Board 8 > Anime & Manga Discussion Topic 283: Zhuge Liang has a waifu too

(+) Yeah! (+)

In order:

Ya Boy Kongming! - Still the best

Love After World Domination - It's refreshing to have an anime about dating, even if the premise makes it obviously unrealistic. Most are all about will they or won't they. I like Desumi

Deaimon: Recipe for Happiness - Just a nice show so far, I like the characters and the bits of drama that don't go too far into melodrama. Mostly it's just cute SoL and I am there for it

The Executioner and Her Way of Life - A natural progression of the isekai concept. I like the setting a lot with the offhand mentions to huge devastations. I think it's pretty obvious where the plot will go, but given the setting I have no idea how they'll justify it? I just hope it doesn't fall apart

Spy x Family - I feel like the only person in the world that's lukewarm on this so far. It's good, just not over 9 on MAL good! I adore the concept though so I'll give it all the chances it needs to win me over

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai - Fine, but still desperately needs more and better side characters

Healer Girl - Had a great third episode, which was basically a full musical, but mostly it's just mediocre. I still enjoy the singing when it happens

Birdie Wing: Girls' Golf Story - This is winning me over more than I thought it would, but it has a ways to go to beat HG, let alone the massive gap between it and Aharen-san.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Heroines Run the Show

Maybe I'll check this one out too. A glance at the poster made it look like one of those reverse harem shows, which I'm not inherently against, they just aren't usually for me

I'll also check out that Summertime show once it's fully out. I hate to use another streaming service, five is too many, but I do have family with Disney+ I can leech off

Mobilezoid posted...

Maybe I'll check this one out too. A glance at the poster made it look like one of those reverse harem shows, which I'm nkt inherently against, they just aren't usually for me

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a romance elenent that will come eventually, but it's not really part of the show yet at all, and even if it does go that route it's just the two guys.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Heroines Run the Show - Really think this is the underdog of the season, excluding how Summertime is the default underdog since you can't stream it (fuck Disney). A lot of people are going to ignore this because the premise and look seems to be appealing to an entirely different demographic, but this is just a lot of fun to watch.

Most of what I've seen is people liking the first episode and then dropping after the second

Hm, I mean the second was probably the weakest one but nothing that would be droppable, at least for me.

Eh I'm watching Spy X Family also and for me it's pretty much the spitting image of "it's fine I guess". It's a totally competent show but I do not understand where the hype is coming from.

The series gets much better as it goes. It hasn't even finished the general setup yet.

I do think it's a pretty overrated series in general, but only because it's not INCREDIBLE. Even before the manga people treated it like the second coming. Still a real solid 8.5/10 for me. It's one of those things where it's hard to imagine someone actively not liking it. It's INCREDIBLY inoffensive and easy to follow, a good peanut butter and jelly series.

Rank'd in order:

Spy x Family
Kongming
Demon Girl Next Door S2
Aharen
Bookworm S3
RPG Real Estate
Kunochi Tsubaki
Shikimori
Kaguya S3

You saving Demon Girl S2 for later, Roba?

Mac Arrowny posted...

You saving Demon Girl S2 for later, Roba?

Yeah, I'm saving it until I decide if I want to rewatch S1 or not. Not that it has a complex plot to follow, but I enjoyed Shamiko and her antics to maybe want to see them again before the new season.

I'm partway through S1 of both Love Live Nijigasaki and Science Fell in Love too but in no hurry to finish them when I'd just run into an unfinished season

Mine is like
Demon Girl Next Door
Kongming
Executioner
Spy x Family
RPG Real Estate
Not sure if continuing: Dance Dance Danseur
Haven't started yet: Summertime Render, Tiger and Bunny

I think Dance is a pretty good manga, and the adaptation was doing a great job of capturing the magic. It's just also a frustrating manga at times. So I'm hesitant to experience it in anime form.

Rankings are fun:

RPG Real Estate
Healer Girl
Executioner
Danseur
Kongming
Nijigasaki 2
Ao Ashi
Birdie Wing
Shikimori
Shachiku
Shield Hero 2
Fanfare of Adolescence
Onipan
Heroines
Love After World Domination
Aharen
Deaimon
Love All Play
Spy X Family
Don't Hurt Me Healer

Everything after Onipan is on hold/dropped, and besides Spy X Family and Don't Hurt Me Healer, I would be keeping up with in a less packed season

Golden Kamuy is OVER.

End of a legend.

I'm reading my old anime opinions on GMUN's archive website because frankly I don't remember some of the 200+ I've watched very well. Ah, the memories (at least when I can find them buried within dozens and dozens of save-my posts). Now I know why I hated Kino's Journey (2017). I liked goofy Team Russia in Marchen Madchen, that wouldn't fly in today's political climate! Remember that time we all fought about Darling in the FranXX? I didn't, but I do now! Fun.

I really need to track down my thoughts on Noragami. I watched two seasons of that show, I even liked it apparently given my MAL score, but if you put a gun to my head I couldn't tell you a single thing about it anymore. I couldn't describe a character, I couldn't explain a single plotline, nothing. Thank goodness the archive website is here to save me.

I also caught up on Heroines Run the Show and watched one episode of RPG Real Estate. In my ranking at the top of the page, Heroine goes above Aharen-san and RPG goes below it.

I like the main girl in Heroine, she shares my disdain for the two main dudes. Ok not really, I actually don't mind them either. The main three have a good dynamic. It's antagonistic without going too far and it's clearly warming. Ep4 ended on a note that concerns me, though, and I can see the show tanking if it goes a certain way. I just need to have faith they won't be that dumb. Also don't turn into a love triangle plz

RPG I only had time for one episode, but I liked it too. Fa was the best, she brought the best gags. Alongside the comedy, I can see potential for some poignant moments in finding people places to live. Overall, I'm glad I gave these shows a shot.

Executioner's Way definitely not going in the direction I predicted!

Ooh, I'm really excited to watch the next episode then because I have a prediction for how it'll go too and it'll be neat if I'm wrong

Yeah I really thought I had it all figured out, but maybe not. It could still veer that way but I severely doubt it's in the manner I thought it would at this point.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Executioner's Way definitely not going in the direction I predicted!

For a show with so much exposition, I feel like I need more exposition

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Executioner's Way definitely not going in the direction I predicted!

It didn't go as off the rails as I hoped it would, but that was still a neat episode. I'm glad it at least didn't go the full predictable route

On another note, I remember calling this a weak season a few weeks ago but I want to retract that now! I caught up on everything I'm watching today and it's all been quality. Birdie Wing is still my lowest ranked and even it's steadily climbing in my estimation. Episode four was great and got back to its underworld golfing strengths. Aharen-san also had a strong showing in its latest episode. I like that the little girl wasn't a one-shot character because she's a good side character. I also watched more of RPG Real Estate and it's really growing on me, the central theme of finding homes for people is a surprisingly effective at adding weight to the comedy and SoL aspects. Fa is still the best.

I remember in 2018 and 2019 there was usually a show or two I absolutely hated every season. Maybe I just managed to dodge them all this time.

Halfway through Birdie Wing episode 4, and my worries that this would get stale have been eliminated with the secret underground mafia golf course and lesbian vampire golfer.

In fact this show is pretty blatantly gay, lol. Like half this cast has alluded to screwing in the past and the other half is making goo goo eyes at each other.

Loid: Good. Fine art will make for a great way to gain cultural experience.
Anya: Papa! She has boobies!

This show...so good

https://twitter.com/DistantDDreamer/status/1520429246337929217?t=V3YjeLP9RRht477XR6iqnw&s=19

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/9/6/AAVSP_AADMAM.jpg

After I rewatch Tiger and Bunny, I may dump Netflix. $15 a month for anime options I never watch and the lone Castlevania season a year is kinda steep when CR has...thousands of shows already.

They got She-ra at least!

I mean I've seen it 3 times, but...

I've been using my brother's Netflix account all these years, and if/when they crack down on password sharing I'm definitely out too. At most I'll get a month once a year and binge everything new

Which reminds me, there are quite a few anime on there I should watch before that happens. Also some I want to rewatch, like AICO and LWA

If they start cracking down on that, I feel like theyre gonna get a lot of complaints from traveling family members or people off to college.

People will complain, but I doubt Netflix will care that much. Theyre just desperate to keep growing when theyve already basically maxed out and are just implementing anti-consumer friendly stuff now like preventing account/password sharing and considering adding commercials and shit

I finished Steins;Gate. I think I prefer the VN experience more, I liked the routes/alternate endings that the anime didn't cover. Still, it was definitely a good adaptation! My only complaints are ones that I had for the VN too (The Mr. Braun twist in particular always felt dumb to me, and Okabe takes a dumb amount of time to realize things sometimes, like that Ruka turned into a girl or the D-mails changed things). Okabe, Kurisu, and Mayuri are all amazing characters. I love the time travel plot.

I do want to say, though, that I think episode one of the anime was kind of bad. I'd played the VN so I understood everything it was setting up and could follow it because of that, but man it jumped around way more than I remember from the VN. It went from the lecture to the halls and back and forth again without giving anything enough room to breathe. Add in the fact that the first half of the anime is focused on build-up and I'm glad I played the VN first, it made me appreciate everything more than if I'd gone in blind. The latter half is where all the important parts are, though, and the anime certainly nailed those.

Now to maybe track down the OVAs, the movie, and eventually watch Steins;Gate 0

I thought the anime made Okabe much less dumb, haha. Not seeing his thoughts can make him seem smarter <_<. IIRC my general thought about it was that it nailed the drama bits (mostly), but the comedy was way better in the VN, especially anything with Daru.

finally getting around to watching more dress up girl

Ending of Episode 5 stole my heart, what a fantastic and adorable pairing the two mains make. It's like someone watched every bad romance anime and was like 'only good vibes allowed here'

If you'll permit me to post two of these in one day, I also finished season one of Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. I enjoyed it, but in my opinion this was easily the worst LL anime (for reference, Sunshine is in my top 10 of all time and the original was solid too). Back when it released I tried the All Stars mobile game which introduced the Nijigasaki girls, but I didn't stick with it for very long. I was glad at first that the anime didn't simply copy that game's story. Sadly, the anime wound up having some problems of its own.

One of the problems was inherent to the concept, that these are nine solo idols rather than one group of nine idols. When I think back on LL or Sunshine, my fondest memories are of the group. Everyone acting like someone else in 's in the original LL was a golden scene! Nijigasaki rarely had these moments. Most of the episodes were character focused. I didn't dislike them, but it never felt like the overall group came together. The other problem was one that the original Love Live had too, a crappy drama bomb that dominated the last few episodes of the season. Ayumu sucks.

I still enjoyed it overall, though! Kasumi is probably my favorite Love Live character, beating out Honoka and even Yohane. Quite a few of the characters were also improved from their mobile game counterparts, at least from what I remembered (not Ayumu though). I also liked Yu, it was nice having a support character who didn't become an idol herself. As always, the songs were nice as well. Setsuna's 'Chase' was my favorite from the mobile game, and it remains amazing here.

I'll definitely continue with the currently-airing season two, I just hope the inevitable drama of that season is more natural and earned (like the drama in Sunshine always was) and less like this season's with Ayumu.

Mac Arrowny posted...

I thought the anime made Okabe much less dumb, haha. Not seeing his thoughts can make him seem smarter <_<.

I'll admit, I don't remember the fine details of the VN super well. I do recall thinking Okabe was a moron at times, though, and the anime never felt so blatant. I'm inclined to say that you're right! He's still a great character either way, of course.

DoomTheGyarados posted...

finally getting around to watching more dress up girl

Ending of Episode 5 stole my heart, what a fantastic and adorable pairing the two mains make. It's like someone watched every bad romance anime and was like 'only good vibes allowed here'

Heck yeah, Dress-Up Darling is great and cute.

Robazoid posted...

The other problem was one that the original Love Live had too, a crappy drama bomb that dominated the last few episodes of the season. Ayumu sucks.

I loved jealous Ayumu, but I'm yuri trash, and it was nice to see her stand out a bit more. She definitely lacks the presence of all the other red-headed centers.

WhiteLens posted...

If they start cracking down on that, I feel like theyre gonna get a lot of complaints from traveling family members or people off to college.

Apparently in some countries Netflix has plan sharing where you pay like $2 or $3 a month and a second household can share your account (they then have their own log in and profiles). Or up to 4 households if you have their highest plan.

I would think when they crack down they will add that to every country.

Sometimes I find it strange when comedies are animated so well. It feels somehow distracting.

must not have watched many Kyoani comedies back in the day...

SockoressKnight posted...

I loved jealous Ayumu, but I'm yuri trash, and it was nice to see her stand out a bit more. She definitely lacks the presence of all the other red-headed centers.

Same. Before All Stars or Anigasaki, I thought Ayumu was really dull. Then those happened and she become one of my favorites (though my actual favorite is still Ai).

And I thought the drama was very natural. You know Ayumu is the jealous type and you see her being visibly distressed whenever Yu talks to another girl, so the build-up was there throughout the entire season. So it's not like the drama near the end was something that came out of the left field.

That said, I don't think Roba would take too kindly of Ayumu saying this in All Stars.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/7/0/AAC8J1AADMUG.jpg

Actually the latest episode in Season 2 is quite related to the topic on hand... But more importantly, it revealed that Shizuku writes AyuSetsu AU fanfics.

I actually feel that Season 2 has been doing better with group interactions, but it's less that all 10 of them interact and more that they interact in smaller groups.

Mac Arrowny posted...

must not have watched many Kyoani comedies back in the day...

Haruhi might still be the only thing I've seen from that studio

pjbasis posted...

Haruhi might still be the only thing I've seen from that studio

Violet Evergarden says you should change that. Clannad too, but it takes forever and a day for that to hit you. I remember both sneaking up on me thinking, "I mean, these were good, but holy crap." The ending of one episodes of both shows had me crying for different reasons.

Haruhi had the Endless Eight. I have never forgiven them for that. I should give Kobayashi another chance some day.

One of these days I'll watch Air and Kanon 2006.

I know the Funimation streams incorrectly puts Kanon as released in 2002, but it's really the 2006 one.

WhiteLens posted...

I actually feel that Season 2 has been doing better with group interactions, but it's less that all 10 of them interact and more that they interact in smaller groups.

That's good to hear!. I'm finally watching the third season of BanG Dream right now but I'll catch up in Niji S2 soon

And I probably shouldn't be so down on Ayumu, but she had multiple opportunities to let Yu speak and she refused every single one! That image of her telling Yohane to burn in hell is amazing, though.

Hey Roba, remember how you mentioned seeing anime that were still with Funimation and not on Crunchyroll that you wanted to watch?

Well for many of them you don't an active subscription (or even an account) to watch them. It looks like it's mainly dubs that are locked behind needing an active subscription.

So you should still be able to watch some of the more newer things on there. Unless they block Canada from seeing them.

There are definitely subtitled ones blocked too without accounts. Uzaki-chan subbed and dubbed is premium only

Huh, you know I never actually tried watching anything on the Funimation website, I just assumed it would be like most other streaming services. In particular I wanted to watch Mieruko-chan because I loved Re-kan. This sounds like a similar thing, only the main girl who can see ghosts is scared of them. It looks like it works, too! Thanks for pointing this out.

Got some new figures!

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/2/6/AAAelnAADMf6.jpg

Okay so I finished Dress Up Darling and then in classic me fashion read the rest of the manga so far (less than I'd have liked, the current anime covers a little over half the available chapters)

A little slow paced overall for my liking but the moments between the two leads are peak romance manga/anime so I will be checking back on this one every so often!

I am currently trying to get back into writing more and could use second monitor content while I plot. I am currently watching ranking of kings. What are some other really good anime released the last few years that have dubs? Would prefer to not be anything too dark but other than that pretty open. I ask for random recs a lot lol, sometimes its for watching with someone else but I am a dork who just likes random shit so give it to me, ty

Well you're off to a good start with Ranking of Kings. Trying not to go too far back, and excluding sequels, stuff without dubs, and real obvious stiff you've definitely heard of.

Odd Taxi
Astra
Beastars
Dorohedoro
Tower of God
Love is War (season 3 airing now, GREAT dub)
Akudama Drive (this one can get pretty dark, though)
Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song (see above)
Jobless Reincarnation (Starts ROUGH, as in "anyone who likes this shit is an asshole" rough, but it gets really good)

Actually Love is War has been on my to do list for my oft delayed but not forgotten waifu rankings. I am dedicated to actually watching everything from that list and that series got like 3 noms...!

... note to self manually add Marin to that.

I will start there and see where it takes me

Thanks to WhiteLens pointing out how Funimation works, I was able to watch Mieruko-chan today!

Along with 'horror' and 'supernatural', MAL lists 'comedy' as one of its genres. I disagree. If there is a joke, it's the same joke over and over. Miko notices a ghost but she can't react or else the ghost will attack her, so she needs to remain calm on the outside while freaking out internally. I guess some might call that funny? There are a few other funny moments, mostly related to her friends, big-eater Hana and exorcist-in-training Yulia. One bit early on involved a groping ghost only Miko could see, and in retrospect that bit of lightheartedness feels very out of place. I wouldn't call this a comedy anime, not at all. It's a horror anime, and I thought it did the horror surprisingly well. A lot of the ghosts were genuinely creepy, both in appearance and in how they acted. What frightened me more than anything, though, was poor Miko's situation.

The poor girl can see ghosts. It also seems like most ghosts can almost sense that she can see them, but they aren't quite sure. So they come closer. They hover near her face, exhaling clouds of what looks like toxic fumes as they probe for reactions. And Miko cannot react. If she so much as waves at a ghost that disguised itself as a human, it will go berserk and attack her. I found quite a few of the scenes genuinely tense. Imagine you're on a crowded train, then a ghost starts walking down the car swinging an axe into people's faces. No one else reacts, of course, but they can't see it. You can see it. And, since you can, will the axe swing harmlessly through your head too? Will it hurt you? You can't get out of the way, because then the ghost will know you see it. So you need to sit there as the ghost moves closer... closer... until you're next. You have no idea what will happen as that phantasmal axe chops down onto your face. And you just need to sit there.

It definitely creeped me out! Miko is stuck in a never-ending real-life horror movie, but she can't flinch at any of the jump scares. She has no actual idea how any of this works. No one can help her. Nothing she tries to ward off the spirits seems to work. There's more than just ghosts out there, too, and not all of the supernatural beings are after her. Some are after her friends.

I went into this hoping to find another Re-kan (and my DVD of that finally arrived, so I'll probably rewatch it soon too). Re-kan was a comedy, one where the ghosts were all friendly and one girl's terror towards them was always treated as a joke. Mieruko-chan isn't a comedy at all, but it does share one nice aspect with Re-kan. Every so often, Re-kan dropped the comedy and had a genuinely touching moment. Mieruko-chan also dropped the horror on a few occasions to have a touching moment with the rare ghosts who weren't insane or evil. I enjoyed those moments a lot too.

I'm not sure many other people would like this, Miko being scared of ghosts happens often enough that one might call it repetitive. I just fell in love with the concept and really enjoyed it the whole way through.

We're almost coming up on 9 months since JoJoLands was announced and no info since then

Can we make it to a full year

Robazoid posted...

MAL lists 'comedy' as one of its genres. I disagree.

I haven't seen this show, but "comedy" is a completely useless tag on anime databases. Pretty much anything that has some humor and isn't 100% serious all the time gets that tag.