The (Un)official Anime Discussion Thread

[AsteroidBlues]

Am at work so only brief, but rewatched all of Stand Alone Complex, and without doubt, best anime ever.

Yes. Yes it is. You really get the feeling that Masamune and the S.A.C.C really took care when crafting the stories, not to mention badass female lead characters are almost universally awesome.

Let's not forget AD Police!



I'm rather fond of cyberpunk anime of the 80's and 90's, e.g. Akira, GitS, Bubblegum Crisis, Appleseed, AD Police, etc. Yeah, I like a lot of Masamune Shirow's work too. Also, notable mentions for Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, NGE, Lupin III, Wolf's Rain, and I can't talk about anime without mentioning Excel Saga.

Man, Excel Saga.

Lupin The Third. Yes. XD I haven't run into another Lupin fan in ages.

I'll just leave this here.

I've heard a lot about that series. Is it any good?

Also, if anybody wants to see what Production I.G. and Gainax's work looks like when the staff is on crack, you have to watch Fooly Cooly. XD Awesome music with a story that, let's face it, hardly makes sense.

[[STARS]TyranT]

Just to whet your appetite and inspire you to watch it all over again. Anime doesn't get much better than this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IsmIvhp-CQ

Yoko Kanno is anime's best ever composer also. Staggeringly talented.

[AsteroidBlues]

Just to whet your appetite and inspire you to watch it all over again. Anime doesn't get much better than this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IsmIvhp-CQ

Yoko Kanno is anime's best ever composer also. Staggeringly talented.

I have damn near all the soundtracks from GitS and Cowboy Bebop. XD Yoko Kanno is possibly the best musical talent in the business.

[News Bot]

I've heard a lot about that series. Is it any good?

"Good" would be an understatement. Watch it.

[Smiley]

My brother had me watch it. Roberta has got to be one of the best characters ever to steal a scene in anime.

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. Makes me want to read the manga.

For comedy I love the sitcom antics of Ranma 1/2.

[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]

Ghost in the shell: Arise

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