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Post by angilasman on Feb 7, 2011 19:55:54 GMT -5
^Cowboy Bebop is the greatest anime series ever.
It's a bit of a hyperbolic thing to say, but it's been said in the same accepted way that people say The Wizard of OZ is the greatest fantasy movie ever and I happen to agree with it so I'll hold by it. It's unfair to judge it by the movie, which is more of a standard thriller (think the transition MST made to movie screens). That being said, I still enjoy the movie, but it certainly doesn't reach the heights of many of the series episodes.
Cowboy Bebop doesn't really mean anything in a philosophical sense. What it is (mostly) is a tribute to pop culture, and mainly American pop-culture at that. That's obviously one of the keys to its mass cultural appeal here in the US. One of the pervading influences is the western - it even has cowboy in the title! An almost equally pervading influence is the gangster story, but instead of cops vs. gangsters we have cowboys vs. gangsters. Even then there are digressions: a few episodes deal more overtly with science fiction concepts, a few are horror stories, and others are complete farce.
So it's basically all about what these Japanese guys think is cool about Western culture, which, although it could be fun, could still be pretty shallow, if not for...
a)It's extraordinarily well produced and stylish b)The characters are wonderfully developed - each one has multiple episodes that delve into their pasts. Faye struck me as the most uninteresting character at first, but as the series progressed she become much more sympathetic as we find out about her particular tragedy. The movie just assumes we already love the characters so it's not a particularly good jumping on point in this regard. c)It's very funny d)This is the most important: each episode its constructed as a mini movie, with a beginning, middle,and end. Although they all fit into the series narrative in terms of character development each episode has it's own subject matter which is resolved by the end and perfectly satisfying. I marvel at just how much they pack into each episode - and it never feels rushed or cramped. If they do a horror episode they strip the horror movie to it's necessary elements and adequately do it in under 25 minutes (opening and closing credits sequences included!).
Music also plays a key role: each episode has a musical title that relates thematically with the story. Although you saw the film under it's English title of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, the Japanese title is Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door - that relates to an aspect of the movie lost on people who haven't viewed the series: the movie takes place right before the last batch of episodes and [MAJOR SPOILERS HERE] the main character, Spike, dies in the finale. Attentive viewers will see Vincent, the movie's villain, as mirroring Spike's story in a way, giving the movie much more a feel of portent.
Oh, and that certain character is a girl - there's a sort of afterthought of a joke at the end of the episode where she is introduced about that. It's actually a Cowboy Bebop tradition to end on a frivolous joke with little to do with the episode itself, almost Peabody and Sherman style.
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Post by The Mad Plumber on Feb 13, 2011 19:31:02 GMT -5
Well, I can give you that everyone has their own tastes and we are privileged to guilty pleasures. Nevertheless, I still feel cheated out of two hours of my life. This movie does not deserve to be acclaimed as the best of the genre.
Well, let's look at some others.
Ghost in the Shell You gotta nip it in the bud, Andy!
Again, I'm disappointed, but at least I wasn't offended like I was with Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. With Bebop, the story was a generic rip-off of a million action films that had already been done. Here, I couldn't even understand the plot. Are these characters cyborgs? Are they artificial intelligence? Are they police officers? If they're robots, why do they have nipples? What the hell is going on? I don't even know what these characters' names are.
Recently, on the website That Guy With The Glasses, the site owner did a video where he commented on popular movies that he didn't like. He mentioned how he detested that pseudo-Asian singing that they used in movies like Avatar to express tragedy or such. I found that amusing because there's also that annoying singing in this movie. In this case, I don't find it as manipulative as I find it simply annoying.
Now, I found the insectoid tank to be pretty cool looking and to be probably the best part of the film. So, if there's anything I can appreciate, it's the technological look of the film. Still, it makes no sense to me and I don't feel there's anything philosophical about it.
By the way, is there some love affair for Blade Runner with the anime producers? Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Armitage III ... hmm ...
Ninja Scroll This was more to my liking and I found it rather amusing.
I was a little surprised by the amount of sexual content in this piece. It's rather jarring how the scene where Kagero escapes her rapist is followed by a fairly explicit sex scene featuring other characters. On top of the intense level of blood in this picture, this is not a picture for kids.
I was mainly amused by the character of Jubei. When the monster sees him sitting in the corner and tells him to buzz off, he succeeds in annoying the monster further by crouching closer and asking for directions. After the monster takes a swipe at him, he complains that his hat was ruined.
This is a generally amusing action vehicle and one of the better films that I've had the privilege to watch. It features a motley crew of ninjas and the ways that Jubei triumphs over all of them is creative.
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Post by The Mad Plumber on Apr 14, 2011 23:40:10 GMT -5
There are several titles that I've been watching on Netflix. Some I've completed, some I haven't, and some I probably won't. Here's some quick commentary on what I've watched.
COMPLETED
Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne What does this title mean, anyway? Here's the best way to describe how this series struck me: it's hard to watch, and yet it inspired rubbernecking. It's not really gory, but the amount of blood is upsetting. It is also a little jarring in that episodes leap in 10 to 20 year intervals. I took my time getting through this, with episodes being a little lengthy to get through and the violence spoiling the sexual elements. Also, I think the story was wrapped up far too quickly at the end from lore that was never discussed. Not an awful series, but it left no impact.
Fruits Basket I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I think I saw one person refer to it as being "chicken soup for the soul". Sometimes the formula of Tohru being pleasant and appealing to all the members of the Sohma house got frustrating, considering how awful some of these characters treat her by default. I mean, the one kid stole her wallet and she didn't say anything! Nevertheless, it makes Tohru a lovable and sympathetic character. The plot thread for the last three episodes, however, comes out from NOWHERE, takes forever to resolve, and ends a little predictably. In the end, a soothing title much like Kiki's Delivery Service.
WATCHING
Sekirei The box art seems to be fairly accurate to the content of the series. I think it's okay and I'll try to finish it up, but I have one major qualm. The main male character has the ridiculous good fortune of being surrounded by, for lack of a better word, nymphomaniacs. Yet, he acts like he has the worst luck in the world and shrivels away from any of these Sekireis' sexual advances. I don't know if this is some sort of cultural thing, but it's frustrating and annoying.
The Slayers Originally, I "queued" another series that had "Slayers" in the name before I did a search and found several series with "Slayers" in the name. I'm not sure which goes in what order; I assume that I'm to start with this. It's okay, but if this is some major phenomenon, I'm not seeing it yet. I've just recently finished watching the fifth episode, and maybe I didn't have the luxury to watch it without distraction, but there just seemed to be a real lack of energy.
Popotan Oof! Man, this first episode was such a pain! Jeez! I read a review which accurately echoed my thoughts. The review said that it will improve a couple episodes in. I'll try to get through the rest of this series later, but this is definitely lowest priority. God, what an awful episode!
Last Exile I've watched one episode. I guess it didn't leave too much of an impact with me, but I don't think it was awful and I would like to eventually jump back into this.
ABANDONED
Desert Punk You know, you should see the graphic they use for the Netflix cover to this: a voluptuous woman with her boobs spilling out over her sides. What a ridiculously inaccurate portrayal of this series. I watched one episode and I didn't like it. It follows no rules and I didn't find it funny. Lupin the 3rd you are not.
Gurren Lagann I have a magazine or two where there are large articles written about this series. I've watched one episode ... and I don't get it. Isn't this the same exact plot to Vandread? What's supposed to set this apart from that series? The woman with the skull in her hair? The voices really struck me as annoying, and yet I saw reviews that praised them for emulating the Japanese actors. This is starting to echo my disappointment with Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, so I think I'll just bail out of this one.
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Post by caucasoididiot on Apr 15, 2011 4:41:47 GMT -5
Final note: if you try to tell me that it's better to listen to anime in its original Japanese dub, I guarantee you've lost my attention. Truth to tell, aside from being drunk off my ass, I've never seen 9.5/10s of what you review . . . . . . but a lot will never, ever translate.
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Post by The Mad Plumber on Jun 25, 2011 1:43:21 GMT -5
Sword for Truth In feudal Japan, a princess is kidnapped. A mysterious and deadly mercenary swordsman is commissioned to rescue the princess.
Wow. Oh, boy. Let's start off with the elephant in the room: this film is a blatant rip-off of Ninja Scroll. Unfortunately, this cat is no Jubai and this film is no where near as organized as Ninja Scroll was.
You know, there was a certain point that I would have minimally defended this film. However, I was getting disturbed seeing geisha girls getting killed every so often or seeing ninja girls getting slain. The line was officially crossed when I saw a ninja girl's severed head hanging from the man-spider's web. Oh, but it doesn't stop there. The main villain (I guess) kills some more ninja girls, bending one around his neck, and continues to attack the others while wearing the dead ninja girl like a scarf. This film almost feels as misogynistic as an hour's worth of Rush Limbaugh.
At least it's short, and yet it felt so long. I guess I'd recommend this title as an example of how NOT to make an anime title. I'm not angry at this title, but it is bad.
The Slayers / The Slayers: Next / The Slayers: Try This series follows the exploits of sorceress Lina Inverse and her fellow compatriots. The warriors cross swords with bandits, wage battle with powerful gods, and gluttonously eat villages into famine.
This series is enjoyable, though it doesn't really rank as a favorite. It's greatly helped by Lisa Ortiz's performance as Lina. Some of the humor was cringe-worthy, but it was still watchable. I have to admit to genuinely laughing when I saw a hungry Gourry catch a bomb in his mouth while proclaiming, "Food!", and also when Lina built an Egyptian pyramid and sarcophagus in a crazy flurry.
My biggest complaint is each series' deus ex machina solution when the final episode comes along. It gets really frustrating because the villains that our heroes battle seem nearly impervious. It's as if the show wrote itself into such a corner and the writers couldn't come up with any other means of getting out of it.
A final note is that I have to admit to liking the title theme to the first series.
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Post by dph on Jun 30, 2011 11:54:03 GMT -5
Ok, I'm not too big into anime and some might not even consider what i watch as anime. But mostly what I've seen is Digimon and Dragon Half Dragon Half is so funny it leaves me in tears everytime. I love showing it to someone new just to see the WTF expression on their face. I love Digimon probably because of my love for Godzilla. Digimon for me is kinda like Kaiju Anime for me, and the first three seasons featured big brass music, similar to the old Godzilla movies. Season one was one of my favorites, there were countless enemies, each one more evil than the next. The characters actually develop over the season (since this was the first cartoon I had seen in years when it first came out, this was a shock to me). I was also in shock when they actually showed the evil digimon killing their own minions when they got angry with them, but actually killed some of the friends of the main characters. The Dark Masters were pretty good as an enemy, but think they would have been more interesting had they not separated to fight the chosen children. The final battle with Appocalymon was not that impressive however, but it all leads to a tearful goodbye.
Season two was a big discombobulated mess. First the Chosen Children (Digidestined for the American version) were very unlikable, even the ones from the previous season. The new Digimon are spend the first half of the season always easily dominating, and the second half having their @$$es handed to them. There was no originality when it came to evolving or attack techniques. There were also so many plotholes that were never filled, and lots of questions never answered. The season doesn't really hit its high point until the last ten episodes, when the digimon invade the real world and start attacking humans. When the final enemy revealed himself to be Mysotismon from the first season, I was impressed, but that quickly faded when I watched the final battle carry on. Season two, unlike season one, is filled to the brim with padding from overly long evolution sequences. This became extremely annoying. And the final payoff of having Myotismon destroyed by "children's dreams" was an extreme let down.
Season three opened strong by totally redefining the series. The previous two seasons were referred to as the show. The children here are a little more likable. I liked the plot twist of one of the tamers actually wanting to fight the other two in the beginning, and not understanding the point to all of it. The battle were also improved with more that just fireballs and lazer beams, but actual wrestling, punching, and brawling involved. There was also the introduction of Card Slash (Digi-modify) which allowed the humans to actually participate in the battle by giving their partners temporary boosts. I also liked them not always having to evolve in order to defeat their enemies, it added more of an anticipation for the evolutions. The first half of the season featured music from the first two seasons, that seemed to actually fit much better for this season than it did in season two. The Saga of the Devas was a nice story arc, that brought about some powerful enemies that unfortunately comes to an end before they even beat them all. The first part of the season begins with the Digimon attacking the real world, which for me once again adds that Kaiju movie feel for me. In the second half of the season, the Tamers travel to the Digital World to take on their opponents. This is where the season takes a turn and got a little boring for me. They spend the better part of seven or so episodes just wandering around, not even getting into fights, but mostly just looking for each other. The music also changes over to this flat and relatively generic score. Finally the action picks up again when Beelzemon attacks them and kills one of the children's digimon. This leads into the Sovereign Digimon story arc which actually completes an idea that was introduced but never expanded in Season two. This immediately leads into the D-Reaper story arc and leads them back to the real world. I was hoping being back in the real world would improve the season again, but the D-Reaper was such a vague and undefined enemy that it was pretty dull. After the final, and drawn out, battle, the Tamers think they are going to start a happy life having fun with their partners only to find that they now must return to the digital world. Another tearful ending.
Season 4 is one of the most unique seasons. The children actually transform into digimon and have no partners. While the concept is interesting and compelling, having no partners leaves something to be desired. The enemies are interesting characters that aren't always taken on one at a time. The conflict between enemies having them turn on each other was also compelling and led to some interesting fights. Two of the last enemies, The Royal Knights, were cool, but the fights kept getting repetitive sort of like the battles in Season two against BlackWarGreymon. Unlike those battles, the goods guys were gaining strength from each battle and eventually won, but a little too late. This season, the writters finally brought an interesting final battle to the table.
Season Five I've only seen in Japanesse with subs. I saw it before it was even released to American television. I really enjoyed this season, and found that it brought it to a more mature audience, having the kids this time being teenagers. I thought it was a nice move introducing a Digital theology and even a Digimon God. The enemies were impressive as were the evolutions in this season.
Well that's about it for my experience with anime. It may be lame, but its something I've liked since I was a kid.
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Post by The Mad Plumber on Jul 25, 2011 3:21:15 GMT -5
Excel Saga Gee, what can I say about this? You know, I'm pleased that this came up on Netflix. It saves me from buying the DVD. I've only gotten into two episodes, and I cannot do anymore.
You know, I really wanted to like this. I wanted to see this because Jessica Calvello was voicing the lead. However, this show is like an atom bomb exploding in my face. I don't get it. I see a piece of a review where the critic remarked that it was "the funniest anime ever". Ha! Now that is funny.
In my defense, I actually found Golden Boy to be funny to my surprise. Excel Saga, however, I just don't get. Spewing out disorganized insanity at breakneck speed is not the same as being funny. To defend this would force me to defend every Seltzerberg movie ever made.
Now, if somebody can tell me that there's something I've not seen yet that makes it worthwhile or if these first two episodes are the worst, maybe I can give it another shot. However, at this point, I'm licking wounds.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Jul 26, 2011 0:27:05 GMT -5
I recently discovered Satoshi Kon and just learned that sadly, I already have to say goodbye. He passed away from pancreatic cancer in August 24th 2010, at the age of 46. I stumbled upon Paprika a while back, a movie that many feel influenced Christopher Nolan’s Inception (I’ve read no confirmation that this is true from the director himself). The film blew me away but it wont be for all tastes as it warps logic and reality. As one reviewer accurately put it... "The most literal-minded viewers are likely to reject it on some level, but Paprika wasn't intended for them anyway. It was intended for viewers who appreciate abstraction and grand-scale ambition..." – Derek ArmstrongHis influence can also be seen in movies from Darren Aronofsky. The director paid for the American rights to Kon’s Perfect Blue so he could use the bathtub scene in Requiem For A Dream, and you can see ties to Black Swan, in the way the lead character loses grip on reality. I loved Perfect Blue, it’s dark and as tense as a Hitchcock thriller (though not as artistically sophisticated as later works). On the other end of the spectrum was Tokyo Godfather’s, which is about 3 homeless people who find a baby left in the garbage. It’s funny and sentimental. I’m also looking forward to finding Millennium Actress and locating his series, Paranoia Agent. Before Kon passed he finished storyboards on The Dreaming Machine. These are not little scribbles and quick sketches mind you, but beautifully, fully drawn pieces you could frame and hang on your wall. He also left directors notes and the project is being completed at this point. Knowing how detailed he was, I’m sure this will carry his distinct creative stamp. Rest in peace Satoshi. Directorial Efforts (with my ratings)1998 Perfect Blue (4 and a half out of 5 stars) 2001 Millennium Actress (to see) 2003 Tokyo Godfathers (3 and a half stars) 2004 Paranoia Agent (tv series) 2006 Paprika (5 stars) 2011 The Dreaming Machine (filming)
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Post by The Mad Plumber on Jul 22, 2012 23:42:23 GMT -5
The name "Barefoot Gen" came up and I decided to look up what it was about, uncovering that it was a manga and a movie about Hiroshima. It ultimately led me to a YouTube clip from the film.
Oh, dear God.
You know, when I see something that dark and grim, I'm forced to put my shoes on and take a walk to digest what the hell I just saw. Admittedly, I've not picked up anything thought-provoking in a while and I would like to view this, but it doesn't appear to be commercially available. Yes, I know there's an alternative. Shush. Man, and I thought Battle Angel was dark.
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Post by caucasoididiot on Jul 23, 2012 8:43:07 GMT -5
I've read the manga. Dark is definitely the word for it.
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Post by bladez636 on Nov 13, 2012 18:49:40 GMT -5
I have a hard time enjoying anime and it's hard to digest some of the twisted things that come out of Japanese anime *cough*tentacle rape*cough*
The only thing that comes close is this:
Go Nagai's X-Bomber a.k.a. "Star Fleet" A loving mixture of anime crossed with "Star Wars" and "Thunderbirds"
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Post by The Mad Plumber on Oct 11, 2014 21:13:39 GMT -5
Attack on Titan
Man-eating titans have chased the last survivors of humanity behind massive stone walls that have kept them safe for a hundred years. However, a colossal titan suddenly appears one day and punches a hole in the outer wall. Consequently, the titans feast once more on the population living within the region that was infiltrated. Eren and Misaka, two survivors from the first city to be devastated by the titans, join a special corps dedicated to fighting the titans.
I kept seeing merchandise related to this and got a little intrigued by the hype. I would read bits here and there about the plot points via Wikipedia. I found the premise quite interesting and thought it would be worthwhile investing in the video releases. So, I bought the first DVD set.
I regret my decision.
If this was available on Netflix dubbed in English, I could have been saved from purchasing the DVD that I got. As it is, it is only available on Netflix in Japanese. Furthermore, this is the one time that I am actually debating selling the DVD on the cheap just to get it out of my house and to recoup some of the lost money.
Perhaps I should admit that Attack on Titan exists outside of the typical sub-genre of anime that I watch. The only times that I venture outside of it might be for Studio Ghibli films or ADV releases. Attack on Titan is neither. I feel I got duped by the hype. Once again, it leaves me to ask: what exactly are the criteria that people are judging this stuff on?
Let me outline some of my criticisms about what I’ve watched.
Pacing & Cliffhangers
This show moves at what I would call a lethargic pace. A good example would be when Eren and his friends are standing before a firing squad that demands an explanation from him. This part of the story goes on for two episodes! Then, when I’m given the promise of returning to battling titans, I have to endure one more episode which is entirely dedicated to explaining the battle strategy. I was driven up the wall by the endless prattling.
Another infuriating thing is that this show relies on cliffhangers and that its episodes end at irritating points with little payoff. For example, after enduring one or two episodes dedicated to Eren and Mikasa training, the Colossal Titan suddenly appears as the episode’s cliffhanger. In the next episode, Eren engages in a “battle” with the titan that only lasts a few minutes and amounts to nothing.
Another irritating way that this anime milks time is by repeating the prologue of how the titans plagued humanity, how the humans built the walls, and how the walls were broken by the Colossal Titan and Armored Titan.
I recently visited Barnes and Noble. Out of curiosity, I checked out the manga section and glanced at the Attack on Titan novels. I grabbed one volume and flipped through it. In it, two human characters were the grips of a titan. Meanwhile, the titan is pummeling all of the other humans with his feet. The one character in the titan’s hand seemingly spends the entire time going, “Is this it? I’m going to die. Is this it? I’m going to die.” And this goes on for several pages. Then, just as the man is about to be eaten, the volume ends with him stabbing the titan in the eye. So, this doesn’t seem to be a problem that is exclusive to the anime.
There is one element of creative non-linear storytelling from one episode I must commend. There’s an episode that showcases the origins of Mikasa and how she was adopted into Eren’s family. In the flashback, there’s a knock at the door and Mikasa’s father assumes that it’s Eren’s father. We then cut to an exterior shot of Eren’s father at the other side of the door. He opens the door and discovers Mikasa’s parents to have been slain. We then learn from exposition that the actual knock at the door that we heard was the sex traffickers that killed Mikasa’s parents and kidnapped her. I really thought that was a clever employment of misdirection. However, I then felt that it was spoiled by then having (within the very same episode) a rewind to that knock at the door and actually showing the sex traffickers kill Mikasa’s parents. I didn’t feel that was providing any new information.
Character Depth
When I read the Netflix reviews, I really have to laugh at all the people applauding the show for “character development” or “character depth”. My opinion is that the characters are one-dimensional (especially Eren). Mikasa is the most likable character that this show has to offer, and I still think her character is one-dimensional.
There was an early indication of the problem I have with the show’s characters in the first episode. Even before the titan attack, Eren already wants to fight the titans. Why? It would have been far more believable if Eren was disinterested in the titan threat prior to the attack and then would do a 180 degree turn and become obsessed with revenge.
Also, are we to assume that Eren is the only human that wants revenge?
Mechanics
In this show, the soldiers employ equipment that allows them to fly about by firing grappling hooks into buildings. Their strategy is to swing about the titans and slash their necks with swords. My opinion is that this equipment seems to succeed in getting more humans killed than titans. In spite of this show’s insistence that titans lack intelligence, they seem to be pretty good at snatching fast-moving targets out of the air.
Furthermore, why swords? Why can’t the humans shoot the titans in the neck? Gun beats sword.
As a matter of fact, I’ve just had a thought: why can’t they take on titans one at a time? Okay, let’s assume one of these “cunning” titans manages to capture two soldiers. This means that both of its hands are occupied and thus a third soldier can come around and deliver the killing blow. No, we don’t get that. Instead, what is commonly repeated is a soldier getting captured by a titan as he or she pitifully begs for his or her life, and that soldier’s comrades just standing idly by as the poor soul become a bite-size snack.
Then again, my theory does conflict with my earlier comment about the titan kicking humans to death.
As a bit of a gripe with continuity, I believe the first episode demonstrated that the thunderbolt that precedes the Colossal Titan’s appearance very physically rattled the humans. However, in the episode where the Colossal Titan returns, the thunderbolt occurs within point blank range of Eren and none of the humans were rattled by it.
Voice Acting
When I read all of the comments of people lambasting Bryce Papenbrook’s performance, I dismissed them as naysayers who can never be satisfied by an English dub. I stand corrected. I really have to question why he employs a falsetto voice for so long. It drove me nuts. If they wanted to have a kid voice, why didn’t they just cast Greg Ayres … or a woman?
The show’s one highlight is when Jessica Calvello voices one veteran soldier. I found enjoyment in that, though it was sadly all too short.
Conclusion
I’m left a little perplexed. There are anime like this, Cowboy Bebop, and Ghost in the Shell that all seem to be highly acclaimed. However, I’ve reacted poorly to all of those. I’m wondering if I’m the odd factor in all of this. Quite frankly, I think my criticisms of these titles are valid.
Maybe I’ve reacted too strongly to Attack on Titan and have ignored any positive traits it might have because it isn’t the pinnacle of greatness that everyone is making it out to be. I felt there was promise in it, given how Eren’s relationship to the titans demonstrates that there is more to the antagonists than meets the eye. Still, the interest I once had in its premise is gone and I can’t justify watching it again. I have to accuse this franchise of not really having an answer to the questions it poses and is just dragging its feet.
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Post by GarrettCRW on Oct 20, 2014 8:52:49 GMT -5
Attack on Titan is big news here because it's a big hit in Japan, which means that American fans will automatically declare it to be genius, until evidence to the contrary becomes absolutely crystal clear (and even then sanity might not prevail). And since it is, like seemingly all Japanese cartoon shows, based on a manga, there's going to be filler since the book is still ongoing when the series hits the air (this seems to be a major problem in just about every series to come out of Japan). I've watched a couple of random episodes, and I find it quite "meh", but then again, a little Japanese animation goes a LONG way for me these days because the country's output is too slavishly committed to continuing the same tired tropes (obviously, no one in Japan has found themselves lost on TV Tropes, where the insanity of the country's trope-heavy approach comes into sharp relief since it's a good fifth of the content). Until Japanese shows stop having to air EVERY SINGLE WEEK (barring the end of year holiday and Golden Week, plus the occasional pre-emption), this isn't going to get better.
With that said, in the case of Cowboy Bebop, I think it's you. That show's pretty damn amazing, IMO.
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