Anime

[Djx]

Anyone else getting the sub only Bandai Gurren Lagann DVDs that come out soonish?

First volume is out tomorrow. Get it from Otaku.co.uk for £19:99.

I'd post a link but the site's not working for some reason.

How can you people keep watching Geass? It's like the faggiest mecha series since Seed Destiny.

Got to see how it ends.

Made the mistake of assuming the whole thing would wrap in one season.

It'll probably go on for another season after this one.

[Jack]

How can you people keep watching Geass? It's like the faggiest mecha series since Seed Destiny.

It's not really a mecha series.

[JohnC]

Beez become the first proper uk anime company to go blu-ray, which also means Bandai are delivering on their promise for (near) simultaneous release worldwide

Annoyingly I only watched gunbuster recently, so I'll just have to rent diebuster (i'm waiting on lovefilm to send me the dvds, may as well wait for the blu-ray)

Oh and The Gun/die buster boxset is £20 cheaper here then japan!

I saw something about that yesterday, but thought it was only the US. Nice that they are doing worldwide releases.

I only saw Diebuster recently and still haven't seen Gunbuster. I don't know about this set though. It's the condensed movie versions rather than proper OVAs.

[Meh]

It's not really a mecha series.

That's weak, Jack, and you know it!

[Ryan]

How can you people keep watching Geass? It's like the faggiest mecha series since Seed Destiny.

Masochism.

[Meh]

Macross Frontier is hitting all the right buttons. Fucking brilliant.

[imp]

Wow, Antique Bakery is too gay even for me. And I like Paradise Kiss.

[Meh]

I like Paradise Kiss

[Talvalin]

New Sky Crawlers trailer up on Twitch

This is really looking good now - based on the trailer I'm getting that doomed romance feeling, ala Jin-Roh.

[Meh]

Macross Frontier has to stop making me cover the walls in jizz. It's far too good.

[Dandy_Sephy]

Ladies, and gentlemen, I finally got around to watching Full Metal Panic : The Second Raid. Although I had no realization until just this minute, next week marks THREE YEARS since it started airing in japan. Considering the other two series are very high up my list of fave anime, it's quite shocking it's taken me so long to watch it.

I watched half of the original series last week, then the other half, Fumoffu and TSR (and its ova) this week, so I think I can safely say that much of it is vastly superior to the original series - although obviously that doesn't mean the original is bad (as it's not). But the character dynamics, and way everything is handled is the best during the 3eps or so starting when Sousuke gets his hair cut then at any point in the serious episodes of the rest of the franchise.

Sousuke's reaction to his orders rgarding chidori especially

TSR does have some issues though if I'm being objective:

i) Gates is not a "realistic" villain. Probably because everything about his mannerisms and speech simply reminds me he shares a voice actor with this guy:

and thats not a voice I can link to a villian in any form. It's like asking me to enjoy Geas after they killed what little hope that had of taking my interest - simply not possible

ii) Why on earth was

tessa's brother

introduced? Obviously the post 'end of day by day' novels might have done something with him, but he seems superflous within the context of the events in TSR/EODBD.

iii) Serious pacing issues. The vast majority of TSR is very well paced , but at the end of every episode I kept thinking "how on earth is this going to end in x episodes", and in the end 90% of the events regarding the resolution occur in the last 30minutes - with a curiously timed closing episode. Some of the characters (gates, the sisters,

Tessa's brother

) have zero introduction or development, they just turn up in the story and do very little. I've not read the light novels so have no idea how it pans out in those, but 13eps clearly wasn't enough for TSR. That said, 24 would have been asking too much - and anything in between is rare for anime.

iv) Just pull the trigger on the romance dammit! It's being a bit like Love Hina, where everytime you think it's going to happen, it doesn't.

Lastly, KyoAni need to put down everything else they are doing and do FMP4. They've done 6 announced/released shows since TSR ended. Excluding the christmas one, there are now 4 novels and whatever short stories haven't been animated that can be used for source material, and the novels are expected to be finished this year/early next year. They could easily do Fumoffu2 at least

[Dandy_Sephy]

In other news now I'm not sure what to watch next

I've marked long term "on hold"'s that theres no realistic way to keep up to date/finish (Lupin III pt II, keroro gunso) as dropped on MAL, purely because they make it harder to decide what to watch. I've got enough "on hold" as it is without stuff I simply can't get much more useable content for. Aside for watching a few eps of Urusei Yatsura and clearing up some ova's/movies, I've got a choice between:

i)One Piece - Water 7 arc. I have all the episodes for this now, but I've also got 8 OP movies and a tv special to watch too, and it's either watch a movie or two and something else, or watch this arc.

ii) Space battleship Yamato/Star Blazers:Quest for Iscandar. 1st series,26eps, all ready to go

iii) Watching a lot of UY. I'm planning for 13eps to take me to ep100, but I can't start a new long running show until I finish an existing one first, and this is the only candidate, even though I've got 100eps left. Note: 2 of the candidates for the next long running are by the same creator as UY.

I'm on a download freeze for anime unless it's an extreme case (downloading the non-tv City Hunter stuff from usenet) as I've got more then enough already download and on dvdr to not need downlaod anything for the next 6 weeks.

[Mr.Jeff]

ii) Why on earth was

tessa's brother

introduced? Obviously the post 'end of day by day' novels might have done something with him, but he seems superflous within the context of the events in TSR/EODBD.

Spoiler character was introduced because in the next novel (which incidentily is when the series goes from great to super-awesome amazing) major events starts to kick off with that person in the forefront. They're still not given a lot of background but I think this is done deliberately so he can be fully fleshed out later on with regards to motives.

All I can say is that if you liked the series, you should definitely give the novels a try although I must issue a warning; So far there's only 1 novel translated after TSR's events and when it ends, it does so on a gigantic cliffhanger. I'd compare it to Geass's first season cliffhanger but you abandoned that so I can't. Regardless, you will be left with an overwhelming desire to read the next novel which unfortunately, 2 years later has still not been finished and now won't be since the translator for it was useless and has given up because, quote, "lost her notes".

Yell if you want me to bundle up the novels for you though and I'll PM you.

Edit: P.s, Meh if you're a Sheryl fan, there's no hope for you.

[Meh]

Naah, she does my tits in, sadly. Sharon Apple kicks the fuck out of her in every way, especially songs.

Though they do grow on you...

[Mr.Jeff]

Naah, she does my tits in, sadly. Sharon Apple kicks the fuck out of her in every way, especially songs.

Though they do grow on you...

The songs are ace but listening through the soundtrack I just prefer Ranka's singing so much more. That and I have a grudge against Sheryl.

Edit: Also Autumn line-up preview:

[JohnC]

I understand the live action Casshern movie to be a bit gash, but is the source material decent, possibly making that new show decent?

Was a bit surprised by Stitch there too. Disney getting involved in making Anime.

[Dandy_Sephy]

New FOTNS

Also with KyoAni having two shows next season, and no sign of the announced Haruhi2, we can expect FMP4 sometime next millenium then (especially as FMP is a committee production that requires the involvement of others). Thanks for the info Mr Jeff!

[imp]

I'll definitely check out Michiko to Hatchin, since Manglobe did Samurai Champloo, the line up looks like it could make for quite an interesting Season, I hope J. C. Staff do a good job on Nodame Cantabile, because the story is pretty much a retread of previous arcs.

And... more Lucky Star?! I'm happy....

Cheers for the info, infoman.

[LaParka]

Hokuto No Ken: love the original and the film, not seen any of the recent ova's though.

Casshern Sins: lovely stuff

um, thats about it

[Mr.Jeff]

I'll definitely check out Michiko to Hatchin, since Manglobe did Samurai Champloo, the line up looks like it could make for quite an interesting Season, I hope J. C. Staff do a good job on Nodame Cantabile, because the story is pretty much a retread of previous arcs.

And... more Lucky Star?! I'm happy....

Cheers for the info, infoman.

It's an OVA likes so it'll probably only be a few episodes. Also, Garei Zero on there doesn't have a synopsis but I've read the first 5 volumes or so so basically think of it as a Bleach-esque series with a bit more potential and you're there.

Quite a number of things to keep an eye on though for Autumn; Series by LotGH creator, new bones show, Kurogane, new Gainax series which might suck and the numerous sequels/followups like Clannad(please don't mess it up) and G00(recap in the first episode no doubt).

Also it's been confirmed that there will be NO 3rd season of Geass. It finishes with this series.

[imp]

It's an OVA likes so it'll probably only be a few episodes. Also, Garei Zero on there doesn't have a synopsis but I've read the first 5 volumes or so so basically think of it as a Bleach-esque series with a bit more potential and you're there.

Quite a number of things to keep an eye on though for Autumn; Series by LotGH creator, new bones show, Kurogane, new Gainax series which might suck and the numerous sequels/followups like Clannad(please don't mess it up) and G00(recap in the first episode no doubt).

Also it's been confirmed that there will be NO 3rd season of Geass. It finishes with this series.

Oh, well I'll definitely give Garei a shot then.

As for Geass; I have a feeling we'll see something of it in the future, even if it takes a few years, they're bound to want to do a movie or OVA or something. I can see why they might say that as the series is so character-centric, it's not like they can just set a new series 20 or 30 years after this one ends, but I dunno, someone must want to milk the cash cow...

EDIT: p.s. no chapter of OP this week

[Mr.Jeff]

MEH! I know you're here somewhere! Black Lagoon third season announced!

imp: they're already milking the cash cow dry in japan with the picture book episode and the cd drama tracks filled with background information. Just we don't get a lot of them.

[Ryan]

Macross Frontier 14 :lol:

[Zappster]

MEH! I know you're here somewhere! Black Lagoon third season announced!

imp: they're already milking the cash cow dry in japan with the picture book episode and the cd drama tracks filled with background information. Just we don't get a lot of them.

I'm not sure the picture book episodes are particularly good examples of milking the cash cow, because they're extras on the DVDs, and I doubt people would buy the DVDs just for those. I expect once the DVDs are brought over those picture books will be included as extras as well. I seem to remember similar extras on the Planetes DVDs which was another Sunrise show.

[Bibly]

Lookin' forward to Clannad and Cantabile sequels, otherwise I'll probably just wait around on here and pick up what the general consensus assures me is good.

[Meh]

MEH! I know you're here somewhere! Black Lagoon third season announced!

imp: they're already milking the cash cow dry in japan with the picture book episode and the cd drama tracks filled with background information. Just we don't get a lot of them.

Oh Em Fucking G!

I do hope it decides to follow the manga some more, though. The director of the past two seasons seemed to have a great respect for the thing, though I STILL haven't watched all of Second Barrage, meaning I can't do my usual slagging-off of the anime-only ending that it apparently has.

Still, more Revy = win.

Macross Frontier 14 :wub:

Episode 7 made me do an enormous white wee.

[GViper]

If anyone HASN'T seen Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei yet, you should.

That is all.

[imp]

That's a point... Zappster, since you seem in the know about fansubbing stuff... are A.F.K ever going to come back? And maybe even finish ZSZS and Clannad? As long as they make a comeback for Haruhi 2 and Lucky Star I'd be happy.

[Meh]

If anyone HASN'T seen Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei yet, you should.

That is all.

That might be my next watch. The intro is amazing.

[Zappster]

That's a point... Zappster, since you seem in the know about fansubbing stuff... are A.F.K ever going to come back? And maybe even finish ZSZS and Clannad? As long as they make a comeback for Haruhi 2 and Lucky Star I'd be happy.

Not that I'm aware of. Without getting too deep into the whole (boring for some) fansubbing drama. a.f.k. is the enterthegame crowd who are mostly seen as the oldschool "ethical subbers" and I hang around the rizon "warez subbers" a lot more, so I've not really followed their situation. Plus I've lost all contact with my friend from solar who used to deal with the main a.f.k. dude unfortunately . So I'm about as in the know as anyone else, maybe even less so.

Personally I think there'll be plenty of groups interested in doing Haruhi 2 so that shouldn't be a problem. Same with Lucky Star and Clannad. As for Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, your best bet is probably to pick up the subs from the assorted groups that finished off that series some time ago. It's what I did on the off chance that a.f.k. wouldn't finish. No idea on the quality though since I'm still at the midway point in season 1 because it was another show that I left hanging to watch newer stuff. It's all on lolipower so should be fairly easy to get now.