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So as not to clutter up the boards with a new thread, I'll just put my newest thoughts here:
So, I was watching some episodes from first season of Code Geass the other day, and an odd thought struck my mind:
"My God! The first season really did things right!"
Incidentally, the episode I was watching was the one where Lelouch apparently learns C.C.'s real name, and uses it. (Only for the audience to not get to hear it, which I found an amusing little trick.)
It's odd to think of, though. Thought the first few episodes of the first season had some annoying pacing problems (I wanted to see the fighting and intrigue, not scenes in a freaking high school!) it actually seems to have gotten pretty good, and seems to have had a decent pacing: Zero and the Black Knights slowly increase their power, and battle the Britannian forces in relatively small, but ever growing engagements where Zero's tactical skills could be best used as a field commander.
In comparison to the second season, where things just got... muddled. Sure, I still ENJOYED the second season, but going back to the first season, I remember why I liked the show to begin with: They still promised to actually reveal cool things, the pacing wasn't nearly as bad, and the show was simply entertaining, with much fewer, though still numerous, characters.
Second season just went crazy with so MANY characters, plot twists, and... ahh, well, it was a trainwreck, but at least it was an enjoyable one.
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Blayne Bradley
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My only and I mean this seriously only issue with Code Geas is that it really gets a bit hard to swallow Lelouch's horrendously bad luck, its like the second he almost wins some sort of deus ex machina kicks him in the balls, a extremely pretty well executed kick in the balls with the best of intentions but in the end of the day you are still walking funny!
Oh gawd how I hate Suzaku. Oh sure its probably because we see things from lelouch's perspective that we sympthasize with him but dear god I hate Suzaku regardless, hes a hypocrite, hes dangerously naive, he suffers from Chronic Backstabbing Disorder! I don't hate him for being a "bad character" I think his characterization is "good" but as a person I extremely dislike him.
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I'm curious if you've added Cowboy Bebop to your "to watch" queue, Blayne. I'm not a huge anime watcher, but it's been my favorite of the ones I've seen. I had thought it was one of the "obvious" or "popular" animes, (otherwise I would have never seen it).
Also, much in the same way "Watchmen" is in Time's top 100 novels of all time, I'd rate Cowboy Bebop in my top 10 TV series of all time. GREAT music.
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Blayne Bradley
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I have a hard time watching shows/movies/etc where Earth has been/will be destroyed and I think something similar happens to Earth, can't explain it but same reason why I've never seen more then an episode of Andromeda.
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Blayne Bradley
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The best reason i think for why i like Bleach is because they don't waste time with filler, their filler in the Anime anyways tends to be considered canon in the Anime, as for example the characters from the Bount arc still make an appearance in the later seasons.
This latest arc with the Zanpactou rebelling is pretty awesome.
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You like Bleach because it doesn't waste time with filler?
Granted, the large amounts of filler aren't completely ignored later, unlike some shows.
But regardless, the show has some SERIOUS pacing problems after the first season. I mean, really, with the number of characters they have, it seems that the plot moves not an inch forward every episode. Can't stand such things. The shounen DBZ-esque formula, especially when coupled with huge casts, really just doesn't cut it for me anymore.
Well, Mahou Sensei Negima is forgiven, but I think there are ulterior motives for my forgiveness there...
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Blayne Bradley
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Okay umm, generally I don't usually venture into fanfiction, Since 90% of it is crud but I think I might very well change my mind now.
I started reading a fanfic webcomic series called "Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi", I used to watched the series PPG as a sort of Guilty Pleasure as it was genuinely funny I discovered this comic on TvTropes so I started reading it at around 11 PM and found myself looking up at the clock at around 5 am and found to my horror that I was horribly behind on sleeping.
It basically takes a number of characters from a number of shows and makes one mega crossover webcomic fanfiction story and works to make them darker and edgier.
I am not adverse to bringing western animation to an anime discussion thread but feel that since the art style is animesque it deserves a mention.
Currently reading "Grim Tales" a spinoff by the same authoer by Vinson Ngo aka "Bleedman".
They are worth a read and are pretty awesome, the characters are believeable and "in character" give or take their implied backstory development, Dexter from Dexter's Lab is cooler though at a price that I found rather tear jerking and didn't cue evil laughter from myself as I had for so long expected of such circumstances.
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Blayne Bradley
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Currently watching Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Its pretty effed up and I'm only in the second episode.
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Okay umm, generally I don't usually venture into fanfiction, since 90% of it is crud but I think I might very well change my mind now.
Is this a deliberate attempt at the funny, or do you just not know about Sturgeon's law?
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Blayne Bradley
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quote:Originally posted by King of Men:
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Okay umm, generally I don't usually venture into fanfiction, since 90% of it is crud but I think I might very well change my mind now.
Is this a deliberate attempt at the funny, or do you just not know about Sturgeon's law?
That was what I was precisely referring to. The fancomic made me decide to look into the recommended 10%.
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Anyway, I have Higurashi. Fun, fun series. For some reason it makes me rather manic and giggly watching certain scenes. But then, I do tend to have a rather morbid sense of humor.
You should hear me talking about the plot of the Seventh Seal.
But yeah. You'll get it. Eventually. Sort of. Just enjoy the ride.
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Blayne Bradley
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It also makes me manic and giggly, MST3K mantra and all, "Oh your screwed now boy" all the times ive said it so far I should be rich if i got a dollar each time. The shows not bad so it wierdly follows enough of the horror tropes that somethings are comfortingly predictable and thus funny and creepy and scary at the same time and Im still not understanding, first its 4 years now 5...
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Blayne Bradley
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Currently reading Misfile a very interesting animesque webcomic. Currently taking a break from Higurashi as it harder then I thought to read subs and a webcomic at same time.
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Blayne Bradley
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Finsihed my archive binge, back onto Higurashi, I started writing up a chart to see if I can catch some kind of common thread or key difference, the scenario seems to keep changing and new people introduced each chapter though so its hard.
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Blayne Bradley
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Okay here's what I have determined so far:
Keichii seems to be fulfilling the same role as Satoshi who disappeared sometime before he arrived and seems to be slightely before he dies in each arc to be doing roughly the exact same things th same way as Satoshi.
The Cotton float festival happens each time.
Seems that Keichii is in each arc introduced to new characters but seems to know them without introduction in the subsequent one with exceptions such as having to be reintroduced to the Policeman.
The Cameraman and the lady who gangs out him ALWAYS seem to get killed (Although they don't seem to be dead yet in #3, correction cameraman has died).
It seems a different scenario each arc, seems a different character of his friends is involved in some sort of far flung plot.
Still figuring things out.
Damnit, just when I thought I was about to figure something out I get my feet pulled out from under me. Damnit.
Watching the second one now... not so good Posts: 1574 | Registered: May 2008
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Blayne Bradley
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I actually started with the second season it was just about the same as the first.
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Blayne Bradley
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Okay review time, Higurashi no naku koro ni.
A challenge to review as Hatrack's TOS prevents me from swearing for emphasis but I will give it a shot. Awesome awesome anime though when you watch it keep in mind you will not be able to figure most of it out until the relevent answer arcs... in the second season but anyways.
Firstly its a mind screw anime and possibly the best one I have ever seen with the possible exception for Lain, lets just say they are competing neck and neck, Higurashi probably wins from simply being longer and yet keeping the same density of mind screw.
The plot goes and beware spoilers that the anime operates on a groundhog/alternate timeline loop where the characters essentially repeat the same month again and again until one of the characters can finally get a happy ending, lets just say "Decoy Protagonist" and leave it at that. Probably the minimum yould need to understand why each story arc begins and ends the way it does. Essentially each story arc with three main variations begins roughly the same with Maebara-keichii moving into the village and making friends with everyone and then every starts to end badly and then ends even worse.
So why is it a good anime? Its genuinely scary nearly every moment in the horror parts are high octane nightmare fuel although the transition between the "humor" slapstick segments and the horror can be heard with an almost audible clunk this works to the anime's credit to where it worked against "F.E.A.R". Accompanied by the occasional moment of true heartwarming at times until its brutally ripped away from you again and again and when you think it couldn't get worse... it does.
An anime that can is both obviously scary but also genuinely depressing and profound when you stop to think about it, and just how bad it is for some characters is truly heart breaking. The murders are gruesome and the plot so dense that I had to draw out a chart to keep track of things but in a good way as it was because I had to do so I could try and genuinely wanted to try solving the mystery in between arcs not because I needed it to figure out what is happening right now, while it is impossible to fully figure it all out you can at least hazard a few pretty good geusses and get somewhat close to it all.
I'm told that there is a visual novel series of games that the series is based off of which would be awesome to get.
A genuinely great anime that you will need to watch both seasons, Ni and Kai to fully get if you haven't already with a bunch of side stories in Rei to further your enjoyment.
posted
There's another anime by the same group showing right now -- Umineko no naku koro ni. You should check it out.
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Blayne Bradley
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Gah! Could be wrong but I think Rika may or may not be losing all of her memories of the whole 100 years ordeal and Hanyuu might disappear, the lines are ambiguous but I hope it isn't so.
Other question, Hanyuu was around and corporeal in the last bit of Kai but went back to I geuss the spirit world in Rei why she do that and how come no one notices -.-
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I still wonder if anyone knows any good visual novels that aren't just porn...
Blayne? You seem to have a knack for ranting endlessly about stuff I happen to also like. Know about Fate/stay night, or any other visual novels?
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Blayne Bradley
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the visual novels for higurashi appear to be good and fill in more of the story thus far with extra arcs. But I've never read any, also I have yet to muddle through fate Stay Night.
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Some REALLY good Sci-Fi shows you should watch:
Heroic Age: My favorite Space Opera. It has what I consider the best soundtrack of any anime I have seen. It just came out here in the US a few months back.
Noein: Deals with space time and physics. A group comes to another dimension/ time line to find a girl that could save their own dimension. Very enjoyable
Ergo Proxy: A post apocolyptic anime. Very dark and serious. Think I Robot meets Wolf's Rain (If you have seen that anime)
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Blayne Bradley
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Seen Noein, it was awesome, very Higurashi-ish in some elements.
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Huh. I just found the word count of the visual novel I'm reading.
Over 800,000 words, total. No wonder I've been reading awhile. It really IS that long.
...this thing is significantly longer than War and Peace...
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Blayne Bradley
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War and Peace is a pocket book, Ive had it fit in my pocket, any harry potter book past book 3 is large inho, with any one of Hubbards Mission Earth averaging those and beating them in some cases, 2.8 million words.
I wonder where I can find Higurashi's visual novels.
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Its so cute you think that. I'm in an anime club with one of the people in a group that translated them Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Blayne Bradley
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quote:Originally posted by fugu13: Its so cute you think that. I'm in an anime club with one of the people in a group that translated them
Doesn't help me does it if its not on the internet?
the visual novel/game Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is not availiable in english anywhere in full I looked and MangaGamer has yet to release their localization of it yet.
The only fansub I have found has only translated 1/4 of it. If you have a link provide it, otherwise the random works of a random university club is not my concern or helpful.
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Blayne Bradley
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Is it wrong of me to ship Hinata and Naruto because of eugenics? Seriously Byakugan + Determinator/Lots of Chakra thats gotta be a good combination.
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Blayne Bradley
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Just saw Studio ghibli's Lupin III Castle of Caligoristo and its damn awesome and funny.
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Blayne Bradley
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Reading a dark Higurashi-like manga Mirai Nikki.
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Is it wrong of me to ship Hinata and Naruto because of eugenics? Seriously Byakugan + Determinator/Lots of Chakra thats gotta be a good combination.
No. I think it would be wrong of you to ship Neji/Hina for that reason.
I read a hilarious fanfic once that had the couples paired up based on eugenics.
Sasu/Hina: Sharingan+Byakugan Shika/Saku: Brains. 'Nuff said Lee/Tenten: Taijutsu
I'd probably add:
Neji/Ino: Lie-detector + mind-reader Naru/Tema: Dunno. Just makes sense to me. Huge chakra reserves and summoning capabilities.
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