Monday 31 October 2016

Fullmetal Alchemist - Brotherhood

Yes... i have been living under a rock since 2009.... why do you ask?

Okay in all seriousness.... 2006-2009 is a bit of an anime gap for me.... it was after i decided i really didn't want to watch anime in less then legal ways.... but before i discovered sites like crunchyroll and back when Funimation used Hulu to host the vids on their website (hulu doesn't work in canada)

I had seen the original FMA, which for the record i enjoyed.... maybe not as much as my friends but i did really like it. I didn't see the need to go rushing into the new season despite it being closer to the source material.

I figured i could just borrow the dvds from a freind eventually.

and then i kinda forgot about it... i mean i knew it existed i just was in no rush.

When suddenly.... funimation lost the distribution rights....
then i realized "oh.... i did actually want to see that... rats"

Then like... 2 months later crunchy partnered with Funi and then put up the dub and sub of brotherhood which i just finished earlier today... it was supposed to last 64 days.... but here we are in less then 30.... damn cliffhanger episodes.

I watched the sub, it's what i watched the original in (partially cause alphonses voice was not pleasent to me in the original's dub) and so i figured it would be the most enjoyable way to watch... and yeah it's really good.

I feel like... it's pointless to talk about the plot since i'm the only person left on earth who hadn't seen it but just incase.
Edward and Alphonse Elric committed the greatest taboo in Alchemy, they spend the show doing their best to atone for thier sin and possibly regain what they have lost.

I will say this... while i loved the show I have a huge issue withthe first 3 episodes.

Episode 1 is about as In medias res as they come and does nothing to explain what is happening... it expects you to know a little of the plot before jumping in and i find that a little unfair to new viewers who haven't had the chance to watch... and it's almost been a decade... there are going to be completely new viewers.

Episode 2 and 3 should have been swapped since a line in 3 describes something we saw happen in the previous episode... in the original FMA this was a huge reveal. "a child can buy this with pocket change" had a completely different meaning after the fact.... but here we saw it so... it loses that impact.also episodes 2 and 3 explain the basic rules so to have them after a big fight we have no stakes in is a little silly.

also the first 13 episodes feel a tad rushed... we had all of original FMA to have some of these reveals (i know it diverges around the halfway point but some reveals do not change) where this it feels like "oh are you sad? here is more sad, thats not enough for you... here is a bit more... there we go... no wait.... NOW you are sad"

HOWEVER.... after episode thirteen the show picks up and gets so enjoyable... i was a little worried about how certain characters would fit but it was done so well. the animation was great the music was great and that story... man i could have used another cour dealing with the stuff they show in snippets at the very end. 

so yeah... glad i finally got to watch this show, completely recommend it to anyone who just wants to binge some anime... you know assuming you haven't seen it already... which you probably have.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Thursday 20 October 2016

First Impressions: Fall 2016

With summer finally over finally we come to the season i have been most excited for all year.

But first!

Ground rules


1. I will TRY to give every show on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Daisuki a chance but that doesn't mean i am obligated to watch a full episode. If i stop early i will give a time stamp and reason for stopping.

2. No shows that are under 20 minutes in length, i don't like waiting a whole week for a 3 min gag. there are some exceptions it's rare.

3. No shows with Brother, Sister, Father or Mother in the title... too often it goes into incest... which i really do not like.

4. If the show is a second season of a show i didn't watch before i'm not going to talk about it here.

5. No card game shows, i may give them a chance but they really aren't my thing.

6. All opinions are my own and based solely on what i have seen. I tend to go into these shows completely blind. If i don't enjoy the show after 1 episode or even quit out of an episode early i'm not saying the show is bad... just that i didn't enjoy it.

Returning shows


Technically speaking everything i watched last season finished... however a few titles are picking back up... either from a few months ago.... or from 4 years ago.

so on that note

Natsume Yuujinchou Go

I cried... the intro song played... and i just couldn't stop the tears. I mean this with no hyperbole. This is my favourite show.... waiting 4 year was hard... but i am so happy we are getting another season.
also this episode pretty much cemented my personal theory... but i wont go into that here.
the show is about a boy who can see yokai and the cat who is his bodyguard. i  cannot reccomend it enoug hand it's all on crunchyroll... it's a chill show and it takes it's time building characters.... but i love it with all my heart and i'm so glad it's back.

Bungo Stray Dogs 2

this season isn't amazing enough for giving me Natsume Yuujinchou 5 but i also get this?! so happy.
He called the cat Sensei.... man i knew i loved the show but it likes to remind me right away. als othis knowing it's juinich suwabe right away after being voice blind to him for so long is odd... i like it but it's taking some getting used to.
this episode was so good and i just love this series so much... it's about... uh... well it's about a detective agency at it's core i guess... hard to describe... but i love it.


New shows:


The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting a star

i'm not sure if this is a full season or if this is just an OVA but based soley on this first episode i know i'm going to enjoy it. It's about a girl who can see things others can't and how she ended up under the tutelage of an old magician who seems to have a skull for a face.
the animation is stunning, far above the quality of most shows... there is just so much thought into how the magic works... i am looking forward to seeing more... no matter how long it ends up being.

Izetta: The Last Witch

Alright... i now this will be odd but automatically i'm kinda on my back heel with this simply because this 'looks' like sword art online... the characters have the same style of eyes and that same face that every character in SAO has... and i have a hard time describing how much i HATE SAO. now... other then the animation director and cheif animation director/character designers they have no connection to SAO... and i'm going to try and look past the visual connection... but unfortunately i'm not going into this show with high hopes.
well on one hand.... i'm finding it neat that i can pinpoint junichi suwabe as easily as i can some other voice actors... sure it only took 4 years but i'm proud of this...
I do have to say the names of the fictional contries are a little too on the nose for this show set in the 40s
overall a good first episode, i'll probably give a few more cause i'm curious... but i know i don't tend to be fond of "at war" stories... so who knows if i'll finish... still not a bad episode at all.... The art is even quite pretty.... just wish it didn't look quite so much like SAO.

Magical Girl Raising Project

ok so super cute magical girls and bloody murder... lets see what this is all about
oh great... theres a thing that used monokuma as a design basis... i see nothing wrong with this idea
Theres a new cellphone game with an odd rumor attached. of the thousands of people playing Magical girls Raising project some will actually become magical girls! Koyuki has always loved magical girls... even when they were deemed for little girls... so one day when playing the game she gets chosen! a dream come true.......
or is it?
i have a feeling i will like this show, i tend to like magical girl shows and i have a feeling this one is going to break my heart. i do feel that perhaps the advertising has done the show a disservice...
like... i knew going in that this cutesy exterior was nothing more then a facade... cause you are outright told in the first few seconds.... and i think that may have been a mistake...
on the other had it may have been too cutesy to stand had i not known all this going in... it's a balancing act i guess... i just think that final line would have had more impact if it came out of left field... but still i plan to watch more.

WWW.WAGNARIA!!

another season of Wagnaria (aka Working)?? i guess it's with different characters but i hope it still has the charm of the original cast... we will see.
i enjoyed the first episode... everything is still there... people working at Wagnaria... no one feels like a retred of the other cast (so far) and there have been little nods to the original cast (even though they should probably be older? or maybe it's a sister store?) and theaddition of the princess and the possible psychic just made my day so yeah.. .should be fun.
needless to say if you didn't like the original or don't like comedy slice of life may not be your cup of tea but i'm looking forward to more.

Magic-Kyun! Renaissance

look at all them pretty boy designs.
Well i will admit i like a good reverse Harem... so this show will probabyl be right up my alley.
Theres a school for those who make Magical arts... pretty much light that comes from art  these Artistas create.
boy, flowers and arts focused... gunna be a good time (for me at least... i assume for most this probably sounds terrible but i really enjoyed the first episode)

Aooni The Blue Monster

i think i saw an LP of this game once... was pretty neat... this is a 3 min show though so... yeah if i watch it it'll be at the end of the season in one go
it's just a comedy gag show.... based off a horror game... i don't even know... but yeah... if that sounds like your thing... uh.. enjoy?

Touken Ranbu - Hanamaru

I have been seeing lovely detailed figured for this IP for a year or two now so i am super curious about this show.. .hoping it's good!
So the plot is they are personifications of swords... and they fightthe retrograde army in order to keep the past from changing.
the character designs are lovely... but i worry that there just isn't enough plot to keep me interested. i'll give it another episode or two... but i'm a little disappointed.

Gakuen Handsome

oh man you know it's a quality show when it's free for everyone right off the bat.
um it's a gag series about... certain type of 'bishonen'
everyone has epic chins.
like have you seen the tutorial bout how to draw bishonen? that
but it's just over 3 mins long so pass

Trickster

hm... i'm unsure about this one.
it's about a detective agency of people who seem to either be extremely good at what they do or have some kind of special talent.... and a boy who literally can't die no matter how hard he tries.
going to need to give the one a few more episodes but hey... the animation was really nice.
i will say this, if you have trouble watching show where an animal gets hurt... do not watch this show... it's probably only in the first episode but i know some people just cannot handle it.

Scorching Ping Pong Girls

not the biggest sports anime fan... and i can't stand very much moe... so moe ping pong....
also their eyes.... all of their eyes are just so strange.
ugh... it's just so cutesy
and i just know there is going to be instances of naming attacks and such and just.... i don't want to do this...
so i'm not going to... maybe it's good but i only have so much tolerance.

Ninja Girl & Samurai Master

another gag show, the animation is nice then most gag shows... but yeah just another gag show... plus the intro song is one min... seems like a waste of time.

NANBAKA

why is this jail so glittery...
so it's a comedy? but... it's not really funny? at least not to me... it's just not really looking interesting to me.
yeah pass... it's just been a bunch of "oh man look at this instant death trap! they had this in the other prison we escaped from... oh well we survived cause reasons.... onto next death trap"
andthat is just boring.

TO BE HERO

11 min show where in the inro song someone punches through the moon.... yeah i'm out.

Cheating Craft

12 min show by the same animation company as  to be hero... based on the intro song seems like the most epic testing ever,
to be fair both of these shows have stunning animation i just am not a fan of these shorter shows. but a show that pretty much is about how your future is basedo n test taking... unless it's all setting up a huge revolution then PASS... i hated test taking.
oh this is about a group of high level cheaters? yeah... just not my thing.

Kiitaro's Yokai Picture Diary

4 min show about the great Yokai war... also super cutesy.

Nazotokine

oh for crying out loud wednesday... 7:30 min show about... uh... buisness women magical girls playing video games? i'm just going on the intro song here...
oh okay a girl goes to an anime company and gets trapped in a digital relm
anyways all these short shows one Wednesday is kinda ridiculous...

Brave Witches

...
i can't deal with flying girls in sailor tops and bloomers... so you know what? not going to...
looks well enough animated but yeah just not my cup of tea.

Yuri!!! on ICE

I am looking forward to this one, i have a bit of history with Figure skating... i had a really good friend in high school who did it and i went to a lot of competitions with her and even designed one of her outfits. before that i had a freind who did it occasionally. Part of me wanted to do it but the other part of me knew i was an uncoordinated mess who could barely handle dance (2 years jazz, 1 year modern) and gymnastics. (1 year)
still i learned a lot from that friend. so i'm hoping this show is good.
granted i haven't heard many solo long programs with lyrics... (also i know he's a guy but 4 quads? wow) but other then that i loved this... every second... if this season didn't have natsume yuujinchou this would be my fav... for now it'll be a close second *looks at bungo stary ddogs* or third.... but probably second.

Flip Flappers

trying not to judge it off looks... but i really don't like how this is animated. theres an intentional sketchy look to the eyes and it's just driving me nuts.
also 12 mins in and no plot other then this girls was looking for someone and it appears to be this other girl cocona.
also not sure if the animtion is intentionally stuttery at parts of my my grpahics card is dying... it just feels like there isn't as much animaition as there should be for smoothness.
i can't tell you what the show is about cause there was no plot... the two girls go to a snowy place thast like an illusion... they get attacked cause reasons... the normal girl loses her glasses cause reasons... the genki girl gets them back and nearly dies... normal girl shows she isn't normal and gets long hair and blue eyes... for reasons. and then they are back and wanting to go on another adventure.
but that doesn't make me want to continue watchign the show.. .theres a tiny bit of possible plot after the credit but again... i don't wanna waste time on a show that has maybe a minute of plot in total.
it reminds me of the anime with the fairies and the bleedign bread... but considering i can't even remember the title of that (and i finished that show) it shows you how much i don't care for those kinds of titles. 

Keijo!!!!!!!

you know i try to go into shit blind... but i saw a preview of this... and you know what? no. i can't deal with "butt cannon" so i'm not going to. (think of a certain game  grumps sonic 06 quote... thats how i feel about shows like this)

All Out!!

Anime about Rugby... well at least the guys don't look like bishonen little twigs.
Ok... i know this is a minor gripe... it REALLY bugs me when anime uses colour abberation... this is a 2d medium... you wanna to atmospheric perspective to draw focus? thats fun.... but don't add colour abberation it makes no sense in a 2d medium that isn't being shot with a lens.
also i'm pretty sure my school had a rugby tam... and none of them looked like these characters... like... highschoolers are still growing... maybe if this was college i'd buy it but.... it's a little hard in this.
it's a bit odd that some of the animation techniques look more like a shoujo show then a sports anime but i mean... it's a interesting take.
Serious talk for a second, while this has to do with highschool football i think it's related to what happens near the end of the episode.
back in highschool we had a decent football team, one day there was an accident during a game and a player on the opposing team died. it was a huge blow to both teams and i wouldn't be surprised if people who may have gone on to play professionally decided to stop because of that.
Sports are dangerous and thats something you know going in.. but it's always a game changer when it actually happens. i think it's completely unfair to force this tall kid who badly injured another player to continue playing... if he came back to it himself over time that would be different but forcing him to practice with you after you know what happened... it's selfish and cruel. i don't know it just really bugs me.
the show isn't bad in any regard... but i wont be continuing... not a fan of sports anime... not a fan of rugby so this really has nothing for me but it isn't bad... maybe just a touch insensitive.

DREAM FESTIVAL!

Idol anime with magical boy type transformations?
this is so incredibly silly....
i kinda love it...
like i'm not a fan of idol anime but together with some pretty well done CG dances and just.... it's so over the top... and thats kinda amazing.
as for what it's about... uh... idols... thats really it....

Time Bokan 24

Uh... time travel show about mechs that want to destroy the past and other mechs that want to stop them. one time a battle goes wrong and a girl gets transported to 2016. Targeted as a younger audience... it's trying to be funny but is just... kind of painful to watch.

Bloodivores

wow another anime with that intro... well the other shows were well animated so at least this has that probably going for it?
um... so there is a type of human called Bloodivores... they took a drug that inhibits a virus and now they seem to be vampire line but it's kept mostly under control... but unfortuantely i'm just not enjoying it... never a fan of shows that focus on criminals and threatning to kill a kid because he saw someones face is just... it's too far for me. pass.

ClassicaLoid

uh... famous musicians in current day japan... hi-jinks... i just... i mean the animation is kinda neat... but i'm not in the right frame of mind for a show like this...

Occultic; Nine

Looking forward to this one considering how good Stiens; gate was (and i know the two have little to nothing to do with each other.
as someone who is decently busty... holy crap her back must hurt... also while i can't say thats not how those work... she definitely needs to get a better bra cause thats not how those should be moving.
like even at that size they shouldn't be at her naval... also dude... not only is that not a C cup... that looks like it's treading up to the j, k or even l cup levels (yeah that shit goes above D... shocking ammiright?)
So.. is is reminding me a lot of Mekakucity Actors.... and i don't mean that in a good way.
An artsy anime that has a few good qualities but focuses more on being deep and ends up saying and meaning nothing in the end.... i still have a little left in this episode so i hope they change my mind but right now... i'm not enjoying this.
the end of the episode was the most interesting part... i just don't know with this one... maybe i'll try again after it's over? kinda bummed i didn't enjoy this more.

March Comes in Like a Lion

well i was already looking forward to this but having a bump of chicken song for the intro just makes it that much better.
AND the endign song, i'm all smiles.
this was really good, it's about a high schooler who is a professional shogi player and dealing with something... the animation is stunning, music and actign are great too... i can't wait to see more.
also you can hear the cats inner dialogue... sounds pretty accurate to me.

SENGOKUCHOJYUGIGA

3 min show where the titles is longer then the length... uh it actually looks like an animated ink drawing which is cool but yeah not into 3 min shows.

Poco's Udon world.

Literally a few seconds in and i feel like i'm going to enjoy this... i hope that gut feeling is right
*blink*.... i knew this was Okazaki's voice actor from foley....
...
i'm just going to... chalk that up to a lucky guess... i've only ever done it with Hiroshi Kamiya before... *nods* cause knowing peoples voice from a sigh is... just too odd.
*smiles* ok... there is too much good this season...
this is like... ok take Barakomon, Sweetness and lightning and then throw in eccentric family.
after his father passes away Souta goes to his childhood home/fathers restaurant. there he meets a small child who seems to be a shapeshifting tanuki.
and it's just so cute and once again... if not for Natsume yuujinchou Go... this would be super high up the list. I loved this.

Kiss Him, Not me

a show about a fujoshi i'm guessing?
Ok... so... i've known people who act like this is real life... pairing up two 'real' people... now i'm going to be quite frank... i don't really understand the concept of shipping... i'll have characters i think are cute together but i wont actively search out media of them being cute together... i want the characters to have actual chemestry not just fan based chemestry....
so people like this... confuse me when they do it for fake people on tv..... but when it's for real people... thats really crossing a line.
One thing i do realyl like is that even though this character is far more rubenesque then your average anime character, all the guys seem to like her just as she is... people are judging her.... too bad i'm pretty sure she gets skinny thanks to the intro but i love that it's not showing them as "suddenly they notice her" cause thats always lame. althought they do all suddenly ask her out so.... i guess it's still kinda ugh.
oh man i knew the megane was going to be the best character.... there is a sweetness to the show (even if i don't understand how someone can think like the main girl)... but seriously... i know it's not going to be the megane in the end but he seems to be the least judgemental...
i'll probably keep watching for a few more episodes.... i've already mentioned i enjoy reverse harems.

HEYBOT!

uh... lots of gross humor... i mean i thought ti was just the robots farting but then the monsters had phallic faces... and farting guns... and nose pickign guns... yeah pass

Tiger Mask W

It's a wrestling anime about guys wearing a tiger mask.
only... where are the refs.... why is this guy allowed to wear claws and pretty much kill his opponent.
theres a lot more murder in wrestling then i was led to believe...
oh man this blond lady doens't look evil at all... i'm sure nothing bad will happen with her.
i'm sure if you like wrestling it's probably a fun over the top anime... not my thing personally but i can see why others would like it.

Monster Hunter Stories Ride On

Yes.... lets make an anime geared heavily at children with an IP for a game rated T
i'll be honest... i've tried monster hunter and i just couldn't get into it at all. the cell shaing on the monsters here does look nice but it feels like an anime soley meant to get kids to play the game... and i am not a kid... and not into the game.

Soul Buster

a shows that just over 13 mins long about how many annoying filters can animators put on the screen before people give up... like this show would look great if it was clear... but alas not the case.

Drifters

see if the CG in berserk looked like this show then it probably could have have looked awesome...
that being said OH boy i do not enjoy prodominently CG shows...
it seems like a neat concept of dyign soldiers being thrown into another world... but i just can be bothered to care. it has a neat look but lack of plotjust makes it seem like some history gags strung together.


Girlish Number

This should be the last one.... and i have a feeling it's going to remind me of work like Shirobako did.
 yeah except... a girl with her attitude would probably never get work... you have to be pretty amazing to get away with being so blatant and she just isn't.... it doesn't seem like a bad show but i hope she gets some sense knocked into her. 


Barring any super later shows (we are at episode 3-4 for most shows currently) i would say thats it... i'll edit this if that isn't the case.


So... lots of really good shows this season. The shows i wil ldefinately stick with are:
Natsume Yuujinchou Go
Bungo Stray Dogs 2
Yuri on Ice!!!
www.wagnaria (aka web wagnaria)
Magical Girls Raising Project
March Comes in Like a Lion
Magic-Kyun! Renaissance
Haikyuu!! 3 (i just need to catch up, it's also really sad that the voice actor of the coach passed away recently)
Poco's udon World

A few maybe series this year ontop of all that:
Dream festival (it's so goofy but i can't look away)
Occultic; Nine (but it's got to get a plot or point in the next episode or i'm out.
Trickster
Kiss Him, Not Me (it's actually pretty funny... even if only one of the guys is an actual decent person atm)

so yeah... far too much anime this season... but i am so happy... lots of good and different stuff.

what are your fav titles so far? any shows that surprised you? or a show you were looking forward to but it under delivered? (for me thats Touken Ranbu... i wanted to like it but there is just nothing there)
let me know either here or on twitter!

Tuesday 4 October 2016

I've Always Liked You

First things first.

This is the second show that immediately comes to mind where Hiroshi Kamiya's first line is Foley (in this case exhaling) and i knew it was him...
dear ears.... why are you so strange... how do you do this... i shouldn't be able to tell someones voice by them breathing... thats weird...

second thing!
this is a glorified 60 min music video.....

third thing
this is super cute and i loved all 60 mins of it.

it's about a group of highschool students and their various levels of relationships.... i wish this was a full cour instead of just an hour long film... i would love to give more time to some of ther other side characters.

The animation is lovely, the music is very cute and extremely fitting, character designs are stunning (my fav is the boy with Silver hair but.... that always seems to be my fav)

and i look forward to the sequel which hopefully crunchy puts up a little faster then they put this up.

You can watch it here: http://www.crunchyroll.com/ive-always-liked-you/ive-always-liked-you-ive-always-liked-you-confess-your-love-committee-721425 it'll be available for free in a week until January 7th