What are you watching/or completed? (Anime)

[mr.negativity]

[O.Supreme]

awesome. I still have yet to watch the 009 vs Devilman...I have Mazinger Z vs Devilman, and watched the 90's 2 part OVA, which was quite disturbing way back when. But form what I've seen the one that meets 009 is the original 70's version, not the more gory 90's-current version.

[EricDent]

Finished part one of Kokoro Connect, it was pretty good.

Up to the last disc of Sengoku Collection, probably finish by Saturday night, since my usual Wrestling show is a "best of" this year.

Forgot I got Iron Man: Rise of the Technovores Blu-Ray at HPB for $5.
Also ordered (due to gift card from settlement) Transformers The Movie Blu-Ray to get at Walmart's in-store pickup on Wednesday.

[O.Supreme]

Not anime, but I just went through the 2011 Thundercats series again. So amazing...so sad it will never be finished.

[EricDent]

Finished Sengoku Collection it was fun.

Ordered Black Butler Season 3 (and Red Dwarf XI) via Amazon (gift card for early Christmas).

[sentaison]

The first season of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans, and Izetta: The Last Witch have both ended their respective runs.

Gundam was a great storyline involving child soldiers, loyalty, and the family you gain in life. It also has the intrigue and political maneuvering in the background that you expect from the series. It's not a pretty story, but the best Gundam series has never downplayed the cost of war, and this one is no exception.

Izetta is another great story, set in an alternate world were WWII is just starting in Europe. The tiny principality of Eylstadt is in the way of Germania's expansion, and their only hope is the worlds last witch. As an amateur historian, I loved the accuracy of the military equipment shown, and the tiny kingdom is based on the Austrian state of Tyrolia. The settings and terrain are taken directly from there. There is plenty of action and intrigue, starting with an escape from a moving train that is as good as any you'll see.

Both are worth the time to watch imho.

[EricDent]

I watched the Strawberry Marshmallow OVAs, they were very cute & funny.

Also started on Code Geass (rewatch) since Master Keaton disc 2 was kinda eh.

Asked to get a hold of Kokoro Connect OVAs at the library, since those continue the story.

BTW I noticed that Sentai is gonna release the second Gatchaman series.
Which has only aired as really edited versions as part of the short-lived Eagle Riders show.
Wonder if that means they got Gatchaman F as well?

[O.Supreme]

[Dr Kain]

[EricDent]

I did watch the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist show prior to watching Brotherhood & the movies/OVA.

I watched the Bodacious Space Pirates Abbyss of Hyperspace Movie today, it was pretty fun.
But kinda leaves you wanting more.

[Dr Kain]

Curious, what anime series/movies did you end up watching this year? It doesn't matter if they were new or old, list them.

I watched:

Gankutsuou
Gungrave
Gundam
Zeta Gundam
Gundam ZZ
Gundam 00
Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass 2
Psycho-Pass The Movie
Gundam 08th MS Team
Gundam 0083
Danganronpa
Gundam Wing
Turn A Gundam
G Gundam
Gundam 0080
Gundam Reconquista G
Gundam Age
Gundam Thunderbolts
Gundam X
Gundam Seed
Gundam CCA
Gundam F91
Gundam Seed Destiny
Gundam Unicorn
Escaflowne
Dragon Ball Super
Gundam Origin Eps 1 & 2
One Piece (Thriller Bark and Sabaody)

As you can see, this was a Gundam year for me and I still have to watch Victory and IBO (well I started but never finished so I'm just going to start over). Regardless, I haven't watched this many series in a given year since 2007.

Aside from the two Gundam series, next year I plan to rewatch Code Geass, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell SAC, check out One Punch Man, and finally watch my DVDs of 009-1 and Last Exile. I'm probably not going to watch as much anime in 2017 though since I really need to catch up on my Toku.

[EricDent]

Watched Black Butler Book of Circus, while it was short (10 episodes?) it was good.

Watched Kokoro Connect OVA which tied up the series nicely.

Finished Devil is a Part-Timer still fun & wish there was more of it.

Watched disc 2 of Code Geass, the picture dramas are fun (especially the girls in the bath...)

Watched one episode of Maid-Sama (borrowed from library) looks kinda fun, so will watch more of it.

[Dr Kain]

Well we finally watched Victory Gundam.

I'm not sure where to start, but as a whole, this series was wonderful. Sure, it was slow moving and I'm pretty sure a good 15 episodes could have been cut out, but overall, it was very enjoyable. Uso and his band of merry misfits were a really great cast of characters who all played up on their strengths without really getting down into their bare bottom of their weaknesses. The comedy these guys provided was done really well as it always felt like the show knew when to be silly and when to be serious. The voice acting was all top notch and it was nice to see no one be treated like a total moron. If there is really any of the good guys I can complain about, it is how pointless Shahkti was for the vast majority of the show. The stuff they did with her in the end kind of redeemed that, but she really didn't need to exist at all and nothing would have changed as far as the main plot goes. Also, for being the child of Zanscare's queen, they didn't really do much with it.

Speaking of Zanscare, they were the biggest negative to the entire show as they were nothing more than cookie cutter super villains that wanted to take over the world. There was no reasoning for it, they just wanted it because "We're evil." I've got nothing wrong with one dimensional villains like that, but the "villains" in Gundam are supposed to have a viewpoint that makes you consider why they may be in the right. Here, nope, none of that at all. None of these characters were developed in the slightest and most of them served no purpose. Faula had the potential to be this series' Haman Karn, but instead of utilizing that, she is gone for 80% of the series and doesn't accomplish anything when she is around. Cronicle is the worst Char clone ever as he too never accomplished anything and we saw nothing that motivates him to be a soldier at all. His biggest trait is that he's the brother to the queen. Oh, and Katejina is right up there with Quess, Relena, and Flay. Hell, she makes Relena look tolerable.

Thankfully what this show lacks in character development for the villains it makes up for it with great visuals. Outside of certain drops in animation quality (and the fact that this show essentially has 3 partial clip shows), the animation as a whole was well done. It's not up to par with Zeta Gundam, but it's certainly better than the three series that succeeded it. Also, there were some truly enjoyable mech battles going on. The battle with The Tiger was by far the best fight in the show, but there were quite a lot of others that were intense, which were all enhanced thanks to the excellent soundtrack. Although, the constant reuse of the same tracks did get a little tiresome when it occured for a good chunk of episodes before somthing new was heard.

The last negative for the show belongs to its character deaths as you pretty much knew what characters were going to die, even if it wasn't in that very same episode. That was kind of annoying because so many of them raised their death flags immediately. I think there was only one death that took me by surprise, and it was more so that it occured episodes later than I expected.

Except the tire mecha that didn't make any sense in outer space (OR underwater,) the mobile suits of the show were pretty good. There wasn't anything that lives up to the Qubeley or the Hyaku Shiki, but they were still cool nonetheless. I did like the Zanscare ones from the beginning of the show that had the helicopter blades on their arm. The Victory itself wasn't bad, athough I liked the V2 more.

In the end, Victory Gundam was a solid show despite the areas it dropped the ball in. I have no idea why Tomino hates this show so much when he turned out a solid entry for the most part. It's most definitely in my top 10, albeit closer to the #10. Nevertheless, I do look forward to revisiting it some day in the future after I've had some Gundam rest.

Okay, that isn't happening any time soon with all of the BDs coming out, but my next show is going to be IBO, which I'm hoping to start this weekend. Crunchyroll, you better not crash!!

[EricDent]

Technically counts since it was animated in Japan & directed by Nelson Shin.
Transformers The Movie, still great!

On disc 2 of Maid-Sama, it's still pretty fun.

[Dr Kain]

We watched the first 5 episodes of Iron Blooded Orphans on Crunchyroll tonight, which is where we ended up leaving off when it was airing on Toonami. I have to say that I'm not sure if it was having it subbed or just watching them all in a row, but I enjoyed them a lot more this time around. I actually do prefer Orga's Japanese voice to his English one (which I believe is JYB if I remember correctly). As for Mika, I think both voices fit the character perfectly fine. The animation is pretty nice too and the music kicks ass. I think this is the first time a Gundam show has both an opening and closing song I enjoy. In addition, the closing song make me think of something out of a Bond movie.

Looking forward to watching another batch of them tomorrow.

[Dr Kain]

We watched episodes 6-16 today of IBO and despite a few of the obvious tropes, it's getting better as it goes along. To be quite honest though, was this supposed to be something else that they decided to throw the Gundam branding onto? Not that I have a problem with it being a Gundam series because it brings in some new flavors to the tired franchise, I just wonder if that was the case.

I really liked the funeral episode that dealt with Akihiro and Shino. Although, I've gotta say that if there is one thing I'm really resonating with it's the aspect that blood born family members are total garbage while the friends you make your family are your true family.

On the other hand, we have hit a new opening and ending theme song and I have no idea why they felt the need to change them. These new versions are not only inferior to the previous ones, but they're not even that good, especially the ending theme which is dreadful to listen to. The music doesn't even fit with the scenes that are occuring at the end of the episode before the credit sequence starts popping up. Also, I really do not like Kudelia as she has character shields to the max. How the hell can an entire street full of people get killed, but she ends up being the only survivor? That's BULL****!!

I love how the mobile suits in this show actually have armor on them that works. The fights with the space pirates were pretty awesome and you could feel the metal on metal action. That was great. Oh, and I really like Naze. He's probably my favorite character right now.

[Dr Kain]

We finished the first season and HOT DAMN! that was some truly amazing stuff. The last 9 episodes were down right terrific and this show will end up being even better than 00 provided they don't screw it up in its second season.

First I need to say that Mika and Kudelia are a far better Heero and Relena than Heero and Relena were. Mika is just a ruthless killer, which is what Heero was advertised to be, but it was never shown. I also love how he is willing to do anything Orga asks of him without question. Kudelia, while not that great of a character, ends up showing balls during the second half of the show and what she wants and expects comes off a lot more realistic and natural than that bullshit pacifism Relena tried to shove down our throats. Oh, and right now, McGillin is shaping up to be the best Char clone ever. He and Naze are my top favorite characters in the show thus far and I love how relentless he was in this season. He outdid Char in the betrayal aspect, which was well done and developed. PLEASE DON'T MESS HIM UP IN SEASON 2!!!!!!

I'm really liking the Barbatos too. It also helps that the mobile suit battles in this show feel brutal and realistic. It adds to the tone they were going for, which is how mech battles should be. I think Thunderbolt and 0080 might be the only other Gundam shows to display the ferocity these battles bring. In fact, I get the same feeling from these battles as I got with Star Wars Rogue One. This is a war and not theater. It also helps that the score is outstanding and all of the characters are great.

With that said, BRING ON SEASON 2!!!!

[Dr Kain]

So now the hard part comes, how do I stretch the first 13 episodes of IBO's second season out long enough so I really don't have to watch the last few episodes week by week until it's done? Honestly, I don't because I'm too impatient to be able to pull that stunt off. But, we did manage to only settle with the first 4 episodes tonight, and they were good. None of the new characters really grip me so far though. Hush kind of feels like they need to give Mika some competition because they ran out of ideas for him.

I do love the upgraded Barbatos though. That was pretty cool.

Oh, and Iron Mask 2.0 is totally Galeo.

Anyway, I was really impressed with the Godfather-esque scene between Orga and Allium. That was a pretty bad ass scene. The fight in space was awesome awesome.

That's really all I have to report on the matter since it was only 4 episodes. Fortunately, we won't have time to watch any more for the next few nights, so that will buy us some time, but it's not really going ot be much as I expect we will be caught up to what has aired by this time next week. On the positive side, I won't have to worry about stepping into spoilers.

[EricDent]

Ripped through the rest of Maid-Sama it was fun, cute, and had a decent ending (though like many romantic comedies, it leaves the relationship between the main characters in a questionable state).

Then finished Kurau Phantom Memory (which I started around Christmas), it had great action, a nice story, and a great dub.

Will probably go back to watching Code Geass a bit later on.

[Dr Kain]

One Piece Film Gold - Excellent film with a lot of call backs throughout the franchise, some truly incredible music, a perfect blend of comedy and drama. What a great way to start 2017's theatrical showings off. Also the best One Piece film to date!! Truly a 10/10.

[Dr Kain]

After enjoying the first 4 episodes to A Series of Unfortunate Events we watched episodes 5-7 of IBO's second season. They were good, but man I feel really bad for Takaki. I'm glad he did what he did at the end of the last episode though. I'm also surprised that he doesn't hold any hard feelings towards McGillis, but then, they never really showed those two together, so he may. I hope we learn more about the story McGillis was telling Mika about though, because that sounded interesting.

[sentaison]

I'm up to episode 9 of IBO's second season. Yeah, the whole Nameless War was brutal. And Takaki really does get the short end, he and those under him used as pawns. This really has been a great series, not just a great Gundam series. I don't want to say too much about the characters and their actions so I don't give spoilers out. But man there are time you really feel for the human debris of Tekkadan.

[EricDent]

Disc 3 of Code Geass: Shirley kisses Lulu & Nina does lewd things to a table (while looking at a picture of Euphy).

Discs 3 & 4 of sCRYed: Kazuma kicks butt

Disc 6 of Tenchi in Tokyo: everybody goes off to do their own thing.

BTW any thoughts on Chaos: Head? Saw a used copy of the SAVE Blu-Ray set for $13 at a local used store.

[sentaison]

Gundam IBO episode 40: Dammit, this show just made me cry.

[O.Supreme]

After watching Voltron legendary defender season 2 on Netflix, it got my mind wondering about what the long term story developments will be. At 13 episodes every 6 months, this series could potentially go on for a very long time, which would make me very happy. Also this could be the first opportunity to properly introduce and provide an "origin" story for Vehicle Voltron, so that gets me to what I'd been watching lately...

Although Lion was vastly more popular than VV (many people I talk to now don't even remember it), for me personally, I always enjoyed it. I spent the last couple days watching a few random episodes of Vehicle Voltron and their corresponding Dairugger XV episodes. I'm actually surprised at how close the Voltron story is to the Dairugger one. Initially I thought they would be vastly different, but aside from removing any humanoid death scenes and references, its pretty close.

Also, while series like Daltanious and Albegas were never given the "Voltron" treatment, as a fan of Super Robot anime, I'd still jump at the chance to get subbed sets of those series on DVD.