The last thing we watched, cartoon/animu edition

[BrawlMan]

Sonic Prime Season 2 - Pretty good season overall, and the action gets better. It does once again, end on a cliffhanger though. I really do hope they finish wrapping up with Season 3. I do like how the alternate versions of specific characters. It shows yeah, these are different versions of Sonic's friends, but they're not going to act nor be the same way as their original counterparts. I won't spoil which ones, but they do cause conflict and make things worse for Sonic. My only other problem with the show is that similar to the first Season, Man of Action made Sonic too hot headed.

Apparently, this is supposed to be the exact same Sonic from the game continuity, but given the different voice, attitude, changed characterization, it doesn't fit and most fans ignore the statement released by MOA. Plus, it does not make sense continuity nor timeline wise. Considering Sonic 3 comes out late in 2024, Sonic Prime Season 3 might not come out until 2025. Then there's the live-action Knuckles TV series. So we might be waiting a long while until it releases.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Hmmm...so users can make you watch terrible things by selecting avatars from them?

You must have hated it when the forum had the red button that changed everyone into Justin Bieber.

Well, if they're good avatars and I like the person, and also if I'm bored and happen to stumble upon the show on a streaming app.

 

[meiam]

Well, if they're good avatars and I like the person, and also if I'm bored and happen to stumble upon the show on a streaming app.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Re-watching Avatar: The Last Airbender for like the fifth time. I think this might just be my favorite show ever.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Mushoku Tensei Season 2 is Tiktok. I almost believe that the author is purposefully alternating between a perfectly decent isekai plot and every horrible isekai trope (and sometimes beyond that) as some sort of psychological trick to keep me watching, just like how Tiktok forcing you to scroll past inane garbage to find a mildly amusing post is so addictive. Okay, that's a lie. The real reason is that this season of anime is drier than the Sahara and I'll watch anything that doesn't look like mass produced garbage.

I really am quite let down by this new season so far though, besides Zom 100 not a single other new show has piqued my interest.

 

[Casual Shinji]

So I finished the first season of The Witch from Mercury, and watched the first two episodes of Season 2 and... I don't really get it. This might stem from my lack of knowledge about the Gundam franchise, because certain things that the show presents just don't agree with me. Primarily the GUND... thing, which apparently is like super mech tech that kills its pilots, but how or why is never stated or shown. It's just a thing that is because it is. At least, that's how the show handles this.

Then there's what appears to be the main relationship between Suletta and Miorine, which has the most miniscule presence in the first season, only for the end of that season to imply some intense bond in a scene that honestly feels totally unearned. Suletta feels like she doesn't go anywhere as a character either. That one early Elan Ceres double and Guel Jeturk were really the only interesting characters.

Can't say I'm too motivated to continue this show.

 

[meiam]

So I finished the first season of The Witch from Mercury, and watched the first two episodes of Season 2 and... I don't really get it. This might stem from my lack of knowledge about the Gundam franchise, because certain things that the show presents just don't agree with me. Primarily the GUND... thing, which apparently is like super mech tech that kills its pilots, but how or why is never stated or shown. It's just a thing that is because it is. At least, that's how the show handles this.

Unlikely that you're missing much from not having watched other gundam, the show was made specifically to get people who haven't watched any gundam show before. Roughly half of gundam show occur in a shared universe, but the other half are all set in unique universe and this is the case for WfM.

For the relationship, I think a big draw for some is that its a lesbian relationship (or as close as the producer are comfortable saying so) in a non romance show, which is pretty rare.

 

[Casual Shinji]

For the relationship, I think a big draw for some is that its a lesbian relationship (or as close as the producer are comfortable saying so) in a non romance show, which is pretty rare.

I do appreciate some of the ways in which this anime has (for an anime that isn't by Shinichiro Watanabe) progressive representation, like the several plus-sized characters who aren't treated as a joke.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Still ATLA. I'm sure everybody already knows how great this show is so there isn't much point in going into detail. I just want to say that I'm glad Princess Yue died. Suki is way better and her and Sokka are one of the best parts of the show.

 

[meiam]

Watching season 2 of jujutsu kaisen, the animation is gorgeous, but it has the shonen problem of everything becoming giant laser fight. One character has this complex plan to fight this other guy, with multiple use of interesting power, while the other guy can shoot blue or red laser. The plan guy initially win, but the other guy come back and now can shoot purple laser, which are somehow much stronger than the red or blue one, so he easily win.

Otherwise this season of anime is incredibly dead, I've rarely follow so few show and none of the one I'm following are even worth talking about.

 

[BrawlMan]

Watching season 2 of jujutsu kaisen, the animation is gorgeous, but it has the shonen problem of everything becoming giant laser fight. One character has this complex plan to fight this other guy, with multiple use of interesting power, while the other guy can shoot blue or red laser. The plan guy initially win, but the other guy come back and now can shoot purple laser, which are somehow much stronger than the red or blue one, so he easily win.

Otherwise this season of anime is incredibly dead, I've rarely follow so few show and none of the one I'm following are even worth talking about.

This is exactly why I don't bother with most shounen anime now. You've got stuff cominy out later this year. Check them out, if you dare. We also got the new Castlevania sequel series, Nocturne. That's coming out soon.

​

 

[Bob_McMillan]

While it was kinda the point of this latest "season", I was incredibly underwhelmed by Kaguya-sama. It was 1/4 a funny exploration of how high schoolers view sex, 1/2 Kaguya being a gaslighting *****, and 1/4 just whatever.

In contrast, I really enjoyed Skip and Loafer. I'm not even sure why, it's pretty generic. I guess I just really enjoy the main character, her voice actor has pretty great range. The production quality is great as well, they generally stay away from episodes that were clearly cheaper than the rest.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Also, Gear 5 was great. Pretty much the only reason I still have Facebook is so that I can be notified when there's a cool new One Piece fight in the anime.

I've seen a surprising amount of people complaining about how goofy it is. I mean, what did you expect...

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Otherwise this season of anime is incredibly dead, I've rarely follow so few show and none of the one I'm following are even worth talking about.

I am wondering if we are actually seeing the effects of COVID now. Seems a little late since it's already 2023, but I feel like there was so much anime to talk about the past few years, and now there's just... nothing.

 

[meiam]

While it was kinda the point of this latest "season", I was incredibly underwhelmed by Kaguya-sama. It was 1/4 a funny exploration of how high schoolers view sex, 1/2 Kaguya being a gaslighting *****, and 1/4 just whatever.

In contrast, I really enjoyed Skip and Loafer. I'm not even sure why, it's pretty generic. I guess I just really enjoy the main character, her voice actor has pretty great range. The production quality is great as well, they generally stay away from episodes that were clearly cheaper than the rest.

Yeah I cared less and less for Kaguya-sama as the season went on, still had plenty of funny moment, but it did the typical thing that comedy show do, where they slowly morph into something else over their runtime.

Skip and loafer is indeed very generic, but it execute its premise incredibly well, it also avoided the usual romcom pitfall, where character refuse to communicate about minor issue which makes teh story frag for nothing.

I am wondering if we are actually seeing the effects of COVID now. Seems a little late since it's already 2023, but I feel like there was so much anime to talk about the past few years, and now there's just... nothing.

Maybe, but its not like the amount of anime is low, there's just not that much quality (or at least not that much that interest me) summer is usually the weakest season so that might be just be it. It also doesn't help that about 1/4 of all show are extremely generic isekai.

 

[BrawlMan]

(or at least not that much that interest me)

This. I am of a similar way. I don't do generic high school stuff, and....

It also doesn't help that about 1/4 of all show are extremely generic isekai.

I don't like a majority of isekai. The genre is over saturated, and gets less interesting with each new ip or iteration. I go for unique looking anime, anime with a unique premise, or for anime that goes more old-school and is good. Even before the bigger spike in isekai anime, I was never that big into the genre. The most I enjoyed was Digimon Adventure (the first 4 Digimon shows in general, but I do not love 02 as much as I did as a kid or teen) El Hazard and Now and Then, Here and There. El Hazard almost seems generic nowadays, but both of the OVAs hold up ok enough. They're both AUs of each other, but do not watch the TV series. It's another AU, but feels like a shitty Tenchi clone.

 

[Piscian]

I sat down and binged most of Tokyo Revengers this weekend. Man what a goddamn sunk cost fallacy.

This is another popular anime I ignored when it first came out, but with it remaining popular over the years and a live action adaptation coming out I figured Id give it a few episodes.

This is definitely one of those series like aot where the story carries the series.

Its a pretty solid time travel show quantum leap style where the protagonist goes back in time to his childhood changing events in his life as a gang member to save his childhood girlfriend from dying.

The ideas are all pretty captivating, but the problem is that protagonist is insufferable and utterly worthless. Imagine the kid from rent-a-girlfriend being the hero in quantum leap.

Literally all he does is cry and whine throughout the entire series and every time he does manage to change anything its largely circumstantial with him being in the right place at the right time and people saying hes cool just for trying. Despite being a delinquent at the start of the show he doesn't so much as throw a punch until well into the second half of the season and gets beaten up at least once every episode where someone else declares him "inspiring". Watching this I could almost believe Im getting trolled.

That said the storytelling "is" well done continuing to keep you hooked wondering how its all gonna play out...well that is until the second half of the 24 episodes available at this time. This is where manga logic starts to set in with unnecessary twists and dialog thats clearly dragging out the story.

Unfortunately its one of those sunk cost fallacy problems where Im 16/24 episodes in and I feel pulled to just see where it goes though Im kinda at my limit, literally typing this while it plays in the back ground.

It doesn't help that the art style is... unattractive. Its not bad persay, but theres nothing impressive about it. Its very lifeless and "big eyed" anime.

Id recommend skipping this one if you have a low tolerance for the aforementioned bullshit. This is definitely a manga/anime where I actually would prefer a western version, if only for them to rewrite this awful protagonist.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I sat down and binged most of Tokyo Revengers this weekend. Man what a goddamn sunk cost fallacy.

I too tried this out, The anime kinda pissed me off, so I ended up on the manga. I enjoyed it well enough until the brother who sent him back in time (who I believe is a police officer?) throws a tantrum that the protagonist is having doubts about murdering a child. As also a child. I don't really regret abandoning it, the clips I've seen of the most recent season look pretty awful.

 

[Kyrian007]

I sat down and binged most of Tokyo Revengers this weekend. Man what a goddamn sunk cost fallacy.

Wow. Change like 4 or 5 words of that review and I would have swore you had just binged Steins Gate. Its saving grace is exactly what you mentioned, the insufferable main character manages (somewhat) to un-jackass himself.

Maybe, but its not like the amount of anime is low, there's just not that much quality (or at least not that much that interest me) summer is usually the weakest season so that might be just be it. It also doesn't help that about 1/4 of all show are extremely generic isekai.

I don't like a majority of isekai. The genre is over saturated, and gets less interesting with each new ip or iteration. I go for unique looking anime, anime with a unique premise, or for anime that goes more old-school and is good. Even before the bigger spike in isekai anime, I was never that big into the genre. The most I enjoyed was Digimon Adventure (the first 4 Digimon shows in general, but I do not love 02 as much as I did as a kid or teen) El Hazard and Now and Then, Here and There. El Hazard almost seems generic nowadays, but both of the OVAs hold up ok enough. They're both AUs of each other, but do not watch the TV series. It's another AU, but feels like a shitty Tenchi clone.

I can't wait for the isekai trend to wind down. We seem to be in that weird mix period where we are still getting "trying to capitalize on the fad legitimately" shows AND getting the "subverting the popular genre" shows as well. What will finally be "too much isekai?" A show where a character in a generic fantasy world gets run over by wagon and wakes up in modern Tokyo and has to live a modest life with a job loading and unloading ships at a customs warehouse by the docks? (if it doesn't exist, PLEASE don't make this anime.)

I've been spending some time rewatching a couple of things I had only watched once, but can't remember why I never watched them a second time. Gosick, Case File no 221 Kabukicho, Nichijou, Speed Grapher (good lord why hadn't I rewatched Speed Grapher before.) Which has been grand so far. I generally remember why with shows I will never rewatch, so I knew I'd probably enjoy the rewatches with these.

Then again with my unwatched backlog recently hitting 75, I do wonder why I'm rewatching anything. Thanks though, I may take Tokyo Revengers off the backlog if it is on there.

 

[BrawlMan]

I can't wait for the isekai trend to wind down. We seem to be in that weird mix period where we are still getting "trying to capitalize on the fad legitimately" shows AND getting the "subverting the popular genre" shows as well. What will finally be "too much isekai?" A show where a character in a generic fantasy world gets run over by wagon and wakes up in modern Tokyo and has to live a modest life with a job loading and unloading ships at a customs warehouse by the docks? (if it doesn't exist, PLEASE don't make this anime.)

If the hypothetical crappy idea you presented, or GATE (which has had so many fix fics like you wouldn't believe) can't kill the Isekai, then nothing will, aside from oversaturation. At this point, it doesn't matter to me, because there's plenty out there that Isekai will never wrap my attention towards. I just keep ignoring the genre at this point, and move on.