The last thing we watched, cartoon/animu edition

Bob_McMillan

Elite Member
Aug 28, 2014
5,175
1,851
118
Country
Philippines
I would recommend Iron-Blooded Orphans over Unicorn.

Unicorn starts off decent but gets real cringe real fast. I think I got about 6 episodes in before dropping it.
I already tried out Iron-Blooded Orphans, didn't really work out for me sadly. Maybe I should just watch the originals.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

meiam

Elite Member
Dec 9, 2010
3,330
1,644
118
If you want to watch the original gundam, just watch the movie trilogy version, the TV version has a lot of "filler" episodes. But if you're into gundam for the production value and cool mech fan, there's not really much reason to.

And like I said, unicorn story is dumb crap, you watch that purely for the visual and the action, it's pure mech porn.
 

meiam

Elite Member
Dec 9, 2010
3,330
1,644
118
I did it. I broke my one rule. I watched a high school rom-com anime. And it was really good.
Horimiya.
The plot is actually relaxingly simple and the characters much more reasonable than an anime generally allows for. So Hori is a high school girl, and Miyamura is a high school boy. One day they meet up when Miyamura brings Hori's brother home after the bro was bullied. They realize they go to the same school, and on their off days/down time they can hang out and just be themselves. Hori is a homebody who likes to take care of people, and Miyamura is a recovering Goth kid. And that's it. The anime is about them slowly falling in love while just hanging out.
No end of the world stakes, no surprise magic girl transformations, no mehca, no giant misunderstandings - they communicate healthily and clearly, and...and that's it. Its a refreshing little rom-com, all the more noteworthy for its distinct lack of common anime rom-com tropes.
Coincidentally

 

Absent

And twice is the only way to live.
Jan 25, 2023
1,594
1,552
118
Country
Switzerland
Gender
The boring one
So. I finished watching Trigun (the original anime). Not at all what I expected. An old friend had this at home :

bust01.jpg

so you can imagine me expecting a different vibe. Which played well with Meryl Stryfe's incredulity. I'm also not much of a manga/anime amateur, meaning that the rare things I've watched were usually very high quality, very high production value, and Trigun looked surprisingly cheap. But it felt a bit unique and different from everything I had seen, in tone and characterizations. And I'm quite fond of space westerns in general - I was thinking that it'd make a cool cRPG setting à la Borderlands. So I did enjoy it on a whole. My only gripe would be the somewhat simple and unsatisfactory ending after these 25 episodes of build up.

I also had to check some dates out of curiosity. Because, in character design, this looked like a weird bridge between Cowboy Bebop and Hellsing : whenever Vash had a drink with Wolfwood, it looked to me a bit like a gathering of cosplayers. I can very well imagine Vash influencing Alucard's look, and Wolfwood Spike's. It was also structured a bit like Cowboy Bebop, first half of goofy introductory adventures, past-related serious catch-up confrontation episode, back to some goofy adventures, and past-related serious confrontation denouement for last episodes. Roughly. I was wondering if that was a staple of animes in general.

Also the music was very good.

I'll probably watch the animated movie soon. Not sure about the Stampede reboot - better value, but a style that looks a bit too smooth for me. I always prefer hand-drawn animation to computer-generated 3D or 2D.

Anyway, light endearing stuff. The childish naive flirty over-efficient main character reminded me of Terence Hill movies, but his range (from goofy to dramatic and menacing) made me wonder if a David Tennant could have done him justice.

And yes, let's be honest : what convinced me to check it out was hearing about that cat. 😌
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

Drathnoxis

Became a mass murderer for your sake
Legacy
Sep 23, 2010
5,433
1,892
118
Just off-screen
Country
Canada
Gender
Male
Anyway, light endearing stuff. The childish naive flirty over-efficient main character reminded me of Terence Hill movies, but his range (from goofy to dramatic and menacing) made me wonder if a David Tennant could have done him justice.
And like Terence Hill movies, most of it is terrible.
 

Bob_McMillan

Elite Member
Aug 28, 2014
5,175
1,851
118
Country
Philippines
The finale of Trigun Stampede was pretty disappointing. Vash is just... not a good protagonist. Oh well. I'll still watch the next season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

Samtemdo8

Elite Member
Legacy
Apr 25, 2020
1,501
608
118
Country
Private
20 episodes in Gundam Wing. A divisive entry in the franchise. So far I'm only invested in 3 characters in all this plot
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

meiam

Elite Member
Dec 9, 2010
3,330
1,644
118
20 episodes in Gundam Wing. A divisive entry in the franchise. So far I'm only invested in 3 characters in all this plot
It started a lot of western fan on the path of mech, but it's not very good, at all. It's way too long so it feel stretched most of the time, they consatntly re use animation, there's a bunch of recap episode (that confused the shit out of me when I first watched it) and most character aren't likeable or interesting. Nice openings though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
20 episodes in Gundam Wing. A divisive entry in the franchise. So far I'm only invested in 3 characters in all this plot
That's the first Gundam show I ever watched. I have not seen it in years, but I lost interests in Gundam during my 3rd year of high school. Most of my Gundam watchings were on Toonami.
 

Dreiko

Elite Member
Legacy
May 1, 2020
2,693
895
118
CT
Country
usa
Gender
male, pronouns: your majesty/my lord/daddy
Back on boku no hero binge. I had stopped on episode 77 so there's a couple of seasons and some movies to catch up on. Currently watched up to the first episode of season 5 which is kinda like a reintroduction episode with fun fights and almost no plot.

Man, I didn't expect em to get me to like Endeavor.

I knew this already but what this anime does super well is make nuanced assholes. It gives you chars whom you're used to seeing, and hating, and then it pulls the rug from under your feet with getting you to feel for them and cheer for them. They did this with Bakugo, playing off of the classic school bully stereotype (he legit calls Deku a fucking nerd) only to give us a super complex relationship and character chemistry, but Endeavor seemed a lot more irredeemable to me, his sins were both heavier and he was a grown ass man when he did em. Also, it's almost cute how much of an All Might fanboy he was too. That alone makes him relatable.


So yeah, Plus Ultra Prominence Burn, all day every day.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
I knew this already but what this anime does super well is make nuanced assholes. It gives you chars whom you're used to seeing, and hating, and then it pulls the rug from under your feet with getting you to feel for them and cheer for them. They did this with Bakugo, playing off of the classic school bully stereotype (he legit calls Deku a fucking nerd) only to give us a super complex relationship and character chemistry, but Endeavor seemed a lot more irredeemable to me, his sins were both heavier and he was a grown ass man when he did em. Also, it's almost cute how much of an All Might fanboy he was too. That alone makes him relatable.
I'll give some credit to Endeavor (even though he's more irredeemable in my eyes), but Bakugo can still fuck off. Doesn't help I've already seen done better with characters like Yusuke Urameshi, Hiei, Kuwabara (who's actually not that much of a jerk to begin with), Ren Tao, Ruki/Rika (Digimon Tamers), and Zuko.
 
Last edited:

Dreiko

Elite Member
Legacy
May 1, 2020
2,693
895
118
CT
Country
usa
Gender
male, pronouns: your majesty/my lord/daddy
I'll give some credit to Endeavor (even though he's more irredeemable in my eyes), but Bakugo can still fuck off. Doesn't help I've already seen done better with characters like Yusuke Urameshi, Hiei, Kuwabara (who's actually not that much of a jerk to begin with), Ren Tao, Rukia/Rika (Digimon Tamers), and Zuko.
Bakugo is a lot more nuanced than all those others, that's kinda what I like about him. He is super self-aware and is trying to change but also doesn't betray himself and the way he lived up to that point either. Usually when a character realizes the fault of their ways they make acts of contrition, but he doesn't. It's a very cool sort of contradiction. He would never be this appeasing sort of floormat that took Zuko's shape in the last season of Avatar and apologize for being an asshole and beg people to forgive him, he would sooner just sacrifice himself to save people's life than apologize to them. But he is aware that he's being an asshole and is trying to change, and, most importantly, everyone around him is also aware that he's not being honest to his true feelings when he acts like an asshole, so that just presents a very interesting dynamic that plays out. Everyone goes from being kinda scared or put off by him to kinda coddling him by tolerating his outbursts, it's hilarious.
 
Last edited:

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
Bakugo is a lot more nuanced than all those others, that's kinda what I like about him. He is super self-aware and is trying to change but also doesn't betray himself and the way he lived up to that point either. Usually when a character realizes the fault of their ways they make acts of contrition, but he doesn't. It's a very cool sort of contradiction.
I've heard this argument, but I highly disagree. I know part of this characterization marches on, but him telling Izuku to go kill himself, Baku-***** can still fuck off for that. Hate stories that ignores what bullies do or try to downplay actions as some absurd virtue. Nor has he apologized for it. Even the author of MHA regrets making Bakugo such a bastard in the beginning. Bakugo doesn't have that much nuance to him. Like certain other shounen-jump rival called Mr. Uchiha, Bakugo is a self-entitled shit head. While he does get called out on more compared to Sasuke in certain regards, there is not much to this character I have already seen done better. Granted, making a likeable jerk is hard writing, but too many creators have been fucking this up lately. Doesn't matter if it's Japan, US, or somewhere else in the world.

He would never be this appeasing sort of floormat that took Zuko's shape in the last season of Avatar and apologize for being an asshole and beg people to forgive him, he would sooner just sacrifice himself to save people's life than apologize to them.
I don't expect to him to be like Zuko, but Zuko actually owned up to his shit and admitted mistakes out loud. The problem with Bakugo is that lot of it is the empty grandstanding. It's the typical, Bakugo needs friends and shallow "power of friendship" that does not work. Another problem is that even with all of that, he's an egotistical shit head that still can't admit it or has dumb way of showing it I don't like nor care for. I'll bring up a bully character done right: Pacifica Northwest. At the start she was your typical Alpha-Biatch type character, but you would see little gradual changes that build up. You find out early on why she's the way she is, and in her focused episode you see the shit Pacifica has to put up with her parents. The show never makes excuses, nor tries to make her negative qualities into some "virtue". And even after show ends, there is a comic sequel that further explores her characters and has some insecurities she needed to let go of. Then there are other Disney shows like Owl House and Amphibia that apparently gets this right too. I have not seen those yet, but I do have curiosity for both.

Another example of this done right is with Satsuki Kyurin and her Elite 4. Straight-to-the-point: Kill La Kill doesn't make excuses for what they done and expects to them to own up to all of their actions and be better. Which is funny, because Satsuki is technically a worse person than Bakugo at the start. A similar case for Ren Tao from Shaman King. Started off as a villain, but we did see gradual change and why he acted the way Ren did before changing for the better. Even in with his changing, Ren still had his own troubles and trauma he needed to move past and learn not to make excuses about them.

While Bakugo didn't have physically or emotionally abusive parent(s) like Zuko, Satsuki, Pacifica, or Ren Tao did, but the trouble still starts at home. We see immediately after that episode where Bakugo gets rescued from getting captured at the training camp that his mom ain't exactly nice and where he gets it form. Lady, blaming your kid for getting captured is wrong, and you should be fucking grateful that he didn't get crippled or worse! Mitsuki ain't what I would call a good parent, and it's obvious she wears the pants in the family. What sucks even more is that the anime and manga try to play this for comedy, but Bakugo is obviously and rightly affected by this. Blaming himself for All Might's condition, when the man was already working with a career breaking injury, long before everyone else found out. Note we're still supposed to like his parents, but I dislike both. The father doesn't do much to argue against her, and more or less goes with her argument without much of a fight and a minor shrug.

But he is aware that he's being an asshole and is trying to change, and, most importantly, everyone around him is also aware that he's not being honest to his true feelings when he acts like an asshole, so that just presents a very interesting dynamic that plays out. Everyone goes from being kinda scared or put off by him to kinda coddling him by tolerating his outbursts, it's hilarious.
That's YMMV and is almost borderline show, don't tell. I'll give the show credit for doing some showing, but it doesn't feel earned for me. Like I said before, I have pretty much a low tolerance for characters like Bakugo or Sasuke, because the author or writers usually fuck it up, and they become unintentionally unsympathetic. That is all I will say on the matter, because you could not convince me otherwise.
 
Last edited:

Dreiko

Elite Member
Legacy
May 1, 2020
2,693
895
118
CT
Country
usa
Gender
male, pronouns: your majesty/my lord/daddy
I've heard this argument, but I highly disagree. I know part of this characterization marches on, but him telling Izuku to go kill himself, Baku-***** can still fuck off for that. Hate stories that ignores what bullies do or try to downplay actions as some absurd virtue. Nor has he apologized for it. Even the author of MHA regrets making Bakugo such a bastard in the beginning. Bakugo doesn't have that much nuance to him. Like certain other shounen-jump rival called Mr. Uchiha, Bakugo is a self-entitled shit head. While he does get called out on more compared to Sasuke in certain regards, there is not much to this character I have already seen done better. Granted, making a likeable jerk is hard writing, but too many creators have been fucking this up lately. Doesn't matter if it's Japan, US, or somewhere else in the world.


I don't expect to him to be like Zuko, but Zuko actually owned up to his shit and admitted mistakes out loud. The problem with Bakugo is that lot of it is the empty grandstanding. It's the typical, Bakugo needs friends and shallow "power of friendship" that does not work. Another problem is that even with all of that, he's an egotistical shit head that still can't admit it or has dumb way of showing it I don't like nor care for. I'll bring up a bully character done right: Pacifica Northwest. At the start she was your typical Alpha-Biatch type character, but you would see little gradual changes that build up. You find out early on why she's the way she is, and in her focused episode you see the shit Pacifica has to put up with her parents. The show never makes excuses, nor tries to make her negative qualities into some "virtue". And even after show ends, there is a comic sequel that further explores her characters and has some insecurities she needed to let go of. Then there are other Disney shows like Owl House and Amphibia that apparently gets this right too. I have not seen those yet, but I do have curiosity for both.

Another example of this done right is with Satsuki Kyurin and her Elite 4. Straight-to-the-point: Kill La Kill doesn't make excuses for what they done and expects to them to own up to all of their actions and be better. Which is funny, because Satsuki is technically a worse person than Bakugo at the start. A similar case for Ren Tao from Shaman King. Started off as a villain, but we did see gradual change and why he acted the way Ren did before changing for the better. Even in with his changing, Ren still had his own troubles and trauma he needed to move past and learn not to make excuses about them.

While Bakugo didn't have physically or emotionally abusive parent(s) like Zuko, Satsuki, Pacifica, or Ren Tao did, but the trouble still starts at home. We see immediately after that episode where Bakugo gets rescued from getting captured at the training camp that his mom ain't exactly nice and where he gets it form. Lady, blaming your kid for getting captured is wrong, and you should be fucking grateful that he didn't get crippled or worse! Mitsuki ain't what I would call a good parent, and it's obvious she wears the pants in the family. What sucks even more is that the anime and manga try to play this for comedy, but Bakugo is obviously and rightly affected by this. Blaming himself for All Might's condition, when the man was already working with a career breaking injury, long before everyone else found out. Note we're still supposed to like his parents, but I dislike both. The father do much to argue with her, and more or less goes with her argument, but delivers


That's YMMV and is almost borderline show, don't tell. I'll give the show credit for doing some showing, but it doesn't feel earned for me. Like I said before, I have pretty much a low tolerance for characters like Bakugo or Sasuke, because the author or writers usually fuck it up, and they become unintentionally unsympathetic. That is all I will say on the matter, because you could not convince me otherwise.
I think Satsuki is a lot more sympathetic cause she at least thought she was doing the right thing. I see her as a totally different category, that of a straightforward people who trusted people that deceived and used them, and once she realizes that she instantly changes sides to uphold what is right. She's way more noble and doesn't have a whole lot to make up for.

Sasuke though, I'm all with you on. I never actually liked him. He's way more selfish and doesn't ever stop to consider other people's feelings, he's just obsessive and consumed by his own shit. I just don't think Bakugo is like that at all, or at least hasn't been that way ever since he got taken by the villains that one time.


And finally, I REALLY love the spin they put on the bully backstory, because it ISN'T like every other one. You see it from his perspective, how Deku's toughness was actually intimidating to him when they were little kids. The show does a great job of not justifying but still explaining how they came to have the interaction that they do, and that while it "seems" to be bullying to the uninitiated, it's actually their very very particular way of being bros. It's not quite realistic or even necessarily healthy, but it is interesting. Deku instantly assumes this frightened doormat persona when Bakugo shouts at him, but Deku is like...never actually scared of anyone, not of the toughest villain out there, he wants to kick their ass and get closer to All Might. But he's afraid of little Bakugo? I don't think that's really what's going on lol. He's just in a pattern of behavior that works for them.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
I think Satsuki is a lot more sympathetic cause she at least thought she was doing the right thing. I see her as a totally different category, that of a straightforward people who trusted people that deceived and used them, and once she realizes that she instantly changes sides to uphold what is right. She's way more noble and doesn't have a whole lot to make up for.
Thank you, but it's not too different. Some similarities, but they're not totally different categories.

Sasuke though, I'm all with you on. I never actually liked him. He's way more selfish and doesn't ever stop to consider other people's feelings, he's just obsessive and consumed by his own shit.
Agreed.

I just don't think Bakugo is like that at all, or at least hasn't been that way ever since he got taken by the villains that one time.
Like I said before, there are differences, but a lot of the development is built on assumptions, borderline show don't tell, or is the typical "needs friendship" development. For someone like Bakugo, it's more than friendship that he needs to be a better person.

And finally, I REALLY love the spin they put on the bully backstory, because it ISN'T like every other one. You see it from his perspective, how Deku's toughness was actually intimidating to him when they were little kids. The show does a great job of not justifying but still explaining how they came to have the interaction that they do, and that while it "seems" to be bullying to the uninitiated,
It is bullying. No matter how it started or came to be. Bakugo was and is an insecure little shit, who envy Izuku so he felt the need to put his "friend" down for even thinking about joining a hero school without a quirk. And when said powerless boy gets one, Bakugo flops out. What Bakugo did in the past ain't close to friendship or a unique spin on the backstory. I've seen and interacted with other guys, and even the tough ones or jerks (who knew they were dicks or asses and didn't hide it) would tell Bakugo to fuck off in 5 different ways or kick-ass for being a hypocritical little shit.

But he's afraid of little Bakugo? I don't think that's really what's going on lol.
Because of the constant threats, put-downs, and jack assery Bakugo had been doing since they were 5-years-old. That is a real form of trauma that can and has happen, and it is no laughing matter, nor an excuse. I know you have a habit of "not seeing what did big deal", but that is a you problem. I know Japan has their own views on bullying and it's usually nothing more than glorified boys will be boys in their case, or act like it's not a big deal and those bullied will automatically "grow stronger and hardened by it". Which is a load of shit. Thank God a game like Lost Judgement showed how much bull shit that is.
 
Last edited:

Dreiko

Elite Member
Legacy
May 1, 2020
2,693
895
118
CT
Country
usa
Gender
male, pronouns: your majesty/my lord/daddy
Thank you, but it's not too different. Some similarities, but they're not totally different categories.


Agreed.


Like I said before, there are differences, but a lot of the development is built on assumptions, borderline show don't tell, or is the typical "needs friendship" development. For someone like Bakugo, it's more than friendship that he needs to be a better person.


It is bullying. No matter how it started or came to be. Bakugo was and is an insecure little shit, who envy Izuku so he felt the need to put his "friend down" for even thinking about joining a hero school without a quirk. And when said powerless boy gets one, Bakugo flops out. What Bakugo did in the past ain't close to friendship or a unique spin on the backstory. I've seen and interacted with other guys, and even the tough ones or jerks (who knew they were dicks or asses and didn't hide it) would tell Bakugo to fuck off in 5 different ways or kick-ass for being a hyporcitical little shit.


Because of the constant threats, put-downs, and jack assery Bakugo had been doing since they were 5-years-old. That is a real form of trauma that can and has happen, and it is no laughing matter, nor an excuse. I know you have a habit of "not seeing what did big deal", but that is a you problem. I know Japan has their own views on bullying and it's usually nothing more than glorified boys will be boys in their case, or act like it's not a big deal and those bullied will automatically "grow stronger and hardened by it". Which is a load of shit. Thank God a game like Lost Judgement showed how much bull shit that is.
It's less that you become strong through bullying, and more that there is a type of strength that is exhibited by enduring something instead of fighting it. About how that is a great strength indeed. I think you're going too far in seeing as condoning the thing that is being tolerated when someone chooses to not actively oppose it, but that is just a different take on strength and how to deal with conflict as opposed to a simple moral failing or hand-waving away something as not a big deal.

Bakugo is painstakingly aware that it is his own weakness that causes him to act this way. And Deku definitely suffers from an inferiority complex, but I don't think the cause of it is actually Bakugo. It is him himself feeling that way due to growing up quirkless when all he ever wished was to be like All Might, that's what hurt him. Bakugo just kinda fed into the fire that was already there as opposed to lighting it.

Basically Deku suffers from imposter complex, not from bullying.