What anime are we watching this summer? Why?

"SpaceGirl" <nothespacegirlspam@subhuman.net> wrote in message
news:6gu9i1Fhg7qdU1@mid.individual.net...[color=blue]
> Abraham Evangelista wrote:
>[color=green]
>> At the risk of the jokes this question will doubtlessly inspire,
>> you'll have to answer one question before we can kick some sci-fi in
>> your direction.
>>
>> Do you like it hard or soft?[/color]
>
> LOL!!
>
> Well, truth be told... ah nevermind.
>
> I'm a serious SF buff, so I like everything for Serial Experiments Lain,
> Patlabor and Ergo Proxy (which I particularly adored) to Death Note and
> Wolfs Rain. Everything in between is fine. I have a soft spot for female
> protagonists too.[/color]

Hmm. I'm currently watching the anime Noein, which has the premise that in
the obligatory ravaged post-apocalyptic future, certain people are searching
the past for a key to (avoid?/fix?) whatever it is that caused the
devastation (which appears to be connected to truly creepy otherdimensional
invaders from what they call Shangri-La). One of the main characters stars
twice, as both his future emo badass self and his modern-time emo
not-so-badass self, both of whom pretty instantly hate each other.

I'm only at the second volume, so I can't say a huge amount about it, but
it's got a pretty strong female protagonist (who is very proactive and not
just a pawn pushed around by the super-powered future invaders), and is
pretty interesting overall, though a little disjointed at first. It also has
a peculiar habit of completely changing artstyles on a regular basis, from
scene to scene and sometimes within the same scene. All in all I find it
pretty interesting, though it's definitely not "hard" sci-fi. Six volumes
total.

-
Blade

Galen wrote:
[color=blue]
>For myself:[/color]

Currently buying or preordered

R2 Japan Kaiba
R1 US Black Lagoon2, Claymore



downloading and partially watching

Allison & Lillia
Daughter of 20 faces
Himitsu
Kara no Kyoukai
Mnemosyne
Real drive
Saiunkoku 2
Wagaya




additional watching

Gurren Lagann (for fanservice reasons only)
Ponyo
Shinigami no Ballad live action



waiting for a purchaseable release

Sky Crawlers
GitS 2.0

--
"onna youjinbou? sore wa taihen na shigoto desu ne"
(Female bodyguard? That's a terrible occupation, isnt't it?)
(2nd Queen in "Seirei no Moribito")

On Mon, 18 Aug 2008, "Blade" <kumonryuu@hotmail.com> recommended:[color=blue]
>Hmm. I'm currently watching the anime Noein, which has the premise that in
>the obligatory ravaged post-apocalyptic future, certain people are searching
>the past for a key to (avoid?/fix?) whatever it is that caused the
>devastation (which appears to be connected to truly creepy otherdimensional
>invaders from what they call Shangri-La).[/color]

You get the basic conflict within four eps, which is a nice bit of
plot pacing, but the details and twists are metered out gradually.
There's no sudden info-dump in the last couple of eps, like (oh),
"Photon," "Tenchi Muyo" OAV 3, or (for certain threads) "RahXephon."
[color=blue]
>One of the main characters stars twice, as both his future emo badass
>self and his modern-time emo not-so-badass self, both of whom pretty
>instantly hate each other.[/color]

There's more to that dynamic. Just wait. :)
[color=blue]
>I'm only at the second volume, so I can't say a huge amount about it, but
>it's got a pretty strong female protagonist (who is very proactive and not
>just a pawn pushed around by the super-powered future invaders),[/color]

The female protagonist, middle-schooler Haruka, is fun to be around:
upbeat, optimistic, energetic, but not saccharine or insane. And her
friends are similarly coherent (they're a *bit* more prone to facial
wildtakes and overreacting). The character stylings are new and
different. On the downside, there's rather a lot of expositing
between characters later on.

(Yurie from "Kamichu!" could take some pointers from Haruka about not
lazing around.)
[color=blue]
>It also has a peculiar habit of completely changing artstyles on a
>regular basis, from scene to scene and sometimes within the same scene.[/color]

A bit of "Aeon Flux" technique there, IMHO. This continues to be used
for fight scenes between the Dragon Knights.
[color=blue]
>pretty interesting, though it's definitely not "hard" sci-fi.
>Six volumes total.[/color]

I recently finished viewing it through Netflix (24 eps on 5 discs).

It's another in the "quantum multiverse" genre of SF, which would
include the Dan Simmons novels _Illium_ and _Olympos_ and the anime...
dang, I'm sure I recently saw another anime with this premise. Didn't
I write a list somewhere?
** Phillip Thorne ** [email]pethorne@comcast.net[/email] **************
* RPI CompSci 1998 *
** underbase.livejournal.com ***************************

Let's check the Netflix queue...

"Aquarion" (26 eps on 2 sets of 3 discs; reviewed on Sci Fi Weekly).
Another "ancient mecha with teen pilots rediscovered to fight the
return of eldritch adversaries," but with extra artsiness. A couple
of twists on the usual combining-mecha formula: there are three
components, but at least nine pilots, and depending who operates which
and how they combine, the exact combat abilities vary. Merging
(gattai!) is totally a sexual single entendre ("Ooh, it feels so
*good*!") which just *cannot* be taken seriously. Also reincarnation,
incestuous desires, and yaoi.

(According to the extras, Shoji Kawamori prototyped the Aquarion mecha
using LEGO bricks.)


"Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden" seasons 1 and 2 (13 eps on 3 discs
each, plus a 1-ep Summer Special). Retired combat android insinuates
herself as the maid to middle-schooler Suguru Misato, as secret
penance for killing his father, her commander, in the line of duty;
learns what it is to be human. A positively *ridiculous* amount of
boobie fan service. The second season (now with fewer GAINAX
animation stylings!) finally explains the nature of the conflict
between Mahoro's clandestine force, VESPER, and the aliens known as
Saint; but most of the eps are slice-of-life comedy. (It's not the
usual invasion.)

("Perverted things are bad!" We finally learn the origin of Mahoro's
objection to skin mags in the Summer Special.)


"Stratos 4": Earth enters a zone of heavy comet activity and
establishes a system of "Comet Busters" and "Meteor Sweepers" to
deflect them. (It's like "Dragonriders of Pern" with jets and cute
girls!) The female protagonist is a trainee with a burning desire to
go into space, but unfortunately, she's a little irresponsible.
Ongoing hints that it's an invasion of body-snatchers (which is the
only reason I'm sticking with it). Unfortunately I rather doubt a
quasi-military organization, even one with an intercept base on a
tropical island near Okinawa, would garb its female members in skirts
quite that short (especially in microgravity) or let them have a
side-job as Chinese food delivery girls. Sixteen eps on 4 discs;
unfortunately, the last one is "Very Long Wait" on Netflix.

(There is also an extremely rotund cat who enjoys sitting on sleeping
people.)


"Galaxy Angel," "A," "AA," "Z," and "Rune." I found this listed on
TVTropes.org under the "lost technology" genre, but it's no "Stargate
SG-1." It's mostly madcap absurd adventures (15-minute half-eps) with
a poorly-integrated team of female operatives. Mostly annoying, but
some of the genre-parodies are pretty good. "Rune" has the same
premise but inserts a new set of girls who cover the span of character
traits in a different mix (and features an icky transvestite
house-mother).

(Also, I now understand a pair of entries in the 2007 Worldcon
Masquerade.)


"Tenchi Muyo" OAV 3. (And 14 years since I saw the first OAV at
college! Ouch.) Watched for the mythology and worldbuilding, which is
mostly crammed into the first and seventh eps. And to figure out some
of the stuff in "Tenchi Muyo GXP," which I watched for the same
reason, much to my regret. The romantic comedy (now with even more
women!) takes up the balance; which is, I suppose, par for the course
for this writing team.

The new CGI model of Ryo-ohki-the-ship does not match the original cel
animation model -- she's now entirely dark crystal, instead of
alternating crystal and rough grey stone.


"Captain Herlock: The Legend Returns" (2002). By everything that's
bright and beautiful, this is *booooring*. How does Leiji Matsumoto
keep producing this stuff? Dropped after one disc.

(The giant bayonet on the _Arcadia_ was pretty cool.)

--
** Phillip Thorne ** [email]pethorne@comcast.net[/email] **************
* RPI CompSci 1998 *
** underbase.livejournal.com ***************************

On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:41:52 -0400, "Dave Baranyi"
<a_nospam.b_nospam@sym_nos_p_am_atico.ca> wrote:
[color=blue]
>[color=green]
>> Sasami's Magical Girl Club - recently released on R1 DVD.
>>[/color]
>
>Since you are the resident Magical Girl guru at r.a.a.m. you need to watch
>this for completeness sake, but I don't envy you.[/color]

I should mention, after rewatching season 2 raws,
it is different than I remember it; the conflict is between
the magical girls and the witches, and not between the
two worlds with the magical girls in the middle.

-Galen

"Dave Baranyi" <a_nospam.b_nospam@sym_nos_p_am_atico.ca> wrote in message
news:48a87f01$0$19369$834e42db@reader.greatnowhere.com...

[color=blue][color=green]
>> Haruka's Secret - I don't really like this show, but I watch it
>> for the cognitive dissonance. ("Why is he escorting the transfer
>> student home and not the girl who is here with her family?",
>> they ask.)
>>[/color]
>
> Ask anyone who has seriously dated an Italian girl - it's no fun hanging
> around when all the Family is there.[/color]

Ask Nagasumi, it's no fun hanging around when the Family is there.

"D B Malmquist" <d.b.malmquist@com.swap-com-and-rcn.rcn> wrote in message
news:48A8F241.C57295A1@com.swap-com-and-rcn.rcn...[color=blue]
> Galen wrote:[color=green]
>>[/color]
>
> Recent DVD orders:
>
> "Zegapain" - ordered all six disks from RightStuf during the last Bandai
> sale; the last three are still on backorder after nearly three weeks...
> A mecha show whose primary emotion is existential melancholy rather than
> angst, I am finding it more powerful and bittwesweet with each episode.
> The actual mecha fighting is de-emphasized in favor of character
> development,
> which is fine with me.
>
> "Madlax" - because it was really cheap, and I liked the soundtrack, and
> Andrew Hollingbury recommended it. So far (I'm halfway through) it's OK
> for marathoning when you're bored
>
> US Cable TV:
>
> "Bleach". For the plot, and because I hope Orihime eventually turns out
> to be God.[/color]

She already is, in my book.
[color=blue]
> "Code Geass". I just learned today that, while the original character
> designs are by CLAMP, the animation character designs are by Takahiro
> Kimura (Betterman, Gaogaigar, GunXSword). This combo explains quite a
> bit about the appeal of the show.[/color]

This show will piss you off.
[color=blue]
> "Gurren Lagann" - the SciFi channel's broadcast format, and the dub, are
> somehow sucking a lot of the manic energy out of the show, which is one
> of the things that made the first dozen episodes so much fun. Maybe I
> should skip the broadcasts and get the sub-only DVDs?[/color]

This show wins my award for the title most singable to "Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles."

<s>
[color=blue]
> "Macross Frontier" - An intricate Rube-Goldberg construct that aims for
> the same territory as "Overman King Gainer" and falls a little short.
> Also, Ranka is cute, "Aimo" is beautiful, and "What 'bout my star?" is
> maniacally catchy. I wonder if I should go back and watch the original
> "Macross"? I never saw "Robotech" when it was broadcast in the US.[/color]

No love for Diamond Cravasse?
[color=blue]
> "Mission-E". For the skinsuited, curvy, tsundere Rally Vincent clone.
>
> "Yakushiji Ryoko's Case Files" - for Ryoko. This is what happens when
> a tsundere grows up and decides she both enjoys controlling other people,
> and has a real talent for it.
>
> "Wagaya no Oinari-sama" - because it is OK, which made it well above
> average for the winter & spring crop of shows.[/color]

Oh, come on. It's just plain good fun. No excuses needed. Though a little
more fanservice wouldn't hurt.
[color=blue]
> "World Destruction" slumps further and further into failure with each
> episode. A Production IG show that feels like a GONZO show. The lead
> female is named "Death". She fights with a bat'leth and hopes to commit
> genocide, but all she does is hang out with a couple of nice guys and
> wander around and accidentally help people.
> I should stop watching this, but there are occasional flashes of brilliant
> character art and animation.[/color]

I'm mainly following it to see if they can come up with a good reason for it
all. In other words, morbid curiosity. No pun intended.
[color=blue][color=green]
>> For myself:
>> Net Ghost PiPoPa - the story of a Magical Girl who happens
>> to be a guy. I like this series because it has human characters -
>> they're flawed, but work through it. Not subbed. For young children.
>>
>> Haruka's Secret - I don't really like this show, but I watch it
>> for the cognitive dissonance. ("Why is he escorting the transfer
>> student home and not the girl who is here with her family?",
>> they ask.)[/color]
>
> The male lead is almost too much of a non-loser. He always seems to
> know what to say, and is never conflicted.[/color]

Refreshing, isn't it? That, alone makes it worth it. The wish-fulfillment
is just extra. Come on, wouldn't most of the guys here love to be in his
shoes?

"Rob Kelk" <robkelk@deadspam.com> wrote in message
news:48a9e609.1450578@news.individual.net...[color=blue]
> On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:10:53 -0400, Galen <galen@nekomimicon.net> wrote:[/color]
[color=blue]
> Current-series Downloads:
>
> * Daughter of Twenty Faces (I know it's not everybody's cup of tea, but
> I'm enjoying it)[/color]

I loved it until the shark jumping. It's starting to get its feet back,
though. We'll see hao it goes from here.
[color=blue]
> * Slayers Revolution (my "guilty pleasure" for this season - after the
> disaster that was the last movie, Lina and the gang are back in full
> form!)[/color]

Except Lina, who has never been full of form.

On Aug 18, 5:57*pm, SpaceGirl <nothespacegirls...@subhuman.net> wrote:[color=blue]
> Abraham Evangelista wrote:[color=green]
> > At the risk of the jokes this question will doubtlessly inspire,
> > you'll have to answer one question before we can kick some sci-fi in
> > your direction.[/color]
>[color=green]
> > Do you like it hard or soft?[/color]
>
> LOL!!
>
> Well, truth be told... ah nevermind.
>
> * I'm a serious SF buff, so I like everything for Serial Experiments
> Lain, Patlabor and Ergo Proxy (which I particularly adored) to Death
> Note and Wolfs Rain. Everything in between is fine. I have a soft spot
> for female protagonists too.[/color]

I wouldn't call Death Note SF. :-)

But if you're looking for serious SF with a female protagonist,
PlanetES would be right up your alley. Here's the primer
description:

PLANETES

In the relatively near future, space debris has become a problem
to mankind's continuing expansion into the stars. PLANETES follows the
adventures of the Debris Section of Technora Corp, a space-based
company, after the arrival of idealistic new recruit Ai Tanabe. The
misfit staff - including the slacker Hachimaki, tragic ferret-obsessed
Yuri and the heavy smoker Fee - make the most of their job, which is
laughed at by the rest of the company, but Tanabe's arrival catalyses
changes which will see the Debris Section become important to
mankind's survival in space.

PLANETES is basically Patlabor in space, where the sci-fi setting
serves mostly as a background to an excellent character drama laced
with wry humour (however, the space aspect is realised more accurately
than in many shows - the ships make no sound in a vacuum, for
example!). Whilst slow - the first half develops the characters before
a real over-arching plot develops about halfway through - the writing
is exquisitely judged, with plot developments relying on the series as
a whole, and generally winning characters (although some may find
Tanabe's optimism wearing at least to begin with).

PLANETES is licensed by Bandai for release in Region 1 around June
2005, with the manga already available in full from Tokyopop.

[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]

Since you seem to tolerate mecha, you might find Zegapain worthwhile
as well. Again a primer description:

Zegapain

Fundamentally, there are mecha anime, and then there are Sunrise
mecha anime, and the TV Tokyo/Sunrise mecha anime Zegapain is no
exception. Sunrise has a tradition of bringing top rate animation,
evocative themes, beautiful girls and complicated plots to its mecha
anime, and we have all those and more in this new series.

In the near future, first-year high-school student Kyou Sogoru is
trying to start a competitive swim team at his school, but his former
teammates from middle school are mad at him and no longer want to swim
with him. Never-the-less Kyou continues to go to the school's swimming
pool to practice, where one day he sees a stunningly beautiful girl
make a perfect dive off of the high board. But the girl disappears
after hitting the water, and when Kyou dives in to find her, she
suddenly reappears underwater, kisses him, and Kyou then finds himself
in what appears to be a very realistic mecha fighting game, with the
girl, Shizuno Misaki, sitting behind him, telling him how to control
the weapons of the mecha. But the more that Kyou plays the "Zegapain
game", the more he realizes that the world that he lives in seems to
be less real than the game.

Thus starts a mysterious, touching and bittersweet post-
apocalyptic story of love that survives death and life that survives
time. Nothing and no one is what they first seem in this story that is
equal parts a story of human hopes and dreams, a story of the end of
time and beyond, and a story of the power of love. And at the same
time this is also a rousing tale of heroic action. Zegapain is an
outstanding anime that is definitely "not your father's mecha series".

To a much greater degree than its titular mechas, Zegapain deals
heavily with subjects like quantum computing and artificial
intelligence. Its treatment of the A.I. is top-notch; the concepts
thrown around in Zegapain, such as "entangle", "wet" and "dry" damage,
Deutera, and transmission losses, are used accurately according to the
real-world concepts they describe, and are incredibly spot-on for a
mecha show. One look at the technical consultants for the series,
though, and you'll know just how far the creators went to ensure
accuracy. (There's an astonishing depth of emotion displayed by the
characters, but having an A.I. expert sitting next to you to explain
the terminology enriches the experience immensely.)

[Entry by Dave Baranyi and Jorge A Pratt]

--
Abraham Evangelista

I've been watching whatever happens to come along on the TV channels I
get........the Adult swim stuff, Ani-Monday and the just-begun Bandai
block on IATV ( that is, if it holds still long enough to
watch.....their program scheduling has been waaaayyy out to lunch lately
). TAN VOD actually has a fair amount of activity going on.......old
series, but new to me. Off the top of my head, it's got Boogiepop,
Maburaho, Magikano, Gravitation, Gravion, UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie,
Nanaka 6/17, Wedding Peach, King of Bandits Jing, Full Metal Panic and
that series about the Norse god Loki coming to Earth to solve crimes (
of course that's what he'd do! ). There were the shows on
IFC.......Basilisk, Gunslinger Girl, Witchblade and Speed
Grapher.......but nothing new right now.




I HAD been following the Welcome to the NHK and The Wallflower releases,
but who knows when they'll be back..........that's about it.





This post just gave my poor spellchecker a nervous breakdown...........



..