It’s time for a new general discussion thread! Hot takes, recommendations, questions, cautionary tales, all of it is welcome here.
As always, remember to be mindful of spoilers. If you want to know more about how to handle spoilers in this community, check the guide here (also linked in the sidebar).
This week I watched the first 9 episodes of The 100 Girlfriends who Really Really Really Really Really Love You. I’d already read the manga so I knew what to expect, but wow. This adaptation really cranked things up to eleven. I mean, the manga was basically already there but they took all of the best, worst, and most cursed scenes and just amplified the hell out of them. 10/10 adaptation. I really look forward to seeing what they do with a certain other character, though I worry I’ll have to wait until at least the third season to find out.
The adaptation has been excellent…and that has definitely turned some people off through the series. I mean, there are definitely some problematic elements of the Rentarou family, but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun.
…and that has definitely turned some people off through the series
It’s understandable. That scene with the vice principal in the second episode? Oh boy. The animation staff certainly ran wild with it. Probably the most cursed thing to ever have graced my TV.
I’m watching something that is not a moe show (NHK ni youkoso). It’s 24 episodes long, so that’s at least 24 days of no moe. It’s not like I need moe or anything, baka! I’ll be just fine without moe. (gonna overdose on moe afterwards)
Interestingly, NHK ni Youkoso is about moe, or at least it’s a major point of the show (otaku and moe). I hope you enjoy it. It’s one of my favorite anime.
puru puru pururin purupururin…
Barely been able to watch lately. At least finished a few things I’ve been tinkering at for a while:
- Ranma 1/2 remake S1 - It ended up being just fine for me. I’m not sure what it would’ve taken for me to love this like I loved the OG when I watched it decades ago. I appreciated the better pace and less time wasting fluff and recaps. I bet I’d find the OG nigh unwatchable these days, anyway. I guess I was hoping for a more interesting contextual update considering modern times, but instead it was even more faithful to the OG manga. Still fun and worth watching imo.
- Kaiju No. 8 - Wow that was a fun and entertaining ride. I loved it. Definitely will continue watching future seasons.
- Fruitmaster - I know this is bad and universally panned. But I’m weirdly enjoying it. Pls don’t judge me lol.
- Sakamoto Days - Only a couple episodes in. It’s good, but not blowing me away.
- Receptionist… - Couple episodes. Good, also not blowing me away.
Definitely plan on catching up with several more seasonals when they get closer to wrapped: Solo Leveling S2, 100 Girlfriends S2, Re:Zero S3, Apothecary Diaries S2, Happy Marriage S2.
It’s been a busy week for me this past week. I have managed to keep up with the shows I have been watching, but haven’t really been able to post about them as much. So, here are some quick thoughts on this past week’s episodes:
- 100 Girlfriends - I can’t help but love how insane and self-aware this series is. They do a great job of adapting the meta-jokes from the manga to anime meta-jokes.
- Apothecary Diaries - I have no idea where this story with the envoys is going, but this show has proven itself capable of building a satisfying plot, so I am content to wait and see where its going.
- Guild Receptionist - Is it just me or does this show seemed aimed at [email protected] enjoyers sometimes with the camera angles on Alina. It’s been a fun show though.
- Welcome to Japan, Miss Elf - This has been a really satisfying if unexceptional show. One of the rare isekai that travels back and forth between worlds a lot.
- Bureaucrat to Villainess - I really like the addition of the wife and daughter to the cast, they are great. However, it does mean that we see the same scene from multple POVs a lot and it feels like it is dragging a bit.
- Ameku M.D. - This past week wrapped up an arc and it was…lit. Well, it was alright. It was at least the most interesting mystery the show has done yet. My biggest complaint is that it really isn’t a medical mystery anymore though, just a pretty normal whodunit.
- My Happy Marriage - I’ve really enjoyed this season a lot so far. I am hoping that it can keep things going instead of taking a turn that I hated like final couple episodes of season 1.
Is it just me or does this show seemed aimed at [email protected] enjoyers sometimes with the camera angles on Alina.
Um… duh?
It doesn’t even take unusual camera angles - that skirt is like a neon sign that says “Look here ⬇️”
Are there good modern mecha anime that match older anime like Super Dimension Fortress Macross or Neon Genesis Evangelion?
I know it may be a hot take, but I am not personally a fan of Gundam. Which seems like a perfect fit but for whatever reason every time I have tried to watch it I just never make it more than a few episodes in. Also ironically not a fan of Macross beyond SDF Macross and Macross II Lovers Again.
I’ve already seen these mecha and mecha adjacent anime:
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Full Metal Panic! (Liked it a lot until like season 3 which IIRC was called invisible victory or something)
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Gurren Lagann (It seemed okay but I never finished it)
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Bubblegum Crisis (loved this one, peak anime, not Tokyo 2040 though)
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Darling in the Franxx (really liked this one until the last like 3 episodes, shame it had to end so badly)
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Knights and Magic (I liked it but I havent finished it)
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Project AKo (fun, but only a minor bit of mecha)
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Sei Juushi Bismarck (i liked this one)
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Armored Tropper VOTOMS (its on my watchlist)
I heard someone recommend me 86, but I havent looked into it yet. If anyone has watched it, and knows what I have seen, does it match the shows on the list?
I don’t have much to add, but seconding Bravern, it’s really that good.
So, I watched Evangelion but basically none of the others you mentioned. I feel like such a fraud as a moderator of [email protected], but in any case, I can recommend at least one mecha series that I particularly enjoyed. It is more a parody of the genre, but sometimes its through parody that we realize the best that a genre has to offer. Specifically, Brave Bang Bravern!.
Is Bravern a comedy? Yes. Is Bravern a tragedy? Yes. Is Bravern a romance? Yes. Is Bravern kick ass? Hell yes. It’s hard to put it in a box since it will pull some new weapon out of nowhere and break out as soon as you try. At one point, the giant, sentient robot was building giant robot-sized gunpla, and this was just accepted as normal and never commented on by any of the characters. It’s an absurd take on the mecha genre that simultaneously shows an absolute love and dedication to what makes it great. The genre might be about big robots, but it is the human connection that makes us care about the story at the end of the day.
tl;dr - Watch Bravern
The genre might be about big robots, but it is the human connection that makes us care about the story at the end of the day.
This is actually standard for the genre. Very few mecha shows are really about the robots; the robots are just there to add a bit of spice to the human drama.
Also, if you haven’t seen Gurren Lagann you’re missing out. It’s an all-time favorite of mine and is (in my opinion) a much better show than Evangelion.
Pfff. What a fraud. /s
Thanks for the recommendation, I will check it out.
Are there good modern mecha anime that match older anime like Super Dimension Fortress Macross or Neon Genesis Evangelion?
I’m having a hard time with this because I don’t think those shows even matched each other. What is it you liked about them that you don’t like about some of the newer stuff you’ve mentioned?
I like the style of mecha in both, I like that the story featured mecha very heavily, but spent more or less equal time focusing on the lives of the pilots outside of the mecha. Both were incredibly well written, the soundtrack of both was great, etc.
With Macross, I found the style of mecha changed with later Macross titles and I just didn’t like the designs. I also didnt like that the focus seemed to shift too much away from the mecha.
Regarding Gundam, I find the anime difficult to watch because it doesn’t hold my interest, though I have a hard time explaining why. I also dislike the overly blocky mecha design. A very similar design to G1 Transformers, I just don’t like that style.
I also dislike the overly blocky mecha design. A very similar design to G1 Transformers, I just don’t like that style.
Come to think of it, you might like Gundam GQuuuuuux. It’s a collaboration between Studio Sunrise (Gundam) and Studio Khara (Evangelion). The mechas look like a blend of the two. If you look at the staff list you’ll see some really amazing people there, including Hideaki Anno himself. It hasn’t been released yet, but the compilation film of the first 4 episodes should air soon in the US and the rest of the series is supposed to stream online later this year.
Yes, I saw an ad for it and have had my eye on it.
The thing to keep in mind about 86 is that it’s a very grimdark kind of show (themes of racism, lots of character death). It’s a good show and worth trying, but if grimdark isn’t your thing, don’t be surprised if you bounce.
Hmm . . . so what else has no one recommended yet that’s worth trying. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, of course. You might find the earlier installments in the Aquarion franchise (Genesis of Aquarion, Aquarion EVOL, and Aquarion Logos) somewhat amusing—they’re more on the silly side, but so are some of the shows you listed (the first series especially has some very silly-weird stuff, like the episode where the characters are cosplaying each other).
Older shows that you haven’t mentioned and might be worth looking at would include Patlabor and Escaflowne.
And as someone has already said, do finish Gurren Lagann—it’s worth it.
Older shows that you haven’t mentioned and might be worth looking at would include Patlabor and Escaflowne.
I didn’t expect one of my favorite mech anime to be a 90s shoujo isekai, but Escaflowne was just that good.
I liked Goblin Slayer. Dark doesn’t bother me, as long as the show is good and holds my attention.
Both PatLabor and Escaflowne are on my watchlist, I just didn’t mention them. Thank you for the other recommendations though, I will look into them.
Do yourself a favor and checkout Gunbuster (1988) and its loose sequel Diebuster (2004). Gunbuster was directed by Evangelion director Hideaki Anno (and it might be his most concise stand-alone work), while Diebuster was directed by his protege, FLCL director Kazuya Tsurumaki.
Both are just 6 episodes, with fantastic Gainax animation, great soundtracks, and masterful storytelling. I strongly recommend watching the original Gunbuster before Diebuster, though it isn’t totally necessary.
I know it may be a hot take, but I am not personally a fan of Gundam. Which seems like a perfect fit but for whatever reason every time I have tried to watch it I just never make it more than a few episodes in.
As someone who is in the process of catching up on all things Gundam before seeing GQuuuuuux (the new Gundam by the creators of FLCL, Diebuster and Evangelion) later this month, I highly recommend giving it another try and sticking with it until at least the second half of the original Mobile Suit Gundam (0079). There are a couple reasons for this:
- The back half of Mobile Suit Gundam is significantly better than the front half, and while the ending is a little bit rushed (the show got cancelled, or something like that), there are a lot of really nice Macross and Evangelion-esque concepts that come into it. Gundam really is significant to the history of anime in general and the mecha genre, and by the time I got to the end of it I finally understood why.
- Watching the original Gundam makes watching Zeta Gundam (the direct sequel) much better, and it’s a show that build upon the lore and characters of the original in a fantastic way. I know it’s a big ask to suggest that someone watch a 50 episode show in order to watch another (arguably even better) 50 episode show, but Zeta is truly a 1980s anime masterpiece in the same way that Eva is a 1990s anime masterpiece.
- If you ever watch the early Bones mecha anime Eureka Seven, which is pretty good in its own right, you’ll be amazed at how much it parallels the story and character development of the original Mobile Suit Gundam.
Gurren Lagann (It seemed okay but I never finished it)
There are a couple of rough episodes in the first half, but I love this show and recommend seeing it through. This is a show where the scale and scope of the story just snowballs into something really big and cool.
Finally, have you watched the SDF Macross movie retelling, Do You Remember Love? Because if not, it’s fantastic and worth seeing.
Thanks for the recommendations, Ill take a look.
Yes, Do You Remember Love is good, but IMO it doesn’t quite match the anime. Which is to be expected given its significantly shorter run time.
I’m with you. The spectacle aspect is fantastic, but it definitely rushes through the story.
I loved the first season of Aldnoah Zero
It’s realistic mecha, e.g. Patlabor, using believable science to fight science fantasy mecha with un-realistic abilities powered by “Aldnoah” a magical/“sufficiently advanced technology” power source discovered on Mars.
Don’t bother with the 2nd season though, they lost the head plot writer Gen Urobochi it the writing really suffered.
If you like 80s anime and hordes of polygonal ships flying around fighting each other, there’s Legend Of The Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These, a remake of the long running 80s TV and OVA series.
If you like big things fighting each other, there’s SSSS.Gridman. Technically the titular figure is a mech, but it’s a take on a mostly-forgotten Tsuburaya tokusatsu show.
And, as someone else said, definitely finish Gurren Lagann
Attack on Titan (flesh mechas)
Code Geass
FLCL
86: I highly recommend it. It’s more cerebral and introspective without being pretentious.
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I finished The Tatami Galaxy last week. It’s timely as I’m graduating next year and I have some regrets with my university life. Tatami Galaxy is a great show to cope with that. Masaaki Yuasa’s style is incredible by the way. Maybe at some point I’ll watch all of his works. If anyone here is a fan of DAN DA DAN, you should watch Yuasa.
Started off the week in grand style. I generally prefer to gamble on lesser known series, hoping for an unexpected gem, so I tend to leave known quantities languishing, content that I’ll get around to them sooner or later. But I was in the mood for a sure thing, so I jumped all the way to the top and watched Sousou no Frieren. And yeah - it definitely deserves its reputation. It’s excellent, and in all respects. The only minor criticism I might have is that the whole mage test arc drug on a bit long, but it introduced (and satisfyingly fleshed out) a whole bunch of interesting and compelling characters, so it was worth it in the long run anyway.
After that, I had two criteria for whatever was next - it had to be another sure thing, and it had to be entirely unchallenging, since I was a bit emotionally drained from Frieren. And I ended up re-(re-re-re-)watching Tenchi Universe. Actually, I just watched the first half dozen or so episodes, until the entire cast had been introduced. It was more of a nostalgia trip than anything else, so once I’d seen Ryouko and Aeka in an epic shouting match, Mihoshi being supernaturally incompetent, Sasami quietly being far and away the best girl, Washuu praising herself, and Kiyone gamely suffering, it’d served its purposes.
Then after a bit of thought, I watched one of the handful of Ghiblis I still hadn’t seen - Omoide no Marnie And unsurprisingly, it was very Ghibli - charming, bittersweet, sort of creepy but mostly comfy, very pretty and ultimately heartwarming.
Then I finally felt adventurous again, and after a bit of wandering, ended up with Mayoiga aka The Lost Village. Partly I thought it looked sort of interesting, but mostly I was intrigued by the wide range of opinions on it - even the people who loved it or hated it couldn’t seem to agree on why, or even really what it was all about in the first place.
I didn’t have any particular issues with it overall. The story seemed pretty straightforward really - neither opaque nor multilayered. It’s broadly allegorical, but it’s more that it’s also allegorical. Mostly it’s just straightforward. The characters were mostly exaggerated archetypes, but I didn’t mind that, since it laid the foundation for what was to come without having to develop each character separately (since in the long run, the most important thing is that they’re all broken in some way). And the ending did more or less tie everything together, though it hand-waved a lot of details.
And honestly, it’s not even close to the dumbest suspense/horror anime I’ve seen.
And along the way, I kept up with the three series I’m following this season (a new record for me - I usually don’t follow any and instead binge them at some point in the future). Honey Lemon Soda is still satisfying-if-unexceptional, Guild Receptionist is still on track to be great and Zenshu seems to have leveled out after its recent nosedive, and hopefully it’s going to head back to fulfilling its notable potential.
Weekly ranking roundup:
- Anime Corner - Full Results - Weekly Winner: Re:Zero
- Reddit Karma - Weekly Winner: Re:Zero
Credit to /u/Abysswatcherbel for making the chart for reddit karma.
Re:Zero stormed back onto the charts this week to win both rankings. Let’s see how the rest of the season plays out now that it’s back.
Someone translated a segment of a 100 Girlfriends radio session.
I found the fact that the recording studio is getting crowded pretty funny.
I feel like Moe Golf anime needs more love.
It’s really a match made in heaven. Golf is a very relaxing Iyashikei sport mostly about enjoying nature and the outdoors… but also very frustrating as you derp and mess up.
Soroiro Utility btw. There were other golf sport shows but Soroiro Utility captures the noob feeling a lot better.
