The (Un)official Anime Discussion Thread

[AsteroidBlues]

"Good" would be an understatement. Watch it.

Aye-aye, Captain. XD

I don't watch a lot of anime, but I'm coming around. I've taken a real liking to 'Death Note' and the cat-and-mouse approach the story has to offer...

I've halfheartedly watched a couple of episodes (Was doing work at the time), but never had a chance to really get the gist of the story. What's it about?

[Smiley]

It's complicated as the story pans out, but to sum up a shinigami (God of death, death spirit) named Ryuk drops a death note which is retrieved by main character Light Yagami. He is granted with the power to kill a person using the death note. The note itself is comprised of specific rules such as needing a face in mind alongside their real name in order to successfully kill the intended target. Under the guise of "Kira" (Killer), Light uses the death note to shape his own world and act out as its God by killing criminals and anyone who tries to oppose him. One such opponent happens to be a detective known as "L" who makes it his mission to uncover the identity of Kira and bring him to justice for the murders he committed.

What I like about the story is that it's purely character based, and plays out like a game of chess. Both Light and L are very cunning and clever, and use elaborate means to out smart one another in their bid to find out each other's identity and deliver their own brand of justice. And while Light is admirable in trying to rid the world of crime (which does decline), he still acts out as an antagonist to L and the police trying to catch him. There's a lot of characters in the middle of this clash that act out as pawns in their game. And very few of them are black-and-white. All have gray areas about the justice system.

[Wrathborne]

The only downside to Death Note is the last story arc, which I really thought was bad. I wont say anything because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but Death Note had a really clever story and characters, and the last story arc just made me go 'WTF'?

One series I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned by anyone but me, is Higurash No Naku Koro ni. If you like horror, mystery, and story with real plot twists and not the M.Night Shymltwist ones see this.

There are times in the series it feels like ye olden Survival horror, there is a second season called Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai, which I dont recommend as much as the first series is horror and mystery.

Second series is more mystery, adventure, and exposition. I recommend seeing it just so you know whats going on.

Its all based off various visual novels and the series really brought horror anime to life, generally horror anime has always been kind of slim(Minus the ones that stick to ultra-violence like...ugh..Genocyber) but this series is about everything a horror fan wants.

[Smiley]

I'm not sure if there's a difference in the manga. I've heard about the end to the live action movies, but in regards to the anime the ending was fine with me. No spoilers, but I will say that one of the hardest things about creating a game of cat-and-mouse is that eventually the game must come to an end, and there's only so many ways you can go about that.

One of my favorite cat-and-mouse type stories is Les Misérables, and though the chase goes on for a long period of time eventually it was going to have to end. Niether the cat or mouse could stay in harmony together while the other one is out there. They just didn't end it the way people were expecting. And neither does Death Note. I guess the exception would be the shinigami.

Ryuk makes a point to tell Light the consequences of using the death note. And as a shinigami he knows who everyone is and when they all will die. He also follows Light along for the ride just like the audience taking no side, but providing commentary throughout it. Essentially just watching the game play out with growing interest.

The final arc does introduce WTF moments, but I feel they didn't discredit the story or character progression. With each victory and failure the characters would either become too confident or too desperate.

[Wrathborne]

Actually, I was referring to the mangas ending.I kind of want to explain why...but I want other people to be able to enjoy the series without spoilers.

[Smiley]

I see. Guess I'll have to get around to reading it. Outside the anime I've only seen one of the live action films which was the first one.

An English voice actor keeps popping up. Brad Swaile who was Mousse in Ranma, Rock in Black Lagoon and Light in Death Note. This guy really gets around the voice talent in Canada. He also played Otaru Mamiya in another good anime Saber Marionette J.

[Carnivol]

[AsteroidBlues]

This is really old news now, but as dead as this thread is, I figured I'd bring it up...

Toonami is back, four years after Cartoon Network sacked it for reasons utterly incomprehensible (by my reasoning). It airs every Saturday night on Cartoon Network and the schedule currently looks as such...

Link: Official Website

12:00am ~ Bleach
12:30am ~ Samurai 7
01:00am ~ Casshern Sins
01:30am ~ Eureka 7
02:00am ~ Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
02:30am ~ Ghost in the Shell: SAC

All times are Eastern, and you should probably verify when it starts in your time zone. Also, if you miss any of the shows on the first cycle, they start over again at 02:30amET... You know, assuming you never sleep. Though its nice to see this stuff back on the airwaves, I had always hoped CN would launch a separate network for their Anime offerings- but I've come to realize there is no money in such a venture (Lest you're in Japan) with Anime being easy to access online. Either way, it offers good anime displayed on your television screen so I thought it was worth sharing!

[I_Am_Nemesis]

I used to watch a crap load of anime a couple of years ago. Naturally for me it started with dragon ball z and went on from there. Recently ive pretty much given up on it. Ive seen most if not all of the really popular shows and every time i start up a new show now it either has a piss poor ending or like others have said it just dissapears and the series never gets finished. I would have to say that my faveourite two anime shows would be Code Geass and Black Lagoon (altohugh i feel Black Lagoon needed another series)

[AsteroidBlues]

Production I.G. Announces brand new Ghost in the Shell OVA


New character designs abound for the S9 team, circa 2027.

The rumors regarding an upcoming GitS production out of I.G. studios turn out to be well founded. Production I.G. revealed the newest installment in the GitS franchise last month, titled "Ghost in the Shell: Arise". Little information was given at the initial press release, but more facts have come to light in the intervening weeks; Arise will be a four part OVA that will serve as a prequel detailing the formation of section 9, although it is unclear as to WHICH GitS time line it is officially a prequel too.

Take your pick.

The OVA will consist of four separate fifty-minute episodes, the first of which to debut in Japanese theaters June 22nd. Select venues will be offering advance Bluray copies of the episode with collector scenario book for a little over eighty-five American Dollars (8,000 Yen). A nationwide Bluray/DVD release will follow on July 27th. As well as the OVA, a manga series roughly based on Arise was published in 'Kodansha's Monthly Young Magazine' on March 13th in Japan.

The Official trailer is translated as follows...

A.D. 2027
Her name is Motoko Kusanagi
Attached to the Army's 501st Secret Unit
Heavily Cyborg

Ego
Memories
Hope for the future

What proves who I am?

It all begins here

More information can be found at the following sites:

Official Website: www.kokaku-a.com/staff-cast.php
Anime News Network: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...tails-outlined

[Darkmoon]

Nice. I love Ghost in the Shell. Although given my issues, I'll have to wait until the whole thing is out...

[Rick Hunter]

They changed Motoko's voice actress. Apparently even staff members at Production I.G. aren't too happy about that.

[Wrathborne]

Hate Kusinagis new design...The hair, the eye color, Kusinagi's face looks like they took some of the original animate films design and mixed it in...but it doesn't really work. It feels like an uneven mix.

[biohazard_star]

I'm not liking Motoko's redesign. She looks like a generic young flat-chested moe girl with a bad wig -- I mean haircut, now. They broke her design by trying to change it, when it didn't really need to be.

[AsteroidBlues]

Nice. I love Ghost in the Shell. Although given my issues, I'll have to wait until the whole thing is out...

This is pretty much same approach I'm taking. I love GitS and I had REALLY hoped they would continue with SAC 3, post Solid State Society events. Hopefully it's still possible given that this is an OVA versus a full season.

They changed Motoko's voice actress. Apparently even staff members at Production I.G. aren't too happy about that.

Well, I can understand the change. This is a younger Motoko, and her prosthetic body's projected voice would be of a younger person. In the mythos they explain the processes that are followed when someone is cyberized at a young age. It all fits imo

Hate Kusinagis new design...The hair, the eye color, Kusinagi's face looks like they took some of the original animate films design and mixed it in...but it doesn't really work. It feels like an uneven mix.

I'm not liking Motoko's redesign. She looks like a generic young flat-chested moe girl with a bad wig -- I mean haircut, now. They broke her design by trying to change it, when it didn't really need to be.

On a personal level, I don't like the design that much, but you have to look at it this way; She wasn't just dumped into her SAC body at birth, she had to go through subsequently developed bodies to mimic human growth. I think it's quite interesting what they seem to be doing with the design, this is Motoko in transit. W.I.P. if you will, she has subtle resemblances to her future self but seems incomplete. She hasn't really discovered herself yet, so why would she look like her more confident, professional future self? It would be weird.

Note for the die hard fans:
And you can't really accept how Motoko looks in Saito's telling of how they met in South America in 2020-2024, as it was never really proven without a shadow of a doubt in that particular episode that the story was even true. And even if it did happen as told, you can't really use it as an excuse anyhow- The animators just used the same Major, same Batou (Sans haircur) and same Ishikawa as they had been using all along. It was a budget/available time thing, and to the fan it really makes no difference as long as the story is being relayed in an entertaining way.

[biohazard_star]

I understand she's supposed to be younger, but she ended up looking too young. She looks more like an angsty 16-year old highschooler rather than a young professional. There are ways to make a design look younger, without necessarily altering its... "signature" look. Looking at the cast picture, none of the other characters even went through such a major design overhaul.

[AsteroidBlues]

I understand she's supposed to be younger, but she ended up looking too young. She looks more like an angsty 16-year old highschooler rather than a young professional. There are ways to make a design look younger, without necessarily altering its... "signature" look. Looking at the cast picture, none of the other characters even went through such a major design overhaul.

Well, the other thing you have to consider is the age old saying "More money, more better". xD They're trying to appeal to a newer market that likes this art direction, which sucks deeply, but in my mind they'll always have time to redeem themselves with the SAC timeline. Hopefully. The only thing I'm worried about at this point is the canon, so we can tie this series SOMEWHERE, instead of it floating off in the ether somewhere.

[ProjectNight]

Uhm, i say:

1) Cowboy Bebop
2) Evangelion
3) Death Note
4) Trigun
5) Baccano
6) Monster
7) GTO
8) Dragon Ball
9) Saint Seya
10) SteinsGate

.
.
.

and many others!

P.S. Devil May Cry anime is not good for me (unfortunatley).

[BBboy20]

Attack On Titan looks like the tits so far.

[biohazard_star]

Well, the other thing you have to consider is the age old saying "More money, more better". xD They're trying to appeal to a newer market that likes this art direction, which sucks deeply, but in my mind they'll always have time to redeem themselves with the SAC timeline. Hopefully. The only thing I'm worried about at this point is the canon, so we can tie this series SOMEWHERE, instead of it floating off in the ether somewhere.

Yes. You mean to the Japanese pedo- I mean otaku market. They seem to love lapping up this sort of style.