The last thing we watched, cartoon/animu edition

[BrawlMan]

Look at the idiots who were trying to say star trek was ruined since it was going woke, that has been the underlying theme of that whole series forever.

And those are stupid fools who can't think for themselves, and only watch shows for the wrong reasons, or are fake fans.

Its gone now. We were rewatching it and it vanished from the service yesterday.

Yep. Whelp, time to watch Glitchtechs on Netflix then. After that, it's either Amphibian or Owl House on Dinsey+.

 

[Worgen]

And those are stupid fools who can't think for themselves, and only watch shows for the wrong reasons, or are fake fans.

Somewhat of a bad comparison I suppose. My point is that you would be hard pressed to find it as dark as something like the Green Room. The show is dark and doesn't pull punches like most things would, there is a scene where a character gets their arm broken arm and them getting it fixed is a thing and they even have to take time to recover rather then taking a bullet to the shoulder and being fine 5 min later.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

This whole discussion reminds me of that one ANN writer who said Nisemonogatari's fanservice was actually anti-fanservice, because the director selected shots as if the female character was in control of the camera, the context being Nadeko trying to seduce Araragi. Aha, so it's technically not the male gaze but a female expression that retains agency.

Post hoc rationalization aside, it raises the question, how would we know the Nadeko wanted the camera to be in a specific location? She's not a real person with any agency. Also, couldn't you use the exact same argument with any overtly sexual character? I don't think a Bayonetta would choose an aerial shot over a 14mm closeup. But then how would we know any character isn't secretly a real freak in the sheets?

It also raises another question, why is fanservice okay just because there is literary merit behind it? The ANN writer said the toothbrush scene was symbolic for something important, but why would that make it okay for one show and not another? The scene obviously represents oral sex between Araragi and his sister. Even if the ANN writer was right, the scene does not justify its existence.

And that's why I don't take anime critics seriously, or any critic as a matter.

That is some mental contortionism right there. A lot of the direction in Monogatari is just outright fetishistic. And I'm not a prude, quite the opposite, I take fanservice over the forced asexuality of a lot of current western media. That's not my problem.

Monogatari also has a habit of extending that sexualised direction to characters that either look like children (One a vampire who actually is established to be mentally older than her outward appearance of an early teen girl, the other one a wandering ghost who looks like a ~10 year old kid and also pretty much acts like one) or ones that just plainly are children or, more accurately, young teens, like the protags two sisters.

Now, framing the distinctly underage female body through the male gaze, say, like one prominent sequence of the vampire girl being naked in a bathtub, is weird and creepy, and it's very jarring to see that kind of clearly pedophilic and hebephilic imagery in a piece of mainstream media. That sort of thing takes me out of the experience, but it didn't make me angry.

What did make me angry were the interactions between the protagonist and some of those child characters. It plays off actions like him groping the ghost kid, looking under the ghost kids skirt, touching his younger sisters breasts and whatever that teeth brushing shit was about with such a nonchalant attitude. Basically just going "Hey, it's all in good fun if an older boy tries to look under your skirt or randomly grabs you to hug and kiss you, your older brother grabbing your naughty bits is perfectly normal, just siblings fooling around, haha, perfectly normal, right? Haha."

I very rarely ever say that about anything, but that sort of thing actually reflects poorly on the creators personality. Sexualizing characters that look like, or are, children? Creepy, but not, in itself, morally dubious. Depicting sexual harassment of children? Sure, if you have a good reason for it. Depicting the sexual harassment of children and playing it off as a bit of innocent raunchy fun where the guy doing it is treated as a harmless goofball and the kids it's done to don't actually mind? What the fuck is wrong with you, seriously. I'm not one to complain about bad taste but I do draw the line at bad morals. No matter how artsy you dress it up, if that's the kind of message you want to send with your art, you have no business getting a platform for it.

 

[BrawlMan]

My point is that you would be hard pressed to find it as dark as something like the Green Room.

Wait are you talking about the most recent Star Trek shows, or Made in Abyss? Because I am confused. I was just pointing out so called "fans" of Trek labeling the most recent shows "all woke", are usually fans for the wrong reasons, or just fake fans who are racists/sexists and want everything only catered to them.

there is a scene where a character gets their arm broken arm and them getting it fixed is a thing and they even have to take time to recover rather then taking a bullet to the shoulder and being fine 5 min later.

I'm assuming it's Made in Abyss then. That's nice and all, but I am still not interested in the show. You like it, more power to you.

 

[Worgen]

Wait are you talking about the most recent Star Trek shows, or Made in Abyss? Because I am confused. I was just pointing out so called "fans" of Trek labeling the most recent shows "all woke", are usually fans for the wrong reasons, or just fake fans who are racists/sexists and want everything only catered to them.

I said that was a bad comparison and you should ignore it.

I'm assuming it's Made in Abyss then. That's nice and all, but I am still not interested in the show. You like it, more power to you.

Are you uninterested in it because it doesn't sound interesting, or because someone incorrectly labeled it torture porn?

 

[BrawlMan]

I said that was a bad comparison and you should ignore it.

Okay then.

Are you uninterested in it because it doesn't sound interesting, or because someone incorrectly labeled it torture porn?

Yes. Look I know the anime tones it down by comparison to the original manga, but what happens to these kids seems way over graphic, overdone, and feels like nothing more than shallow shock value. I can handle darkness, violence, and gore, but I have my own limits and standards like any one else. Even if the anime and manga isn't "torture porn", from what I am seeing, it's not worth the tedium of investment for me. I don't need the same frustration as Elfen Lied again. I am just going to take @TheMysteriousGX and @Casual Shinji word's on this one. You can handle all that shit? More power to you.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Made in abyss is really good, but it can be a hard watch.

You got that right. But it's far more the weird kiddie stuff than the actual violence. The main character being stupid enough to even go down that hole didn't help much either.

Granted I've lost most of my tolerance for even the usual high school girl creepiess in anime, but when it's little kids that's just a huge nope from me.

 

[Worgen]

Yes. Look I know the anime tones it down by comparison to the original manga, but what happens to these kids seems way over graphic, overdone, and feels like nothing more than shallow shock value. I can handle darkness, violence, and gore, but I have my own limits and standards like any one else. Even if the anime and manga isn't "torture porn", from what I am seeing, it's not worth the tedium of investment for me. I don't need the same frustration as Elfen Lied again. I am just going to take @TheMysteriousGX and @Casual Shinji word's on this one. You can handle all that shit? More power to you.

I have no idea what level the manga is at, haven't read it, I've only heard that it gets pretty rough to read. The anime, at least the first season is really good... Elfen Lied... Hmm... That series offers a good comparison to Made in Abyss. Elfen is much gorier and almost comedically dark at times. Abyss is dark and has some gore but I don't recall anything being over the top of just gory to be shocking, it felt like all the darkness fit the world and the rules that were established. I think you could make some good arguments for Elfen Lied being torture porn, its been a long time since I saw it, but if I remember right they did a lot to the characters in that show, like I can remember a lot of dark gory scenes in that show. I'm not sure I would offhand agree to Elfen being torture porn, but I don't think it would be hard to convince me that it was.

 

[BrawlMan]

I have no idea what level the manga is

And that's the first mistake. I saw some images, and they are not pleasant. I'm not even going to get into it.

Elfen is much gorier and almost comedically dark at times. Abyss is dark and has some gore but I don't recall anything being over the top of just gory to be shocking, it felt like all the darkness fit the world and the rules that were established. I think you could make some good arguments for Elfen Lied being torture porn, its been a long time since I saw it, but if I remember right they did a lot to the characters in that show, like I can remember a lot of dark gory scenes in that show. I'm not sure I would offhand agree to Elfen being torture porn, but I don't think it would be hard to convince me that it was.

I consider Elfen Lied overly dark, edge-lord, torture porn. I know there's differences between the two, but the manga is so much worse, but the anime doesn't hold back all that much either. It doesn't help that it acts like it has something to say, but it really doesn't and it comes off as pretentious, and super tone deaf. The manga is even worse in this regard. Have fun going through either trips again, if you decide. All I can say is that the manga at least had a legit ending (The anime has the standard gecko ending, because the manga was not finished at the time), but is still shit.

 

[Bedinsis]

I rewatched the stop motion animation I made and uploaded on YouTube, Rutgers balansgång. I am obviously the last person to fairly judge its quality, but all things considered I am happy with how it turned out.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I rewatched the stop motion animation I made and uploaded on YouTube, Rutgers balansgång. I am obviously the last person to fairly judge its quality, but all things considered I am happy with how it turned out.

The one where he's walking across a squeaky bit of wood?

That worked. I liked the squeaks in particular.

EDIT: Oh, that makes that the last thing I watched as well.

 

[Worgen]

I consider elf and lie overly dark, edge-lord, torture porn. I know there's differences between the two, but the manga is so much worse, but the anime doesn't hold back all that much either. It doesn't help that it acts like it has something to say, but it really doesn't and it comes off as pretentious, and super tone deaf. The manga is even worse in this regard. Have fun going through either trips again, if you decide. All I can say is that the manga at least had a legit ending (I may have the standard gecko ending, because the manga was not finished at the time), but is still shit.

I have no interest in watching Elfen again or looking for the manga. Dark things can be really good and compelling, but Elfen (the anime) felt like it just wanted to turn up the dark for shock value. I think the perfect example of something being dark and gory is the Green Room, its really really damn good, but one of those things I have no interest in watching again, cause its pretty brutal, but it earns it. I don't recall Elfen earing it, I think it just did it to do it.

 

[BrawlMan]

I don't recall Elfen earning it, I think it just did it to do it.

Tell that to professional reviewers of the time, and the some of the hardcore fans. Neither version of Elfen earned any of it.

 

[Worgen]

Tell that to professional reviewers of the time, and the some of the hardcore fans. Neither version of Elfen earned any of it.

My point though is that at least the anime version of Abyss does earn it. Really good characters, very interesting world, it looks beautiful, like its got some of the most luscious backgrounds I've seen in a tv anime and gives movies a run for their money. The dark and gory moments aren't constant, they are rather rare in season 1 (off hand I only remember 1 or 2 gory moments and maybe like 4 or 5 really dark moments, haven't seen the movie or season 2, which I'm not sure is out yet) and each has an impact, both on the viewer and character and its earned and works since the show put in the time.

 

[BrawlMan]

My point though is that at least the anime version of Abyss does earn it.

From your point of you. Me personally; not invested at all. I am done here and the last I will talk about it.

 

[Kyrian007]

The hunter test and auction house arc are great and deviate from regular formula somewhat, but you might not be crazy about the chimera arc later that's very shonen-ey. There's also a tournament arc in between there. Also FYI there's 2 version of the anime, I assume your watching the most recent one, but otherwise it'll suddenly stop.

Wow, yeah I hit the Chimera arc in Hunter x Hunter... and it cooled my interest abruptly like bicycling into a brick wall. Still, really enjoyed it up to that point. I've been rewatching some of the stuff making its way over to Crunchyroll from Funimation that I haven't seen for a while. Really forgot how much I liked Kaze no Stigma. So happy that the first season of Psycho Pass has made the transition.

But then I went to the backlog, started on Spy x Family. Started and finished, I really enjoyed it. It was... "sitcom-ey" in a really anime crazy way. Something I hadn't really encountered done that well. A friend had described it as "what you might get if someone asked Hideo Kojima to remake Three's Company." And I can't really disagree.

 

[Gordon_4]

Related to the discussion about Starship Troopers, I did a bit of YouTube digging and found some soul has put up - what I presume are AI upscaled - episodes of the 1988 anime based on the novel. I haven't watched it apart from a clip where some madlad replaces the original soundtrack of the drop onto the planet with the rather excellent soundtrack of the same scene from the Verhoven movie.

 

[BrawlMan]

I saw Dragonball Super Superhero earlier this morning. This the best Dragonball movie for me. It has everything about I liked about the franchise, without the annoying bits, time wasters, nor constantly relying on Goku and Vegeta! It's Gohan, Piccolo, and several others time to shin here! The 3D animation is superb and is not robot and stiff, unlike some anime from the late 2010s and early 2020s. Due note that this another movie for the fans. The intro does have a nice reanimated recap from DB & DBZ, but you will be completely lost, if you were a casual or non-fan. I saw this at the MJR Epic; the equivalent of IMAX. No regrets.

EDIT: Android 21 is canon now!

​

 

[BrawlMan]

Primal S2E6 - Awesome episode, but man do I wish they aired both parts. Now I got to wait a week.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Not sure why, but he was right. I'm really liking it. Good team dynamic going. The pace is slow so far, but it seems like it is helping to introduce us to the characters instead of shonen's generally accepted reason for slow pacing... pad out the run time. I've only got as far as day 3 of the hunter test, but I'm really hooked.

Hehe, talking about slow pace and not even in the Chimera Ant arc. Just wait, you'll feel the moment that they start panicking about running out of material. It's like hitting a brick wall.