The only thing menacing about those Naruto Unleashed episodes is Jiraiya Unleashed perpetually peeping into the women's baths lol. Also, (on the back of the DVD) it says: 'The UK's most popular anime series returns'...wait a minute, don't they mean 'The UK's only popular anime series returns'? Lol.
Yeah, AOT seems a bit heavy and graphically violent for 15 years olds. I know MAL rates them 17+ (violence and profanity) and there was even a warning at the beginning of AOT Final (the dubbed version) that advised: 'this contains mature content and is not appropriate for children.' I mean, if Levi bending someone's arm behind their back isn't mature, then what is! Also, as you said yourself, Hange can be quite scary, and certain things go on, and it's more graphic and intensely violent than say, Might Guy wearing a green leotard lol.
Ah, I've just seen that the Goblin Slayer DVD is an 18, as well. Well, I'll reveal that there is something in SAO Alicization of a sexual nature that I think is the key reason for its rating. I think that however violent something animated is (Demon Slayer for example), it can only ever reach a 15-certificate maximum. There needs to be a sexual element for something to be classed as an 18. I've just found out Netflix has bumped up SAO's rating to an 18 as well, because of a sexual element. Not sure which season it is though, or if it's for the whole thing. Well, SAO remains as edgy as ever, then.
Yeah, I've watched most of 'em twice, except for Darker Than Black, Chobits, JoJo's Phantom Blood, High School DxD, and XXXHOLiC, all of which I still need to finish. I'd say my faves were Fate/stay night UBW (nice picture discs and it was expensive at the time) and the three Avatar: TLAB seasons which are nice laminated different color boxes and look like fancy picture books.
Yeah, Gabi seems to have been thoroughly indoctrinated by Marley for all of her short life and is unwavering in her opinion and assertion that her and her family and friends suffering is all because of the bad Eldians on Paradis. This brainwashing from an early age has gone on in a lot of real-life regimes as well, both now and in the past.
I've never skipped an opening or an ending and I can see why there might be a greater temptation to skip the ending (and get to the next episode quicker) but I never do. It's part of the ambiance and sets the tone and mood of the piece. For example, while rewatching Vinland Saga I've been struck by the emotional impact of the endings. From the beautiful and evocative snow-covered landscapes with Torches by Aimer playing, to Viking warriors reaching up to Valhalla and imploring the Valkyries while Millet's Drown plays, those endings really add a lot to the emotional experience.
Hey, nothing can possibly be more unmissable than Naruto Unleashed season 3. As it says on the back cover, you've been officially warned! Take care, now. Lol.
Yeah, totally. Some of those fillers did add a lot of 'character' and extra-curricular experience to Naruto and Shippuden and I think most of the Bleach filler does the same. You get to see characters in new and sometimes novel, settings and situations, and if you're a fan of certain characters, it's always nice to see them at the beach or the hot springs or whatever lol. But aside from fanservice moments, there are some funny or even serious and menacing new situations that are worth the watch for fans of the franchise. Have a look a this:
Yeah, the part where Okabe wanted to turn Ruka back into a guy was such a great part of the show. It kept the joke going as we had to keep in mind that the REAL Ruka is the trap. I also found it endearing that both Mayuri and Ruka tolerated Okabe and his 'mischiefs' throughout the show reasonably well.
I read a bit about the Steins;Gate visual novels and it's exactly the part you mentioned about the significance of your choice that's got me interested and on my to-play-list soon, especially since I have never played a visual novel before.
I have not touched the HxH manga at all! In fact, I haven't read anything about it or whatever comes after either. You're saying more Kurapika after Chairman Election arc O.O!? I might have to pick it up then, just to see more Kurait'sa. It'sit been some time since I finished HxH. Do you think its worth for me to refresh on some HxH 'state of the world' before diving into the manga post Charman Election?
My least favorite arc is hands down Greed Island, I fell asleep at different points when watching that arc. I couldn't tell you the exact reason now. It felt uninteresting at many points but had good moments such as the Dodgeball game and when Gon went crazy on Genthru. I suppose I wasn't too fond on the 'cards' idea as well. Ant arc is a close second as being my least favorite arc, mostly for the odd pacing as you mentioned. The palace invasion and Meruemleft it on a good note at least.
Black Clover is definitely one of my favorites! I have to be honest that the story is okay, and what sold me on the show is the mainly OPs/EDs, fights, and later on, the characters, as they grew on me which kept me watching. There are just SO many great OPs/EDs from the show, and since you are reading the manga, you will be missing out a bit in my opinion. I'd like to share some of my favorite OPs/EDs, but that'd risk you getting spoiled, for now at least. I would say the show gets good from 3rd story arc forward (around Ep. 20 in the anime). That's where I got hooked, and I decided to binge the whole thing in just under a week. I hope you enjoy your read.
What made you want to pick up Black Clover after previously hearing bad press about it?
How have you been enjoying One Piece so far? It's a show I'd like to watch but am just afraid to pick up due to its crazy episode count... haha.
Wow, I'm surprised they'd be so strict with a 15-certificate Hitchcock boxset. Some of my Naruto and Bleach boxsets are 15-certificates but it would seem even sillier if they reacted in that way, with something more colorful and cartoony like that. I guess you'd have to unleash your ID for this!
The descriptions from the back cover make me laugh. 'Darker and dangerous.' 'Edge of the seat tension.' 'Menacing.' It makes it sound like it's worthy of an 18-certificate. 'Warning: contains episodes you can't miss!' Take care now, you've been officially warned! I was surprised to see SAO Alicizataion on the shelf in Fopp a few months ago, with an 18-certificate. That's the only time I've seen an 18 on an anime in a store. Even all seasons of AOT and Re:Zero are only 15's. If you ever get around to Alicization let me know what you think, and what you think the reasons might be for the 18 tag. I have some ideas, but they might be considered spoilers so I'll wait. Are there any anime you've seen that you would consider worthy of an 18-certificate? SAO...it's gone and broken all records again! What more could you expect from the franchise ;)
I've only sold a couple of anime DVDs through all these years. Maybe just D.Gray-man (which I was halfway through and couldn't find the motivation/enthusiasm to finish) and Ghost Hunt (which had a problem with the unevenness of the voice dubbing volume level and the quality of the recording). I've got maybe 90 boxsets left but they vary a lot - from being 12-episode series or seasons to 52-episode Shippuden and 64-episode FMAB collections.
Yeah, Wit Studio usually delivers the goods with art and animation and seems to be reliable and trustworthy (Spy x Family, Bubble). I was saying to someone else not too long ago, that Gabi was indoctrinated from an early age and was 100% adamant - that was the objective truth and the way things were. 'I want to prove to everyone that we're good Eldians. That we're not like the other ones. The devils.' Yeah, certainly, Gabi is like a reverse Eren in some ways regarding her ideology, and I think I remember seeing/reading that the mangaka first came up with the idea of Gabi from drawing a female version of Eren.
Yes, it is rather creepy and disturbing. The children singing 'lalalala' in a jovial major key melody (as if they're happy and everything's fine) while violent atrocities are being carried out, and the creepy antiquated art style as well. Parts of it almost remind me of Russian Orthodox artwork and iconography. I was thinking it was quite a deliberate move to evoke an unsettling, eerie, discordant vibe. Now that really is menacing, and even more so than Naruto Unleashed season 3 if you can believe it!
I might well boo people who skip filler (of favorite shows) unless they have a good reason. Are you interested in checking out those arcs if you rewatch it before TYBW? I guess there's a lot of stuff out there for people to get through these days and they don't always have time for hundreds of filler episodes. At the time though, they were padding out one of the most popular franchises and I guess it made sense to give the people more of what they wanted, and not to have too long a delay before there was some new material to consume. Some of the fillers can be fun if you've not got anything else demanding your time and attention. Like that Shippuden 'Power' arc. That was like movie-quality material. A good movie, not a mediocre shounen franchise movie lol.
Demotivated for anime? Yes, this has happened to me (believe it or not) at times throughout the last ten and a half years and it seems to be happening to me more frequently as of late. Like the past couple of years. I think that might be because I've already seen all the things that I'm most predisposed to liking and that suit my personality the best, and I'm embarking on uncharted waters with new things I can't connect to. I sometimes try new things but am put off on the first episode. I'd say, whatever the reason for your demotivation, don't stress about it, don't try to force it, and just wait to see if you get naturally remotivated, enthused, and invigorated by your break from it. Now, that's £10 for your counseling session :)
Hello, sorry for the delayed response. Nice to meet you, I'm Nad!
My favorite lab member is def HOUOUIN KYOUMA!! Yeah, yeah, he's the MC, but man it's absolutely thrilling how he sounds delusional at first only for the story to unravel. At the end of it, all his delusional talking becomes reality... or better yet, always been a reality. Rukako is a close second for me, I loved each time they brought up the "but he's a guy" in the show, and honestly is as funny every time. I feel like I should rewatch the show sometime soon.
Have you played the Steins Gate visual novels by any chance? I heard they're super.
From what you may have deduced from my profile picture, my favorite HxH character is Kurapika, and the Yorknew arc therefore easily takes the spot as my fav arc. I absolutely love the tension of the hostage situation with Uvogin, Chrollo, Gon, and Killua. The back and forth perspective between Kurapika and the Spiders kept me on the edge at all times. The Kurapika vs Uvogin fight in the Yorknew arc was the moment I placed Kurapika as my favorite character :D
Which HxH arc did you dislike the most?
I was only joking. There was no real checkout embarrassment, only that I thought the contents would be childish, silly, and not worthy of paying money for. This was 8 years ago though. To put the non-embarrassment thing into perspective, I took this DVD to the checkout 2 years earlier, 6 months after I first started watching anime:
FYI - I've been mostly streaming anime for the past five years. I find it easier and more convenient and you have an incredibly wide range of things available at the click of a button. I've kept all the DVDs though. If the Wi-Fi ever goes down you're covered for something to watch.
Yeah, excess salt makes me feel bad too. It really is an impediment to clear and relaxed thinking, I've found. Burn the Witch manga, cool! What are your thoughts so far, if you've had a chance to properly look at it, that is? I liked the astrological symbols on their backs - as if they were almost an astrological Gotei 13, but with 12 divisions based on the 12 astrological signs/houses. I saw that Ninny and the other one had the glyph/symbol for Aries. I'd love to see more of the Soul Society West Branch (Reverse London) animated in the future. Also, Ninny and her friend seem cool characters I'd like to see expanded upon.
Yeah, definitely. The WIT art and animation style is well done in the OVAs. It's just the writing isn't quite on the level of the cannon material. It's amazing how much you forget as the years pass by. Doing a complete rewatch I realized how patchy my knowledge and remembrances were. It was almost like experiencing it all for the first time, again. Connie! Lol. It made me laugh when Keith Sadies (in charge of their initial evaluation and training) referred to Connie as being a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic. That really summed him up well. It was good that they threw a joker into the pack though. You need someone like that on every team. Sasha was charming though. I liked those scenes in season 2 when she went back to her rural village/farmhouse in the woods. I think she'll be best remembered as 'potato girl' though. How did you feel after what happened to her? Regarding what Gabi did? Hange had many funny moments though and her personality came out more and more as it went on, and it's also the design that I like and the voice in the dub and sub. Haha, yeah, but he voices Hannes in a different way to Nendou. The intonation is different but granted, David Wald has a very recognizable voice. I recognize him turning up all over the place and it's very clearly him. There's no way to hide that, and he's not one of those VA's who changes their voice for different roles. Regarding AOT songs I'd say that The Rumbling was my fave, with Red Swan being number two. I liked that Red Swan changed to a major key (the previous openings started in a minor key) and was more upbeat and chilled out.
Yeah, the whole Jaffa's are they cakes or biscuits debate. Will they ever solve that one or come to a consensus? Never. It would be easier to achieve world peace lol. I'd just call 'em Jaffa's, but they did seem more biscuit-like to me because of the shape and because of the slightly firm texture of the cake part. The notoriously intense British summer heat. Yeah, it's pretty darn hot today, actually. I wouldn't want it any hotter than this.
Your YouTube embed worked fine this time. You're basically a computer genius from here on! That was quite a groovy track from Soul Eater. The vibe is definitely reminiscent of the attitude of that Bleach song I sent. That was the opening of The Zanpakuto Rebellion arc, no less. What did you think of that particular arc btw? Ah, but you messed up the Rukia image spoiler tag thingy. Seems you've still got some more training to do, to become a genius!
'In the Database' the first Log Horizon opening is a classic. It was the first opening I heard that had that kind of Rage Against The Machine rap/rock sound. They also did 7 Deadly Sins, which is a decent song actually, and The Long and Winding Road, the first Golden Kamuy opening.
I get what you're saying about the underwhelming simplicity of Fire Force. I have seen the first 4 Jujutsu Kaisen episodes though, so I'm guessing it's like 'Ichigo, go and defeat the Hollows/Curses' for 24 episodes straight, the same as you said about Fire Force? I was worried that Juju K might have been going that way. It just didn't have enough complexity or variation for me and I wasn't going to carry on until the end blindly, in the hope that they'd introduce something completely new and shake the formula up a bit.
Hey, pepperoni is pretty spicy stuff. Don't underestimate it lol.
I actually started with Shippuden myself ngl and finished the first volume (54 episodes) before beginning the original. The DVD cover just looked so childish that it kept putting me off. I guess the saying never judge a book by its cover rings true. Like it was f**king amazing with the chunin's and all lol.
I mean, it felt a bit embarrassing being an adult and taking this sort of thing to the checkout but never in my wildest dreams could I imagine the contents to be so rewarding. Then I had a friend calling it gay. Naruto's not gay I said, in dumbfounded indignation...'look, pink hair' she said...that's a female character I said, that's a female character. Cha!! Lol.
Oh, when talking about being under the influence of things I forgot to include salt or sodium. I felt that affecting me the last few nights actually. And milk, or milky drinks. I actually started to drowse off half an hour from the end of my animated movie last night because I downed 2 glasses of milk. It wasn't boring, quite the opposite, but the milk brought me down. It was the milk I tells ya! Oh, and even though I don't eat red meat these days, if you've had a day or two without chicken or fish you definitely feel more sensitive and empathetic. All these factors put together, it's as if your mind and personality changeth momently. It's never rooted in one place. Who knows, perhaps even the moon, the planets, and stars, have their effect as well. Perhaps the forces they exert are forces other than gravitational?
OK. Let's get onto AOT Final, The Ultimate Conclusion, All-Time Finale, part 5, season 3, now, shall we! In all honesty, I'm happy with all these extensions because I love the series so much. It's kinda sad that it ever has to end. I don't think we've seen a weak canon episode so far and everything's been 9/10 or 10/10. The quality's only dipped a bit in the OVA episodes but they're based on non-canon content like The Lost Girls, Birth of Levi, the bandits nicking their 3-D maneuver gear, Ilse's Journal, or the cooking competition. The OVAs aren't bad at all, but even the Levi one and Ilse's Journal (the two best ones) lack some of the magic and high production values of the full seasons. I think MAPPA's done a great job with Final and it just goes from strength to strength. There's a continuity there and it really flowed seamlessly when I recently watched and rewatched them all in chronological order. For me, it's the best Japanese action series and the only one that can go toe-to-toe with US animations like Castlevania and Arcane. I mean, Fairy Tail is enjoyable and all, but it's not mind-blowingly good. I'd say my fave characters are Mikasa, Hange, and Gabi. There's something about Gabi that makes me laugh. That there's a young person as courageous, committed, unrelenting, and fixated as that. Also, the dub voice is something else. I really like some of Hange's comedic moments, like when she was mocking Eren for just coming out of the blue (lost in revere) with 'The Attack Titan' in a mean and moody tone of voice and pulling this hand gesture. From the guys, of course, Levi is like the ultimate nonchalant badass, and just when you think you've seen everything he goes and surprises you again and exceeds anything you could possibly expect or imagine - like with the Beast Titan, and the aftermath and subsequent fallout of when he was guarding Zeke. I also like some of his wry witticisms and deadpan humor. Erwin Smith was another great character who exuded a lot of intelligence, dignity, and pathos, and the decision to save either him or Armin was a pivotal moment and one of the pinnacles of the series. Also, the OST for all the seasons is bona fide eargasm! How do you feel about it?
It's OK. You're keeping up a British tradition with tea and biscuits. 'To dunk, or not to dunk? That is the question!' When I was at school I could eat half a pack of choco digestives if I was hungry but would usually just have 3, or mum might get angry lol. Also, it was nice to see single-finger Twix or half-size KitKats in the biscuit tin but it was soul-crushing to see supermarket value brand choco bourbons. I never liked those things! Wagon Wheels were intermediary but not that exciting. You'd eat them if you were desperate. If there was nothing else to energize you. Basically, the big names like Twix and KitKat had real chocolate on them while the cheap stuff was just artificial cocoa flavoring lol. It's been years since I had any fizzy drinks. There was a time when I'd enjoy a few beers regularly but I've kinda curbed that. I used to like a couple of cold glasses of coke in the evening after school, but after a long hard day, I think even a sip of tap water would taste like cola lol. Thanks to Kaguya-sama for that joke.
Ah, Bleach songs. I'd say the one by SID (Rabu no Melody) was up there, and Change by Miwa, and the 'No one knows who I really am' ending song, with Rukia, from the first season. Ah, that one really takes me back! The kids nowadays, what do they know, eh!
I can totally relate with you finding your inner reading voice has become Chief Nyanta's because the same thing has happened to me on occasion. In the past when I've had Sinon (SAO season 2) and Rin Tohsaka (Fate/stay) avatars and profile themes I found that every MAL reply I'd written and read through (in my mind) had their dub voices, and the personality of the character as well. The same thing when I had Allura from Voltron as my forums avatar. Every forum post I was writing, I had her voice in my head, almost as if she was dictating what to write. She's very charming and eloquent though so that was alright.
I actually watched Vinland Saga every week as it aired and it was very close to 10/10. It was intelligent, historical, and very emotionally moving. It kinda had this special magical atmosphere all of its own. I remember that Aimer ending song Torches hitting you right in the feels, and it really seemed to mirror what was going on with Torfinn and Thors. Do good to be good...ahhh. I can't believe it's taken them 4 years to get to the sequel. Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait, and they've really been pouring their hearts and souls into it.
Wow, that really heartens me to hear it's so popular, although it is a creative media college. Maybe in a regular college, that figure would be down to 25%. Maybe. I'm guessing the popularity is very specific to certain demographics though, like over 45s being almost 0%, and under 20s being around 25%. Maybe that poll from 2018 gave a skewed account and also there's no accurate way to tell how much it's increased over the past 4 years. Yeah, I'm guessing it would be difficult to have the space in the shop for every single manga release in chronological order from the very first, so they might just have the last few releases of the well-known ones. It's like that in HMV with One Piece DVDs. They have the first three volumes and that's it. I guess it's there as an introduction to the franchise. Oh, talking about heartening things, it's also heartening to initiate someone into the wonderful world of Log Horizon. Clearly, there are not enough of us around, but it sometimes feels like a VIP select members club for the intellectual elite. Which is kinda nice.
Yeah, eat dinner while watching Fire Force and it might be the last meal you ever eat because you're laughing so hard. What's it like though? I remember someone mocking this guy in a MAL forum because he liked that 'fireman series for kiddies'. Lol. I like a lot of cuisines. I'd say Italian and Indian cuisines were two of my favorites. I also cook a mean salmon dish with tomatoes and lots of spices. Coincidently, I also said this to another MAL friend recently: Yeah, as a Narutard/Naruhard I've tried both Ramen and Udon but I'd say katsu curry sauce with breaded chicken steaks on rice is my fave. I can make it from scratch as well. I used to buy this boil in a pan/wok ramen from this South Korean brand and the seasoning packet they give you was like the hottest (spiciest) thing ever. If you put the whole packet in you couldn't get further than a single spoonful of broth because it was that hot. A third (1/3) of a packet of seasoning would be more than enough and like the equivalent of a nice spicy Indian or Mexican dish. What are the South Koreans doing making something that potentially hot? It was potentially dangerous. It was that extreme!
Yeah, Italian food is great. I love pizzas, lasagnas, and carbonaras, myself. Some of my faves in the past have been spicy crab linguine, prawn linguine, and mushroom pappardelle. I love Parmesan Reggiano cheese as well. I'd say I like most of the world's cuisines and have tried all sorts of things. Thai and Indonesian food is really nice, and I've tried and liked maybe a dozen different types of Indian curry.
Phew! That's the end. My attempts to curb the length have failed but there really was a lot to talk about. I guess once you bond with a fellow Narutard - it's like you've been friends for life :)
Your link to the Tailed Beast song didn't come out properly. You have to delete the first part of the youtube link. So, delete the https://youtu.be/ part of the code, just leaving the second part. It looks like that's what's gone wrong. I remember the song though. It was done in a cutesy way as well. Like the Tailed Beasts were soft cuddly plushies or something lol. I thought Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals might upset some people who took Naruto (the series) deadly seriously and without a sense of humor. There's a fair amount of self-mockery and self-deprecation in it, but a lot of it really is quite amusing and well written. I thought the first half was funnier than the second but you've got to be in the mood for it. Approach it in the wrong state of mind and it's bound to go over your head or miss the mark. Here is a strange story for you. I had gotten in the habit of having wasabi-coated peanuts and Asahi super dry lager while watching Lee and His Pals and was laughing along and really enjoying it, but the one time I subbed those snacks out for hazelnut milk chocolate I really didn't enjoy it and it seemed puerile and childish. I would say one's temporary brain chemistry would be the key to the subjective experience of any anime at any given moment. Like if you're tired, well-rested, hungry, full, undernourished, well-nourished, stressed, depressed, happy, upbeat, euphoric, sleepy, alert, or under the influence of caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sugar, meat, etc. All sorts of things will be affecting your body and brain chemistry. So for me, it would seem that sugar and chocolate is actually a depressant to enjoyment, mirth, or happiness. I'm an adult now and tbh I actively avoid all sugars except fruit sugars (fresh, dried, or juice) or naturally occurring sugar in stuff like milk. When I was your age though I used to love desert/pudding/sweet after dinner and really go in for that kinda thing. I think I needed the energy/calories at that age because I was really slim back then lol.
I like Mayuri's designs (he often appears with different make-up and attire), the arsenal of tricks up his sleeve, and some of the stuff he comes out with - his rhetoric or spiel. He's rather a colorful and flamboyant personality. Yeah, the battle against Espada number 8, Szayelaporro Granz (the pink one lol), was one of the highlights. I think something similar is coming up with an intense, long-duration battle between Mayuri and a powerful Sternritter/Quincy called Pernida. Check out Pernida's design:
It's not really a spoiler. More of an appetizer. I don't know what the outcome or the particularities of the battle are, just that it's coming up.
I wonder how long they will spend on it and similarly big or key battles? The first Bleach sometimes dragged things out for longer than was needed, like Yamamoto's battle with the Fracciones. I'd like to see something more dynamic and succinct.
You'll see a lot of different special powers, magical and combat techniques, and cool new things if you make it through all 3 seasons of Log Horizon. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink! There really is a nice variety of things and some of the bosses and big monsters are pretty interesting. As things progress there is also a new foe called Geniuses that emerge that are like independent fully conscious or self-aware artificial intelligences who are gathering empathium (a type of energy) from the lost memories of the adventurers who have died.
Yeah, how is it humanly possible to watch 500-plus days unless you're going back in time, or watching on different timelines, like Okabe? I've heard some people skip the OPs and EDs, watch at a faster speed, or skip filler episodes/arcs. I was talking to one guy on MAL who had Bleach in his top 10 but he'd only watched 200 out of 366 episodes because he was skipping what he deemed filler arcs. The same guy also claims to have read 100 plus manga chapters of Vinland Saga in a single night. He can't be absorbing it properly. I don't believe it. I think some people see it as an act of bravado - as if they're proving that they're knowledgeable, clever, cool, or superior, or to intimidate newbs. That same guy I was just talking about didn't even know Orihime liked to mix ill-matched food and flavor combos together. I mean, it was one of her idiosyncratic personality quirks that was specifically highlighted!
Other books which might be good would be any short story collection by Jorge Luis Borges - like Ficciones, or The Aleph and Other Stories. These are usually philosophical, supernatural, and metaphysical. Really thought-provoking stuff very cleverly written. Like with Demian, it's just an idea, and an example of the type of literary and intellectual novels I used to read. You don't have to spend your hard-earned pocket money on it lol.
I had a MAL friend saying just yesterday that if there's one anime he's not keen on, it's Classroom of the Elite. I might still give it a chance though, but sometimes I feel I'm a bit too old for high school antics. I mean, I only gave Kaguya-sama a go because I was curious about its high rating and why everyone was talking about it. Also, I feel that Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer may be too juvenile/immature for me. Maybe if I was 14 years old again. I feel I've outgrown that kinda thing. It just doesn't have the depth and complexity, and the dialogue isn't advanced enough, from what I've seen so far. One of my fave things recently was GITS 2045 and that was a seinen so I'm going to try to shift to more mature, or adult cast series, or something more thought-provoking, from now on. I'm not dissing the aforementioned things in any way though. They could well be amazing for a younger audience. I'm in no way depreciating that. It's more that I feel like an out-of-place oldie sometimes lol.
That world popularity poll I quoted was from 2018, so taking into account popularity rises from COVID/lockdown, plus the last 4 years carrying on the trend of year-on-year increased popularity, I'd guess it could push those figures up 50% across the board. So maybe 1 and a half percent for the USA, which still remains the largest anime/manga percentage outside of Japan, and maybe 0.6 % for France, the European leader. Although what you said about age demographics is valid. I'd expect over 30's to be in the minority, over 40's to be almost non-existent, and teens and twenties to be the vast majority. Out of your peer group, what would you estimate the percentage is? I bet there's a difference between cities and rural areas as well. I remember seeing a Log Horizon novel in Waterstones like 7 years ago but they only had volume 3 on the shelf. No volume 1 and 2 lol.
Sometimes I try to eat a main meal while watching dubbed but you're not really taking it in and end up having to go back over what you missed if it's something you care about. It's OK though if you were watching something you've lost your love for and are just trying to make it to the end. I usually just go for green tea and dried fruits or nuts but I'm not munching all the way through. More like just a couple of quick guzzles.
Wow. Asuma's daughter does sound like an enticing prospect because we've known both her parents, their abilities and personalities, and what happened to her father. Will she keep taking Chocho out for barbeque I wonder! What's sad is that I dropped off before getting to see Sarada, who I really wanted to see. She seemed like she would be the coolest of the young generation to me. I got to see some of Orochimaru's kid in the first 15 episodes and there were some jokes flying about asking if Orochimaru was his father or mother lol. Talking about Orochi's slightly camp ways...have you seen Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals yet? It's pretty outrageous in some of its gags and humor. There's one skit about Might Guy being overdue with porno DVD rentals lol. Why am I not surprised!
Yeah, Gamakichi/Gamatatsu was great. I can't think of any other contenders for a mascot. Maybe Kurama could be considered one. Not so cute though, I suppose.
I was just talking to someone about the latest Bleach promo. It bodes very well for what's to come and I was saying I'm looking forward to seeing Mayuri in action again because he's one of my faves with his strategies and wit and cunning and I'd like to see Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo in the new updated visual style. Also, Rukia is supposed to have quite an important role and some key development in TYBW, and I have a fondness for Soi Fon and Yachiru so I'm hoping to have some good (action or funny) moments with them as well. I've heard some talk from people in the know speculating that there could be between 70 and 100 episodes considering the length of the manga and the usual rates for adapting chapters. I really don't think they'd put filler in, in this day and age. I don't hear of it happening so much with shounen these days (Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and AOT), except Boruto lol.
I'm glad to hear you've got off to a good start with Log Horizon. It only gets better from here on because one of the key things for me is building up an attachment to the characters, and you really do over the course of 62 episodes (and 3 seasons). How are you getting on with it now? Have far have you got? Yeah, one of the key areas of interest in battles is the different classes of RPG characters and their specific strengths and abilities. You might find this informative and it's a nice introduction to some cool characters coming up in the future. It's only 3 mins:
Yeah, I know all the other bigwigs in Lord Ainz guild left him all their world-class items and other treasures and special things. I love some of the names they had as well, like Peroroncino and Bukubukuchagama. That was such an inspired move! It always makes me laugh hearing them alluded to by Ainz.
I feel the exact same way about Saiki K. I tried one episode subbed and just no, it wasn't working. Have you seen the 6 episode OVA Saiki: Reawakened? It's pretty funny, nearly equal to season 1 but it features different voice actors.
I took a break from the guitar but I'd like to get back into it again. Maybe do some recording on a music production suite/sequencer on the laptop with sampled beats/loops and keyboard. I've done stuff like that in the past. I've taken guitar breaks before but even if you're a little rusty you never really forget the fundamentals. Kinda like riding a bike.
Yeah, never get caught up in a day's watching competition. The main thing is that you try and choose things you enjoy and get some positive experience out of it. I like to spend time really thinking about and trying to comprehend what I've just seen so I can't rush through episodes. I think 500 days would drive me crazy, let alone 1000. Yes, hopefully, you will be in the 1/3 of users who end up enthralled by and in love with Re:Zero. I think it's about a 40% chance you might.
For novels, I'd recommend The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas and Damien by Hermann Hesse. The first one is 1400 pages and the second one's just a couple of hundred, so start with whatever you have time for. You can read reviews or synopsis online if you want, but I think they'd be good starter reads for a novice and a young person. There's a really great anime called Gankutsuou based on The Count of Monte Cristo so it might be cool if you'd be able to see that after completing the novel. For movies, I'd say the Hong Kong police/mafia thriller movie trilogy Infernal Affairs was one of my all-time faves.
I've not managed to see Classroom of the Elite yet but it sounds quite intriguing how you describe it. For me this summer, Devil is a Part-Time and Overlord are the most likely candidates but I'm not sure how the subbed version will go down and whether or not I'll wait for the dub. I've already started RWBY: Ice Queendom which is a 2-D alternate version of the 3-D US series, and I might drop in on Made and Abyss as well.
Yeah, I'm in the UK myself. What do you think of anime/manga popularity over here? I was just talking to someone else about that and was saying it's pretty niche. If one percent of the United States population watches anime and reads manga, according to a 2018 poll (it's probably a bit above that now), and France was the European leader with 0.4% of the population, then I'd say the UK was maybe half of France's - so 0.2%.
I dropped off from Boruto after 15 episodes a few years back although I enjoyed the prequel movie for some reason. It gave me the enthusiasm to continue on with the series but the pace felt really slow and the intensity and action felt diluted and the slice-of-life moments were completely devoid of the naughty antics and mischievousness that made the original so enjoyable. It felt like it was overly politically correct and almost like a homogenized shounen intended for kids. As someone slightly older (like myself) it just seemed very boring and tame and like you were going back a couple of steps from where you were 8 years ago with Naruto. I mean, after all that time, you should really be moving forward and advancing to better things. It's a shame. I'd have liked to see Himawari surpass Madara and Hashirama.
Well done with that fan art. It seems like you're really getting into the spirit of things! Yeah, I've heard that Chopper is kinda like a mascot for the series. If Bleach had Kon, what would be the Naruto equivalent? Also, to be fair, I'm aware that the One Piece MAL rating is ahead of the other 2 (quite far ahead of Bleach), and that's after over 1000 episodes. Although it'll be interesting to see how Bleach looks, sounds, and feels when it comes back in October.
Yeah, some of the stuff in Alicization and War of Underworld is actually quite complex and more so than any of the SAO techie talk previously. There's one episode in Alicization when Kirito is talking to the cardinal program that's embodied in the form of a cute girl, and I remember having difficulty following the pace of the language in the subs (and trying to make sense of it) and it was a lot easier to understand and tie things together in the dub, but even then, I had to rewatch that part. No, I'm not brain dead from watching too much anime.
It's been some years since I've last seen any Overlord but I guess it had some charm and substance to it even if it sometimes felt a bit juvenile - some of the Albedo histrionics were a bit OTT for me personally. Yeah, if you're in the right mindset for it you can easily be absorbed and sucked into it, and the same with Konasuba. Talking about overpowered characters. Why is it alright if Lord Ainz has the power of a god while it's wrong if Kirito has the powers of an experienced beta teaser?
I remember watching The Devil is a Part-Timer during the Christmas holidays (I'm resident in the UK) some years back and it seemed the ideal time of year for it. Something non-serious to just chill out to, and give your brain a rest. Some of it is silly or farcical comedy but it will usually make you smile and sometimes make you laugh. I suppose its irreverent spirit would be most similar to Saiki K or Konasuba, from the things you've seen already. Oh, there also was a romance element introduced and that was OK. I don't know anything about this forthcoming second season though. Like if they're changing studios, introducing new characters, or changing the main setting and premise. I'm completely in the dark but maybe that will make it fun to see what turns up.
Maybe I'm being a little bit biased (it's always been in my top 10) but I'd definitely say Log Horizon was the most intelligent and complex isekai I've seen so far, and I have encountered other people expressing the same opinion. I don't know if you've heard of him but Digibro (the anituber) was/is one of the biggest and high-profile advocates for Log Horizon, although sadly, he's had a bit of a fall from grace in recent times. I started Steins;Gate 0 after the first season a few years ago but it seemed slow to get up and running and I just drifted away onto something else. As I'm starting to feel as if I'm hitting the roof with anime, having already watched nearly all of the best things, I think the Steins sequel will be something I'll get to before long.
It's been many years since I was a passionate gamer. I used to be big into home consoles and arcades when I was a kid but then I started spending that time trying to learn the guitar and ended up spending hours looking at tablature and trying to learn riffs and arpeggios. I might get back into gaming but I'm not sure where to start or in which direction I should go. I'd like to do competitive online gaming but I'm not sure which would be the ideal franchise for me. There's this guy on MAL I used to talk to who's spent thousands of hours shooting on Borderlands (the game) and I'm not sure if I want to end up a gun-toting meathead like him lol.
Yeah, that's about the jist of it. Re:Zero has been uncomfortable, unsettling, and a rather strange experience overall. Maybe I'd recommend it because it's noteworthy within the history of anime and it set the template for things to follow. Kinda like Steins;Gate or Sword Art Online or something. It seems some people really love it, some are completely indifferent to it, and some really can't stand it, with an equal spread of people divided into those 3 groups. Or maybe half of the people in the first group (loving it), and a quarter each, in the other two. Yeah, the time-traveling aspect is reminiscent of Steins and the main guy Subaru is like Okabe in that only he remembers everything that's happened on all of the altered and individual timelines. The other characters have no memory or awareness of what's been going on before he's killed and has to restart. Nah, compared to any regular person 37 days is a mid-level initiate. It's only among the freaks with 400 plus days watched that you look like a newb :)
I've read a few chapters of Promised Neverland and Made in Abyss but I'm a really slow reader when it comes to that speech bubble, paneled comic book format. I've read about 300 pages of SAO and I guess that reading novels would be better suited to my temperament/how my brain works, although the SAO novel was not that great compared with some of the adult novels I've read - like stuff by Nobel prize-winning authors lol. Also, the black and white format of manga puts me off. If I had to, I'd probably go for a webtoon/manhwa like Tower of God that's in color. It just looks so much better when it's in color. Also, I'm one of those people who's very sensitive to color and coloring in anime. The colors in Re:Zero are fantastic by the way, and is one of the primary reasons why I'm pressing on with it.
Don't worry about length. You should never, ever, worry about length or feel insecure about it. Lol. What's important is that you get satisfaction! Seriously though, I've had MAL friends run away from monstrous essay-length comments so it's maybe a good idea if we scale things back a tad and not get too carried away :)
Yeah, it's kinda scary to imagine the level that Himawari could ascend to when she's older and is going all-out. It's like they've selectively bred a genetically engineered super-shinobi lol.
It would have been a lot cooler if Orochimaru had carried on being one of the biggest fish in the shinobi sea and an equal to someone like Nagato/6 Paths of Pein. I'd like to have seen Orochi go all out against someone with renown and experience, like Kakashi or Might Guy. Maybe Orochi and Kabuto against Kakashi and Guy (with Shippuden music and visuals) would have been an amazing spectacle if they pushed it as far as it could go, with there being at least one casualty as a result.
As I've often joked with people, One Piece is more like a legally binding commitment for life, than just a TV series. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. What are your thoughts about it so far? How does it compare (at this stage) to your experiences with Naruto and Bleach?
It would be interesting to see what you make of Alicization and War of Underworld (if you get that far) because the artwork/visuals and production go up a couple of notches and are almost on a par with Ufotable. Also, there are some big changes with a new (artificial intelligence) character coming to the fore, that has to step up and protect Kirito as he develops a major handicap/disability which puts him out of action and renders him completely vulnerable and defenseless. There's some interesting techie talk and VR and AI developments and innovations in there as well.
Ah, everyone's fave dungeons and dragons type series, Overlord. I was just talking about that with another friend because we were discussing the upcoming summer seasonals. This is what I said: You've made some good calls there because that's pretty much what I'm waiting for: The Dr. Stone special, Made in Abyss, and the SAO Progressive movie, but with the addition of The Devil is a Part-timer and Overlord. I might rewatch Part-timer to get me in the mood. It was quite funny from what I remember. The demonic prince of darkness, the supreme embodiment of evil and wickedness, is brought down to earth as a lowly McRonalds employee handing out Happy Meals lol. As for Overlord, well, that's more a cheap and tacky version of Log Horizon (snickers) but I must admit that I got caught up in its fantasy sword and sorcery, trapped in an RPG game world some years back. It's kinda like a slightly addictive chocolate marshmallow breakfast cereal with zero essential nutrients. You can't quite put your finger on why, but you keep going back for another helping :)
What's on your radar or watch list this upcoming summer season? Also, what I just requoted brings me on to my fave isekai, Log Horizon. Well, Log Horizon has been in my MAL top 10 since I first joined the site and is something that has intelligence, attention to detail, and lots of layers, as well as a wide array of very charming, memorable, and loveable characters. Players can't actually die in the MMORPG game but are respawned at the Temple/Cathedral. However, they have to pay the price of losing some of their memories, with some players getting addicted to the respawning experience and choosing to die repeatedly and going insane, as well as it causing concern for occasional accidental fatalities who start to lose memories of their other life back in the real world. The star of the show, or main protagonist, 'the villain behind glasses', Shiroe, is very unlike Kirito in that he is an enchanter class (of fantasy RPG character) who is a master tactician and works in a supporting, healing, guiding, and mentoring role, in whichever guild or raiding party he's in. There's also a nice amount of wit and good humor in the series and a fair amount of romance, some of it unconventional or slow-burning, and overall it's a great, multi-faceted, all-encompassing series, with enough substance to lose yourself in. It really feels like being transported to another world, which is on the whole, a very bright, happy, caring, and loving place to be. It might sound a bit schmaltzy but it isn't contrived or overbaked. It's a thoroughly charming world and is usually colorful, upbeat, and optimistic, but there are lots of difficulties and worries, and catastrophes that crop up, that take a lot of ingenuity and strategizing to overcome. Like a serial killing NPC dressed as Santa Claus and a rouge guild called Hamlin who are kidnapping, imprisoning, and exploiting younger players to make them surrender their potions and grind away at labor for them. Yeah, there's darkness and some combat/fighting in it, but there's also a lot of subtly, discussions, and debating. Oh, the English dub is also one of the best I've heard so all the talking bits aren't really a chore. You can just lie back, enjoy the dialogue, and soak up the sights :)
My experience with Re:Zero is very different. Re:Zero is darker and a lot more graphically violent overall (than Log Horizon). I was just thinking last night, 'this is a very, very, strange series'. At times it's hard to fathom (the plot) or understand the awkward dialogue and some of the characters give off a very weird vibe. Maybe it's meant to give you an unsettling or almost nightmarish feeling. That being said, there's an air of quality about the whole thing with some very refined and beautiful aesthetics (drawing/coloring) and the voice acting (dubbed) is of a high standard. There's a lot of focus on the main guy, Subaru, and his trials and tribulations (rebirth/returning after violent deaths) and his internal thought processes, as well as his anguish, pain, grief, and frustrations. He's one lone individual lost or trapped inside this strange new world with all manner of strange, scary, and inexplicable things going on. I think it's a good series to know about and have some experience of (if you consider yourself an otaku/weeb) because it's as highly esteemed and popular with the Japanese audience as it is with MAL users, around the world.
There's one other person though, that I think could cause Madara some serious trouble and maybe even defeat him outright.
And that would be Himawari, of course. I mean she totally flattened adult Hokage Naruto in a single strike and (like the picture describes) succeded where many had failed.
Yeah, Orochimaru in season 1 was a lot more menacing and was a serious existential threat to the Hidden Leaf. He did take down the Third Hokage Sarutobi and invaded and caused damage to the Hidden Leaf, but in Shippuden, he was a lot more subdued. I think he kinda went undercover in the Akatsuki and was spying and gathering information as well as collecting and mastering more Jutsu, some of them forbidden, and was working on his plans for immortality, possibly using Sasuke as a vessel for reincarnation. I think he still did a fair amount in Shippuden but was eclipsed by Pein (Nagato), Obito, then Madara. I'd agree that Orochimaru was probably stronger and more powerful overall than Akatsuki members like Sasori, Deidara, and Kakuzu, but I doubt that he'd be able to defeat Itachi. I think in the War arc, Kabuto went further and achieved greater power than his one-time master and mentor, but as I said before, I think Kabuto ended up absorbing some of Orochimaru's 'essence' and life-force into himself. Yes, I think (1st series Naruto) Kakashi was out of his league with Orochimaru. Tbh I think Kakashi would have struggled with Kabuto and Kabuto even says this to him at the time of the first Chunin exams. I think it would take Jairaya and Tsunade together to match up to Orochimaru at this period of time.
OK. Now let's crack on with SAO, shall we! Well, I guess I've kinda built the whole thing up by taking extra time to think about it and get around to replying. I'm not sure if you've heard some of the criticisms or are aware of some of the hatred but I'll try to be as balanced as I can. I know there are some faults or weaknesses in season 2 (and the franchise overall) but I still really enjoy it and suspend my disbelief while I'm watching - like how Kirito is so powerful and can always win or beat everybody, and how all the female characters seem to idolize or fawn over him. Well, I suppose you have to take into account that he was a beta-tester and clocked up many hours grinding away on his own before joining The Moonlit Black Cats guild, and also because he's saved or helped people like Silica (and a certain someone else later on), why he would seem attractive and loveable to them. Also, at the end of the day, it's not an ultra-realistic gritty grim introverts story, it's a fantasy adventure, and Kirito is actually a rare or special case of someone being very skilled and confident because not everyone in the series is (like Sachi) and many thousands actually die. Ah, so you've seen the first season, and like it, and rewatch it. I'm glad. I've seen it three times (over a 6 year period) and even though I got a different subjective experience out of each viewing (I enjoyed Alfheim more than Aincrad the last time) it always was easy to get into, enjoyable, absorbing, and took me to all the right places. It's one of my favorite dubs and OSTs and really is something that I get totally immersed in. It kinda transports me to that game world, like you're actually in there with them. I like the romance (Asuna and Kirito) and cute elements (like Yui) as well as the combat and the risks involved. I'd definitely recommend trying season 2 because Sinon is such a cool character with an interesting backstory and you get to explore a new exciting game world with Gun Gale Online. There are thrills and twists as well as some humor and human bonding and emotions. See how you get on with that before going on any further - to the Ordinal Scale movie, and beyond, to Alicization. Are you particularly keen on, or experienced with the isekai genre?
Yeah, I suppose from what we've seen already, Nagato would be no real no match for Madara. I'd guess that even all the Akatsuki members put together would struggle against Madara unless they employed Shikamaru levels of forethought and strategic cooperation. I think Madara's Achilles heel would be that he's susceptible to Taijutsu like what we saw with his battle against Might Guy. Apart from what happens with Kaguya, do you think that Might Guy came the closest to (and had the best chances of) defeating Madara? Madara himself says (against Might Guy) that he hasn't faced this level of excitement since he faced Hashirama, and Guy's Night Guy technique obliterates half of Madara's body. Without the regeneration technique, he'd undoubtedly be a goner. In all fairness, the regeneration technique seems an unfair cheat. It would have been so cool to have seen Guy take him down for good, even if he ended up in a wheelchair afterward. On another note, how highly do you rate Orochimaru? How do you rank him alongside the other Akatsuki members for example?
I'll get back to you later on today about SAO. I think I need to put a little bit of thought and some extra time into my reply.
Oh, I thought it was really touching and funny how Nagisa became a high school teacher at the very end, in emulation of his inspiration and mentor.
Also, RIP Koro-sensei was one of the most emotionally moving and poignant anime scenes ever - especially if you're watching all the episodes back-to-back for the first time.
Yeah, all the 'climbing silver' and shogi stuff with Shikamaru was amazing. It was a most ingenious strategy he devised to deal with Hidan (the immortal) and keep him from coming back to life. It was also a very emotionally moving arc because of the close and deep bond he, Choji, and Ino, had with Asuma-sensei. Cue lots of barbeque flashbacks :)
Certainly, Obito was put in his place when Kabuto revealed he had so many Akatsuki members under his control (with Edo Tensei). Madara was in a league of his own, and I don't think would have been able to have been stopped if it wasn't for the introduction and intervention of Kaguya. I think Madara was strong enough to have taken out every single one of the big names of the Shinobi Alliance, and he practically did that/demonstrated that anyway.
I think you're saying that War arc Kabuto was overpowered? I think he mastered his abilities and Jutsu and was at the peak of his powers. Also, he kind of took Orochimaru's serpent powers/serpent soul into himself and kind of merged together with it - or that's the impression I got anyway. Here's a question. Do you think either Sasuke or Itachi could have taken Kabuto on their own? I'm not too sure...but I think Itachi would have stood a better chance than Sasuke because of his Genjutsu abilities. Here's another question for you. Do you think Nagato and his 6 Paths of Pein, at the height of his powers and strength (like when he invaded and totally destroyed the Hidden Leaf), would be much of a match for Madara?
I'd say water bending because of Katara and Korra. Although I enjoyed Toph's earth bending and martial arts style, a lot.
I used to have Ass Class in my top 10 and it was there for years. I need to rewatch the 2nd season, so depending on the outcome of that it could go back in. Koro-sensei was just an amazing individual and teacher and really was the star of the show for me, but there is one student that stood out. It has to be Nagisa. It was great when he took down that psychopathic army instructor guy at the end of the first season. He was also really cool in the role of narrator throughout.
All Comments (66) Comments
Yeah, AOT seems a bit heavy and graphically violent for 15 years olds. I know MAL rates them 17+ (violence and profanity) and there was even a warning at the beginning of AOT Final (the dubbed version) that advised: 'this contains mature content and is not appropriate for children.' I mean, if Levi bending someone's arm behind their back isn't mature, then what is! Also, as you said yourself, Hange can be quite scary, and certain things go on, and it's more graphic and intensely violent than say, Might Guy wearing a green leotard lol.
Ah, I've just seen that the Goblin Slayer DVD is an 18, as well. Well, I'll reveal that there is something in SAO Alicization of a sexual nature that I think is the key reason for its rating. I think that however violent something animated is (Demon Slayer for example), it can only ever reach a 15-certificate maximum. There needs to be a sexual element for something to be classed as an 18. I've just found out Netflix has bumped up SAO's rating to an 18 as well, because of a sexual element. Not sure which season it is though, or if it's for the whole thing. Well, SAO remains as edgy as ever, then.
Yeah, I've watched most of 'em twice, except for Darker Than Black, Chobits, JoJo's Phantom Blood, High School DxD, and XXXHOLiC, all of which I still need to finish. I'd say my faves were Fate/stay night UBW (nice picture discs and it was expensive at the time) and the three Avatar: TLAB seasons which are nice laminated different color boxes and look like fancy picture books.
Yeah, Gabi seems to have been thoroughly indoctrinated by Marley for all of her short life and is unwavering in her opinion and assertion that her and her family and friends suffering is all because of the bad Eldians on Paradis. This brainwashing from an early age has gone on in a lot of real-life regimes as well, both now and in the past.
I've never skipped an opening or an ending and I can see why there might be a greater temptation to skip the ending (and get to the next episode quicker) but I never do. It's part of the ambiance and sets the tone and mood of the piece. For example, while rewatching Vinland Saga I've been struck by the emotional impact of the endings. From the beautiful and evocative snow-covered landscapes with Torches by Aimer playing, to Viking warriors reaching up to Valhalla and imploring the Valkyries while Millet's Drown plays, those endings really add a lot to the emotional experience.
Hey, nothing can possibly be more unmissable than Naruto Unleashed season 3. As it says on the back cover, you've been officially warned! Take care, now. Lol.
Yeah, totally. Some of those fillers did add a lot of 'character' and extra-curricular experience to Naruto and Shippuden and I think most of the Bleach filler does the same. You get to see characters in new and sometimes novel, settings and situations, and if you're a fan of certain characters, it's always nice to see them at the beach or the hot springs or whatever lol. But aside from fanservice moments, there are some funny or even serious and menacing new situations that are worth the watch for fans of the franchise. Have a look a this:
I read a bit about the Steins;Gate visual novels and it's exactly the part you mentioned about the significance of your choice that's got me interested and on my to-play-list soon, especially since I have never played a visual novel before.
I have not touched the HxH manga at all! In fact, I haven't read anything about it or whatever comes after either. You're saying more Kurapika after Chairman Election arc O.O!? I might have to pick it up then, just to see more Kurait'sa. It'sit been some time since I finished HxH. Do you think its worth for me to refresh on some HxH 'state of the world' before diving into the manga post Charman Election?
My least favorite arc is hands down Greed Island, I fell asleep at different points when watching that arc. I couldn't tell you the exact reason now. It felt uninteresting at many points but had good moments such as the Dodgeball game and when Gon went crazy on Genthru. I suppose I wasn't too fond on the 'cards' idea as well. Ant arc is a close second as being my least favorite arc, mostly for the odd pacing as you mentioned. The palace invasion and Meruemleft it on a good note at least.
Black Clover is definitely one of my favorites! I have to be honest that the story is okay, and what sold me on the show is the mainly OPs/EDs, fights, and later on, the characters, as they grew on me which kept me watching. There are just SO many great OPs/EDs from the show, and since you are reading the manga, you will be missing out a bit in my opinion. I'd like to share some of my favorite OPs/EDs, but that'd risk you getting spoiled, for now at least. I would say the show gets good from 3rd story arc forward (around Ep. 20 in the anime). That's where I got hooked, and I decided to binge the whole thing in just under a week. I hope you enjoy your read.
What made you want to pick up Black Clover after previously hearing bad press about it?
How have you been enjoying One Piece so far? It's a show I'd like to watch but am just afraid to pick up due to its crazy episode count... haha.
The descriptions from the back cover make me laugh. 'Darker and dangerous.' 'Edge of the seat tension.' 'Menacing.' It makes it sound like it's worthy of an 18-certificate. 'Warning: contains episodes you can't miss!' Take care now, you've been officially warned! I was surprised to see SAO Alicizataion on the shelf in Fopp a few months ago, with an 18-certificate. That's the only time I've seen an 18 on an anime in a store. Even all seasons of AOT and Re:Zero are only 15's. If you ever get around to Alicization let me know what you think, and what you think the reasons might be for the 18 tag. I have some ideas, but they might be considered spoilers so I'll wait. Are there any anime you've seen that you would consider worthy of an 18-certificate? SAO...it's gone and broken all records again! What more could you expect from the franchise ;)
I've only sold a couple of anime DVDs through all these years. Maybe just D.Gray-man (which I was halfway through and couldn't find the motivation/enthusiasm to finish) and Ghost Hunt (which had a problem with the unevenness of the voice dubbing volume level and the quality of the recording). I've got maybe 90 boxsets left but they vary a lot - from being 12-episode series or seasons to 52-episode Shippuden and 64-episode FMAB collections.
Yeah, Wit Studio usually delivers the goods with art and animation and seems to be reliable and trustworthy (Spy x Family, Bubble). I was saying to someone else not too long ago, that Gabi was indoctrinated from an early age and was 100% adamant - that was the objective truth and the way things were. 'I want to prove to everyone that we're good Eldians. That we're not like the other ones. The devils.' Yeah, certainly, Gabi is like a reverse Eren in some ways regarding her ideology, and I think I remember seeing/reading that the mangaka first came up with the idea of Gabi from drawing a female version of Eren.
AOT ending 3? You mean this one: https://youtu.be/rbfHY8mkhT8
Yes, it is rather creepy and disturbing. The children singing 'lalalala' in a jovial major key melody (as if they're happy and everything's fine) while violent atrocities are being carried out, and the creepy antiquated art style as well. Parts of it almost remind me of Russian Orthodox artwork and iconography. I was thinking it was quite a deliberate move to evoke an unsettling, eerie, discordant vibe. Now that really is menacing, and even more so than Naruto Unleashed season 3 if you can believe it!
I might well boo people who skip filler (of favorite shows) unless they have a good reason. Are you interested in checking out those arcs if you rewatch it before TYBW? I guess there's a lot of stuff out there for people to get through these days and they don't always have time for hundreds of filler episodes. At the time though, they were padding out one of the most popular franchises and I guess it made sense to give the people more of what they wanted, and not to have too long a delay before there was some new material to consume. Some of the fillers can be fun if you've not got anything else demanding your time and attention. Like that Shippuden 'Power' arc. That was like movie-quality material. A good movie, not a mediocre shounen franchise movie lol.
Demotivated for anime? Yes, this has happened to me (believe it or not) at times throughout the last ten and a half years and it seems to be happening to me more frequently as of late. Like the past couple of years. I think that might be because I've already seen all the things that I'm most predisposed to liking and that suit my personality the best, and I'm embarking on uncharted waters with new things I can't connect to. I sometimes try new things but am put off on the first episode. I'd say, whatever the reason for your demotivation, don't stress about it, don't try to force it, and just wait to see if you get naturally remotivated, enthused, and invigorated by your break from it. Now, that's £10 for your counseling session :)
My favorite lab member is def HOUOUIN KYOUMA!! Yeah, yeah, he's the MC, but man it's absolutely thrilling how he sounds delusional at first only for the story to unravel. At the end of it, all his delusional talking becomes reality... or better yet, always been a reality. Rukako is a close second for me, I loved each time they brought up the "but he's a guy" in the show, and honestly is as funny every time. I feel like I should rewatch the show sometime soon.
Have you played the Steins Gate visual novels by any chance? I heard they're super.
From what you may have deduced from my profile picture, my favorite HxH character is Kurapika, and the Yorknew arc therefore easily takes the spot as my fav arc. I absolutely love the tension of the hostage situation with Uvogin, Chrollo, Gon, and Killua. The back and forth perspective between Kurapika and the Spiders kept me on the edge at all times. The Kurapika vs Uvogin fight in the Yorknew arc was the moment I placed Kurapika as my favorite character :D
Which HxH arc did you dislike the most?
FYI - I've been mostly streaming anime for the past five years. I find it easier and more convenient and you have an incredibly wide range of things available at the click of a button. I've kept all the DVDs though. If the Wi-Fi ever goes down you're covered for something to watch.
Yeah, excess salt makes me feel bad too. It really is an impediment to clear and relaxed thinking, I've found. Burn the Witch manga, cool! What are your thoughts so far, if you've had a chance to properly look at it, that is? I liked the astrological symbols on their backs - as if they were almost an astrological Gotei 13, but with 12 divisions based on the 12 astrological signs/houses. I saw that Ninny and the other one had the glyph/symbol for Aries. I'd love to see more of the Soul Society West Branch (Reverse London) animated in the future. Also, Ninny and her friend seem cool characters I'd like to see expanded upon.
Yeah, definitely. The WIT art and animation style is well done in the OVAs. It's just the writing isn't quite on the level of the cannon material. It's amazing how much you forget as the years pass by. Doing a complete rewatch I realized how patchy my knowledge and remembrances were. It was almost like experiencing it all for the first time, again. Connie! Lol. It made me laugh when Keith Sadies (in charge of their initial evaluation and training) referred to Connie as being a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic. That really summed him up well. It was good that they threw a joker into the pack though. You need someone like that on every team. Sasha was charming though. I liked those scenes in season 2 when she went back to her rural village/farmhouse in the woods. I think she'll be best remembered as 'potato girl' though. How did you feel after what happened to her? Regarding what Gabi did? Hange had many funny moments though and her personality came out more and more as it went on, and it's also the design that I like and the voice in the dub and sub. Haha, yeah, but he voices Hannes in a different way to Nendou. The intonation is different but granted, David Wald has a very recognizable voice. I recognize him turning up all over the place and it's very clearly him. There's no way to hide that, and he's not one of those VA's who changes their voice for different roles. Regarding AOT songs I'd say that The Rumbling was my fave, with Red Swan being number two. I liked that Red Swan changed to a major key (the previous openings started in a minor key) and was more upbeat and chilled out.
Yeah, the whole Jaffa's are they cakes or biscuits debate. Will they ever solve that one or come to a consensus? Never. It would be easier to achieve world peace lol. I'd just call 'em Jaffa's, but they did seem more biscuit-like to me because of the shape and because of the slightly firm texture of the cake part. The notoriously intense British summer heat. Yeah, it's pretty darn hot today, actually. I wouldn't want it any hotter than this.
Your YouTube embed worked fine this time. You're basically a computer genius from here on! That was quite a groovy track from Soul Eater. The vibe is definitely reminiscent of the attitude of that Bleach song I sent. That was the opening of The Zanpakuto Rebellion arc, no less. What did you think of that particular arc btw? Ah, but you messed up the Rukia image spoiler tag thingy. Seems you've still got some more training to do, to become a genius!
'In the Database' the first Log Horizon opening is a classic. It was the first opening I heard that had that kind of Rage Against The Machine rap/rock sound. They also did 7 Deadly Sins, which is a decent song actually, and The Long and Winding Road, the first Golden Kamuy opening.
I get what you're saying about the underwhelming simplicity of Fire Force. I have seen the first 4 Jujutsu Kaisen episodes though, so I'm guessing it's like 'Ichigo, go and defeat the Hollows/Curses' for 24 episodes straight, the same as you said about Fire Force? I was worried that Juju K might have been going that way. It just didn't have enough complexity or variation for me and I wasn't going to carry on until the end blindly, in the hope that they'd introduce something completely new and shake the formula up a bit.
Hey, pepperoni is pretty spicy stuff. Don't underestimate it lol.
I mean, it felt a bit embarrassing being an adult and taking this sort of thing to the checkout but never in my wildest dreams could I imagine the contents to be so rewarding. Then I had a friend calling it gay. Naruto's not gay I said, in dumbfounded indignation...'look, pink hair' she said...that's a female character I said, that's a female character. Cha!! Lol.
Oh, when talking about being under the influence of things I forgot to include salt or sodium. I felt that affecting me the last few nights actually. And milk, or milky drinks. I actually started to drowse off half an hour from the end of my animated movie last night because I downed 2 glasses of milk. It wasn't boring, quite the opposite, but the milk brought me down. It was the milk I tells ya! Oh, and even though I don't eat red meat these days, if you've had a day or two without chicken or fish you definitely feel more sensitive and empathetic. All these factors put together, it's as if your mind and personality changeth momently. It's never rooted in one place. Who knows, perhaps even the moon, the planets, and stars, have their effect as well. Perhaps the forces they exert are forces other than gravitational?
OK. Let's get onto AOT Final, The Ultimate Conclusion, All-Time Finale, part 5, season 3, now, shall we! In all honesty, I'm happy with all these extensions because I love the series so much. It's kinda sad that it ever has to end. I don't think we've seen a weak canon episode so far and everything's been 9/10 or 10/10. The quality's only dipped a bit in the OVA episodes but they're based on non-canon content like The Lost Girls, Birth of Levi, the bandits nicking their 3-D maneuver gear, Ilse's Journal, or the cooking competition. The OVAs aren't bad at all, but even the Levi one and Ilse's Journal (the two best ones) lack some of the magic and high production values of the full seasons. I think MAPPA's done a great job with Final and it just goes from strength to strength. There's a continuity there and it really flowed seamlessly when I recently watched and rewatched them all in chronological order. For me, it's the best Japanese action series and the only one that can go toe-to-toe with US animations like Castlevania and Arcane. I mean, Fairy Tail is enjoyable and all, but it's not mind-blowingly good. I'd say my fave characters are Mikasa, Hange, and Gabi. There's something about Gabi that makes me laugh. That there's a young person as courageous, committed, unrelenting, and fixated as that. Also, the dub voice is something else. I really like some of Hange's comedic moments, like when she was mocking Eren for just coming out of the blue (lost in revere) with 'The Attack Titan' in a mean and moody tone of voice and pulling this hand gesture. From the guys, of course, Levi is like the ultimate nonchalant badass, and just when you think you've seen everything he goes and surprises you again and exceeds anything you could possibly expect or imagine - like with the Beast Titan, and the aftermath and subsequent fallout of when he was guarding Zeke. I also like some of his wry witticisms and deadpan humor. Erwin Smith was another great character who exuded a lot of intelligence, dignity, and pathos, and the decision to save either him or Armin was a pivotal moment and one of the pinnacles of the series. Also, the OST for all the seasons is bona fide eargasm! How do you feel about it?
It's OK. You're keeping up a British tradition with tea and biscuits. 'To dunk, or not to dunk? That is the question!' When I was at school I could eat half a pack of choco digestives if I was hungry but would usually just have 3, or mum might get angry lol. Also, it was nice to see single-finger Twix or half-size KitKats in the biscuit tin but it was soul-crushing to see supermarket value brand choco bourbons. I never liked those things! Wagon Wheels were intermediary but not that exciting. You'd eat them if you were desperate. If there was nothing else to energize you. Basically, the big names like Twix and KitKat had real chocolate on them while the cheap stuff was just artificial cocoa flavoring lol. It's been years since I had any fizzy drinks. There was a time when I'd enjoy a few beers regularly but I've kinda curbed that. I used to like a couple of cold glasses of coke in the evening after school, but after a long hard day, I think even a sip of tap water would taste like cola lol. Thanks to Kaguya-sama for that joke.
Ah, Bleach songs. I'd say the one by SID (Rabu no Melody) was up there, and Change by Miwa, and the 'No one knows who I really am' ending song, with Rukia, from the first season. Ah, that one really takes me back! The kids nowadays, what do they know, eh!
I can totally relate with you finding your inner reading voice has become Chief Nyanta's because the same thing has happened to me on occasion. In the past when I've had Sinon (SAO season 2) and Rin Tohsaka (Fate/stay) avatars and profile themes I found that every MAL reply I'd written and read through (in my mind) had their dub voices, and the personality of the character as well. The same thing when I had Allura from Voltron as my forums avatar. Every forum post I was writing, I had her voice in my head, almost as if she was dictating what to write. She's very charming and eloquent though so that was alright.
I actually watched Vinland Saga every week as it aired and it was very close to 10/10. It was intelligent, historical, and very emotionally moving. It kinda had this special magical atmosphere all of its own. I remember that Aimer ending song Torches hitting you right in the feels, and it really seemed to mirror what was going on with Torfinn and Thors. Do good to be good...ahhh. I can't believe it's taken them 4 years to get to the sequel. Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait, and they've really been pouring their hearts and souls into it.
Wow, that really heartens me to hear it's so popular, although it is a creative media college. Maybe in a regular college, that figure would be down to 25%. Maybe. I'm guessing the popularity is very specific to certain demographics though, like over 45s being almost 0%, and under 20s being around 25%. Maybe that poll from 2018 gave a skewed account and also there's no accurate way to tell how much it's increased over the past 4 years. Yeah, I'm guessing it would be difficult to have the space in the shop for every single manga release in chronological order from the very first, so they might just have the last few releases of the well-known ones. It's like that in HMV with One Piece DVDs. They have the first three volumes and that's it. I guess it's there as an introduction to the franchise. Oh, talking about heartening things, it's also heartening to initiate someone into the wonderful world of Log Horizon. Clearly, there are not enough of us around, but it sometimes feels like a VIP select members club for the intellectual elite. Which is kinda nice.
Yeah, eat dinner while watching Fire Force and it might be the last meal you ever eat because you're laughing so hard. What's it like though? I remember someone mocking this guy in a MAL forum because he liked that 'fireman series for kiddies'. Lol. I like a lot of cuisines. I'd say Italian and Indian cuisines were two of my favorites. I also cook a mean salmon dish with tomatoes and lots of spices. Coincidently, I also said this to another MAL friend recently: Yeah, as a Narutard/Naruhard I've tried both Ramen and Udon but I'd say katsu curry sauce with breaded chicken steaks on rice is my fave. I can make it from scratch as well. I used to buy this boil in a pan/wok ramen from this South Korean brand and the seasoning packet they give you was like the hottest (spiciest) thing ever. If you put the whole packet in you couldn't get further than a single spoonful of broth because it was that hot. A third (1/3) of a packet of seasoning would be more than enough and like the equivalent of a nice spicy Indian or Mexican dish. What are the South Koreans doing making something that potentially hot? It was potentially dangerous. It was that extreme!
Yeah, Italian food is great. I love pizzas, lasagnas, and carbonaras, myself. Some of my faves in the past have been spicy crab linguine, prawn linguine, and mushroom pappardelle. I love Parmesan Reggiano cheese as well. I'd say I like most of the world's cuisines and have tried all sorts of things. Thai and Indonesian food is really nice, and I've tried and liked maybe a dozen different types of Indian curry.
Phew! That's the end. My attempts to curb the length have failed but there really was a lot to talk about. I guess once you bond with a fellow Narutard - it's like you've been friends for life :)
I like Mayuri's designs (he often appears with different make-up and attire), the arsenal of tricks up his sleeve, and some of the stuff he comes out with - his rhetoric or spiel. He's rather a colorful and flamboyant personality. Yeah, the battle against Espada number 8, Szayelaporro Granz (the pink one lol), was one of the highlights. I think something similar is coming up with an intense, long-duration battle between Mayuri and a powerful Sternritter/Quincy called Pernida. Check out Pernida's design:
I wonder how long they will spend on it and similarly big or key battles? The first Bleach sometimes dragged things out for longer than was needed, like Yamamoto's battle with the Fracciones. I'd like to see something more dynamic and succinct.
You'll see a lot of different special powers, magical and combat techniques, and cool new things if you make it through all 3 seasons of Log Horizon. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink! There really is a nice variety of things and some of the bosses and big monsters are pretty interesting. As things progress there is also a new foe called Geniuses that emerge that are like independent fully conscious or self-aware artificial intelligences who are gathering empathium (a type of energy) from the lost memories of the adventurers who have died.
Yeah, how is it humanly possible to watch 500-plus days unless you're going back in time, or watching on different timelines, like Okabe? I've heard some people skip the OPs and EDs, watch at a faster speed, or skip filler episodes/arcs. I was talking to one guy on MAL who had Bleach in his top 10 but he'd only watched 200 out of 366 episodes because he was skipping what he deemed filler arcs. The same guy also claims to have read 100 plus manga chapters of Vinland Saga in a single night. He can't be absorbing it properly. I don't believe it. I think some people see it as an act of bravado - as if they're proving that they're knowledgeable, clever, cool, or superior, or to intimidate newbs. That same guy I was just talking about didn't even know Orihime liked to mix ill-matched food and flavor combos together. I mean, it was one of her idiosyncratic personality quirks that was specifically highlighted!
Other books which might be good would be any short story collection by Jorge Luis Borges - like Ficciones, or The Aleph and Other Stories. These are usually philosophical, supernatural, and metaphysical. Really thought-provoking stuff very cleverly written. Like with Demian, it's just an idea, and an example of the type of literary and intellectual novels I used to read. You don't have to spend your hard-earned pocket money on it lol.
What is it about? Have a look at this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infernal_Affairs_(film_series)
I had a MAL friend saying just yesterday that if there's one anime he's not keen on, it's Classroom of the Elite. I might still give it a chance though, but sometimes I feel I'm a bit too old for high school antics. I mean, I only gave Kaguya-sama a go because I was curious about its high rating and why everyone was talking about it. Also, I feel that Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer may be too juvenile/immature for me. Maybe if I was 14 years old again. I feel I've outgrown that kinda thing. It just doesn't have the depth and complexity, and the dialogue isn't advanced enough, from what I've seen so far. One of my fave things recently was GITS 2045 and that was a seinen so I'm going to try to shift to more mature, or adult cast series, or something more thought-provoking, from now on. I'm not dissing the aforementioned things in any way though. They could well be amazing for a younger audience. I'm in no way depreciating that. It's more that I feel like an out-of-place oldie sometimes lol.
That world popularity poll I quoted was from 2018, so taking into account popularity rises from COVID/lockdown, plus the last 4 years carrying on the trend of year-on-year increased popularity, I'd guess it could push those figures up 50% across the board. So maybe 1 and a half percent for the USA, which still remains the largest anime/manga percentage outside of Japan, and maybe 0.6 % for France, the European leader. Although what you said about age demographics is valid. I'd expect over 30's to be in the minority, over 40's to be almost non-existent, and teens and twenties to be the vast majority. Out of your peer group, what would you estimate the percentage is? I bet there's a difference between cities and rural areas as well. I remember seeing a Log Horizon novel in Waterstones like 7 years ago but they only had volume 3 on the shelf. No volume 1 and 2 lol.
Sometimes I try to eat a main meal while watching dubbed but you're not really taking it in and end up having to go back over what you missed if it's something you care about. It's OK though if you were watching something you've lost your love for and are just trying to make it to the end. I usually just go for green tea and dried fruits or nuts but I'm not munching all the way through. More like just a couple of quick guzzles.
Yeah, Gamakichi/Gamatatsu was great. I can't think of any other contenders for a mascot. Maybe Kurama could be considered one. Not so cute though, I suppose.
I was just talking to someone about the latest Bleach promo. It bodes very well for what's to come and I was saying I'm looking forward to seeing Mayuri in action again because he's one of my faves with his strategies and wit and cunning and I'd like to see Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo in the new updated visual style. Also, Rukia is supposed to have quite an important role and some key development in TYBW, and I have a fondness for Soi Fon and Yachiru so I'm hoping to have some good (action or funny) moments with them as well. I've heard some talk from people in the know speculating that there could be between 70 and 100 episodes considering the length of the manga and the usual rates for adapting chapters. I really don't think they'd put filler in, in this day and age. I don't hear of it happening so much with shounen these days (Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and AOT), except Boruto lol.
I'm glad to hear you've got off to a good start with Log Horizon. It only gets better from here on because one of the key things for me is building up an attachment to the characters, and you really do over the course of 62 episodes (and 3 seasons). How are you getting on with it now? Have far have you got? Yeah, one of the key areas of interest in battles is the different classes of RPG characters and their specific strengths and abilities. You might find this informative and it's a nice introduction to some cool characters coming up in the future. It's only 3 mins:
Yeah, I know all the other bigwigs in Lord Ainz guild left him all their world-class items and other treasures and special things. I love some of the names they had as well, like Peroroncino and Bukubukuchagama. That was such an inspired move! It always makes me laugh hearing them alluded to by Ainz.
I feel the exact same way about Saiki K. I tried one episode subbed and just no, it wasn't working. Have you seen the 6 episode OVA Saiki: Reawakened? It's pretty funny, nearly equal to season 1 but it features different voice actors.
I took a break from the guitar but I'd like to get back into it again. Maybe do some recording on a music production suite/sequencer on the laptop with sampled beats/loops and keyboard. I've done stuff like that in the past. I've taken guitar breaks before but even if you're a little rusty you never really forget the fundamentals. Kinda like riding a bike.
Yeah, never get caught up in a day's watching competition. The main thing is that you try and choose things you enjoy and get some positive experience out of it. I like to spend time really thinking about and trying to comprehend what I've just seen so I can't rush through episodes. I think 500 days would drive me crazy, let alone 1000. Yes, hopefully, you will be in the 1/3 of users who end up enthralled by and in love with Re:Zero. I think it's about a 40% chance you might.
For novels, I'd recommend The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas and Damien by Hermann Hesse. The first one is 1400 pages and the second one's just a couple of hundred, so start with whatever you have time for. You can read reviews or synopsis online if you want, but I think they'd be good starter reads for a novice and a young person. There's a really great anime called Gankutsuou based on The Count of Monte Cristo so it might be cool if you'd be able to see that after completing the novel. For movies, I'd say the Hong Kong police/mafia thriller movie trilogy Infernal Affairs was one of my all-time faves.
I've not managed to see Classroom of the Elite yet but it sounds quite intriguing how you describe it. For me this summer, Devil is a Part-Time and Overlord are the most likely candidates but I'm not sure how the subbed version will go down and whether or not I'll wait for the dub. I've already started RWBY: Ice Queendom which is a 2-D alternate version of the 3-D US series, and I might drop in on Made and Abyss as well.
Yeah, I'm in the UK myself. What do you think of anime/manga popularity over here? I was just talking to someone else about that and was saying it's pretty niche. If one percent of the United States population watches anime and reads manga, according to a 2018 poll (it's probably a bit above that now), and France was the European leader with 0.4% of the population, then I'd say the UK was maybe half of France's - so 0.2%.
Well done with that fan art. It seems like you're really getting into the spirit of things! Yeah, I've heard that Chopper is kinda like a mascot for the series. If Bleach had Kon, what would be the Naruto equivalent? Also, to be fair, I'm aware that the One Piece MAL rating is ahead of the other 2 (quite far ahead of Bleach), and that's after over 1000 episodes. Although it'll be interesting to see how Bleach looks, sounds, and feels when it comes back in October.
Yeah, some of the stuff in Alicization and War of Underworld is actually quite complex and more so than any of the SAO techie talk previously. There's one episode in Alicization when Kirito is talking to the cardinal program that's embodied in the form of a cute girl, and I remember having difficulty following the pace of the language in the subs (and trying to make sense of it) and it was a lot easier to understand and tie things together in the dub, but even then, I had to rewatch that part. No, I'm not brain dead from watching too much anime.
It's been some years since I've last seen any Overlord but I guess it had some charm and substance to it even if it sometimes felt a bit juvenile - some of the Albedo histrionics were a bit OTT for me personally. Yeah, if you're in the right mindset for it you can easily be absorbed and sucked into it, and the same with Konasuba. Talking about overpowered characters. Why is it alright if Lord Ainz has the power of a god while it's wrong if Kirito has the powers of an experienced beta teaser?
I remember watching The Devil is a Part-Timer during the Christmas holidays (I'm resident in the UK) some years back and it seemed the ideal time of year for it. Something non-serious to just chill out to, and give your brain a rest. Some of it is silly or farcical comedy but it will usually make you smile and sometimes make you laugh. I suppose its irreverent spirit would be most similar to Saiki K or Konasuba, from the things you've seen already. Oh, there also was a romance element introduced and that was OK. I don't know anything about this forthcoming second season though. Like if they're changing studios, introducing new characters, or changing the main setting and premise. I'm completely in the dark but maybe that will make it fun to see what turns up.
Maybe I'm being a little bit biased (it's always been in my top 10) but I'd definitely say Log Horizon was the most intelligent and complex isekai I've seen so far, and I have encountered other people expressing the same opinion. I don't know if you've heard of him but Digibro (the anituber) was/is one of the biggest and high-profile advocates for Log Horizon, although sadly, he's had a bit of a fall from grace in recent times. I started Steins;Gate 0 after the first season a few years ago but it seemed slow to get up and running and I just drifted away onto something else. As I'm starting to feel as if I'm hitting the roof with anime, having already watched nearly all of the best things, I think the Steins sequel will be something I'll get to before long.
It's been many years since I was a passionate gamer. I used to be big into home consoles and arcades when I was a kid but then I started spending that time trying to learn the guitar and ended up spending hours looking at tablature and trying to learn riffs and arpeggios. I might get back into gaming but I'm not sure where to start or in which direction I should go. I'd like to do competitive online gaming but I'm not sure which would be the ideal franchise for me. There's this guy on MAL I used to talk to who's spent thousands of hours shooting on Borderlands (the game) and I'm not sure if I want to end up a gun-toting meathead like him lol.
Yeah, that's about the jist of it. Re:Zero has been uncomfortable, unsettling, and a rather strange experience overall. Maybe I'd recommend it because it's noteworthy within the history of anime and it set the template for things to follow. Kinda like Steins;Gate or Sword Art Online or something. It seems some people really love it, some are completely indifferent to it, and some really can't stand it, with an equal spread of people divided into those 3 groups. Or maybe half of the people in the first group (loving it), and a quarter each, in the other two. Yeah, the time-traveling aspect is reminiscent of Steins and the main guy Subaru is like Okabe in that only he remembers everything that's happened on all of the altered and individual timelines. The other characters have no memory or awareness of what's been going on before he's killed and has to restart. Nah, compared to any regular person 37 days is a mid-level initiate. It's only among the freaks with 400 plus days watched that you look like a newb :)
I've read a few chapters of Promised Neverland and Made in Abyss but I'm a really slow reader when it comes to that speech bubble, paneled comic book format. I've read about 300 pages of SAO and I guess that reading novels would be better suited to my temperament/how my brain works, although the SAO novel was not that great compared with some of the adult novels I've read - like stuff by Nobel prize-winning authors lol. Also, the black and white format of manga puts me off. If I had to, I'd probably go for a webtoon/manhwa like Tower of God that's in color. It just looks so much better when it's in color. Also, I'm one of those people who's very sensitive to color and coloring in anime. The colors in Re:Zero are fantastic by the way, and is one of the primary reasons why I'm pressing on with it.
Don't worry about length. You should never, ever, worry about length or feel insecure about it. Lol. What's important is that you get satisfaction! Seriously though, I've had MAL friends run away from monstrous essay-length comments so it's maybe a good idea if we scale things back a tad and not get too carried away :)
It would have been a lot cooler if Orochimaru had carried on being one of the biggest fish in the shinobi sea and an equal to someone like Nagato/6 Paths of Pein. I'd like to have seen Orochi go all out against someone with renown and experience, like Kakashi or Might Guy. Maybe Orochi and Kabuto against Kakashi and Guy (with Shippuden music and visuals) would have been an amazing spectacle if they pushed it as far as it could go, with there being at least one casualty as a result.
As I've often joked with people, One Piece is more like a legally binding commitment for life, than just a TV series. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. What are your thoughts about it so far? How does it compare (at this stage) to your experiences with Naruto and Bleach?
It would be interesting to see what you make of Alicization and War of Underworld (if you get that far) because the artwork/visuals and production go up a couple of notches and are almost on a par with Ufotable. Also, there are some big changes with a new (artificial intelligence) character coming to the fore, that has to step up and protect Kirito as he develops a major handicap/disability which puts him out of action and renders him completely vulnerable and defenseless. There's some interesting techie talk and VR and AI developments and innovations in there as well.
Ah, everyone's fave dungeons and dragons type series, Overlord. I was just talking about that with another friend because we were discussing the upcoming summer seasonals. This is what I said: You've made some good calls there because that's pretty much what I'm waiting for: The Dr. Stone special, Made in Abyss, and the SAO Progressive movie, but with the addition of The Devil is a Part-timer and Overlord. I might rewatch Part-timer to get me in the mood. It was quite funny from what I remember. The demonic prince of darkness, the supreme embodiment of evil and wickedness, is brought down to earth as a lowly McRonalds employee handing out Happy Meals lol. As for Overlord, well, that's more a cheap and tacky version of Log Horizon (snickers) but I must admit that I got caught up in its fantasy sword and sorcery, trapped in an RPG game world some years back. It's kinda like a slightly addictive chocolate marshmallow breakfast cereal with zero essential nutrients. You can't quite put your finger on why, but you keep going back for another helping :)
What's on your radar or watch list this upcoming summer season? Also, what I just requoted brings me on to my fave isekai, Log Horizon. Well, Log Horizon has been in my MAL top 10 since I first joined the site and is something that has intelligence, attention to detail, and lots of layers, as well as a wide array of very charming, memorable, and loveable characters. Players can't actually die in the MMORPG game but are respawned at the Temple/Cathedral. However, they have to pay the price of losing some of their memories, with some players getting addicted to the respawning experience and choosing to die repeatedly and going insane, as well as it causing concern for occasional accidental fatalities who start to lose memories of their other life back in the real world. The star of the show, or main protagonist, 'the villain behind glasses', Shiroe, is very unlike Kirito in that he is an enchanter class (of fantasy RPG character) who is a master tactician and works in a supporting, healing, guiding, and mentoring role, in whichever guild or raiding party he's in. There's also a nice amount of wit and good humor in the series and a fair amount of romance, some of it unconventional or slow-burning, and overall it's a great, multi-faceted, all-encompassing series, with enough substance to lose yourself in. It really feels like being transported to another world, which is on the whole, a very bright, happy, caring, and loving place to be. It might sound a bit schmaltzy but it isn't contrived or overbaked. It's a thoroughly charming world and is usually colorful, upbeat, and optimistic, but there are lots of difficulties and worries, and catastrophes that crop up, that take a lot of ingenuity and strategizing to overcome. Like a serial killing NPC dressed as Santa Claus and a rouge guild called Hamlin who are kidnapping, imprisoning, and exploiting younger players to make them surrender their potions and grind away at labor for them. Yeah, there's darkness and some combat/fighting in it, but there's also a lot of subtly, discussions, and debating. Oh, the English dub is also one of the best I've heard so all the talking bits aren't really a chore. You can just lie back, enjoy the dialogue, and soak up the sights :)
My experience with Re:Zero is very different. Re:Zero is darker and a lot more graphically violent overall (than Log Horizon). I was just thinking last night, 'this is a very, very, strange series'. At times it's hard to fathom (the plot) or understand the awkward dialogue and some of the characters give off a very weird vibe. Maybe it's meant to give you an unsettling or almost nightmarish feeling. That being said, there's an air of quality about the whole thing with some very refined and beautiful aesthetics (drawing/coloring) and the voice acting (dubbed) is of a high standard. There's a lot of focus on the main guy, Subaru, and his trials and tribulations (rebirth/returning after violent deaths) and his internal thought processes, as well as his anguish, pain, grief, and frustrations. He's one lone individual lost or trapped inside this strange new world with all manner of strange, scary, and inexplicable things going on. I think it's a good series to know about and have some experience of (if you consider yourself an otaku/weeb) because it's as highly esteemed and popular with the Japanese audience as it is with MAL users, around the world.
Yeah, Orochimaru in season 1 was a lot more menacing and was a serious existential threat to the Hidden Leaf. He did take down the Third Hokage Sarutobi and invaded and caused damage to the Hidden Leaf, but in Shippuden, he was a lot more subdued. I think he kinda went undercover in the Akatsuki and was spying and gathering information as well as collecting and mastering more Jutsu, some of them forbidden, and was working on his plans for immortality, possibly using Sasuke as a vessel for reincarnation. I think he still did a fair amount in Shippuden but was eclipsed by Pein (Nagato), Obito, then Madara. I'd agree that Orochimaru was probably stronger and more powerful overall than Akatsuki members like Sasori, Deidara, and Kakuzu, but I doubt that he'd be able to defeat Itachi. I think in the War arc, Kabuto went further and achieved greater power than his one-time master and mentor, but as I said before, I think Kabuto ended up absorbing some of Orochimaru's 'essence' and life-force into himself. Yes, I think (1st series Naruto) Kakashi was out of his league with Orochimaru. Tbh I think Kakashi would have struggled with Kabuto and Kabuto even says this to him at the time of the first Chunin exams. I think it would take Jairaya and Tsunade together to match up to Orochimaru at this period of time.
OK. Now let's crack on with SAO, shall we! Well, I guess I've kinda built the whole thing up by taking extra time to think about it and get around to replying. I'm not sure if you've heard some of the criticisms or are aware of some of the hatred but I'll try to be as balanced as I can. I know there are some faults or weaknesses in season 2 (and the franchise overall) but I still really enjoy it and suspend my disbelief while I'm watching - like how Kirito is so powerful and can always win or beat everybody, and how all the female characters seem to idolize or fawn over him. Well, I suppose you have to take into account that he was a beta-tester and clocked up many hours grinding away on his own before joining The Moonlit Black Cats guild, and also because he's saved or helped people like Silica (and a certain someone else later on), why he would seem attractive and loveable to them. Also, at the end of the day, it's not an ultra-realistic gritty grim introverts story, it's a fantasy adventure, and Kirito is actually a rare or special case of someone being very skilled and confident because not everyone in the series is (like Sachi) and many thousands actually die. Ah, so you've seen the first season, and like it, and rewatch it. I'm glad. I've seen it three times (over a 6 year period) and even though I got a different subjective experience out of each viewing (I enjoyed Alfheim more than Aincrad the last time) it always was easy to get into, enjoyable, absorbing, and took me to all the right places. It's one of my favorite dubs and OSTs and really is something that I get totally immersed in. It kinda transports me to that game world, like you're actually in there with them. I like the romance (Asuna and Kirito) and cute elements (like Yui) as well as the combat and the risks involved. I'd definitely recommend trying season 2 because Sinon is such a cool character with an interesting backstory and you get to explore a new exciting game world with Gun Gale Online. There are thrills and twists as well as some humor and human bonding and emotions. See how you get on with that before going on any further - to the Ordinal Scale movie, and beyond, to Alicization. Are you particularly keen on, or experienced with the isekai genre?
I'll get back to you later on today about SAO. I think I need to put a little bit of thought and some extra time into my reply.
Oh, I thought it was really touching and funny how Nagisa became a high school teacher at the very end, in emulation of his inspiration and mentor.
Certainly, Obito was put in his place when Kabuto revealed he had so many Akatsuki members under his control (with Edo Tensei). Madara was in a league of his own, and I don't think would have been able to have been stopped if it wasn't for the introduction and intervention of Kaguya. I think Madara was strong enough to have taken out every single one of the big names of the Shinobi Alliance, and he practically did that/demonstrated that anyway.
I think you're saying that War arc Kabuto was overpowered? I think he mastered his abilities and Jutsu and was at the peak of his powers. Also, he kind of took Orochimaru's serpent powers/serpent soul into himself and kind of merged together with it - or that's the impression I got anyway. Here's a question. Do you think either Sasuke or Itachi could have taken Kabuto on their own? I'm not too sure...but I think Itachi would have stood a better chance than Sasuke because of his Genjutsu abilities. Here's another question for you. Do you think Nagato and his 6 Paths of Pein, at the height of his powers and strength (like when he invaded and totally destroyed the Hidden Leaf), would be much of a match for Madara?
I'd say water bending because of Katara and Korra. Although I enjoyed Toph's earth bending and martial arts style, a lot.
I used to have Ass Class in my top 10 and it was there for years. I need to rewatch the 2nd season, so depending on the outcome of that it could go back in. Koro-sensei was just an amazing individual and teacher and really was the star of the show for me, but there is one student that stood out. It has to be Nagisa. It was great when he took down that psychopathic army instructor guy at the end of the first season. He was also really cool in the role of narrator throughout.