Who loves anime here?

[CesarAugustus]

I used to like Hellsing because the 9th Crusaders and some details, but the show is very biased against Catholics. (I’m speaking of the Manga and OVAs).

How the Helena Nail is not enough to defeat Alucard?

How someone like Enrico Maxwell rose into the ranks so easily? the series isn’t palced in the Reinassance. Is the 1990’s. Yes, I know about some dubious clergymen that had/have high ranks in the Church, but these are in various movements and not in a special Inquisition-like division.

Why section XIII doesn’t have a more appropiate name like Judas Maccabeus? or Michael’s Sword?

Why almost all the Catholic characters are shown as killers or crazy people? Even the more sympathetic is far from sane.

Also, the gore. In the 2001 wasn’t so bad (and had better music!).

Blessings!

 

[MrSylvester]

Well in the School Days follow up game, one can choose to have sex (sexual abuse) with second girl’s little sister. No I didn’t play it, and yes it’s for sale in Japan. Honestly why the world doesn’t call Japan out over all these pedo games is beyond me.

I stopped watching School Days when they started having sex around episode 3 or 4. School Days is one of perhaps 1-2 anime per year with actual sexual intercourse in it. I can take a bit of fan service but not sex, even if shown off camera. And it’s a pity because the character design was good.

The world doesn’t call Japan out on their suppsoed pedo games because the west has pornography while Japan has hentai. But you are wrong about school days advocating pedophilia: Kotonoha of all people actually beats Makoto up for hitting on her sister as I read on TV Tropes. Pedophilia is looked down in Japan as in the west. its just that the Japanese don’t view a teenage girl being shown naked as something sexua and its really nothing to be concerned about. There are shows like FMAB in which even children are mrudered brutally yet I stgill watch them ebcause that is reality and FMAB shows reality. Likewise, the shots in Evangelion where Rei is shown naked were only made for art and not fanservice.

Madoka Magica exploitation? Are you kidding me? Madoka Magica wasn’t violent or bloody at all and didn’t have that many fight scenes. In fact, the only blood ever shown was in episode 3 where a character gets beheaded and even that isn’t shown in detail. The msot violent anime I did see was FMAB and I really do mean it when I say it was violent. Now Genocyber and MDGeist: those are exploitation anime.

 

[Tenofovir]

The world doesn’t call Japan out on their suppsoed pedo games because the west has pornography while Japan has hentai.

But the West has no child porno. Even simulated child porno is rare and usually illegal. Meanwhile the Japanese hentai dating sims are often not seen as pure porno but eroge (ero games) which teens and older can play. Then there is the amateur doujinshi thing where porn comics are made of 10 year old Card Captor Sakura, Madoka, Strawberry Marshmallow and other child characters. I mean… come on. These are fan made works for fans.

But you are wrong about school days advocating pedophilia: Kotonoha of all people actually beats Makoto up for hitting on her sister as I read on TV Tropes. Pedophilia is looked down in Japan as in the west. its just that the Japanese don’t view a teenage girl being shown naked as something sexua and its really nothing to be concerned about.

I do think the Japanese view naked teenage girls as sexual otherwise there would be no fanservice in anime or hentai. Look Japanese are also human and these otakus are also sexually aroused by nudity. I’ve previously heard the Japanese bathe with their parents nude story - and it’s quaint but does not make teenagers not feel aroused by seeing another opposite sex teen. Hey even public baths and hot springs are occasions to present cheap fan service in anime. Nope sorry, Japanese teens and older, get this as sex and sex sells.

In the follow up game Makoto actually has sex with the 8 or is it 9 year old Kotonoha’s sister. She’s not even a teen yet. This is not something new in Japanese eroge. Japanese have a colloquial term for someone who wants sex with children: lolicon. It’s hardly something we in the West have, and we don’t make so many jokes about it— it’s a sad and terrible thing. I think the Japanese fixation with this is unhealthy and does not do them any service. The Japanese fascination with 13-16 year olds is not pedophilia but hey it’s also pretty unhealthy. Again it’s not all Japanese but it’s such a big aspect of their youth pop culture together with things like Enjou Kousai (compensated dating for sex with girls from elementary school onwards) that it’s a much more pervasive cultural thing then the Western thing for 18 year old girls in cheerleader outfits.

There are shows like FMAB in which even children are mrudered brutally yet I stgill watch them ebcause that is reality and FMAB shows reality. Likewise, the shots in Evangelion where Rei is shown naked were only made for art and not fanservice.

Fan service but if you see it as art, good for you. There are so many fan hentai comics of Evangelion out there - the fans got the message: it’s titillation and sex. And it’s a 14 year old girl which boggles the mind how that could be meant as art anyway. I mean 14 y/o’s are stupid and should be doing homework and listening to Justin Bieber, not doing stuff older people do. It’s unreal unless we were dealing with medieval times when 14 year old girls were mothers and wives already.

Madoka Magica exploitation? Are you kidding me? Madoka Magica wasn’t violent or bloody at all and didn’t have that many fight scenes. In fact, the only blood ever shown was in episode 3 where a character gets beheaded and even that isn’t shown in detail. The msot violent anime I did see was FMAB and I really do mean it when I say it was violent. Now Genocyber and MDGeist: those are exploitation anime.

Exploitation of parental or fraternal feelings. You have little girls getting killed (4 or 5 die in the show) and sacrificing each others lives in a totally bizarre way (if there could even be a non-bizarre way for kids to kill each other or get killed by monsters). It’s a cheap gimmick though, as people we’re used to seeing little girls NOT fighting to the death or facing unreal trials. When we do see it in a cartoon we feel sorry for them and perhaps angry/sad and that drives sales. This catharsis is a cheap gimmick. It works because the Blurays are being sold for a pile of cash while other shows sell for a fraction. Without this gimmick, Madoka would be another Sailor Moon or Card Captor Sakura without such fandom.

Cheap gimmicks are not art. If I make a movie and have a child in it who has leukemia and must suffer - it’s a cheap overdone gimmick. Of course people will get sad. It’s exploiting the viewer’s feelings in an easy way.

I like anime but there are some things I surely detest about it.

 

[patrick457]

Avatar isn’t an anime actually. It is animesque but it isn’t an anime. Is it as good as they say it is?

I think it is. Although, I would no longer touch M. Night Shyamalan’s adaptation with a ten-foot pole, like that live-action Dragonball.

 

[MrSylvester]

But the West has no child porno. Even simulated child porno is rare and usually illegal. Meanwhile the Japanese hentai dating sims are often not seen as pure porno but eroge (ero games) which teens and older can play. Then there is the amateur doujinshi thing where porn comics are made of 10 year old Card Captor Sakura, Madoka, Strawberry Marshmallow and other child characters. I mean… come on. These are fan made works for fans.

I do think the Japanese view naked teenage girls as sexual otherwise there would be no fanservice in anime or hentai. Look Japanese are also human and these otakus are also sexually aroused by nudity. I’ve previously heard the Japanese bathe with their parents nude story - and it’s quaint but does not make teenagers not feel aroused by seeing another opposite sex teen. Hey even public baths and hot springs are occasions to present cheap fan service in anime. Nope sorry, Japanese teens and older, get this as sex and sex sells.

In the follow up game Makoto actually has sex with the 8 or is it 9 year old Kotonoha’s sister. She’s not even a teen yet. This is not something new in Japanese eroge. Japanese have a colloquial term for someone who wants sex with children: lolicon. It’s hardly something we in the West have, and we don’t make so many jokes about it— it’s a sad and terrible thing. I think the Japanese fixation with this is unhealthy and does not do them any service. The Japanese fascination with 13-16 year olds is not pedophilia but hey it’s also pretty unhealthy. Again it’s not all Japanese but it’s such a big aspect of their youth pop culture together with things like Enjou Kousai (compensated dating for sex with girls from elementary school onwards) that it’s a much more pervasive cultural thing then the Western thing for 18 year old girls in cheerleader outfits.

Fan service but if you see it as art, good for you. There are so many fan hentai comics of Evangelion out there - the fans got the message: it’s titillation and sex. And it’s a 14 year old girl which boggles the mind how that could be meant as art anyway. I mean 14 y/o’s are stupid and should be doing homework and listening to Justin Bieber, not doing stuff older people do. It’s unreal unless we were dealing with medieval times when 14 year old girls were mothers and wives already.

Exploitation of parental or fraternal feelings. You have little girls getting killed (4 or 5 die in the show) and sacrificing each others lives in a totally bizarre way (if there could even be a non-bizarre way for kids to kill each other or get killed by monsters). It’s a cheap gimmick though, as people we’re used to seeing little girls NOT fighting to the death or facing unreal trials. When we do see it in a cartoon we feel sorry for them and perhaps angry/sad and that drives sales. This catharsis is a cheap gimmick. It works because the Blurays are being sold for a pile of cash while other shows sell for a fraction. Without this gimmick, Madoka would be another Sailor Moon or Card Captor Sakura without such fandom.

Cheap gimmicks are not art. If I make a movie and have a child in it who has leukemia and must suffer - it’s a cheap overdone gimmick. Of course people will get sad. It’s exploiting the viewer’s feelings in an easy way.

I like anime but there are some things I surely detest about it.

I agree with you with the fanservice thing and honestly, I don’t view fanservice as art. At the same time, i can’t view the Japanese as pedophiles or with pedophelic inclinations because to them, a girl as young as 14 can get married and be responsible and it is at that age that girls start to mature both mentally and physically. Both the Japanese and the west view pedophilia and rape with very disgustd looks but because some people make pornographic doijinishi of evangelion characters (like Evangelion RE-TAKE which I immediately dropped after they made Rei commit suicide) doesn’t mean they represent the whole country. I’m not into fanservice although teenage nudity does get used for art. Just look at episode 23 of Evangelion. And don’t tell me that, excuse my expression, that men didn’t get turned on at looking at the statue of Venus de Milo in the past.

But I disagree 100% with the supposed exploitation of parental feelings in Madoka. This, is an anime set in a world where magical girls exist. How do you think they’re going to die? By disease? Frankly, the reactions to the girl’s deaths were very realistic and I felt really sad for them and feeling sadness and emotion for a fictional chaeracter is what makes you keep on watching. Sorry to say as I don’t think you’re a bad or ignorant person by any means but frankly, your comment made absolutely no sense. I mean, with that logic you should call Evangelion out on its exploitation of depression and despair because al the children ebcame depressed in unusual way and yet, we believe that they got depressed because Eva’s depiction of depression is extremely realistic and as one who did go thorugh it, Eva taught me a lot.

I mean, would Madoka be the anime it is if it didn’t have all that sadness? What about Higurashi? Thats called emotion and conflict man. If we didn’t have it, every anime in the world would be plot wise just like Pokemon.

 

[SgtSchultz]

Neon Genesis Evangelion.

NGE FTW!!!

This will probably always be my favourite.

Now I just need to watch end of Evangelion to get over the shows last two episodes which made no bloody sense.

You really, really need to watch that!

If you like Gainax productions, may I suggest Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt?

I haven’t seen any of the others you mentioned, but I’ve heard of them.

I also liked the Tenchi series, the Inuyasha series, Bubble Gum Crisis, Axis Powers Hetalia, Cowboy Bebop and some others.

 

[ironchapman]

I bought vol 3 of the Durarara manga Sunday. Need to read vol 2, still, but it’s a great series.

 

[MrSylvester]

NGE FTW!!!

This will probably always be my favourite.

You really, really need to watch that!

If you like Gainax productions, may I suggest Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt?

I haven’t seen any of the others you mentioned, but I’ve heard of them.

I also liked the Tenchi series, the Inuyasha series, Bubble Gum Crisis, Axis Powers Hetalia, Cowboy Bebop and some others.

Panty and Stocking? Heh heh heh! no. I’m not going to watch Tenchi Muyo either because it advocates polygamy which is nothing but an excuse to have sexual relations with as many people as one would like without looking depraved.

However, I really have to watch Bebop. Reading about it now, I found out a lot of things about it’s narrative structure such as the extreme conservation of detail being important.

 

[MrSylvester]

Currently am watching Monster, by Naoki Urasawa who also made 20th Century Boys and it is amazing. Truly one of the anime greats. The only problem I see with it is that it is a bit too long with 74 episodes but it doesn’t drag unlike One Piece and I lvoe stories that develop their characters and have a slow pace that actually has a reason to be there. I also said that Rurouni Kenshin is my most favorite anime character. He’s my second most favorite now because Dr. Tenma really is as idealistic as Kenshin yet he is so much more realistic and human than him. Absolutely love the character. If Kenshin is to anime what Superman is to comic books, then Tenma is what Spiderman is to comic books. Love the guy, I absolutely do. I knew I could trust Naoki Urasawa because seriously, the guy has some AMAZING talent. I don’t even know how such a work of fiction like that can even exist. I mean goodness gracious, this guy is just brilliant. Well, I still have 20 episodes to go! Next time I’ll be posting is when I finish the series which will be say, tomorrow?

 

[SgtSchultz]

Panty and Stocking? Heh heh heh! no.

Dude, it’s hilarious! And I love how they mix-in English with the Japanese.

I’m not going to watch Tenchi Muyo either because it advocates polygamy which is nothing but an excuse to have sexual relations with as many people as one would like without looking depraved.

Well, it isn’t called a “harem comedy” for nothing! I probably wouldn’t watch it again, but that’s only because it seems to be aimed at late teen / early 20s guys. (In other words, my age when I first watched it. Which is probably why I liked it!)

However, I really have to watch Bebop.

Yes, yes you do. If I had to hold something up to NGE, this would be it.

 

[MrSylvester]

Yes, yes you do. If I had to hold something up to NGE, this would be it.

Or Monster. Or Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. or Watchmen. or Song of Ice and Fire. Or 20th Century Boys. Or my cooking.

 

[ironchapman]

Dude, it’s hilarious! And I love how they mix-in English with the Japanese.

Well, it isn’t called a “harem comedy” for nothing! I probably wouldn’t watch it again, but that’s only because it seems to be aimed at late teen / early 20s guys. (In other words, my age when I first watched it. Which is probably why I liked it!)

Yes, yes you do. If I had to hold something up to NGE, this would be it.

Tenchi is one of the shows (along with Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, and Ronin Warriors) that got me into anime, heh.

Anyways, I’m thinking about finishing the Otome Youkai Zakuro rewatch I started earlier this summer.

 

[SgtSchultz]

Tenchi is one of the shows (along with Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, and Ronin Warriors) that got me into anime, heh.

Haha. In other words, you watched them because they were on Teletoon.

 

[ironchapman]

Haha. In other words, you watched them because they were on Teletoon.

Teletoon? I watched them on Cartoon Network’s Toonami (and I own the shows on DVD now).

 

[MrSylvester]

Hey guys, what do you think of Monster? It really is a brilliant show and while 20th Century Boys is the superior one, on its own, Monster stands out and is very. I’m not insane about it as I was on FMAB or 20th Century Boys simply because, no reason. It really is a brilliant and sad show but it has a very idealistic message, has one of the greatest villains of all time and also one of the most likable and effective protagonists ever.

I was a bit bothered by the sometimes excessive use of flashbacks and the ending did bother me at first but if you inspect i not too closely, you’ll immediately find why it is still brilliant. I won’t spoil it but lets say it is sort of similar to the ending of Watchmen but is very different in the way it play out and is much more idealistic.

Monster really was brilliant, entertaining and shall I say very sweet sometimes. It take itself seriously but not in a way that is pretentious at all. In all, I give it an 8.5 out of ten. It has some pacing flaws and the ending could have been slightly better. Otherwise, if it was slightly better, Monster would have risen to a 9.5 out of ten in my opinion and really be in my top favorites and be on the elvel of Higurashi or even FullMetal Alchemsit when it comes to sheer brilliance.

Right now, my top ten favorite anime are:

FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood.
Neon Genesis Evangleion.
Elfen lied.
Rurouni Kenshin.
Higurashi no naku koro ni.
Hayate the Combat Butler.
Monster.
Clannad.
Death Note.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

 

[MrSylvester]

Scratch that, Monster deserves a 9 out of ten. It really has a brilliant ening similiar to that of Watchmen. If it wasn’t so rushed int he end, it would have been PERFECT and have gotten a perfect ten out of ten.

 

[MrSylvester]

When I finished Monster, it was 5 am in the morning, I was very tired and had a headache to boot. But in the end, it was worth it. The ending, while still falling a bit short was still perfect and Monster taught me and reminded me a lot of things about human life. Nobody wants to die. All people are created equal in dignity. Humans are meant to love and be loved and there is no one who is born that doesn’t have someone waiting for them. People decide for themselves in the end what they do with their life and whether they are monsters or not, they are still human and need to be seen as human. Also, never kill people unless out of self defense or to save someone and even then, the only people that can be killed are those who are maliciously trying to harm you. You can nuke Hitler because he’s the mastermind behind the holocaust but you can’t nuke a German civilian or a simple soldier because you’re supposed to build a better world for them also.

Also, I learned how to make goulash. It was… delicious, I guess. No offense to Hungarians out there!

Dr. Tenma is one of the greatest protagonists in like ever. He is what Kenshin Himura would be if he was more realistic and not a swordsman. I simply love the guy. Forget my comments about the ending because seeing it again, in my opinion, while it could have been a bit better, was fitting for the series, wasn’t cliché at all and in the end, victory was still achieved by the good guys. Right now, it’s number six on my top favorite anime ever and it takes a lot of work to be put under my top 7.

I know I’m always talking about my top ten anime but then, I have what I call my top 7 anime series. These are the ones that not only are my favorites but which have such a deep connection to me, either because they were so good and entertaining they blew me away (like Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and 20th Century Boys), or because they had such deep messages or emotional moments they taught me how to be a better person and live life to it’s fullest (Rurouni Kenshin and Hayate no Gotoku). Monster is amongst those anime that are so great they’re unbelievable. My final verdict for Monster is a 9.5 out of 10. It has some flaws like being a bit too long for my liking and having a slightly underwhelming ending and I know this is nitpicking but, couldn’t they change the opening? They changed the end themes, why not the opening?

Man, I’m bored now, guess I’ll watch another anime soon. However, what do you guys think of Monster? To me, it’s one of the best things I have ever watched. I need it, after watching School Days which I give a 1 out of ten.

 

[tantumquantum]

Man, I’m bored now, guess I’ll watch another anime soon. However, what do you guys think of Monster? To me, it’s one of the best things I have ever watched. I need it, after watching School Days which I give a 1 out of ten.

Monster was pretty good. Urusawa is pretty much top class in terms of doing manga. Aside from 20th Century Boys, have you checked out Pluto and Master Keaton? Both are also very good manga by him.

In terms of anime if I were to rate my top anime/ova that have 11+ episodes i’d say.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes (10/10)

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood (9,5/10)
Ghost In the Shell SAC 2nd Gig (9.5/10)
Berserk (9.5/10)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (9.5/10)

Gintama (9/10)
Planetes (9/10)
Monster (9/10)
Gurren Lagann (9/10)
Eureka 7 (9/10)
Turn A Gundam (9/10)
Infinite Ryvius (9/10)
Banner of the Stars (9/10)

As you can see my inclinations are towards mecha/sci-fi anime with LoGH in all of it’s 110 episode glory as my gold standard.

 

[MrSylvester]

Monster was pretty good. Urusawa is pretty much top class in terms of doing manga. Aside from 20th Century Boys, have you checked out Pluto and Master Keaton? Both are also very good manga by him.

In terms of anime if I were to rate my top anime/ova that have 11+ episodes i’d say.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes (10/10)

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood (9,5/10)
Ghost In the Shell SAC 2nd Gig (9.5/10)
Berserk (9.5/10)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (9.5/10)

Gintama (9/10)
Planetes (9/10)
Monster (9/10)
Gurren Lagann (9/10)
Eureka 7 (9/10)
Turn A Gundam (9/10)
Infinite Ryvius (9/10)
Banner of the Stars (9/10)

As you can see my inclinations are towards mecha/sci-fi anime with LoGH in all of it’s 110 episode glory as my gold standard.

I want to see Master Keaton although I don’t want to read Pluto right now. Also want to watch Video Girl AI and Ichigo 100% and maybe Wolf’s Rain.

 

[MrSylvester]

Forget about what I said earlier, Monster is a freaking masterpeice and almost one of the greatest works of fiction ever. The ending was only slightly disappointing although it sure as hell made up for it. Right now, my top anime in order of greatness are:

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion.
2. Elfen Lied.
3. FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood.
4. Monster.
5. Higurashi no naku koro ni.
6. Rurouni Kenshin.
7. Hayate no Gotoku.
8. Clannad.
9. Death Note.
10. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.

The top 7 are the ones that have the deepest connection to me. Man, Monster is inspiring.

Runners up:

20th Century Boys goes beyond my top ten anime as it truly is the greatest work of fiction ever made. It did not make the list ebcause it’s a manga and the above list only refers to anime. Oh well.
11. Haruhi Suzumiya (plus Disappearance)
12. Full Metal Panic!
13. Kanon.
14. Azumanga Daioh.