What's Your Current Anime? Mk III

[Strike Zero]

Just marathoned up to episode nine of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and thoroughly enjoyed myself without a doubt. This is the greatest magical girl show I have ever seen.

...

...Well, okay, it's one of two magical girl shows I have ever seen, but still! It's very good. Would highly recommend it to others solely on the basis that the narrative is extremely compelling.

[TetraVaal]

Thanks for the recomendations, Lightning.

Also, do I have to watch Gundam F91 before I watch Victory Gundam? I have V Gundam in my possession right now, and I'd really like to start watching it (problem is, I won't be able to see Gundam F91 for a few days or so).

Anyway, I've been watching Eureka Seven and I really like it... the mech designs aren't as cool as what I originally thought, but I don't care, this is one example where the story and characters are WAYYYYY more interesting than the action.

[Dark Duel]

No, you do not. V Gundam is so far forward in time compared to F91 that there is very little connection between the two, if any.

[LightningCount]

Thanks for the recomendations, Lightning.

Also, do I have to watch Gundam F91 before I watch Victory Gundam? I have V Gundam in my possession right now, and I'd really like to start watching it (problem is, I won't be able to see Gundam F91 for a few days or so).

Anyway, I've been watching Eureka Seven and I really like it... the mech designs aren't as cool as what I originally thought, but I don't care, this is one example where the story and characters are WAYYYYY more interesting than the action.

Yeah, as was said, F91 and V are two attempts to restart UC Gundam post-Zeon. They only "connect" in that they both show the weakening of the Federation, new advancements in technology, and the rise of new colonial powers. (Both reference the early UC timeline, but are essentially stand-alone in the way they throw you into these new eras of UC. In that way, they almost seem like AUs). F-91 is a series transformed in mid-production into a movie, so it has some bigger budget "spectacle" visuals; V is a full TV series.

As for Eureka 7, glad you're enjoying it. I personally didn't care much for most of the characters; and the mecha left something to be desired (as you said). The story isn't bad, though, just bloated. There are some really good episodes mixed in, and it has quality animation, but as a whole--well, sans the 8 episodes I never got around to finishing--it wasn't my cup of tea. It was lacking something, and some of it, like the main "relationship," was almost too familiar. I think someone here commented that it left them with a bit of a bland taste, and that's kind of where I was at with it. I really wanted to like it, but it never fully hooked me. Someday I'll finish those last 8 episodes, though, and maybe I'll have a different perspective on it. EDIT: And, despite my complaints, I'd still say it's one of the more notable anime of the last decade.

It's funny that you mentioned Bubblegum Crisis earlier, as I recently finished the original OVA series for the first time. It's rough around the edges in a lot of ways, but charming and very creative in its high-quality visuals. I think the art is what makes it most worth seeing. As the directors of it said, it was their debuts, and they put a lot of energy into it, even if the energy was sort of haphazard at times. I wonder how the sequels/re-imaginings Bubblegum Crash and Bubblegum Crisis 2040 compare?

I continue to go through FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Around Ep. 35 right now. I wouldn't say it's a favorite yet, but it's enjoyable and keeps getting better. This manga-version series seems to be better paced with more world and story depth, whereas the first series, which was only partially based on the manga, was more methodical in telling an intimate tale about humanity and morality. I do think the original was more centralized, somber, and emotional so far, but the "Brotherhood" version is more intriguing and fun. It is weird having two tellings of a series like this, as they almost both warrant viewing, and I'm not sure if one is 100% better than the other. They both have validity; both have strengths and weaknesses.

[Ryujin]

Anything with a unique cityscape and mecha will do, really...

EDIT: I haven't seen it yet, but I think Viper's Creed looks like it's in that vein also.

With regards to Viper's Creed, it definitely uses a Cyberpunk setting, but one that's set a decade or so earlier than the typical--the usual Cyberpunk tropes and institutions are still in the process of being established (corporations are growing in political power, mercenaries are displacing traditional military forces, city-states are becoming the de facto political unit, etc.). It also has Megazone 23's Shinji Aramaki as chief director so transforming motorcycles are a given. Do be warned, though...you have to have a certain frame of mind if you want to enjoy Viper's Creed, because one gets the sense that this show is Aramaki's tribute to '80's sci-fi action movies, complete with plot-holes, cheesy one-liners & everything. Even the OP has this New Wave vibe to it.

Also, try to avoid watching this in anything less than 720p definition, or you might want to tear out your eyeballs at the CG.

Here's a couple more Cyberpunk recommendations if you haven't got around to them yet:

Black Magic M-66 -- Masamune Shirow's take on the Terminator, and the first time he took a shot at storyboarding & direction. The overall production design's reminiscent of his Appleseed manga. You watch it more for the action & animation than the story, though (Shirow admits that he was aiming for an SF B-movie feel with this one).

Armitage III OVAs -- Set on Mars; the Cyberpunk elements are strong & healthy in this one (although not in the same vein as OEDO 808). Art & animation is very much what you'd expect from AIC in the nineties. I haven't heard it myself, but it's generally advised that you avoid the Elizabeth Berkley/Kiefer Sutherland dub version of the Poly-Matrix compilation movie.

As for Gall Force, while it may have Kenichi Sonoda as character designer, it's in no way Cyberpunk. The original trilogy is a sci-fi action adventure which then becomes, after a really loooong timeskip, a post-apocalyptic action-adventure starting from Rhea Gallforce onwards. Whatever Cyberpunk-ish arcologies and such there may have been, they're crumbling, bombed-out ruins now.

Venus Wars is pretty much a down-and-dirty war movie...set on a dry, dusty Venus. No chrome, gleaming architecture, cyborgs or wireheads whatsoever. The mechanical designs are glorious, with that rough, pseudo-organic feel that's a hallmark of many of Makoto Kobayashi's works. And it's a movie after all, so the animation quality is great (well, except for that one part which makes use of live-action video. You'll know it when you see it).

[LightningCount]

@TetraVaal

Above, Ryujin (thank you) clarified some of the latter back-up choices I noted earlier, and added Black Magic M-66 and Armitage III, which are also in the ballpark. (There's also a series called Ergo Proxy that I've seen a few episodes of that seems to have some future/robot elements in it; though it combines it with more of a Gothic atmosphere. Also, have you seen the original Appleseed anime movie--not the CG ones? If not, it might be worth a look). As long as we were mentioning BGC alums, Masami Obari, who directed two of the better episodes of Bubblegum Crisis, became the director of Virus Buster Serge. Unfortunately, he was handed the project late in its troubled planning stages, when the story was in total flux from a series based on "VR" to a series based in real-world "cyberpunk." As a result, despite some quality ideas and visuals, it's quite a jumbled series to my recollection. But, despite a lot of flaws, it does satisfy in the way that it is a sort of second look at the kind of world Bubblegum Crisis realized. It really does feel like another take/alternate universe on Bubblegum Crisis.

Looking down the list between Ryujin and me, I still stick with Cyber City Oedo 808 as choice #1 (simply because it's more solid overall than VBS), and Virus Buster Serge (VBS) as choice #2. As Ryujin said, a lot of the others have only vague or partial cyberpunk elements, whereas the two I've put at the top are essentially centered in that rather rare genre. (Even so, some of the others mentioned are really impressive visually in their own right, like Venus Wars).

[Mu La Flaga]

As I said earlier to Tetra, look up Detonator Orgun if your curious.
I should have made note it was one Masami Obari did.

@lightning count: you know my opinions on Eureka 7 are simillar to yours, so your not alone there.

Crash I've heard is not that good, 2040 is good in it's own right, but if compare it to the original it's good, but not quite as good as the original.
It does have an ending though.

I need to see Crash and the original BGC.

[DuelGundam2099]

Finding some raws of all the eps, I am up to ep 27 in Brave Raideen. Wow, just wow, that half way final battle arc was truly awesome, only Tadao Nagahama could direct super robot action like that. Gante's death was pretty cool, although the actual final battle with Raideen and Sharkin was a bit to fast, kind of hoped it would lasted longer or Raideen to pull out a new weapon. Ah well, at least the twist of Barao actually being trapped in a statue was kind of neat and unexpected; he actually looks pretty demonic. I wish there were just a few more subbed eps to know what the hell he was saying.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

Rockin' SDF Macross and G Gundam for the first time and lovin' it!!

I've noticed another trope/cliche in anime from watching Macross and other Gundam shows. The brass of the military are all old ZOINKS who don't give a damn and end up making dumb decisions that get either them or bunches of people killed and in the end it's up to people like Captain Global or the crew of the White Base to take care of business.

[LightningCount]

Saw another episode of Kino's Journey through a free trial. (I've seen two random, non-sequential episodes in something like 7 years. lol). I really should track this series down on DVD. It always surprises me. It has a feeling of surreal and human discovery about it, kind of like The BIG-O, but without the giant robots. It feels like it has a thematic depth, and the production values and care of writing draws me in. Based on my experiences so far I'd say it's a hidden gem classic.

Rockin' SDF Macross and G Gundam for the first time and lovin' it!!

Barring a few episodes here and there, I've largely experienced SDF Macross via the Robotech amalgamation, but it's definitely a great & iconic series, nonetheless. And G-Gundam is easily one of my favorite Gundams--a fresh approach with rich atmosphere, great characters, genuine human drama, cool battles, and an intriguing conspiracy-based plot.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

As I stated before, I'm watching G Gundam for the first time and I'm a little confused by what's going on in the Gundam Fight finals. It seems that even when some fighters are beaten, they still come back and fight some more. Case in point: Domon beats Allenby in their fight and then, a few episodes later, she's fighting with Domon in the tag team. Is this part of the conditions of Wong's special rules? Even if you're Gundam gets completely wrecked, as long as the head unit isn't destroyed/severed, you can keep fighting?

(oh and as long as someone doesn't take a shot to your cockpit and turn you into the Bernie Double Pattie Special )

[mcred23]

Yeah, that change is part of the rules of the finals. Although it's not mentioned there, it's clear that one loss (Or maybe more, I don't recall if anyone is defeated several times) won't remove you from the finals, which is why you get fighters still showing up and taking part in things after losses.

[Wingnut]

Yeah, that change is part of the rules of the finals. Although it's not mentioned there, it's clear that one loss (Or maybe more, I don't recall if anyone is defeated several times) won't remove you from the finals, which is why you get fighters still showing up and taking part in things after losses.

You can also lose a fight in the regular Gundam Fight and still keep going so long as your Gundam's head is in one piece. Domon vs. Chibodee in episode 2 for example. The latter lost his arm and the fight, but the rest of his Gundam was still intact and he obviously plays a big part in the rest of the show.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

And another thing about G Gundam: We see throughout the series that the Earth has become pretty trashed, especially with the last 60 years of Gundam fights, but when we get to the finals in Neo Hong Kong, the city looks almost perfectly fine. Is there a rationale for this?

[Black Knight]

Mostly that Hong Kong has been running the world ever since Master Asia started winning the Gundam Fight. Likely they've been funneling money to develop the city.

[Brave Fencer Kirby]

Neo Hong-Kong is also supposedly the only nation on the planet that doesn't have a super-awesome space station where all the important people live, so presumably they're nicer to the people on the ground because of it.

[Seraphic]

Finished Zeta Gundam.

Spoiler

It had a bad start, a watchable middle, and a relatively good end that wasn't entirely gripping. So on average, the show was good but not particularly strong.

I think one of my biggest hangups was Four/Rosammy. It was basically the exact same situation, so why the need to separate it out into two characters? I actually liked Rosammy because she spent time with the crew, but it was strange how Kamille kept losing people without really reacting to their loss.

Char, Haman, and Scirocco never did much to impress me.

The fights had some good moments, but generally all consisted of beams flying back and forth across the screen with little chance of actually hitting anybody important, and that made it very boring for me. I'm also really irked by how the MS would always grapple and hold each other down instead of taking that chance to take someone out.

Sarah was a stupid bitch.

Katz was also stupid, but not as bad as people have been saying. I still can't stand how easy it is to steal a MS and launch from a battleship with it though.

Kamille fought some skilled people, but his skills never seemed to stand out. He was always getting saved by other people.

I understood how Kamille developed to take a stance against fighting and war at the end, but his fight with Scirocco seemed a little empty since they had so little to do with each other before that point. And the battle of Gryps didn't end because of Kamille taking out Scirocco. It was because Bright fired the laser, lol.

Like I said before, much of the show felt like random happenings of little consequence because the individual events did not do much to lead up to some more important development. The characters are the same and don't build on each other much outside of giving Kamille more grief about women on the battlefield. I don't know.... It's good to have a cast of complex characters. But you can take it a step further and make them relevant to each other.

Anyway, Zeta was okay.

I also started with the 1st episode of Air Gear, and I loved it. It's a refreshing experience compared to all the mediocrity I've faced recently. A little surprised at the ecchi, but it's not a big deal. I just can't wait for when it turns bad and I can see it crash and burn, lol.

[DuelGundam2099]

Fifteen minutes ago I finished Brave Raideen. Wow, what a hell of an ending. The ending fights in the last few episodes were super robot goodness at it's finest, you gotta love the long lengths and X amount of attack spamming. Barao having roots from the lower half of his body was a nice twist. I can definitely see parallels between this and episode 30 of GaoGaiGar. My only real gripes is that Akira's mom

Spoiler

suddenly died and her body went aboard her boat and went into the sunset. Seriously, what the hell?

Second best old school super robot anime after Mazinger Z, 'nough said.

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

I just finished watching episode 45 of G Gundam and I was wondering what the writing that appears onscreen when Master Asia dies says.

[Sume Gai]

I just finished watching episode 45 of G Gundam and I was wondering what the writing that appears onscreen when Master Asia dies says.

This is second hand so I can't be 100% sure it's right but It's Supposedly the Chant Domon and Master Asia do. also my spelling may be wrong on the Japanese bits.

"School of the Undefeated of the east!
The Winds of the King!
Zenshin!
Keiretsu!
Tempa Kyoran!
Look the east is burning red!"