What Current Anime Are You Watching Version v4.0

[Focslain]

So while I was laid up sick I beinged out both Symphogear GX and AXZ. It's like someone combined Gurren Lagann with DBZ and added in some fanservice plus healthy yuri bait.

The fights are good and I'm digging the armour designs, the vehicle combos were a nice addition.

Stopped four eps into XV just because I wasted a day on the series and needed a break. 

Overall I'd say meh, I'm a little jaded to this kind of stuff and not seeing anything really new with this.

[technoblue]

I watched the first episode of Fate/Grand Order Babylonia. As expected, it takes a different path from the First Order OVA even though both share the same setting. I liked how Shielder (Mash Kyrielight) appears to be less of a fish out of water in this iteration, and her heroic spirit 'half' doesn't seem too happy with what the vestiges of humanity are doing in this universe.

I'm watching on Crunchyroll and only have access to the intro episode for now, but this seems to be another scenario where a previous grail war was won by someone unscrupulous. Not much is given away in the flashbacks, and I'm looking forward to seeing more. This early in, though, who knows? I could be way off on my plot speculation. The show is promising a nice mix of new and old heroic spirits which should be fun. 

[Seto Kaiba]

Four episodes into Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part V: Golden Wind and holy sh*t I am ALL IN.

Golden Wind doesn't just remember that Jojo is supposed to be an action series, Giorno seems to be on track to claim the coveted title of Most Hardcore Jojo.  Four episodes in and there's already a body count! 

Spoiler

He indirectly killed a Mafia enforcer with his Stand ability by tricking him into caving in his own skull, beat thirty-one flavors of hell out of another TWICE, straight-up murdered a capo IN HIS OWN JAIL CELL for killing an innocent civilian, and defeated Koichi twice.

The apple didn't fall far from either tree, between Dio's attitude that the wittiest reaction to opposition is murder and the Joestars belief in awesome justice and punching things really fast while yelling a lot.

I'm not sold on the art style yet... Gold Experience in particular has this creepy, androgynous look to it that I find vaguely unnerving... but I guess it was named for a Prince album so a certain androgynousness is to be expected.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

After playing Grisaia no Kajitsu visual novel.  I enjoy the anime much more.  I am still in the Komine Sachi camp.

[Seto Kaiba]

Twenty episodes in, and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part V: Golden Wind is still a pretty wild ride.  I feel like it's officially hit its first real speed bump with...

Spoiler

... Team Bucciarati finally delivering Trish to her paranoid, reclusive mafia boss father only for him to turn out to be the show's Big Bad.  Given that they wasted enormous amounts of time waxing lyrical about how the Boss is so paranoid about his identity becoming known that he murders anyone who tries to identify him, that he'd immediately try to kill his own daughter was about the most predictable plot twist this side of M. Night Shyamalan. 

The big reveal feels especially lazy after the Boss's sudden yet inevitable betrayal reveals that he's a Stand user with time manipulation powers.  This is the third time we've been down this road in as many seasons.  Dio Brando's Stand, The World, had the power to stop time temporarily.  Kira Yoshikage's Stand, Killer Queen, evolved the ability to reverse time with its ability Bites The Dust thanks to the Stand arrow.  Now we've got the currently-anonymous mafia boss and his Stand, King Crimson, with the power to fast forward through time in short bursts.  Time powers are officially a dry well.  Dio was a great villain, and The World's memetically famous ability to stop time was a brick-sh*tting turn of events in Stardust Crusaders.  Kira's Killer Queen being able to rewind time up to an hour felt pretty hastily crowbarred in and inconsistent, since much ado was made about its inability to affect causality and it ended up not really doing much despite being called an invincible ability just like Dio's The World.  Now we've got King Crimson and Bucciarati calls it invincible again after beating it.  I kinda want a villain with a Stand power that isn't all that great on the surface, but is applied in a clever way... like Polpo's Black Sabbath, Koichi's Echoes, or even Josuke's Crazy Diamond.

 

[Marzan]

Been a while since I posted here. The fall season is so far average at best but there's a couple of decent shows in there.

No Guns Life has an old school feel to it which an old geezer like me enjoys. Oresuki is an ok romcom and Kemono Michi is a ridiculous over the top but unexpectedly hilarious  isekai about an animal loving wrestler who's trying to set up a pet shop in a fantasy world filled with monster. No typo.

Vinland Saga is still the best anime on by a country mile.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I watched I want to eat your Pancreas this morning it was so great.  Probably not the best movie to watch on a plane it really messed me up.

[Seto Kaiba]

Took a side trip from the Italy of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind to the alternate universe Western Europe of Yōjo Senki... and what a trip it was.

I'm not exactly in love with the localization title - The Saga of Tanya the Evil - but the show itself is pretty interesting.  It's become rather unusual to see an Isekai anime that isn't set in a fantasy MMORPG, and an alternate history story that doesn't involve World War II is equally unusual and all the more welcome for it.  It's got a very Overlord-like vibe to it, though Ainz Ooal Gown's original human persona was a decent person where Tanya von Degurechaff's kind of a total bastard in either lifetime.  It took a while, and a whole heap of misunderstood orders, for Ainz and the Great Tomb of Nazarick to jump off the slippery slope towards cackling villainy and true Villain Protagonist status.  Tanya, on the other hand, barely bothered to descend the slope at all and rode a freaking bomb down instead (literally, at one point!).  Unlike Overlord, most of the focus is on the main character instead of spread more evenly out among the core members of the cast... so a lot of Tanya's subordinates don't feel well-developed or memorable in any way.

Two episodes left to go (I was shocked it was only one cour).

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

The Cautious hero (Shinchou Yuusha) is so good. I am really enjoying it.

[chyll2]

4 hours ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

The Cautious hero (Shinchou Yuusha) is so good. I am really enjoying it.

Haha, I was getting mixed feedback on that show. Will recheck maybe once the show ended. Right now though, I am sick of Isekai and just wish they continue the previous Isekai (though some are getting another season I believe)

[Focslain]

On 11/9/2019 at 9:35 PM, Seto Kaiba said:

Two episodes left to go (I was shocked it was only one cour).

And now a movie, Crunchyroll has it for streaming currently.

Hopefully it gets another season. 

Movie Spoiler:

Lesson learned from the movie is that mary sues are like zombies, need two to the head to take down. As Aldnoah.Zero taught us, once is not enough.

Also be interesting to see both how dual plot armour works and what Tanya does with the forces she is acquiring.

[Focslain]

So I'm placing Azur Lane on hold so I can get a few other projects done.

Been keeping up on the reboot of LoGH, this season is going to be bloody. Got to see some of the power armour combat finally. Wasn't too thrilled with the suit designs, but at least a bit better then the deep diver-suits of the original. 

So recent episode had the Stadium Massacre, it was hard for me in the OG due to the brutal beating Jessica was given. This time around it was quick, thankfully, and still forceful.

It's almost guaranteed that Kirchis will be dead before the season ends.

While not watching yet I really need to set time aside for that jet ski anime. Previews are reminding me of Keijo!!! and I enjoyed that one.

This is going to be a sad arc.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I preparation for Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T I am watching S again.

[Marzan]

On 11/10/2019 at 3:35 AM, Seto Kaiba said:

Took a side trip from the Italy of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind to the alternate universe Western Europe of Yōjo Senki... and what a trip it was.

I'm not exactly in love with the localization title - The Saga of Tanya the Evil - but the show itself is pretty interesting.  It's become rather unusual to see an Isekai anime that isn't set in a fantasy MMORPG, and an alternate history story that doesn't involve World War II is equally unusual and all the more welcome for it.  It's got a very Overlord-like vibe to it, though Ainz Ooal Gown's original human persona was a decent person where Tanya von Degurechaff's kind of a total bastard in either lifetime.  It took a while, and a whole heap of misunderstood orders, for Ainz and the Great Tomb of Nazarick to jump off the slippery slope towards cackling villainy and true Villain Protagonist status.  Tanya, on the other hand, barely bothered to descend the slope at all and rode a freaking bomb down instead (literally, at one point!).  Unlike Overlord, most of the focus is on the main character instead of spread more evenly out among the core members of the cast... so a lot of Tanya's subordinates don't feel well-developed or memorable in any way.

Two episodes left to go (I was shocked it was only one cour).

Yōjo Senki. was a blast. I normally don't like isekai for the blatant Gary Stu self inserting so many of them are culpable of, but Tanya really doesn't do that. Despite her enormous talents, you really get the feeling she's on the edge all the time, uncomfortable with the world she's in. And even when she's the villain, you cannot help but root for her.

Don't forget to catch the movie too.

[Seto Kaiba]

On 11/11/2019 at 9:32 AM, Focslain said:

And now a movie, Crunchyroll has it for streaming currently.

Hopefully it gets another season. 

We can only hope.  As it stands, the Isekai genre as it stands today is currently overpopulated with knockoff-tier garbage like Isekai Cheat Magician and Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?, and is massively overdependent on the fantasy MMORPG tropes and cliches.  The few titles that really defy that model, like Yōjo Senki and Overlord are a breath of fresh air in a dumpster full of non-combustible trash.

If a second season of Yōjo Senki were announced, I'd be pretty stoked.  They've been teasing a fourth season of Overlord and they've already announced a second season of Isekai Quartet which features Yōjo Senki characters, so there's certainly reason to hope.

I'll probably be starting Re:Zero next, since it's the only one of the Isekai Quartet source shows I haven't seen yet.

 

8 hours ago, Marzan said:

Yōjo Senki. was a blast. I normally don't like isekai for the blatant Gary Stu self inserting so many of them are culpable of, but Tanya really doesn't do that. Despite her enormous talents, you really get the feeling she's on the edge all the time, uncomfortable with the world she's in. And even when she's the villain, you cannot help but root for her.

Don't forget to catch the movie too.

I have to admit, I was sold on Yōjo Senki after the second episode where the unnamed salaryman who becomes Tanya von Degurechaff has the stones to condescend to the mysterious being claiming to be god.  Isekai shows tend to always be some kind of power fantasy, usually with an insanely overpowered Lawful Good standard form letter Japanese protagonist in some kind of fantasy MMORPG mechanics world.  The ones with villain protagonists are really what makes the genre, since Lawful Evil provides for a lot more complexity as a character and a lot more potential to abuse that overwhelming power.

Overlord and Yōjo Senki are pretty similar in one respect.  Namely, that the protagonist from another world is cast in the role of a villain and is HOPELESSLY out of their depth.  For Lord Momonga (later styled as Ainz Ooal Gown), the fun was watching him flounder in the gap between his NPCs expectations of him as an all-powerful, all-knowing dark lord, his own aims to reform Nazarick to treat its NPCs humanely, and him slowly doing progressively more villainous things.  In Yōjo Senki, Tanya's story feels like a villainous version of the old Cold War satirical novel The Mouse that Roared with shades of Horatio Hornblower.  The salaryman and his incarnation as Tanya are both pretty awful people who profoundly lack empathy, and it's kind of fun watching Tanya rage against the heavens and the being she stoutly refuses to call "god" while trying and failing to secure a rear echelon officer's posting because her every word and deed is (often incorrectly) taken as evidence of her desire to hold a front line command and untapped abilities in that regard.  That Tanya can drive "god" into such a homicidal frenzy with a Kirk summation refusing to acknowledge its divinity that it starts a world war is pretty damned impressive in its own right.  (It's like a less awful version of Star Trek V... "What does God need with a starship?".)

[Focslain]

Next season of Iseki Quartet hopefully should be good. If anything we'll get more of Ains and Tanya budding friendship and hopefully some softening up of Niofumi.

$5 that Filo is the one that presses the button.

[Seto Kaiba]

26 minutes ago, Focslain said:

Next season of Iseki Quartet hopefully should be good. If anything we'll get more of Ains and Tanya budding friendship and hopefully some softening up of Niofumi.

Here's hoping someone realizes what a fantastically bad idea it is to leave Tanya alone with Demiurge...

Leaving Albedo and Shalltear alone with Rem and Raphtalia's a pretty bad idea too, but for other reasons...

(I wonder if Tanya'll ever notice that there were ads for Overlord in the train station where she was killed for the first time?)

 

26 minutes ago, Focslain said:

$5 that Filo is the one that presses the button.

That, my friend, is a sucker bet.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-11-10/my-teen-romantic-comedy-snafu-anime-season-3-video-reveals-cast-staff-title-spring-debut-and-teases-finale/.153126

I so happy more Oregairu, I really liked the 1st 2 seasons.

[Marzan]

On 11/12/2019 at 10:12 PM, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-11-10/my-teen-romantic-comedy-snafu-anime-season-3-video-reveals-cast-staff-title-spring-debut-and-teases-finale/.153126

I so happy more Oregairu, I really liked the 1st 2 seasons.

And at a good time too. The last novel is  coming out  on the 19/20th of November so there is maximum interest in the series and a very, very good chance that the last season will contain the definitive ending.

Expect spoilers galore a week from now. The shipping wars will be furious. For the record I expect the lone wolf ending, he he.

Edited November 14, 2019 by Marzan

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

8 hours ago, Marzan said:

And at a good time too. The last novel is  coming out  on the 19/20th of November so there is maximum interest in the series and a very, very good chance that the last season will contain the definitive ending.

Expect spoilers galore a week from now. The shipping wars will be furious. For the record I expect the lone wolf ending, he he.

I only started light novel 3 so I am way behind.  I hope it is Yukinoshita.

[Petrov27]

On 11/9/2019 at 9:35 PM, Seto Kaiba said:

Took a side trip from the Italy of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind to the alternate universe Western Europe of Yōjo Senki... and what a trip it was.

I'm not exactly in love with the localization title - The Saga of Tanya the Evil.....

Wow totally missed Tanya - had never heard of it - about half way through and really digging it so far....

[JB0]

On 11/12/2019 at 12:26 PM, Seto Kaiba said:

We can only hope.  As it stands, the Isekai genre as it stands today is currently overpopulated with knockoff-tier garbage like Isekai Cheat Magician and Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?, and is massively overdependent on the fantasy MMORPG tropes and cliches.  The few titles that really defy that model, like Yōjo Senki and Overlord are a breath of fresh air in a dumpster full of non-combustible trash.

Look on the bright side: At least the "kids in school doing things kids do in school" genre died.

Edited November 15, 2019 by JB0

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Tanya and the Saga of Evil was much better then I expected.     I avoided this title as well because from the reviews and previews it just didn't sound like something I would enjoy.    I am glad I gave it a shot.

 

So I came back from a screening of the Konosuba movie this week.

All in all I enjoyed it,   much better then I thought it was going to be 9/10.    This movie focused on Megumin and  her relationship with Kazuma.     

WIthout going into spoilers there was a reverse Goblin Slayer moment.. lol.    Megumin's backstory and family are explored in this movie and Chuni's abound.

Here is to a 3rd season and beyond.

 

 

[technoblue]

So I started in on Psycho-Pass 3 last night. It's sad to see Akane out of uniform, but I'm very interested to see what part (if any) she will play in this season. The two Public Safety Bureau replacements are interesting and seem like decent main characters after the first episode. My first impression of the show on a whole is that it feels closer in spirit to season 1 than season 2 (which wandered off the rails at the end). Crossing my fingers that this impression holds.

Will be watching episode 2 later this evening, as I'm trying to meter my pace to one episode a day.

[Focslain]

1 hour ago, Stampeed Valkyrie said:

So I came back from a screening of the Konosuba movie this week.

All in all I enjoyed it,   much better then I thought it was going to be 9/10.    This movie focused on Megumin and  her relationship with Kazuma.     

WIthout going into spoilers there was a reverse Goblin Slayer moment.. lol.    Megumin's backstory and family are explored in this movie and Chuni's abound.

Here is to a 3rd season and beyond.

Agreed, saw it tuesday. 

I'm up for a Kazuma/Megumin ship, there was hints over the last two seasons and this movie kind of topped it off.

Speaking of odd relationships, buddy had us watch the Chunibyo OVAs and movie Take on Me. The movie was a good end to the series and I wish Yuta and Rika the best.

[Marzan]

On 11/14/2019 at 8:51 PM, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I only started light novel 3 so I am way behind.  I hope it is Yukinoshita.

Spoilers are out today. You want to know?

Do you really want to know???!!

It is indeed a flawless Yukinoshita ending. Extremely clear cut and unambiguous. I'm actually surprised at how clearly it was spelled out.

Looking forward to S3 a lot.

 

 

[Seto Kaiba]

On 11/15/2019 at 12:04 PM, Focslain said:

Agreed, saw it tuesday. 

I'm up for a Kazuma/Megumin ship, there was hints over the last two seasons and this movie kind of topped it off.

Speaking of odd relationships, buddy had us watch the Chunibyo OVAs and movie Take on Me. The movie was a good end to the series and I wish Yuta and Rika the best.

One of the nicer things about this spate of Isekai light novel adaptations is that they're sticking fairly close to the source material... warts and all.

I kinda hope the movie is where they stop with Konosuba... because that's about where Kazuma falls into character stasis and every bit of development he gets in any given volume is undone by the start of the next.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

On 11/16/2019 at 1:54 PM, Marzan said:

Spoilers are out today. You want to know?

  Reveal hidden contents

Do you really want to know???!!

  Hide contents

It is indeed a flawless Yukinoshita ending. Extremely clear cut and unambiguous. I'm actually surprised at how clearly it was spelled out.

 

 

Looking forward to S3 a lot.

 

 

I am not surprised in the slightest.  Good luck avoiding spoilers these days.

[Focslain]

On 11/16/2019 at 7:47 PM, Seto Kaiba said:

One of the nicer things about this spate of Isekai light novel adaptations is that they're sticking fairly close to the source material... warts and all.

I kinda hope the movie is where they stop with Konosuba... because that's about where Kazuma falls into character stasis and every bit of development he gets in any given volume is undone by the start of the next.

Honestly I'm ok with that. I watch Konosuba for the laughs, having a character growth is ok at a slog if the series is to go on for a while.

Besides they have gone thru 5 of 7 demon lord commanders. The story is already going at a fast clip. Though I have an odd feeling that the Demon Lord himself is other neet that got sent to that world, bonus points if it was one of Aqua's. Basically that they defeated the Demon Lord and just took up it's mantle so the cycle continues.

Checked out Kandagawa Jetski Girls over the weekend. Got thru three eps before the censorship glare got to me. At least they went over the rules of the sport. Neat concept for a video game, using high power water guns to slow the jetski as well as ablative swimwear. I'll wait until the uncensored version drops in a few months to continue.

Also started a rewatch of Gurren Lagann, good series for when your sick and just want to netflix and chill.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-11-18/pulp-fiction-screenwriter-roger-avary-gives-konosuba-movie-5-stars/.153388

 

that is pretty awesome.

[Seto Kaiba]

On 11/18/2019 at 10:55 AM, Focslain said:

Honestly I'm ok with that. I watch Konosuba for the laughs, having a character growth is ok at a slog if the series is to go on for a while.

Granted, that's also where the laughs basically become stale... because the series has exactly one joke from that point on: Kazuma's desire to avoid doing any actual work bites him in the arse.

[AN/ALQ128]

My Gunsmith Cats bluray set is on its way, I can hardly wait.

I've seen some screencaps from people who've already got their hands on theirs, and the quality is excellent.

[Focslain]

1 hour ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Granted, that's also where the laughs basically become stale... because the series has exactly one joke from that point on: Kazuma's desire to avoid doing any actual work bites him in the arse.

Add in some of the spin-off books and it could keep the season from getting too dull. But they haven't even announced a season 3 yet, so at least they went out with a bang if this movie is all we get.

[hachi]

On 11/17/2019 at 4:54 AM, Marzan said:

Spoilers are out today. You want to know?

  Reveal hidden contents

Do you really want to know???!!

  Reveal hidden contents

It is indeed a flawless Yukinoshita ending. Extremely clear cut and unambiguous. I'm actually surprised at how clearly it was spelled out.

 

 

Looking forward to S3 a lot.

 

 

Ahahaha I probably wouldn't continue watching if I didn't like the ending.

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

On 11/19/2019 at 2:06 PM, AN/ALQ128 said:

My Gunsmith Cats bluray set is on its way, I can hardly wait.

I've seen some screencaps from people who've already got their hands on theirs, and the quality is excellent.

I got mine earlier this week.    Haven't had a chance to watch it yet.     I probably should have gotten in the Riding Bean one as well,  but that was my laziness.