The Anime/Manga/Related Merchandise Thread

The pillar men have arrived!  I think this series is reinvigorating my interest in anime.

Also how did I know that this theme was from Jojo years ago despite it being used completely out of context in a random shitpost?

Just wait until Part 3 - the amount of memes and shitposts that suddenly made sense were staggering.

You're in for some great moments now that the Pillar Men have awakened! I need to get back to JoJo's myself. I've not been keeping up with my weekly shows... I've been a bit lax with that which is criminal considering how good Mob Psycho 100 and Kaguya have been.

I never did go into what I really loved about Broly.

What did I love most about it? Aside from the fact that the entire film was one giant love-letter to the franchise with stunning animation? The humanity of the story it told. It's not often that a Dragon Ball-anything has nuance and depth to it, and yet both are present in the movie in spades.

From the look into the life of the Saiyans as a species, where we saw that the "warrior race" was only one aspect of a larger society (one whose average combat power mandated most to use machinery for its power more than warriors like Raditz and Vegeta) through to Broly himself.

Ah, and what about Broly! I never liked Broly in the older movies. He was a boring villain, billed as berserk because of his overwhelming and ever-rising power, and yet most of the movies were him very consciously and maliciously beating the heroes down because Goku cried as a baby (there's a reason Team Four Star didn't alter Broly's backstory in their movie! It was already a parody!) Here we have a Broly that both delivers what the original promised, an uncontrollable berserker so powerful he cannot control himself and a person who was as much a victim as anything else.

His story was a tragic one, a gentle person forced to fight until he snaps. Having never grown up in an environment where fighting could be a joy he loses himself, posing a threat to himself and everyone around him.

And therein lies the movies biggest strength. It was never about Broly being a villain, nor whether the good guys could win. The stakes were far more personal and heartfelt. Would Broly, this tormented being who never knew a day of kindness in his life, survive himself and the powers he was having thrown at him.

Frieza returning as the role of grand master of evil was great, even greater however was that he has learned. He had no intention of either encountering Goku and Vegeta nor provoking them and fighting them. He only meddles, and sets things in motion, but has learned not to get so caught up in his own arrogance as to fight his most despised beings head-on.

The Frieza in this movie was a return of form for the character. Utterly ruthless, calculating, and incredibly cruel. Any fears I had after the Universe Survival arc of their "redeeming" him have been laid to rest. And did anyone else catch the possible hint that they might bring Cooler into canon next?

So yeah, all of that is why I really loved the movie. The action sequences were the best we've ever had, both in choreography and animation. The attention paid to the differences between how Goku and Vegeta fight was refreshing to see, too often in Super the two basically fight the same. Here they were distinctly different, Vegeta fighting like a pro boxer, waiting, feinting, and delivering absolutely crushing blows in openings (his complete lack of showing off and his quick dissection of his opponent was also a fantastic way of showing his growth and maturity as a person without actually saying anything. Showing rather than telling at its finest!). While Goku had much more of a flow to his actions, often using Broly's own momentum against him. You-Know-Who's style being a blending of those two styles was another fantastic nod that truly set the action apart from the rest of the franchise.

Th other thing that was great about the action was how it brought back the scale of the fights from Z. Super too often didn't show any real scale to the fights. Destruction was often lowscale. Whereas in Z we frequently were given shows of the effects on the surrounding landscape the fights were having. Broly brought that back with a vengeance, people got punched through mountains of ice, the area was ripped apart and razed from the ferocity of the battles, and everything felt like it had a colossal scale. These people truly felt like they were capable of destroying the entire planet, maybe even the solar system, if they let themselves go.

Lastly they did You-Know-Who justice at long last.

Spoiler:

I fully expected the movie to end with Goku going MUI and beating Broly that way. Seeing that not happen, and indeed even seeing him briefly tap into Ultra Instinct and fail to even enter the form (during his SSB transformation sequence), was honestly satisfying for me. It's always more satisfying when a climax is resolved using pre-established concepts in a new way.

Man, I'm such an idiot. I think I've missed Broly in theatres now and everyone makes it sound aces.

It really was the best Dragon Ball movie by far - I think what stood out for me besides the gorgeous animation and overall redemption of the former dumpster fire named Broly was the fact that the movie did a great job of incorporating that Marvel style humour of punctuating the action with some brilliant quips and funny moments. It made what could have been a long drawn out scrap into a pacey and engaging battle.

Spoiler for a joke from the movie:

On a totally unrelated note, you all really really need to be watching Mob Psycho 100. I can say with certainty that it's my favourite anime of all time now. Funny in the way that only ONE (of One Punch Man fame) can be. Jaw dropping thanks to the animation talent at BONES. And genuinely emotional in a way that I didn't expect an anime that seemed to be more akin with a shounen battle anime than anything else to be.

Get it watched.

Most of the anime I've been watching are coming to an end or have

Reincarnated as a Slime 24/24, Started off great but wasn't as keen on last few episodes but am looking forward to Season 2
Quintuplets 10/12
Endro 10/12
My roommate is a cat 11/12

Now I could go back to Boogiepop and Magical Girl Asuka but I stopped watching for a reason, however, Funimation have added a bunch of new shows for spring

Fruits Basket which I have heard off and has an 8.09 on MAL
Wise Man's Grandchild 7.73
Isekai Quartet 7.59
Fairy Gone 6.71
The Helpful Fox Senko-san 7.86
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World 6.55
Afterlost 6.07
RobiHachi 6.28
Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life 7.36
MIX 7.10

Anyone watched any of these or know anything about them?

With a lot coming to end I was considering cancelling my Funimation and not starting any of these new shows instead using the codes Jay sent me for Crunchy especially now with One Punch Man along with things like Shield Hero but Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 is coming to Funimation soon

Yeah, this is the first season where I've noticed the impact of Funi and Crunchyroll splitting up. I'm just streaming the free episodes on FuniNOW for the time being, but I might go for a subscription if there's enough on there that I'm fussed for.

Why not just watch the free episodes on Crunchyroll, Mas? Most of the Winter 2019 shows will be up ad-supported now, I'd imagine.

Oh, I'll do a little Winter 2019 round up and then what I'm going to check out or have already started in Spring 2019.

Winter Round Up:

Spring 2019 Shows:

Yeah, I could watch with ads and do vice-verse to you or I could just sub as a fiver isn't much (I also still have your codes). It's more down to content as I could watch Kaguya-sama: Love is War on Crunchy but then I'm not watching any of the new shows on FUN and I've still not touched loads on Netflix like Ultraman, Steins;Gate and even beyond anime.

I even was talking to a guy in work how the PS4 won't pass the PS2 and nothing will, which he was a tad shocked as surely more gamers now but my argument how much content is there now to consume.

Anyway going a bit off subject but I should be checking out from this past season:
Kaguya-sama: Love is War
Run with the Wind
The Promised Neverland
Rising of the Shield Hero

Then from the upcoming/started:
Fruits Basket seems to be the one from the new ones on FUN then

I might give the 7+ on MAL shows ago on both services, so why Afterlost getting a possible watch from you Jay? Also, am I right thinking Carole and Tuesday is from Watanabe?

I liked the sound of the premise for Afterlost - I think the first episode of up for free on Funi, so I'll be checking that out soon enough. I'll give it the ol 3 episode rule and drop it if it's not holding my attention after that.

I've already got We Never Learn earmarked for being dropped - it's generic harem trash and I'm bored out of my skull watching it. It's got one more episode to hold my attention.

I started Fruits Basket a few weeks ago and very enjoyable.

As we're a few weeks into things this season, I had a look on MAL and the only other show with a decent review (that looks interesting) score is The Helpful Fox Senko-san which is very sort of slice of life waifu comedy thing.

Those are the new shows as do have AOT Season 3 Part 2 which I'm yet to start as only one episode is in English at the moment, then there is Shield Hero which only just come to FUN and has like 19 Episodes that I'm waiting till my holiday to binge watch it.

FUN has just added a bunch of movies like Akira, Summer Wars, some Ghost in the Shell stuff that I may give them all a watch at some point as well.

Whilst I'm here did anyone watch the Anime Godzilla Trilogy on Netflix?

I've really not been keeping up with anime this season - none of the new shows really gripped me. AoT S3.5 has been outstanding though - highly recommended. OPM S2... ehhh, not so much, but it's been fine.

Just finished Aggretsuko Season 2 on Netflix, which I didn't even know was out and saw it was on it as I was going to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion which I'm just starting episode 6.

Finished AoT S3 P2, really interested too see where it goes from here.

I'm still slowly going through Neon Genesis but wondering if anything from this season worth watching.

I heard about a few like that Fire Force (I think it's called that) and Dr Stone.

Ohh Fruits Basket is still going as well.

I'm really behind on my anime - I've not even finished the shows I started from last season, let alone started anything new. I finished OPM S2, so that was a thing. The story carried that show towards the end as the animation wasn't there compared to the beautiful battles from S1. A bit of a shame, that. It felt rushed in parts.

For this season, I've heard good things about Fire Force and Dr. Stone, like you mentioned. Vinland Saga was a most wanted adaptation for years - think it's on Prime if you fancy checking that out.

What did you think of where AoT is heading then, Mas? Chuck it in a spoiler box - I'd be interested to know your thoughts!

I still haven't caught up with AoT. Digimon's the only anime I'm still up with! I need to be in the right mindset to return to AoT, I think: it's a bit grim otherwise.

Spoiler:

I might check out the shows (not huge an of the art-style of Dr Stone) then but I'm not getting Prime just for the one series and sounds like I've not missed much with OPMS2.

bEEn enjoying soe animated maids porno latelyt. TOP notch

What was in those beers!?

masofdas wrote:

but I'm not getting Prime just for the one series and sounds like I've not missed much with OPMS2.

There's some other anime on Prime worth watching like Your Name (a film, to be precise), Inuyashiki Last Hero and Iroduku: The World in Colours. Pretty much all of the Pokémon anime is up on there too, if I recall correctly.

I really need to get back to Jojo's Memetic Adventure. Although first I need to watch Haruhi in memory of KyoAni. And then there's the Digimon thing. I forget what the exact term is for that effect where a human who has too many choices struggles to make even one, but that thing is really annoying right now. Sometimes I miss the days of my childhood where I was lucky to have one game, book, tv series, or anime to watch or play at any one time.

It's just time I've not got Jay as they're too many games and shows like Steins;Gate on Netflix that I need to watch first.

I've finished Neon Genesis the series and I've got no idea what actually happened, I will watch the two films sometime soon especially as I'm on holiday next week

Athrun888 wrote:

I forget what the exact term is for that effect where a human who has too many choices struggles to make even one, but that thing is really annoying right now.

Analysis paralysis apparently. Clearly the only good answer is to let your decision be swayed by me and watch Digimon.

masofdas wrote:

I've finished Neon Genesis the series and I've got no idea what actually happened...

Yes this is common.

masofdas wrote:

It's just time I've not got Jay as they're too many games and shows like Steins;Gate on Netflix that I need to watch first.

Yes, absolutely watch Steins;Gate first.

Hello? It's me again. We're close to rescuing another lost lamb. Day by day the influence of The Organisation is loosening, soon we shall be able to initiate plan Radiant Dawn. El. Psy. Kongroo.

Steins;Gate is one of the few series I'd honestly give a 10/10, so much to love in the show and so much of it is well done. I'll warn Mas now that it's a veeeery slow start, but well worth the investment. Indeed the payoff is largely effective because of the slow start.

masofdas wrote:

I've finished Neon Genesis the series and I've got no idea what actually happened, I will watch the two films sometime soon especially as I'm on holiday next week

CONGRATULATIONS

With that you have now been fully initiated into the world of anime!  Next part of the indoctrination will require you to find your very own waifu.  

Jokes aside you'll probably be left scratching your head just as much by End of Evangelion (the real ending to the series.  Death & Rebirth is just a recap film you can skip).  But for different reasons.  The final two episodes of the show are a metaphorical interpretation of the ending, End of Evangelion is what's actually happening.  It's equally as mindf***ey (and absolutely and mercilessly brutal.  One scene in particular I'd say still remains one of the most brutal things I've seen), and odds are you'll want to read some breakdowns of it after watching to understand what happened.  

Balladeer wrote:

Analysis paralysis apparently.  Clearly the only good answer is to let your decision be swayed by me and watch Digimon.

Yep, that's the one.  It's why I tend to plan out things like shopping well in advance.  Digimon might have to wait for Haruhi though, after that awful incident in Japan a few weeks back I've been wanting to give the works of KyoAni that I missed a watch as a way of remembering the good they did for the world.  And both are going to have to wait for me to finish Nier Automata (which is also keeping my purchase of a Switch game on hold).