered not particularly liking it, but hey that was a long time ago, and today I'm happily watching stuff I'd never have considered before. So, why not give it a go?

Welp. That was a mistake. The movie is, in fact, just that bad. The storytelling is disjointed, the pacing is all over the place but mostly rush, rush, rush, the action scenes are subpar even considering its age, and unless I missed it, Ruri never even uttered her favorite word. 2/5 I'm going to have to remember not to watch this again.

Also since people are talking about Jojo: I recently binged Part 6/Stone Ocean. This was my first Jojo experience. I can see why it's so memeable. As a shonen battle anime, I guess it's a cut above the rest because it dispenses with some of the dumber aspects of the genre, while also scoring points for a high quality aesthetic and style. You won't see Jojo languishing episode after episode on a boring ass training arc (BNHA I'm lookin at you) which does nothing to move the plot along. In the end though, it's still a shonen battle anime, which if you're not a fan, it probably won't make you one.

And now I'd like to talk to you about Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior Mushoku Tensei. Yeah. Mushoku. Tensei. Jesus christ that was a bad time to make that joke.

Season 2 wrapped up a while back and boy, those last few episodes. This is one helluva show. I've concluded its the best show I've watched all year, mostly based on the fact that it has engaged me like no other. Long after I've forgotten things like Vivy, Komi-san, 86, or even Zombie Land Saga Revenge, I will remember Mushoku Tensei. It is very well written, particularly (IMO) the growth and development of Eris is nothing short of amazing, action is used rather sparingly but when it indulges, it is damn good, and the world building is excellent. I'd compare it to Re0, but Mushoku is a lot more down to earth and it certainly doesn't have the protag being horrifically killed every other episode (although, some might say that's a flaw).

If you're unfamiliar, it's an isekai--wait, wait, let me finish! I see you trying to leave!--wherein the protag in his former life is exceptionally pathetic (to put it...very mildly) and being given a second chance, vows (and struggles) to live his second life as a better person. Aside from retaining his life experience, and a strong affinity for magic (which he still has to learn to use), he's not given game-breaking OP skillz, is not the smartest guy in the room though his old memories do give him an advantage at times but along with his previous life experience came his previous psychiatric issues as well--you'll see. The first season follows his childhood up to around age 10 or 12 and sets up some long-term payoffs in season 2. It's an extremely solid show.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I recommend you watch the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, if you haven't started yet. It's a shounen series that actually a avoids this problem nearly all together. That's a character does show up like that, are either a villain or one shot character. Never going to be seen again after their debut.

I wouldn't necessarily make that claim. Polnareff really likes dem titties (but he's French so that's just par for the course). There's more than a couple "pervy" scenes in Jojo over the course of 6 parts, though like you said there aren't any characters that are one-dimensionally "the perv" with no additional characterization.

 

[BrawlMan]

I wouldn't necessarily make that claim. Polnareff really likes dem titties (but he's French so that's just par for the course).

Has more class and still better than someone Mineta or Jiraya. Polnareff knew when to get serious and had some type of development.

There's more than a couple "pervy" scenes in Jojo over the course of 6 parts, though like you said there aren't any characters that are one-dimensionally "the perv" with no additional characterization.

Basically what I said the first time around. They exist, but they don't hold the story nor characters hostage.

 

[Worgen]

I wouldn't necessarily make that claim. Polnareff really likes dem titties (but he's French so that's just par for the course). There's more than a couple "pervy" scenes in Jojo over the course of 6 parts, though like you said there aren't any characters that are one-dimensionally "the perv" with no additional characterization.

The writer of Jojo knows that women exist and that a lot of people seem to swear by them but he has no idea why or what they are for aside from some bathroom graffiti he once read.

 

[BrawlMan]

Also since people are talking about Jojo: I recently binged Part 6/Stone Ocean. This was my first Jojo experience. I can see why it's so memeable. As a shonen battle anime, I guess it's a cut above the rest because it dispenses with some of the dumber aspects of the genre, while also scoring points for a high quality aesthetic and style. You won't see Jojo languishing episode after episode on a boring ass training arc (BNHA I'm lookin at you) which does nothing to move the plot along. In the end though, it's still a shonen battle anime, which if you're not a fan, it probably won't make you one.

By the time the series reached Part 5: Golden Wind, and then Stone Ocean, the series went from shounen to seinen.

You won't see Jojo languishing episode after episode on a boring ass training arc (BNHA I'm lookin at you) which does nothing to move the plot along.

DBZ, Bleach, Inuyasha, Naruto, Soul Eater, Shaman King (manga version), Yu Yu Hakusho (during the final Demon World Arc in the anime) and Black Clover all says high. Shit, any shounen that involves the main character(s) trying to be the #1 ninja/pirate/wizard/shaman or whatever all suffer from the exact same issue. This why I don't even bother with most shounen.

 

[BrawlMan]

Though I have not watched Part 5 yet.

I finished Golden Wind last night. I have to say, it might take my #3 spot. GW definitely got me hooked faster than I expected. I like Diamond is Unbreakable, but it suffers from padding and has a slow start. GW does not have these issues. Right now Stone Ocean is in my #2 spot, but I and everyone else are waiting for the second half of the series to be dropped on Netflix whenever that happens.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Isekai Shokodou - more of the same as season one, pretty much... and I really don't mind it.
Sekai Saikou no Ansatsusha, Isekai Kizoku ni Tensei suru - an... interesting(?) take(?) on the genre, but still annoying with the persistent need to play into RPG tropes with skill ratings and their material effects.
Shin no Nakama - simple dilemmas are the best, though the hate sinks in this series were a bit too easy. Cute spider, though.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Also since people are talking about Jojo: I recently binged Part 6/Stone Ocean. This was my first Jojo experience. I can see why it's so memeable. As a shonen battle anime, I guess it's a cut above the rest because it dispenses with some of the dumber aspects of the genre, while also scoring points for a high quality aesthetic and style. You won't see Jojo languishing episode after episode on a boring ass training arc (BNHA I'm lookin at you) which does nothing to move the plot along. In the end though, it's still a shonen battle anime, which if you're not a fan, it probably won't make you one.

The genius of Jojo and why it's a cut above most shonen anime is that it started out as a deconstruction and parody of shonen manga and cleverly figured out a way around the vast majority of the shonen tropes.

There's no "power levels" in Jojo. Each stand has very unique abilities, and it doesn't matter how strong a stand is because the solution to any stand battle can be "kill the stand user." In this way Jojo completely side steps the Dragonball Z/Naruto/Bleach/etc. problem of escalating power levels. You don't have situations where you constantly have to create more and more powerful enemies for the hero to fight every season becasue Jojo characters don't have a set power base or power limit. You don't have the issue of characters becoming useless because the threat became too big for their power level to handle (ie Cell has the power to blow up the planet so what the fuck is Yamcha supposed to do to help?).

Situations are resolved by more than just punching and yelling. Some stands don't even have any method of attack at all. It's a battle anime where the battle doesn't necessarily have to be a battle so every single interaction with a new character or new enemy is completely unique. A stand that purely exists for utility, like Hermit Purple, Heaven's Door, or Weather Report is just as useful and valid as a stand that exists purely for fighting ability like Star Platinum.

 

[BrawlMan]

Situations are resolved by more than just punching and yelling.

There is still plenty of that too, but it's usually after figuring out the bad guy's strategy or the finishing move to deliver the coup de grace. But you are right, Jojo usually does it better.

ome stands don't even have any method of attack at all. It's a battle anime where the battle doesn't necessarily have to be a battle so every single interaction with a new character or new enemy is completely unique. A stand that purely exists for utility, like Hermit Purple, Heaven's Door, or Weather Report is just as useful and valid as a stand that exists purely for fighting ability like Star Platinum.

The heavy use of strategy can be seen as far back as Battle Tendency. Phantom Blood some of this, but not much. The transition to Battle Tendency is much more noticeable. Look at Joseph Joestar. The main character in BT is all about being a trickster and outwitting his opponents with Hamon. This extends to be being super pragmatic, and transferring Hamon to everyday objects or actual weapons. Even the villains know how to do great strategy in Battle Tendency. Most of Jojo franchise has better use of its action than the standard shounen where jack asses are just standing around powering up and screaming. Or pulling super bullshit out of thin air.

 

[evilneko]

The genius of Jojo and why it's a cut above most shonen anime is that it started out as a deconstruction and parody of shonen manga and cleverly figured out a way around the vast majority of the shonen tropes.

The second part is the important part. Precure too, started out as a parody of mahou shoujo.

There's no "power levels" in Jojo. Each stand has very unique abilities, and it doesn't matter how strong a stand is because the solution to any stand battle can be "kill the stand user."

It's not like this is unique to Jojo. Shounens have been doing this for a long time: giving each character one unique ability, which the others have to figure out how to deal with, and teams have to work out how to use their abilities in concert to the best effect.

Not to say Jojo isn't good, but the only really unique thing is the style. It's not doing anything that hasn't already been done many times*, but it's doing them well, much like BNHA used to do.

*to be fair tho, it may have been a bit more unique in the 80s when the original manga started, it definitely wasn't a new thing in anime by the time the first Jojo anime came along.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

It's not like this is unique to Jojo. Shounens have been doing this for a long time: giving each character one unique ability, which the others have to figure out how to deal with, and teams have to work out how to use their abilities in concert to the best effect.

Not to say Jojo isn't good, but the only really unique thing is the style. It's not doing anything that hasn't already been done many times*, but it's doing them well, much like BNHA used to do.

*to be fair tho, it may have been a bit more unique in the 80s when the original manga started, it definitely wasn't a new thing in anime by the time the first Jojo anime came along.

Those other works copied Jojo in that way, not the other way around, and even then most of those shows and works that do have each character get a unique ability still have differing power levels. Just look at something like Hunter x Hunter, which is constantly praised for the unique way in which characters interact, and it's still 80% punching and yelling, and power levels are still a thing, though more obscured (there's a reason Leorio isn't showing up to fight the Chimera Ants).

 

[BrawlMan]

Those other works copied Jojo in that way, not the other way around, and even then most of those shows and works that do have each character get a unique ability still have differing power levels.

At the time, most shounen were either copying Fist of Northstar or Jojo. Insert DBZ, which took some elements from both, but more so the former especially. Then a lot of shounen started copying DBZ or having the main character be some expy of Goku 95% of the time. Insert One Piece and Naruto. Bleach is basically a worse version of Yu Yu Hakusho. Then you have Soul Eater, which had a supporting character that supposed to be a parody of Naruto/shounen protags at the time. I barely ever watched that show, and found it boring, so there is not much else I can say. Finally, there is Black Cover and MHA. Both that can be described as Naruto, but with Wizards and Superheroes respectively. With MHA being called Naruto, except Rock Lee is the protagonist.

Don't even get me started on Shaman King. It's got DBZ syndrome to a huge fault in the manga, and there is a bit of Jojo mixed with Pokemon. It's really light on the Mons aspect though. There is no collect'em all theme thankfully. Instead of Stands, the fights involved using/merging with spirits, ghosts, demons, or demi-gods.

Fairy Tail looked like a One Piece clone, but with medieval fantasy setting.

 

[Fallen Soldier]

At the time, most shounen were either copying Fist of Northstar or Jojo. Insert DBZ, which took some elements from both, but more so the former especially. Then a lot of shounen started copying DBZ or having the main character be some expy of Goku 95% of the time. Insert One Piece and Naruto. Bleach is basically a worse version of Yu Yu Hakusho. Then you have Soul Eater, which had a supporting character that supposed to be a parody of Naruto/shounen protags at the time. I barely ever watched that show, and found it boring, so there is not much else I can say. Finally, there is Black Cover and MHA. Both that can be described as Naruto, but with Wizards and Superheroes respectively. With MHA being called Naruto, except Rock Lee is the protagonist.

Don't even get me started on Shaman King. It's got DBZ syndrome too a huge fault in the manga, and there is a bit of Jojo mixed with Pokemon. It's really light on the Mons aspect though. There is no collect'em all theme thankfully. Instead of Stands, the fights involved using/merging with spirits, ghosts, demons, or demi-gods.

Fairy Tail looked like a One Piece clone, but with medieval fantasy setting.

Fairy Tale and Naruto look like crap to me. Yu Yu Hakusho and Dragon Ball Z are my all time favorite shines anime. I was into Bleach for a brief period of time but I lost interest.