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iamafanofcartoons · 1 year ago

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RWBY Fans talk about what makes RWBY enjoyable for the FNDM.

I want to take a moment to thank the RWBY Fandom for coming together on post

www.tumblr.com/iamafanofcartoons/714857308133441536/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

and discussing why RWBY was an enjoyable show for each of them.

Everyone here had a fantastic reason, and I am grateful to each of you!

@hmvw2015 : For me, RWBY filled the void left behind by Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.

It’s one of the few shows I’ve seen (aside from Adventure Time) that grows up with its audience.

The fight scenes are so incredible! They’re lightening fast I would have to rewatch the same episode at least twice or thrice! Easily rivaling those done by Studios Gainax or TRIGGER, or Titmouse.

Since every character, place, and object have connections to fairy tales, mythologies, folklore, and classic novels, it did a great job portraying them to their root inspirations. Plus, I’m always digging deep into their designs and backstories.

The music is almost top tier to the music from the Disney Renaissance Era. Maybe even better than that. The songs add another layer of foreshadowing for the characters, and they’re fun to listen to~!

It tackles issues like self-worth, abuse, and death.

The series basically screams “Women’s Rights” and “Gay Rights” and proud of it. :D

www.tumblr.com/hmvw2015/715987868852666368/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@ammy246 :

I've always enjoyed the characters, and I like how there are 4 badass female protagonists who are each enjoyable to watch. I also like how the villains are actually threatening, so the heroes have to put effort into earning victories unlike many works of fiction. The animation always excites me, because you never know what you're going to get. And, don't even get me started on the amazing soundtrack.

@cinnamonrollfuckhead :

it tickles all the right things about me. i got in trouble for reading in classes when i finished my work early at school, it was nearly always history or mythology. i was an ancient Egypt kid. i read outside my age group. if Snapple wanted to employ me to write factoids for their caps i would take it. i was hooked on RWBY immediately despite being older than any of the main characters. i found an unlikely character to relate to in Jaune. i loved how it balanced serious and goofy themes.

@satoshi-mochida :

Some stuff I like about the show is that it's pretty fun and entertaining to watch, has constantly improving writing and animation(the CRWBY recognizing ACTUAL criticism, and working on those), with smarter and deeper than some may think moments, well-done characters, great music and songs, and probably more. I even cosplayed as Jaune(and the 'HuntsMan' with a Wonder-Zwei plush)with my then-girlfriend before COVID hit and other stuff happened, and enjoyed doing that.

@haunted-meatsack :

I'm waaaaay behind but I started watching for the fight choreography, music, and battle skirts. Plus I'm a sucker for small girls who kick ass with GIANT weapons. Then the story and characters kept me coming. I need to catch up.

www.tumblr.com/haunted-meatsack/715895495101497344/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@bumblebyfan :

I like RWBY due to a lot of reasons, for starters, the relationships between the main characters, and how they constantly help each other, I also really like the whole fantasy setting and how funny it is at times, I also really liked how they handled Ruby’s arc during season 9, as someone who has had... intrusive thoughts

www.tumblr.com/bumblebyfan/715730749688561664/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@xlbingo10 :

one thing that i particularly like about rwby is that the characters aren't dumbasses. i feel like so often in shows i watch there's an episode conflict where the characters make an obviously terrible plan that will clearly backfire horribly just for the sake of the episode plot and it's always painful to watch, so it's really nice to watch a show where that doesn't happen.

www.tumblr.com/xlbingo10/715707865708527616/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable.

@sir-somewhat :

I love the cast.

I honestly can't say there is a character I am not fond of in some way and that includes the villians.

I love the idea of semblances and the faunus.

Also I want more faunus lore. Given the existence of the Ever After I have to wonder if the Faunus came from another world created by the Brothers.

www.tumblr.com/sir-somewhat/715323283721076736/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@ghost-of-sparda :

Rwby was a show I found in college that I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy, but as I watched it- I found myself completely enthralled in the world created by Monty Oum and his friends. It’s story has me on the edge of my seat every episode, and it’s anime vibes make it a treat to watch. It’s not perfect, I will admit that- and there have been times where I didn’t agree with a direction of story telling at first. However there hasn’t been a show that gets me as excited as RWBY does since I was a kid.

If you grew up watching anime, or grew up watching anime- I’d give RWBY a go. If you are still not over the Owl House/ She-Ra/ ATLA/ LOK/ Naruto/ or any other amazing series with crazy fights and an amazing story: I recommend Rwby as your next obsession.

And if you want to give anime a try, but are still dipping your toes into the medium- Rwby is a good half way point for newcomers.

www.tumblr.com/ghost-of-sparda/715237926532956160/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@aspiringwarriorlibrarian :

I really like the characters and their arcs, tragic villains, the triumph of hope and healing, and the fantasy elements.

www.tumblr.com/aspiringwarriorlibrarian/715056039519830016/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@miki-13 : I love how they use fairy tales and myths as inspiration but execute them in really interesting ways, as well as how human and grounded everyone feels while inside such a fantastic setting.

www.tumblr.com/miki-13/715136165044469760/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@thatringboy :

For the same reasons above, I’m also in love with the complex motivations behind the antagonists. Mercury hated the world and needed an enabler, Emerald needed security, Cinder snapped after a lifetime of abuse (just like Mercury), Hazel wanted revenge, Lionhart wanted to save himself, Raven wanted to save herself, Tyrian is just insane (based), Watts wanted petty revenge, Neo wanted revenge but doesn’t know what to do afterwards, CC wants to fulfill their cruel purpose, and Salem just wants to finally die. Torchwick was a comical villain who posed a dangerous threat, the Malachite sisters were doing their jobs, Ironwood was a victim of his own paranoia, Cardin was just racist, Cordovin worships her superiors, the Fennec brothers too, Adam wanted total control over everything and everyone in his life and would stop at nothing to get it, Ilia believed in a cause, Tock was following orders, it’s all so varied and exciting!!

www.tumblr.com/thatringboy/715138435689676800/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@pyrokinetic-murder-hobo :

I honestly fell in love with this project immediately back when the red trailer was first introduced to me.

Though the animation for RWBY was simple and understandably a lot of people regard it as not the best. Even V1 and the original 4 trailers had a living soul to me and there was a certain charm to the characters and the animation.

What kept me coming back is I find myself being unable to predict where the show will go and it honestly keeps me drawn in that my thoughts and predictions are completely circumvented. The show doesn’t follow the trajectory of really any other media and Monty navigated it masterfully.

There’s so many relatable characters and the situations they are put in are approached not perfectly but in a human way as to be a human (even if you have copious amounts of power) means you’ll definitely trip up.

But simply put I’ve loved this project since the beginning with the 4 trailers and could write a dissertation on why I love this show and include a long list of different things I love ranging from OST to characters to design animation. But maybe a talk for another day

And it made me some awesome friends on tumblr of course too which is a major plus (you better know who you are lol)

www.tumblr.com/pyrokinetic-murder-hobo/715072709057478656/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

iamafanofcartoons:

For me, RWBY is a change of pace.

It allows for women to be shown as independent characters, just as smart and strong as male ones.

It doesn’t use fanservice , you don’t have internal monologuing during fight scenes, you don’t have people screaming random attack names, and the music and designs are great.

I appreciate the humor, its not toilet humor or degrading humor like a lot of anime.

It also tackles difficult themes like abuse, leadership, morality, and debate.

It also takes the white male savior trope so common in the fanfics that people use to promote their OCs, and takes a giant dump on that garbage. If anything, when people say “the fanfics are better than the show” you’ll see them promoting a white male savior trope above all else.

Finally? Its a pro-LGBT show on many aspects, which amusingly infuriates a lot of straight shippers who defend their straight white male character who they put on a pedestal.

www.tumblr.com/iamafanofcartoons/715040015347040256/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@grimmgrinningghouls :

for me RWBY is a comfort

It has been for 10 years

I literally would not be who I am today without this show

I'd probably still be a closeted lesbian living in a conservative household with an abusive father

and a mother who hated me

hell I may not even be here

But instead I'm living across the world from them and I'm okay

As okay as I can be

Its helped me through so much and its introduced me to people I have become life long friends with

These funky little lesbians are part of my life and they will be till the day I die

www.tumblr.com/grimmgrinningghouls/715064091163721728/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@snowqueenofmyheart :

Agreed to the above, as well as being able to enjoy a story that centers women in a way that doesn’t reduce them to simplistic tropes or fanservice. I’ve been looking for more female-centered material over the last several years, and stumbling upon RWBY turned out to be a real joy in that regard. Across the board, you have so many compelling female characters, heroes and villains alike. Not to mention two main characters being explicitly in a queer romance is a delight and a relief.

www.tumblr.com/snowqueenofmyheart/715058819349233664/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@youraveragecatastrophe :

well first i love fantasy so we're off to a good start between the monsters heroes and magic

the characters are a very strong point of this show. they're well fleshed out

(even many secondary characters including villains and despite the big cast!)

and they get the opportunity to develop and evolve

i love the themes! love and hope and caring about each other and all that

the fights are really fun to watch especially with the unique weapons and everyone's different fighting style

the story is really compelling and well written too!

also gayness. can't forget the queerness

really this show has everything

www.tumblr.com/youraveragecatastrophe/715058708953071616/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@foulfirerebel :

The music was what first made me get interested in RWBY. The hard hitting rock that also carried quite a bit of meaning into it if you truly took a moment to listen to the lyrics.

So, from there I watched V1 at a friend's house and felt it was good. It did a good job with the action scenes, and setting things up for the characters.

Volume 2, however, is where I truly fell in love with the show. The appearance of Cinder, of Ironwood, the food fight, the investigation into Torchwick and the White Fang, the dance and hacking sequence! Everything pointed to something more going on. Something hidden waiting to spring forth!

V1 was a great entry point, V2 convinced me to stay and hooked me, and when I finally marathoned V3 I was EAGER to watch V4 and onward. Any and all quibbles I may have had melted away when the Fall of Beacon happened.

So, long story short, I love the story. I love how things are built up and come back further down the line (Jaune's issues, Ruby's issues, etc.). I love how the characters do go through a lot and need help getting back up. I love how sincere and earnest everything is without a hint of irony.

I love the slow burn relationships, and that the show doesn't end with those relationships just being established. I love that, despite everything, this one little indie show has continued going past everything that's happened in a decade since it started. I love that the story is engaging, the characters are deep, the writing is great, and that I'm even feeling bad for the villains which I don't normally do.

RWBY may not be the most perfect thing ever, but frankly I love that the writers do see and incorporate feedback into their work. I love that, unlike how Halo or Star Wars do things, you don't necessarily need to have read all the side content to understand things too.

Most of all is I love how this show has improved on every level: animation, writing, voice acting, etc. It's just so refreshing. It's the Little Engine that Could continuing onward and getting better as it goes.

And hey, being a Bumbleby shipper since V3 and being vindicated in V9? Cherry on the sundae. It's been a wild ride, and I'd love it to continue.

www.tumblr.com/foulfirerebel/714989613562904576/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@maor-koren :

RWBY is one of my favorite shows, it take a unique concept and make it very enjoyable to watch.

The main and side characters are all unique in their own way and very enjoyable.

The story is really good.

The animation, fight scenes and the design of the characters and places are all very pleasing to the eye.

And the music is phenomenal.

Don’t let other people make your opinion! look at the show and see for yourself if you like it or not!

www.tumblr.com/maor-koren/714954350873788416/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@but-a-humble-goon :

Rwby is, in a word, earnest. Its characters are unashamedly sincere, affectionate and vulnerable and the show understands not only that these things are not a weakness but that there can be no greater measure of strength. It’s a story overflowing with heart that categorically rejects stoicism and nihilism and never once apologises for itself. Nothing has ever hit me harder and I do mean that.

www.tumblr.com/but-a-humble-goon/714953671346176000/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@mikey-polo420 :

I watched RWBY Because i was drawn in by the trailers when Monty was alive and i liked the idea of cute girls fighting monsters with giant weapons, then i wanted to see their journey through beacon and now i've become invested with the Messages of hope the show presents, i love each of my precious children and want to see them achieve their happiness , i want to support RWBY to it's conclusion because that's what Monty wanted, it's what his friends wanted and they deserve to complete his Brain child.

www.tumblr.com/mikey-polo420/714951464721743872/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@mooninoir :

i started watching when vol. 1 was still going, with a fansub (!) working hell and back to translate each episode as they came out. i remember waiting every week to see a new episode, and when the last episodes came, i was entirely invested in this sci-fi fantasy series with fairytale elements and wanted to know what would happen next.

and, for me, it's an endearing series that i enjoy watching, even with its flaws. it's fun, but it also has a heart. i like how it didn't shy away from telling a broader story. vol. 3's gut-wrenching finale was for me what made me realize i was not there just for the amazing fights and cool soundtrack, but for the characters and how they live in this crazy world. it was amazing to watch its worldbuilding evolve to such great lengths and see the characters i like to grow and learn and evolve along with it. they are done well and don't feel misplaced in the narrative. it just flows nicely and i guess the latest volume proved that to me (the themes, the motifs, the characters' choices, and the visuals) everything comes together, y'know?

and i just... like it. i like rwby. i really do.

www.tumblr.com/mooninoir/714949733681102848/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

Tumblingxelian:

Why do you watch this show?

I watch RWBY for the cool characters, interesting setting and engaging overarching story and arcs, plus some gorgeous animation, sets and awesome music.

What makes it appeal to you?

Women, including queer women, are center stage and given tons of dynamic personality, agency and exploration in ways I rarely see done in other series.

www.tumblr.com/tumblingxelian/714943623381303296/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@feifiefofum :

look, the ad on the tin was cute girls doing violent things and looking great while doing it. that was the impetus for me to follow the show, i was there when it started with the famous red trailer to yellow trailer.

the writing then wasn't bad, a bit condensed because, y'know, shoestring budget so everything was very tight time wise. but y'know, you didn't watch the four trailers and get sold on the story- which was good by the by, but it wasn't exceptional. it was by the numbers, hitting what they need to hit, but good. you didn't think it was spectacular.

but then volume 3 hits you out of nowhere, and you realize, oh, the writing is phenomenal actually.

rwby has deceptively good writing that on the surface is good par for the course that lulls you into complacency, and then manages to sideswipe you with incredible twists that you don't see, but on looking back, the seeds for the twist were planted from book 1 on. the world is slowly and meticulously rolled out to the viewer, the characters shine, and the action, while still spectacular, become secondary to the characters and the world.

i started watching rwby, expecting cute girls doing violent things. and they deliver on that, and if you come watch rwby just for that, it delivers that. i didn't come in for hearty world building, intrigue, and lore so deep you can get lost in it. the writers write on a razor's edge, giving enough lore for a backdrop and setting the stage, but if you decide to dig at any trail, you can get lost in it. the concept of dust, the name of the world itself- frankly i think it's a masterclass in giving enough to keep the story going but having enough in the back that every new twist that they lay out can be found to have grown from a seed that was planted in an earlier volume.

i dunno who traded their soul away to keep track of all that world building and lore, but that excel sheet must be something to behold. rwby throws u-turns that you don't expect at you, lulls you with a sense of 'okay, i see your tricks now' and somehow manages to turn you around again, and have it make sense.

frankly, it's a little frustrating, i've been bamboozled and led by the nose.

and i love it for that. i'm delighted by the ride i'm on, and i hope the show keeps going.

www.tumblr.com/feifiefofum/714920887601790976/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@aspennntree :

I watch rwby for several reasons- mostly for the characters, i find some of them really relatable

also i just genuinely enjoy the story and the visuals and find the show very comforting

i also like the people i’ve met in this community that are kind and i like having people to share my interests with

i’ve made many new friends being in this community and it’s something i’m very passionate about, i just really enjoy it genuinely

www.tumblr.com/aspennntree/714906439613906944/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@tokufan400 :

Even with everything, I can't bring myself to stop watching RWBY. I got back into it after talking with some friends in highschool, and I've been doing my best to keep up with it since. I have love for the characters (Weiss is the best), and I do feel a sence of amazement that a western project like this ha s grown so much. Not to mention the amount of art, comics, manga, and fanfics that have spawned from the show.

Do I have problems with RWBY? Yes. I will probably never stop ranting about something the show does to tick me off. But I do the same for Star Vs and Kamen Rider Zero One, both shows I still hold a love for. Hell, I might do the same for Amphibia and Owl House down the line if I do a re watch.

So yeah, still love RWBY and I want to be around to see how this story ends.

www.tumblr.com/tokufan400/714910475313446912/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@howlingday :

So, I was in high school and I was watching Red VS Blue. Then I started watching Rage Quit. Then Achievement Hunter. Play Pals.

Then my sister and my high school crush were like, hey, try out RWBY. I mocked them by saying "It should be Ar-Dubyoo-Bee-Why". Then I got into it and, well, I liked it the more I got into it until I was caught up to Volume 2. Then Death Battle had the Yang VS Tifa fight (PLEASE, NO REMATCH), and I was rooting for Yang. Then I saw Volume 3, and I was shocked, dismayed, and devastated at the sudden heel turn. I've been hooked ever since.

So, to answer your questions.

I watch RWBY because it's fun, and I want to know where the story goes. I loved the fun had at Beacon, and I want to know what happens next.

The appeal comes from the desire to see these group of friends fight to save the world from the Grimm. I want to see them thrive against a world where everything is stacked against them! And I want to see them flying kick someone in the face to the sound of the most amazing butt-rock since Crush 40 Sonic (No offense MGR)!

So, yeah, I love watching RWBY because it's a story to be told. And I'm going to openly sob when the story finally comes to an end.

www.tumblr.com/howlingday/714865441082851328/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@gorillageek27 :

i watch because, okay i was kinda turned off by it at first, just "what is this anime shit?", but i watched it and it's the most out there animated thing i can think like. Rwby is a show that somehow got me appreicating animated projects and you can tell the writers and animators have fun with it.

www.tumblr.com/gorillageek27/714864574777671680/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@lithominium :

Its endearing, the lack of amazing animation in vol 1-3 is made up for in how much love was put into it. The characters are fun and loveable and the writing is goofy but unlike some other media ive watched its very good at knowing when to keep the tone consistent. Its very gay and i love gay and its got one of the greatest slow burns ive ever seen with great payoffs which always happen when they should. I like the setting and the lore and the weapons and the semblances. Its such a good show

www.tumblr.com/lithominium/714869719134535680/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@everafterfrisk :

I love RWBY for a ton of reasons but to keep it short:

• The Facial Expressions of the characters match really well with the tones of each scene

• Amazing character designs that can just tell you so much about them before you get to know them

•The animation: RWBY imo is best 3D animated series, most of the time 3D animes tend to be stiff and lifeless

But RWBY gives its fights alot of finesse and creativity to go along with

Like here's a few examples:

(V9)

Weiss and Blake using gambol shroud's blade to propel Yang while simultaneously having Yang use Arma Gigas's Sword

www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9RQnk7Oueo

(V3)

Yang closing Flynt's Trumpet making his quartet backfire on him

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLu3_LKG_A8

(V4 Short)

Ruby using the recoil of her weapon to bounce out of the way from a Grimm and trip him up using her Scythe catching him into a Hurricane formed by her semblance (13:54)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivns4_clQ_c

There's even a full in depth analysis on the fight choreography from the earlier volumes to check out

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMQfm0RsY6o

• Themes of Unity,Self identity,Acceptance,Loving oneself, Finding hope in the most dreadful scenarios and the list goes on

• The Protagonist Ruby Rose is a breath of fresh air similar to say Deku from BNHA where both know the world isn't exactly kind but still try to help the best they can; even if it results in them destroying themselves to get there as their series's goes on

•The Villains are all pretty realistic in their motivations being not afraid to fall victim to arrogance while simultaneously being victims of either the world's actions or their own

°The show doesn't swindle you into thinking that just cuz they have sympathetic backgrounds that they're immediately good

They have to work for it and atone for misdeeds such as Ilia,Emerald and Hazel or doesn't believe their actions are unwarranted like Salem and Cinder or has a lack of empathy for the world around them like Mercury or Tyrian or Wants to do the right thing but lets the ends justify their means(Ironwood) or Living only on the fear of your actions(Lionheart) or The world has dealt so much injustice to you that you felt giving it by ten thousand fold would remedy it ( Ilia and Adam)

▪︎ The Music is just PEAK for me

The Sound design,everything just speaks volumes of the scene

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS4HvQ5BP-1gKp4Ou4PRkqdEDvnNqdTGS

www.tumblr.com/everafterfrisk/714883876389044224/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@blakistan :

I think RWBY was first suggested to be me on the grounds of “lots of really cool fights” which, while not ultimately the point of the show is still a big plus! Monty was an absolute wizard when it came to fight choreography and CRWBY has done a fantastic job keeping up that legacy. Ofc that was only the thing that got me to look at the show in the first place - what made me stay was the incredibly well done character-driven story. Following along and exploring the arcs of all the different characters in the show helped me through tough times and shaped a lot of who I am as a person today - Blake and Weiss’ stories in particular did so much in helping me find hope that I could grow as a person because that what the show is: hope. So uh yeah, if you like deep, interwoven character narratives that don’t shy away from growth, change, or the ugliness that sometimes crops up along the way with those things, definitely give RWBY a watch

www.tumblr.com/blakistan/714867196992585728/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@proximio-5 :

Tbh, I don't know, there's something about it that I can't explain, I started watching it in 2018, but somehow it's one of my top 3 Favorite animated shows, it can be because of the story or maybe the background, like the people behind it and everything they've done and how far they've come

For example, Monty; first he made the Haloid animation, then he became director of animation in Red vs Blue, and then he created this masterpiece that will be a big part of me

The animation itself is one of the best things about the show, I mean looking back at the style of background in V1 and more recent volumes, saying it has improved would be an understatement, I mean just look at it, you can see how much effort the've done for it

Another reason is the development or the characters, they've changed and matured in many ways. (Speaking of, I really hope Ruby comes back different but keeping at least some of her previous self)

So yeah, this show is far of being perfect, but then again...

What isn't?

www.tumblr.com/proximio-5/714866831427567616/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@kereeachan :

I’m generally a fan of animation, and it’s been neat seeing how it’s improved since volume 3 (when I got into it). The story intrigues me, and I love the wide cast of characters and their development. The alternate universe is a neat one, Grimm are fascinating as a take on Evil Creatures to me, and the designs have always been cool, bar a few that never flew with me (Blake’s 1-3 outfit just kind of always looked a lil too sexy for my tastes on a “huntress” and I initially thought Nora’s 4-6 look was a downgrade before it grew on me)

I really enjoyed Ironwood’s slide from well-intentioned, if incorrect, hero to villain. Honestly his foreshadowing in volumes 2, 3, and 4 was some of the best I’ve ever seen. Maswartz above has commented on how they fool you by having him take facistic actions against people we hate more to hide how far he’s falling fast until we actually GET to Atlas and Mantle and realize it’s gone full Police State (if it wasn’t before). Genius.

I also adored Penny, she was my baby, she was amazing as a character and I’m so happy we got her back for a few more volumes before losing her for good (as much as anyone is ever truly gone, of course, she still looms large over vol 9). As one of the “weird girls” of the world who took a long time to come into my comfort with being a girl due to teasing and bullying (autism, baby. they always know) Penny just always SPOKE to me. I’m glad she not only proved her Real Girl bonafides as a Maiden but even got to live outside a metal body for a few episodes before her death, finally feeling the warmth of a hug.

www.tumblr.com/kereeachan/714863784387297280/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@sevenofreds :

It's a genuinely fun and enjoyable show that can mix multiple genres together without it being jarring. There's action and comedy, there's horror, there's mystery and drama, and it all makes sense for what's happening. It has a layered and complex plot where things almost always turn out to be more nuanced than they first seem, and almost every twist/big event is subtly foreshadowed in some way. The shorter length of episodes compared to other shows also makes it really fun to binge watch.

www.tumblr.com/sevenofreds/714860874339352576/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@crowwrites2140 :

Of course it has its flaws like every other piece of media, but I genuinely find RWBY both entertaining and just a good show in general. I love the "AHA!" moments when you something is revealed that has been hinted at for volumes. I love the music and could listen to it for hours. I love the characters; their designs, their motivations, their relationships with each other and their character arcs that span the show. In regards to the protagonists, I also enjoy how they all seem so human. The writers allow them to make mistakes and fail. They aren't always the perfect heroes. And in regards to the villains, they are believable too. Nearly every one of them has some kind of motivation that drives them to want revenge in destruction. I love the plot, despite its flaws. It's complex and ties in with countless allusions. And lastly, I love the fanbase. Not the toxic side, honestly it makes me sad that a show like RWBY needs positivity posts because its hate fanbase is just so large. But there are so many in the community who are incredibly creative and create hilarious memes, beautiful art, and amazing stories, and I'm grateful to be a part of that.

www.tumblr.com/crowwrites2140/714860089114312704/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@the-god-of-nihon :

RWBY is a special show to me. I’ve been with the series since it premiered at the end of RvB Season 10, and ten years is not an inconsiderable amount of time to be a fan of something. And unlike the “critics” or RWDE, I don’t stick around to hate-watch because of the sunken cost fallacy, or “to learn what not to do.” Or just for a reason to complain, more accurately. I simply enjoy the series. I have since it began, and I still do, and I’ll continue to do so.

While I don’t like everything about the show, or agree with all the creative choices; I don’t automatically assume that something I don’t like is wrong or bad. I happily take RWBY for what it is, and not what I think it should be. I, by no means am blind to the flaws and missteps, but none of them hinder my enjoyment to the degree that I feel like the show overall is a negative experience, even at its lowest points.

I watch the show because I like it. It has been a consistent source of enjoyment for me, and even now. I’ve enjoyed growing alongside it from an indie web-series into what it is today and seeing how it’s changed and improved with every volume.

I enjoy and am invested in many of the characters. I like the world and the bits of world-build and lore we get throughout the main show and supplementary material. And of course I can’t not touch on the fights and character designs. Its vibrant and narrative-relevant use of color, and how that’s effected the shows aesthetic development. And Monty Oum’s classic high-speed, frenetic and intricate choreo, that’s yet to be replicated. And how while different the post-Monty fights are still interesting and engaging for the most part.

I love the depictions of friendship and platonic/familial connection in the show, most prominently for me personally, Ruby & Jaune’s bond. As it’s so rare for a male-female friendship to be purely platonic and still be so genuinely well-written and integral to both characters. Although, I think RWBY is largely hit or miss with the way it handles romance, I think its friendships & familial bonds are where it excels.

Ruby, Yang, and Jaune are my top three favorites characters in RWBY, and how their characters and arcs have been so endearing and intriguing to watch. Especially as since V7, and what is being done with them current.

www.tumblr.com/the-god-of-nihon/714867324298182656/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

@lostdemifiend :

The biggest thing for why I love RWBY so much it is "oh that makes sense!" when something unexpected happens BECAUSE everything was set up previously that would result in this eventually, and none of it feels forced.

At the same time, its gleeful deconstruction of common shonen anime tropes adds to that sense of surprise. Subconsciously, one goes in expecting certain things to happen, but it defies that expectation in a way that feels like a natural consequence.

There's so much more, but I can't even start to unpack just exactly why I love this series so much.

www.tumblr.com/lostdemifiend/714857897499164672/lets-talk-about-what-makes-rwby-good-or-enjoyable

Thank you all of you for showing everyone what makes RWBY fantastic to all!

If you want some youtube channels that discuss RWBY in analytical or philosophic detail? Or if you want comic dubs?

Xel Writer on Youtube aka @tumblingxelian for analysis videos

@marylizabetha on Youtube for philosophy videos

and @markzschiegnerii or Mark Zschiegner on youtube for comic dubs!

I love you, RWBY Fandom, you've made my life rich with joy.

#rwby #rwby is a good show #let people enjoy things #please give rwby a chance #give rwby a chance #mark zschiegner #markzschiegnerii #xel writer #tumblingxelian #marylizabetha #iamafanofcartoons

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xbuster · 9 months ago

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i actually havent read any shoujo other than sailor moon and would love to! do you have any recommendations for where to start? i love a good romance

I’d love to give a concise answer, but shoujo is such a broad genre that you’re going to have to give me more details about what you’re looking for! I’m also still pretty new to shoujo myself so most of what I've read so far is mahou shoujo (Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, Tokyo Mew Mew, Himitsu no Akko-chan, and Nurse Angel Ririka SOS in particular), but I can at least tell you some classics I've read a little of so far or am planning on reading.

Fruits Basket is of course a must-read if you're looking for romance. Aim for the Ace is the shoujo sports manga for me and laid the foundation for girl rivalries with yuri subtext. And as far as the classics are concerned, The Rose of Versailles is there at the top of romance and drama. Akatsuki no Yona is one I really want to read because it's been compared to Arslan Senki, a novel series that I really love and I'd love to see how that premise could be sold to a shoujo demographic (Arslan Senki itself had a shoujo manga adaptation that I want to read sooooo bad but nobody cared to translate it). Kare Kano was one of Gainax's finest anime, so I feel confident in recommending the manga too as it's a really fun romcom. You also can't really go wrong with anything written by CLAMP.

And, of course, Lovely Complex itself is a really well-beloved shoujo romance manga that even got a live action film adaptation. I'm also a sucker for tall girl/ short guy romances (The Kabocha Wine <3333).

@boymagicalgirl Could probably give even better recommendations as a real shoujo manga connoisseur.

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canmom · 1 year ago

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Animation Night 168: when Anno was young...

Animation Night has been getting kind of short lately, huh? Gone are the days when we'd marathon three films in a night... for now. Next week is Animation Night 169, and @mogsk has been helping me cook up quite a program to act as a sequel to Animation Night 69. It's time to find out just how much Twitch will let me get away with.

But what about tonight? Well, tonight I figure since we've been talking about Anno this week, it might be fun to put a short program together to show some of his earlier works - as an animator. Truly long-time viewers might remember watching Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise and Gunbuster all the way back on Animation Night 29. But this isn't exactly a reprise of that. We'll revisit Gunbuster on another day. Tonight the subject will be Metal Skin Panic: Madox-01 and Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise.

So here's a brief timeline (largely leaning on SteveM's video here lol). Anno's work on the Daicon III film got him a foot in the door in the industry by impressing Studio Nue enough to invite the Daicon III team to work on Macross. Nue were also in large part fans turned animators, many of them Gundam doujinshi artists. Anno joined what became known as the 'mecha unit' at Artland, working alongside the legendary Ichirō Itano - where he was known for walking around barefoot and talking loudly to himself. A couple of years after Daicon III, the Daicon team reassembled to create a followup film, a lavish effort packed with a ludicrous density of pop-culture references.

Not long after this... Anno dropped out of university, and started bouncing between animation studios in Tokyo. The next big break came when he applied to work on Miyazaki's Nausicaa, a production which was rapidly transforming the outsourcing-oriented studio Topcraft into a gathering of some of the best animators in the business. At Topcraft, Anno's reputation was 'the primal man', sleeping under his desk with the cockroaches and not wearing shoes. But despite his inexperience, he made a good impression on Miyazaki, who assigned him the crucial finale cuts of the God Warrior.

Here we see what is sometimes called the 'Anno explosion', where the laser sweeps across and a massive explosion follows after a beat. Anno was able to handle the complex shading and multiple layers with aplomb...

...if not entirely on schedule. (One anecdote has that he tried to use his work on this sequence to pick up women. Which, to be fair...)

So in the mid 80s, Anno has established himself as a skilled mecha animator who can handle some ludicrously technical scenes. Besides Nausicaa and Macross, you will see him in Megazone 23 Part I, Giant Robo: The Animation, Baoh, Birth - and even Grave of the Fireflies. Any time you wanted mechanical animation or explosions, Anno was definitely a guy to get on the phone. And of course one of his most significant projects was on SDF Macross: Do You Remember Love? where he animated... you guessed it, lots of missiles and explosions.

With all this experience under his belt, Anno was almost ready to return to the newly founded Gainax - what had been Daicon Film. But first - lets check out Metal Skin Panic! MADOX-01. This OVA, made at AIC and Artmic - who made so many of the classic OVAs from this period, it's nuts - was the directorial debut of Shinji Aramaki, whose later CG films we covered back on Animation Night 152. Even back in 1987, Aramaki's love of intricate mechanical detail was on full display - and luckily Anno was on hand to make that vision work, along with the even younger 14-year-old prodigy Kōji Akimoto. (I'm not entirely sure what became of Akimoto. He only has one other anime credit, much later.)

Anno's scenes here prefigure the later similar hyper-detailed mechanical animation in works like Patlabor 2. But what's this OVA actually about? Well, it's a pretty simple story: a mechanic gets trapped inside a mecha suit, and accidentally ends up on a rampage as he's chased by the military (remind you of Roujin Z? or Stink Bomb in Memories?), hoping to unite with his girlfriend Shiori. Ultimately he ends up in a confrontation with an American soldier Lieutenant Kilgore. They fight! Really, we're here for the animation.

So, that brings us to Royal Space Force. The origin is kinda messy. To make a long story short, Daicon Film approached Bandai, hoping to make an OVA based on new Gundam kits. Bandai (and more specifically Shigeru Watanabe) said no to Gundam, but they were interested in this idea for a scifi OVA - and they'd drop them a cool three and a half million dollars to make a film to rival Nausicaa. (Apparently Mamoru Oshii's approval played a big part in that).

So Royal Space Force, what a film. There truly isn't anything quite like it, either in Gainax's oeuvre or anime at large. The closest thing I could compare it to might be the near-future anime series Planetes, which similarly focuses on realistic spaceflight in the context of war and geopolitics - but the tone of these two stories is markedly different. Of all things, it actually most makes me think of the works of Le Guin.

Honneamise is set on a fictional world vaguely resembling eartly 20th Century Earth, in which a country embroiled in war is putting together its world's first, threadbare space programme. It follows aspiring astronaut Shirotsugh Ladatt, who missed his chance to be a pilot and ended up in the sideshow space programme. But he meets a religious girl named Riquinni Nonderaiko who convinces him of the potential of spaceflight in bringing peace to the world.

But this idealism clashes with the reality of a world where the space programme is viewed cynically, a means to an end, with protestors questioning the cost of it and the higherups seeing the rocket launch merely as a means to set up an ambush against their enemies. Shirotsugh increasingly doubts whether the space programme is worthwhile at all. And he himself is definitely not a fully sympathetic protagonist; in one particularly uncomfortable scene he attempts to rape Riquinni (which in its framing reminds me of a similar moment with Shevek in The Dispossessed).

The film is as much as anything an insane work of worldbuilding, full of constructed cultures and small details that sit just a little askew of Earth while still feeling incredibly grounded. The animation in this film is fucking insane - not just Anno's incredible rocket launch and flight sequences, based on a research trip to the States where he watched the Shuttle go up for real - but throughout, in its character animation, it anticipates the 90s 'realist' approach to stylisation. It's just full of loving detail, wordlessly conveying so much about its setting.

Of course, such an ambitious film faced a troubled production. Between the inexperience of Daicon Film Gainax and the difference between what this film was going for and what everything else was going for, and production meddling... it was a mess. Big name composer Ryuichi Sakamoto was pulled in to score the film, won over by its storyboards, but ended up clashing over the timing of scenes, and in the end his score was chopped up and rearranged.

And for their part, Bandai started getting antsy and attempted to impose changes, like insisting on tacking on the subtitle 'The Wings of Honneamise'. They wanted to cut the runtime, cut elements that didn't have toy potential, and so on. They wanted something that would sell toys... and got a deliberately slow, moody art film that leans heavily on nonverbal storytelling.

So it's a weird one... and it didn't sell in its theatrical run. But you know, all those elements that made it a hard sell at first are a perfect recipe for 'cult classic', and for that reason, Honneamise is still remembered today.

In any case, back to Anno. He delivered the most impressive animation of his career. The rocket launch in meticulous detail of course, but equally scenes of planes to rival any in Miyazaki's films (or The Cockpit [AN146]). Of course, he didn't carry it alone! The great realist Toshiyuki Inoue, who'd later be famous for his work at Production I.G. such as Ghost in the Shell, was on it, working for example on astonishingly busy crowd scenes which apparently took a full month to animate. And animators like Fumio Iida, Nobuteru Yuki and Noriasu Yamauchi, brought some of the best work they'd ever done.

All in all, there's nothing quite like Royal Space Force, before or since. So I'm really looking forward to seeing it again.

Animation Night 168 will go live shortly; films will begin at 11pm UK time and continue to about 2am UK time. (Apologies it's so late once more, my sleep is proving troublesome to shift.) We will as usual be at twitch.tv/canmom. I hope to see you there, it's gonna be a real sakuga feast tonight!!

#animation night #anime #animation #hideaki anno #royal space force: the wings of honneamise #metal skin panic: madox-01

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onenettvchannel · 2 months ago

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FOLLOW-UP REPORT: New Key Visual Poster unveiled for 'Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt' Season 2, possibly sets to air next year in 2025

TOKYO, JAPAN -- Fans of the adult-rated cult primetime classic anime 'Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt' have reason to celebrate as one Japanese animation studio 'Trigger' unveiled new key visual for the highly anticipated Season 2. After a lengthy bankruptcy and multiple unpaid debts from a former 'Gainax' studio, within almost a decade-and-a-half… The angels of 'Daten City Sisters' are all back in action.

Thursday afternoon (July 4th, 2024 -- Pacific local time), at this year's Anime Expo 2024 in an undisclosed panel at Studio Trigger… The main staff, including directors and character designers, introduced themselves and their roles in a recent announcement and discussion video, within a day later on July 5th. They shared insights into the creative process, discussing the challenges they faced while designing the teaser visual, and new logo for this said new season.

We can all agree to describe the contents of the visual art poster photo, which is present in the pink convertible 'Hummer'. Stocking Anarchy was a passenger, while Panty Anarchy sat in front of their car. Taking their pet 'Chuck' for a wedgie at Briefers Rock's pants, because he wasn't meant to have sex with any of the sisters between Anarchy and Daemon, in the foursome harem.

Following this, the Daemon sisters were given the name 'Scanty' and 'Kneesocks', along with their animal companion 'Fastener'. Lastly, the Anarchy sisters are being mentored by the reverend father 'Garterbelt Christ', who reads general books in the back. They are all fully engaged and ready for a ride to hell, albeit sometimes acting as part-time angels in Daten City. This brand-new key visual lets loose the iconic Anarchy duos in the most vibrant and action-packed scene, promising their continued adventures in high-energy this season.

As said above, on last year's Anime Expo 2023 and the staff of 'Studio Trigger' have said that the creation of high-quality animation, and finishing it up can take ages, and even a lot of digital work hours. Before they can show it to the public on national TV, they have in need, to get approval from Japanese TV channels, which are like 'ATX' and 'BS Nitelle'.

Classic character designs will return to please fans of the original series, while some new members will be joining them later in this next phase. Indeed, several top character designers are staffed on the project, so the series should certainly be nothing short of beautiful. This is according to a YouTube video (under Google's alphabet), on a discussion of the new staff. They showed enthusiasm as they noted that they will keep up the good work, and acknowledged having fun with breaking all the rules in traditional animation, which was also characteristic of the original series. They showed excitement about creating a new series that is going to be entertaining and enjoyable, without necessarily changing your own life.

Creators discussed with Otaku, how this new team will bring the anime project to life, reflecting on the legacy of the original anime show. They expressed in the staff discussion video, "The new season with a fresh take replicates in spirit the last one, so we urge the Japanese and other fans worldwide to look forward to it".

Director 'Hiroyuki Imaishi' himself, takes control of the series, guiding the new season into its roots while introducing fresh elements that are bound to entertain both the old and the newer generations. Other creative people involved are the renowned character designer 'SUSHiO' and art designer 'Shigeto Koyama', promising a spectacular visual treat.

To keep up to speed, on what is missing that can't produce Season 2 of the anime primetime show… The first season ends with a cliffhanger in the early mid-2010s. 'Gainax' faces financial difficulties in debts as production plummets and mismanagements, leading to further legal disputes and a decline in production from 2015 to early pandemic days of Coronavirus Disease-19 (CoViD-19).

There is a scandalous turn on December 2019, according to Studio Trigger president named 'Masahiko Otsuka', the management team at 'Gainax' was replaced and later sued, due to a scandal involving its representative director and former co-founder 'Hideaki Anno', because of unpaid royalties related to 'Neon Genesis: Evangelion' in 2014 and later distanced for Studio Khara. Kyodo News reports that the president of Gainax named 'Tomohiro Maki', allegedly taking nude images of a teenage woman and illegally touching her on the pretext that he was training her for photoshoots as an entertainer. Maki was arrested, at the time our writing, on the allegations of voyerism and other crimes relating to pre-determined sex.

'Wish Upon the Pleiades' was the last anime production of 'Gainax', five (5) years after the 1st Season of 'Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt', and almost 4 decades in the Japanese adult-rated animation legacy. Hiroyuki Imaishi, alongside other key people, already moved to other studios like 'Trigger' after the complete bankruptcy and shutting 'Gainax' down in June 2024.

Today, in the present, animation fans have something to look forward to as they are promised to be met with the same irreverent humor, over-the-top action sequences, and unique flair in animation that spearheaded the same first entry of the anime franchise. Studio Trigger is teasing exciting new story arcs and character development for a long-awaited payoff of about 15 years.

Following the news regarding the 'Gainax' bankruptcy, along new key visual was unveiled and other things, to ensure that 'Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt' Season 2 set tongues wagging again among fans, foreshadowing what would be an eventful return. The Anarchy angels of Daten City are back, leaving all set for what could well be another memorable return to the world of anime.

The new season is expected to air, and possibly streaming online next year in 2025, bringing back your favorite beloved characters for the mature-rated ones, along with their mentor and 'Rev. Fr. Garterbelt Christ', who will continue fighting villainous crimes in Daten City.

VISUAL ART POSTER PHOTO COURTESY: Studio Trigger via The X Network PHOTO BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: Tegna

SOURCE: *https://x.com/trigger_inc/status/1808878704137023748 [Referenced X Network Tweeted Post via Studio Trigger] *https://www.themarysue.com/a-cult-classic-anime-is-coming-back-after-almost-15-years/ [Referenced News Article via The Mary Sue] *https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-07-04/new-panty-and-stocking-with-garterbelt-anime-slated-for-2025/.212867 [Referenced News Article via Anime News Network] *https://anitrendz.net/news/2024/07/04/new-panty-stocking-with-garterbelt-reveals-latest-visual-production-staff/ [Referenced News Article via AnimeTrendz] *https://www.thepopverse.com/anime-panty-and-stocking-with-garterbelt-season-2-release-date-2025-ax-2024-announcement [Referenced News Article via The Popverse] *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meip6GWgcM0 [Referenced YT VIDEO via Studio Trigger] *https://www.anime-expo.org/ax/schedule-2024/ [Referenced Schedule Listings via Anime Expo] *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wish_Upon_the_Pleiades *https://filmstories.co.uk/news/gainax-the-studio-behind-evangelion-and-more-has-gone-bust/ [Referenced News Article via Film Stories UK] *https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/12/3f003d272417-evangelion-anime-studio-chief-arrested-for-taking-photos-of-nude-teen.html [Referenced News Article via Kyodo News] *https://www.st-trigger.co.jp/news/1854/ and *https://www.khara.co.jp/2024/06/07/240607/?lang=en

-- OneNETnews Online Publication Team

#entertainment news #follow-up report #tokyo #japan #Gainax #studio trigger #panty and stocking #season 2 #new season #fyp #anime #exclusive #first and exclusive #K5 News FM #OneNETnews

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burinazar · 1 year ago

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...

this is the last time i'll talk about the kpop mia thing i promise. i pinky promise. just have to get this off my chest. (post contains mentions of Unpleasant fanservice elements with underage characters in other shows, not terribly detailed but they are described.)

Imagine if every time someone said they liked Gainax’s beloved mecha classic Gunbuster everyone who heard them assumed it was specifically because of that one locker room scene that is in there more prominently than the scenes of nudity in MiA and feature more visible, more detailed, and more prolonged underage nudity and quite unambiguously exists for the sake of titillation alone

imagine if mentioning you were a Fate fan caused everyone to think you were watching it for the little girls making out in Prisma Ilya or the microbikini-clad underage version of Jack the Ripper in FGO. or saying you liked Gurren Lagann immediately caused people to come running with that one interview where a staff writer randomly said Yoko is 14 while most of the merchandise featuring her is heavily focused on sexualization and fanservice, retroactively rendering the show's many many fanservice scenes with her highly questionable for reasons lying totally outside its established canon

or to take a break from objectionable sexualization even though that's the internet's favorite subject: what if every LOGH fan was assumed to share Tanaka's potential tendency of according validity of Great Man Theory or take an uncritical view of the authoritative military autocracies like the one Reinhard establishes amid a mostly positive framing in the story. there are definitely fans that do this by the way but good lord i can't imagine someone assuming the entire fandom does instead of being prone to creating many healthily-critical diatribes questioning the above, even alongside our great love of the characters of the story and the overall work

like nobody assumes these things because it’s widely agreed there’s lots of other good shit in there for all of those shows, and many fans enjoy them without liking and thumbs-upping everything in it. so can you give us Giant Hole Show Liker People that bare minimum of consideration. huh.

like. man. i’m not out here standing by everything in MiA as something I am pleased is in it — like, fucking duh i’m not, since everyone who’s heard me rant about how the otherwise consistent and fantastically delineated theme of “condemning and inspecting a world that exploits innocents for its advancement and those who partake in this” is veritably kneecapped by some of s1’s dumbass lolisho fanservice moments (that Tsukushi just haaaad to throw in, where trauma and humiliation is thrown into casual everyday life montages and brushed off as funny-sexy), knows perfectly well how i feel about them.

but I’m so so tired of people not affording the fans any consideration that we might like The Fucking Rest Of It when there’s way more mainstream things with worse-or-as-bad elements of underage fanservice whose fandom isn’t assumed to be there primarily for the worst bits of fan service.

like can you just accord people the grace of potentially being human beings with complex opinions and well developed reasoning skills and nuanced opinions

#orphan hole tag #I like gunbuster a lot! and I’ve never in my life seen anyone cancel all its fans for the uncritical-sexualization-of-underage-girls part #because we’re a bunch of adults who don’t assume that watching it means you did so for the Worst Part or cosign every element. amazing #idk maybe the kpop idol fanbase people are mostly really young #and are used to a) idols' manufactured perfection b) fanbases with no gray area between 'love every bit of a thing' and 'loathe every bit'

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ilaiyayaya · 1 year ago

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The Anti-Big Oof, Some May Even Say "The Small Foo"

Just played The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog today, a dumb, goofy little visual novel made for April Fool's Day a few months ago. It's really cute, it took me waaaay longer to get to it than I expected, I originally was going to read it the day it released, but uhhh i forgor💀 but now that I have actually finally read it, it's so good and was definitely worth reading. It's not very long, and there's not a ton to it, but it was created by a team of really dedicated Sonic fans including a few of the writers for the IDW comics and it is so incredibly obvious, it is absolutely filled with obscure little references to the series as a whole that only weird obsessive freaks like me would ever even notice. The number of times I went "WAOW✨" was immeasurable, the Knuckles OVA hat, "Big Oof" (classic), I think they even indirectly referenced the fucking Shadow pissing on Eggman's wife video, not 100% sure on that tho, may just be reading into it too much, but in my headcanon they're 100% referencing Shadow pissing on Eggman's wife frfr. It's crazy how the writing teams for every Sonic related thing now, the games, the comics, even the social media is just made up of a bunch people that are just as obsessed with Sonic as even the most insane fans, like the last 10 years of Sonic media has pretty much just been a collection of officially licensed fan passion projects and I'm all for it. Like obviously there's been the typical corporate made stuff that was obviously just rushed out for money and had no love behind it too, just like any franchise, but like, I'm not here to talk about that, I don't want to talk about that, I'm here to talk about PURE, RAW, UNFILTERED PASSION AND HOW FUCKING COOL IT IS!!!

The Sonic community in general is just insane in how passionate they are, like what other community has multiple entire expos dedicated to fangames, that have been recognized by major members of the official Sonic development team? (If you can't tell I am very excited for SAGE and SHC, the next 2 months are gonna be so pog >:)).

It's so exceptionally fun experiencing any kind of work in general that's so clearly made with a ton of passion put into it. Like art that you can just sense the passion oozing out of has got to be like, peak art, always, no matter the actual thing itself, if it's been made with a ton of love, it's peak, no question. It's why there's a lot of specific artists and communities that I just resonate with so hard, like when an artist or community just loves what they make, that's just like, so cool this is my excuse to mention Trigger/Gainax I love Trinax I love it when they have to make the final episode of an anime black and white and at 2fps not only for stylistic reasons but because they just HAD to put their entire budget into the 2 minute big robot scene like how could they resist and I mean this entirely unironically I fucking LOVE that they know exactly where their talents and passions lie and are willing to put everything into what they want to make at the expense of other parts that they don't want to make. Remember when in Promare Galo starts ranting about like ancient firefighters or some shit in the middle of a fight and it was basically just a stand-in for the writers wanting to rant about ancient firefighters or some shit? yea, that was cool. Remember when in Promare they kis-

Also I don't know where to put this but I want to say it because I thought of it, but references aren't just cool because you get the reference they're making, references are cool because they can show a clear love of the thing they're referencing, and that's why Sonic is cool ok bye :)

The fact that this game is the 2nd time they've referenced the Peter Griffin death pose in official Sonic media is honestly very concerning.

#the murder of sonic the hedgehog #sonci #let's go dad #sonic the hedgehog #I like when Shadow only gets people birthday gifts out of fear for his social status that's very cool and in character #la creatura #i promise im normal #clone pilled #sophisticated literature #gobby neckbreaks #i miss her so much #xueyi-pilled #waffle falling video #i need more tags it's not enough i need more #i don't know who you are or why you keep being mean to me but you need to be nice to me right NOW!

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smokeybrandreviews · 7 months ago

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Starving

We are winding down on the current anime season and I say to it, “Good riddance!” Look, almost everything which dropped this Winter, has been trash. Absolute bunk. And I don’t mean in a poor narrative way, I mean in an execution way. Some of my favorite manga got adaptions and they’ve all been WILDY disappointing. One got a continuation and the you can see the slash in budget with every handicapped frame. Sh*t was absurd. Others, just didn’t get the money they deserved. I’m over here reeling from the fact that Winter 2024 might go down in history as one of the worst seasons of anime, ever. That’s insane because, for the past few years, we’ve seen a strong uptick in overall quality. Anyway, as this underwhelming Winter season gives way to a much more promising Spring 2024, I wanted to look back and pay respect to the slog we all endured. Apparently, budget cuts was overarching theme this time around.

The Cream of the Crop

Frieren: At Journey’s End

With no hyperbole or exaggeration, Frieren is one of the best anime I have ever seen in my entire life. From production, to execution, to writing, to animation and performances; All of it is a shining example of what this medium has to offer. Frieren is a goddamn masterpiece and will go down as a classic. And I’m just talking about to the first half of this show. Everything I just said, was turned up a notch for the back end. I thought it would be hard to top that Aura scrap but then then Frieren mirror match happened and I was legitimately awestruck. Absolutely beauty. Absolute spectacle. Those big moments stun, but it’s the small ones which really make this show. When Fern and Serie met and had their little exchange? Yeah, for me, THAT was the greatest thing this show ever produced. Sousou no Frieren is, without a doubt, a masterpiece, both on the page and on the screen.

Delicious in Dungeon

One of the very first post I made on my Review blog which got solid traction on this hell site, was an ode to Dungeon Meshi. I’ve loved this manga for years. I wasn’t on that ride in the very beginning, but I stumbled across it early in it’s run and decided to ride that story out until the very end. It was well worth it. Meshi is one of the strongest manga I’d ever read so, when it was announced it would finally get an adaption, I was mad hyped. The problem came when it was announced that f*cking Trigger would be the production house bringing that sh*t to life. I was absolutely sure that the kinetic, frantic, unrelentingly spastic, animation style of Gainax Jr., would not lend itself to the wonderful art and delicate lines Ryoko Kui laid on the page. For the most part, I was right. I expected a studio like Pierrot or Madhouse would have delivered a much richer animation experience but, as the series progressed, I found myself less and less offended by those Dead Leaves sensibilities. In fact, after this last episode with the slaying of the red dragon, I am all for it. Still wish UFOtable or someone got the contract but the narrative, performances, and grand nature of the adventure, make up for those fleeting Kill La Kill levels of absurd in the animation.

Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy 2nd Season

This one squeaks right in there, but just barely. For the most part, it continues on from the excellent first season. That said, you can definitely see this thing had a budget cut. When it shines, it’s bright as f*ck, can’t lie. But there was a whole ass battle that was just skipped and I REALLY wanted to see that animated. Interestingly enough, this is a continuation of a series that started in one of the previous, much better, anime seasons, similar to the trash fire that is Banished from the Hero’s Party. That one, we’ll get to it here in a minute, was absolutely hammered by budget cuts and it kind of has me wondering if these second season shows, just didn’t garner enough popularity to give them the same level of care as before? As I recall, Tsukimichi often ranked in the upper part of popularity results, week in and week out, so it’s rather surprising to me that the quality dropped so much. It’s no Reincarnated as a Sword or Chainsaw Man, but it still had a decent following behind it. Why would the studio opt to cut corners like this? It’s just damaging an already proven brand.

The Underwhelming

Solo Leveling

I just do not understand the hype around this series. As far as I can tell, it’s a mediocre power fantasy where the protagonist is mad overpowered for no reason. That’s fine, two of my favorite anime are based around this trope (Overlord and Slime are top tier), but this? This is just meh. It doesn’t help that the show, and the overall narrative, doesn’t pick up for a full five episodes. Talk about a slog, man. Just getting to the point where he has that second Awakening was a goddamn chore. After that? It’s all just gore and the occasional cool animation effect. Overall, for a show going in with this much hype, I’m left wanting. In my head, I can see Madhouse absolutely crushing this thing but A-1 seems to be dragging their feet. Like, it’s not cheap looking at all, we’ll get to those here in a second, but I just feel like, with all the potential this thing has, Solo could have been so much more. I absolutely understand the hype, I really do. There is, for sure, something special about Solo Leveling. I can see it in the margins. But, for a guy like me who has been watching anime for almost three and a half decades, this one is just fine.

The Disappointments

My Instant Death Ability is so Overpowered

The first of many to be crippled by budget. Again, I am a fan of the manga. This one popped up as a surprise. I had no idea it was getting an adaption so, taking in that first episode, I understood immediately how awful this show was going to be. It has it’s moments but, overall, it is gross to look at. Like, this thing had less than a shoestring budget because goddamn! I’m not going to sit here and pretend that there was a large enough fan base to justify AAA levels of animation, but at least give me a consistent, competent, frame rate. This sh*t is about as consistent as an ice head from Florida!

Chained Soldier

This one hurt. Bro, I LOVE Mato Seihei no Slave. It’s one of the few manga whose release I properly anticipate. I read dozens of these things but there are probably seven or eight I'm really invested in, and Slave is at the top of that list. When it’s adaption was announced, my hype was real. And then I watched that first episode. Disappointment. But, I was willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it will get better as time goes on? It did not get any better. This thing is ugly and has these weird ass, throwback, splash scenes whenever an attack is used. It’s f*cking absurd and makes the show WAY more dated than it actually is. There’s a certain charm you need to execute that type of stuff and this adaption has none of that. And, as if to make the entire situation worse, the actual battle scenes, the strongest part of the manga, awe the weakest aspects of this anime! How do you fumble the bag this hard??

Gushing Over Magical Girls

Here’s another one that is just plain disappointing. Again, huge fan of the manga. High expectations. Dashed on the rocks of a stymied budget. Just off the premise alone, evil yuri Magical Girl battles with a hard lean into sadism, how goddamn popular this show could have been? Do you know how much potential for gags, visual brilliance, and clever fan service, ended up wasted because there were no funds to properly animate that sh*t? Gushing is, unapologetically, smut, but it’s smut that does something fun. Watching this adaption is not fun. It’s borderline painful. I wasn’t even all that hyped when i found out about this pone, more curious how it would be executed. I had no expectations and still, I was so very, very, disappointed.

Banished from the Hero’s Party

I can’t say I am a huge fan of this one but I do enjoy the manga. It’s got fantastic art, endearing characters, and some of the best fight scenes on the page. I recall that translating fairly well in the first season of this show. Definitely not the second. Someone took a rusty knife to this thing’s budget and it shows. Bro, there are frame rate issues, errors, and inconsistencies throughout every goddamn scene of this show. A perfect example? The “fight” between Ruti and whoever the new hero dude is. That sh*t was THE WORST and it’s arguably the BEST fight in the goddamn show! I wince for what was, lament for what is, and weep for what could have been.

Honorable Mentions or The Dropped

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

This one is fine. Generic, Isekai, nonsense, but still pretty fun. It’s inoffensive and decently animated, for the most part. Sh*t’s not redefining the genre or impressing with it’s visuals, but I’m not trying to claw my eyes out while watching it, either.

Ragna Crimson

This one is another anomaly for me. I used to read the manga but dropped it long ago. It just felt too repetitive and wildly uninspired I took a gander a the first few episodes of this thing and it’s fine. I wasn’t super impressed but that’s probably more because I didn’t care for the anime all that much. I mean, he action is solid or whatever but it’s a soft pass for me.

Tales of Wedding Rings

Another surprise in the same vein of Gushing Over Magical Girls. Wasn't expecting it at all but figured I’d give it a shot on the strength of the manga. It’s fine. The art from the book is so much stronger and you lose a lot of that charm with the simplified animation models. I've seen around five or six episodes of this one but I have no intention of finishing the series. The difference between the manga art, and the anime style, is so disparate, it’s just depressing.

Admittedly, most Winter anime seasons are kind of whack. With the exception of continuations, content be real thin during the waning days of last year, and burgeoning weeks of current. It feels a lot like Hollywood in that way. You get occasional gems sprinkled in there, I'm told both Metallic Rouge and Ishura are excellent, but I can't be bothered to even start them. I've been too disappointed with the lot I chose. Maybe I'll circle back and dig deeper into what was presented this season but, as it stands, bring on the Spring already!

#anime

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smokeybrand · 7 months ago

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Starving

The Cream of the Crop

Frieren: At Journey’s End

Delicious in Dungeon

Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy 2nd Season

The Underwhelming

Solo Leveling

The Disappointments

My Instant Death Ability is so Overpowered

Chained Soldier

Gushing Over Magical Girls

Banished from the Hero’s Party

Honorable Mentions or The Dropped

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

Ragna Crimson

Tales of Wedding Rings

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cottoncandyopinions · 2 years ago

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Code Geass holds up pretty well, imo. It's kinda like mecha death note and it's a fun time to watch the scheming play out with giant robots.

Eureka 7 is also awesome, love studio bones, they always put everything into their animation.

Gurren Lagann is a verified classic and a studio gainax production like Evangelion. It plays the mecha action more straight but it's just got so much energy and it's super fun. If you like this one, I'd recommend watching a more recent studio trigger movie called Promare.

I'm not sure how much it's actually considered a mecha show, but the original FLCL is a fascinating ride. Later seasons after those first 6 aren't as well regarded (but I haven't seen them)

I've not seen them myself, but I've heard so many good things about Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans, it's on my immediate to watch because of the praise.

It might also be worth checking out the Evangelion rebuild films. I... Have mixed feelings on them, as a fan of the original. It def appeases the "Shinji get in the robot" urge, since a lot of the changes emphasize action and agency. The finale of the 4 films that came out recently actually got me pretty emotional, I thought it retroactively made the prior 3 films better.

Oh and here's a dishonorable mention. Darling in the Franxx. While the premise of piloting the robots in missionary duos is always very silly, in the earlier episodes it quietly builds the world, with very little exposition, and gives the characters quiet moments to shine. The first arc revoking around the leads' relationship is the best the show has to offer, so I advocate for giving the show a shot then dropping it at the moment it stops being fun for you. I sincerely regret not stopping at something like episode 16 lol, but I'd have been satisfied long before. This one's just a meme recommendation.

Hey, can anyone give good mecha anime recommendations? I don't care about the age of the series, but I would prefer something serialized and with a decent pacing.

So far I've seen:

NGE + End of Eva (loved it)

RahXephon (loved it, but felt it was too slow)

VanDread (like it, but I was 16-17 when I saw it, lmao)

A bit of Full Metal Panic (it was okay? I guess?)

SSSS Gridman (loved it)

I realize this is, like, one genre of anime that went right past me and I wanted to get more into it, because I love me some elaborate robot designs and as a certified toku fan, I feel like this is something I've missed out on.

#I'm not even a mecha fan! I'll make a couple popular suggestions.#I started typing this like #I think I might be more of a mecha fan than I realized #Or intended #Anyway!#Enjoy!

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superectojazzmage · 2 years ago

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youtube

Oh hell yeah!

#this is still one of my all time favorite anime #definitely one of hideaki anno and gainax’s underrated gems #between this and gunbuster/diebuster finally getting a dub and rerelease stateside #plus a bunch of gainax’s ips getting rescued from the sinking ship by companies like trigger #it’s a pretty good time to be a Gainax fan #wonder if they’re doing a complete redub for nadia here or just rereleasing the original dub #it SOUNDS like just rereleasing the original because those are definitely some of the original voice actors #which is good because the nadia dub is so damn good #gosh I’m just really excited to rewatch this nadia is such a classic anime #Youtube

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levilagoon · 2 years ago

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What’s a series you wish had a more active fanbase?

Ooh, good question.

I'm led immediately to the Gunbuster series, and its sequel, Diebuster. Here we have the grandfather of all mecha tropes- the absolute beginnings of evangelion, gurren lagann- Gunbuster brings with it an incredible world it only has *six* episodes to bring life to, and it pulls it off with such style. Part of the charm of watching a show like Gunbuster is knowing that even with some of its style quirks (the eighties and its...aesthetic, lol) is realizing that it was the first of its kind to do its thing. Shows like Gurren Lagann that folks give so much praise for its gung-ho attitude; Evangelion for its existential crisis and emotional turmoil- Gunbuster paved the way for that. And it does it well.

And Diebuster! This wild, zany, energetic sequel that barely even is a sequel besides in name alone when it first gets going. Diebuster is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, the very same gentleman that directed Fooly Cooly. The show takes such a stark departure from its predecessor in tone, but still comes full circle in capturing the magic that made Gunbuster so special, without retreading and rehashing beats that didn't need to be rehashed.

The series has such a place in my heart. My namesake obviously comes from Gurren Lagann, and once I had heard the signature gainax pose was born in Gunbuster, I knew I had to give it a watch. I was shocked to find so many people herald Evangelion as this kind of mecha classic poster child- and, to be fair, in many respects, it is, but Gunbuster did it first. And I wish more folks recognized that. It's such a gem.

Please, please, do what you have to to watch Gunbuster and Diebuster. They're both six episodes, and they're phenomenal watches.

#gunbuster #diebuster #asks

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animebw · 2 years ago

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Short Reflection: Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

I have not watched much old anime. It’s an oversight I know I need to correct; there’s plenty of great stuff to be found in anime’s long history, and I’d be doing myself a disservice if my only experience with this medium’s past came in the form of Miyazaki movies (as fantastic as those movies may be). But I tend to drag my heels on it because, well, me and old anime don’t always get along. As many excellent shows and movies as I’ve seen in the years before the new millennium, a lot of stuff from back then has just not aged well. At least not for me. Maybe it’s a disconnect with the visual and thematic aesthetics of the time compared to how modern anime looks and feels. Maybe it’s the difference of growing up in a post-Evangelion world and finding it hard to return to anime that were made before that franchise’s overwhelming influence. Or maybe some of this stuff just straight-up sucked and we were too young or inexperienced with the medium to realize. I want to like old anime, and I’m sure there’s plenty of stuff I’ll love that I just haven’t found yet, but a lot of the time, engaging with anime’s history means running into barriers that I’m not always able to overcome. And sadly, that’s exactly what happened with Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water.

If nothing else, the circumstances of Nadia’s creation are fascinating enough to engage with on their own. Originally a pitch from Hayao Miyazaki himself, it was eventually picked up to be directed by Hideaki Anno, a man who’s creative sensibilities couldn’t be farther from Miyazaki’s if he tried. The show’s tumultuous production was so destructive to Anno’s mental health that he stayed away from directing another project for years. And when he finally returned to the director’s chair, he channeled those mental health struggles into his new project, resulting in the absolute game-changer that was Neon Genesis Evangelion. So in a weird way, Nadia and its creation is responsible for the shape of the modern anime landscape. Anime as we know it wouldn’t exist without Evangelion, and Evangelion wouldn’t exist without the executives at Gainax forcing Nadia’s creators to shoehorn in an entirely new story arc mid-production because the ratings were so good. So, uh, I guess the legendarily terrible Island Arc wasn’t a total waste after all? I dunno, silver linings and all that.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The premise is, fittingly enough, classic Miyazaki, by which I mean it’s basically just Castle in the Sky again. You’ve got a mysterious girl with a magical pendant who teams up with an ordinary boy to find a lost civilization the pendant is important to, that civilization is a metaphor for the sin of hubris and the need for humans to live in harmony with nature instead of trying to subdue it, the bad guys are a fascist-coded cult seeking to monopolize the old civilization’s power for themselves and rule the world, and there’s a secondary bad guy team of bumbling Team Rocket-esque criminals who eventually end of on the side of the good guys (The Grandis Gang is the best part of this show and I appreciated every moment they were on screen). There are some differences, of course- the setting is the late 19th century instead of a post-apocalyptic pastoral paradise, the ancient civilization is buried under the waves instead of hidden above the clouds- but the broad strokes are basically identical. But hey, Miyazaki’s never been shy about recycling ideas before, and if the execution of these ideas here had been as great as Laputa, that’s what really matters.

Except, of course, this isn’t a Miyazaki show. It’s a Hideaki Anno show. And the clash between the very Miyazaki premise and the very Anno execution of that premise is easily the biggest reason to watch Nadia. It’s fascinating watching this all-ages fantasy adventure take sudden turns into death and darkness. It’s fascinating watching Miyazaki’s trademark whimsy and lush portrait of reality filtered through Anno’s fascination with jagged edges and even more jagged characters. Violence is intense and shocking. Body horror, though rare, is genuinely gruesome. The depictions of ancient cultures are steeped in cryptidian menace and existential mystique. Nadia herself is a far more jaded protagonist than Miyazaki’s ever written, a girl who pushes the world away out of fear it’ll just hurt her to engage with other people again. There’s even a lot of the experimental direction that would come to define Evangelion’s final stretch of accidental art-house brilliance. It never stops being a whimsical adventure first and foremost, but Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is far more willing to engage with the darker, edgier side of its adventure than Castle in the Sky ever did. If you enjoy tracking the careers and styles of specific artists, this show will be like catnip to you.

Unfortunately, I can’t just enjoy Nadia on the basis of its eclectic blend of storytelling sensibilities. I have to judge it as a show. And even putting aside the infamous Island Arc (Don’t worry, we’ll get to that mess in a moment), this is a deeply flawed product of its time. And sadly, Nadia herself is one of its biggest issues. Or rather, the issue is in how she’s treated. Despite her name being in the title, Nadia barely gets to do anything besides mope, get captured, get rescued, and be ferried along by plot forces that tell her she’s The Most Important Thing(tm) ever. It’s the same problem last year’s Fena: Pirate Princess had, where the protagonist is supposedly the most special amazing important person ever, but it all manifests as the plot pushing her around rather than her getting to take charge of her own story. Now, Nadia’s emotional growth as a person is central to the show, so it’s not like it completely ignores her. Her journey of learning to accept other people and let go of her past feeds directly into the show’s thesis on humanity, and how we all need to support each other as one people instead of isolating ourselves through arrogance or fear. But it would still be nice if she actually got to do something on that journey instead of the plot mostly unfolding without her influence.

And sadly, that’s far from the only way this show lets its female characters down. There’s the expected fanservice, of course, all of it very groan-worthy whether it’s “accidental” pervert moments or the men just straight up leering at the girls around them. But what’s even worse is... okay, look, remember back in Gunbuster how that one girl fell in love with her much older coach out of nowhere? Remember how gross and completely nonsensical it was? Yeah, I’m starting to think Anno had a bit of an Electra complex in his early days as a creator. Quite literally in this case, because Electra is literally the name of one of the characters in this show, and her big emotional breakdown comes from being in love the man who basically raised her as an adoptive father, only to succumb to jealousy when she thought his biological daughter was stealing his attention. No, I am not making this up. This is literally in-universe how Electra describes her feelings. And then they eventually have a kid together! Yes, really! And believe it or not, that’s not even the only time this show pulls an Usagi Drop on you! Christ almighty, at least when Evangelion went full Freudian psychosexual drama with Misato and Ritsuko, it was fucked up on purpose.

As for the Island Arc... yeah, it’s exactly as horrendous as you’ve heard. It’s a pointless diversion that only exists to kill time because the studio ordered more episodes, all the characters are Flanderized to their most annoying selves, the story’s tone takes a bizarre diversion into Looney Tunes territory, the animation takes a serious nosedive because there wasn’t enough time to make the episodes on such short notice (on the bright side, the majority of Nadia does still hold up and look great), and it basically butchers everything this show had going for it. For all my issues with The Secret of Blue Water, I can at least respect its sense of adventure and commitment to its complex themes. But the Island Arc isn’t just bad on its own, it feels like a deliberate insult to the show it’s supposedly a part of. In particular, it shits all over Nadia with some of the worst character assassination I think I’ve ever seen, and it turns her romance with co-protagonist inventor boy Jean into an absolutely agonizing slog of pointless conflict and convenient progress-backtracking that makes Zero no Tsukaima look like Kaguya-sama. Whoever was responsible for how this arc turned out, it feels like they just hated Nadia, and they used their time in charge as an excuse to play out their weird misogynistic fantasies of putting her in her place. It’s honestly more degrading than any of the fanservice moments.

And since there’s actually some big important plot developments in the middle of the Island Arc, you can’t just skip it like your average Naruto or Bleach filler arc. You either have to track down a fan edit of this arc that cuts out all but the most important bits, suffer through it in its entirety, or just skip all but the most relevant episodes and be content missing the connective tissue that would otherwise tell you how certain characters got to where they are. It’s a no-win scenario no matter how you slice it. I could honestly spend an entirely separate review just breaking down all the ways the Island Arc sucks, that’s how bad it gets. But at that point I wouldn’t really be reviewing Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water anymore. If there’s one consolation, it’s that outside that handful of important plot beats, everything in this arc matters so little that its terribleness doesn’t impact the rest of the show. You might as well be watching an entirely different show with entirely different priorities, and when things finally get back on track for the final five episodes, you can slip right back into Nadia Proper as if nothing ever happened, the characters still untainted by whatever madness took hold of them for the past twelve episodes. Not that it really dulls the pain of having to sit through them in the first place, but still. Again: silver linings.

I realize I’ve been negative for a lot of this review, and I wish that weren’t the case. Because there were things I really liked about Nadia! I liked the overall animation and art design! I liked its willingness to engage with death as a thematic concept and give it some real gravitas! I liked the Grandis Gang’s antics! I liked how weird and out-there it was willing to get with its pulp sci-fi! I even really liked the English dub! Yeah, it took some getting used to, and Jean’s voice actor really shouldn’t have been forced to do that terrible French accent, but it’s got so much charm! It’s not hard to see why this show became a classic; even despite its obvious inspirations, it’s got so much originality, so much passion. It’s the kind of singular work that you just know nothing else will ever quite duplicate again, and I respect it for that. But time has not been kind to Nadia. Watching this show over three decades later, its warts have only grown more cancerous, its flaws more unavoidable, its missteps less forgivable. There’s plenty of good to be found in here, but on the whole, too much of Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water feels like it’s better off being left in the past. And in the end, I’m forced to give it a score of:

4.5/10

God, I’m really sad about this. I wanted to like Nadia so much, but I just couldn’t get past some of those issues. Hopefully whichever show you choose for me to watch next will be a little more up my alley!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #nadia: the secret of blue water #fushigi no umi no nadia #nadia the secret of blue water #pre 2000 aniwatch

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arbitrarygreay · 2 years ago

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I saw afloweroutofstone's recent anime posts, and the end results were pretty frustrating. That list of finalists was so.....well, from my POV, basic as all get out. Insert ted danson gif here. Hell, I see even weeb Tumblrs that seem to know nothing about shows that would actually fit their tastes, and instead keep slogging through the very underwhelming mainstream favorites, while their faves retain a total anti-recency bias. So, some classics that have fallen through the cracks that I gladly proselytize to anyone with higher brow anime tastes! (Note that this doesn't mean that I dislike lower brow stuff. This post's frustration is specifically about how basic people's "high brow anime faves" lists are.) And there is zero Ikuhara, Watanabe, or Gainax/Trigger on this list. There is, however, a fair amount of Yuasa, who is arguably the primary TV anime auteur of the 2010s. Yamada and Tachikawa get multiple mentions each, too.

Kyousougiga: How to even describe this show's genre: Buddhist magical realism but it's Looney Tunes? The show I want the most to proselytize to people about. Matsumoto Rie's career has shown that she thinks in terms of music video rhythms, and this show really put that to use with a few of my favorite sequences of all time. In between those, though, is still just as effective writing about the complex feelings we have towards family, paired with vibrant animation of action that live action does not yet have the balls (or budget) to attempt. Kaiba: The best cyberpunk audiovisual media I have ever watched, period. It makes most other cyberpunk look bad for how effortlessly it delivers its commentary, while having the chutzpah to have the visual aesthetic it has, and yet the animation of that aesthetic only drives in the cyberpunk themes that much harder, making live action straight takes look tepid and shallow. In fact, watching this pretty much ruined Deca-dence for me! A Place Further Than The Universe: Coming of age of high school girls by participating in a research stint on Antarctica. This show has an impeccable sense of rhythm, which means that the interactions between the characters pop, and only get more fun as the various relationships get deeper. This show understands that anyone who wants to go to Antarctica is going to be a bit of a weirdo, and delights in that fact. In addition, the trip isn't just an excuse for the coming-of-age narrative, the show digs into the real logistical details of such a thing. Ping Pong: Imagine Friday Night Lights, but it's about the titular sport, and how the fact that it's not a team sport changes all of the relationship dynamics, and animation means that they're not constrained in their visual depiction of the game. Yeah. By the same guy who did Kaiba. THE RANGE. Gatchaman Crowds: This show is nominally about a sentai-type group of superheroes, but it's actually concerned with exploring themes around internet culture, social media, incentives and motivations around civic duty, trolling, callout culture, politics in the internet age, and arguably some parallels to gun control. The show doesn't always stick the landing on the answers it chooses, but it's still digging into the issues with a depth usually reserved for harder science fiction novels. The Eccentric Family: It's Magical Realism In Kyoto again, but the action is way less broad and the stakes lower than Kyousougiga, which means a different tone and type of story told. The second season repeats a few beats of the first, but just hanging out with the characters is such a good time you don't mind. Where Kyousougiga is concerned with family members having very ambivalent feelings about each other, The Eccentric Family is more about the inter-family interactions of a wider community (at least for the relatively chill tanuki, while the tengu are total drama llamas in deliberate contrast). Odd Taxi: A web of characters make their way through life, some of which include crime and murder, leading to increasing interactions with a mere taxi driver. Stageplay-style dialogue collides with anthropomorphic animal character designs to make the social commentary pop without having your eyes glaze over at the Prestige of the story it's telling. Imagine a walrus in a hawaiian shirt and tiny baseball cap saying "Why not enjoy a bit of sherry and a fudge brownie while strolling along the West Coast?" in total deadpan to an alpaca as the height of cute romance. Keep Your Hands Off of Eizouken!: In a near future solarpunk-ish world, a group of high school girls get into 2D animation, and deal with the logistics of making 2D animated productions. The strong character personalities and interactions make the ride through all of it a fun time. It conveys the sheer joy of artistic creation by showing instead of telling. Planet With: It's not so much a deconstruction of sentai tropes (but filtered through mecha) so much as unearthing a lot of novel nuance by speedrunning the standard storyline (this show gets through more plot in a few episodes than entire double cour seasons of other shows) and digging hard into the fallout, as well as putting the audience in a non-standard POV. Also has some of the absolutely most cursed kaiju designs you've ever experienced (WORLD PEAS). It references an Arthur C. Clarke novel, which tells you a lot about its writing ambitions. The story is all about advocating for empathy and nuance as the highest ideals, when much of the world believes that those are a tradeoff against achieving justice. Hunter x Hunter: There is just nothing like it. This really is simply the GOAT of long-running battle shounen, and there are zero traditional hero narratives here. The battle tactics are cool, the world-building endless yet all so considered, and the character development increasingly Going There without flinching. The arcs rarely resolve the way you think they will, because they know that all of the ridiculous power levels still just belong to people, and people ultimately make decisions for personal reasons. Do NOT try to binge this. Take it at your own pace, and take breaks when you need to (I myself am currently stalled during early Chimera Ant). Most arcs have a slow start, but the construction of every element is intricate and barrels into unstoppable momentum as the arcs go on. Dennou Coil: A story of kids in a world of near-universal AR glasses. Western media really is pretty shit about making shows that are actually ABOUT technology. The stronger examples usually mine character/relationship dramas that could be equally explored set in a different industry. Anime, meanwhile, has the temerity to tell stories that could not be told without the technologies they're exploring. In addition, Western media is doubly bad about displaying how the younger generation is usually on the bleeding edge of how said technologies will change society, since their media about kids are usually mired in the nostalgia of the creators. Dennou Coil, though, actually gets that childhood tends to be subversive more than not. It is fascinating, though, to see how this show assumes a near-total freedom given to kids in Japan to roam around, while it seems US kids (and even teenagers) are increasingly captive to their houses. Equally impressive is that there is no tradeoff between Fun Train and high brow philosophical opining on technology. The latter is effortlessly demonstrated by the former, which is all in character because the kids themselves aren't thinking about it, they're just living it. Hibike Euphonium, Liz and the Blue Bird especially: A story about high school wind ensemble. But underneath that, it's a story about the tension between social politics and artistic integrity. Choose between being the best artist you can be or having harmonious relationships with the people around you. Finding a balance may cause you to never achieve the goals you want or need to, because art is a world where the lukewarm is to be spat out of the mouth. And enjoy some of the most gorgeous anime in the entire industry, perfectly utilized to get across these teenagers' feelings and pretenses. Plus some authentically good wind ensemble music, of course. Liz and the Blue Bird is a movie that can be watched stand-alone, and is a bona-fide masterpiece. Kakegurui: On the surface, this seems like just anime gone indulgent, someone pairing their love of games with their spank bank. However, there's a lot to dig into once you get past the kneejerk reaction. This is a show that is psychosexual, and in particular the links between our basest instincts and class warfare. The story of the poor turning to gambling despite the apparent irrationality of it is a very long one, and this show's power fantasy is making the rich and powerful finally understand that feeling. I actually recommend the live action Jdrama (and movie) of Kakegurui over the anime for that reason, as its writers seem to better understand and so emphasize those political themes, while the second season of the anime is bound by the source material going to more conventional tournament places (and the class warfare themes ironically coming out the most in the anime-original material). At the same time, though, the way the story so wholeheartedly goes over the top makes it fun to watch even without considering the deeper implications. Also the anime has more overt gay ladies. Mob Psycho 100: The incredible animation is the headliner here, probably encompassing the widest variety of tricks of all of the shows on this list, but none of that would mean a thing without the story, whose primary theme is that the stakes of the action mean nothing compared to maturing as just people. But that animation, though. It's a show where motion is everything. Screencaps could never capture the genius of drawing happening on the screen. Memories: More often titled "Otomo Katsuhiro's Memories". Three short movies across four auteurs (seven if you include the music composers, and boy is the soundtrack for all three excellent). Satoshi Kon's Magnetic Rose is gorgeous, but it's really just a Doctor Who episode at this point, most of its best tricks well-pilfered by live action. Stink Bomb has some of the satire of bureaucracy that gave Shin Godzilla its punch, but also features joyous action animation, as the comedy ratchets up right along with the stakes. Finally, Cannon Fodder has the shortest runtime with the highest impact, illustrating a world and narrative with fractally dense detail and intent. Do NOT miss out on this movie. It'll stay with you long after the credits roll. Wave, Listen to Me! (Honorable mention): Is this show actually good? My sheer level of fond affection for it seems to indicated that I'm too biased. I listened to Prairie Home Companion with some regularity throughout my childhood, and this show perfectly captures the way Garrison Keillor would tell meandering and absurd Tales from Lake Woebegone, where you're kind of rooting for the characters, but unsure what on earth might happen in the next five seconds, and if current moment is more or less fantasy within the context of the story itself, and if that seeming detour or non-sequitur a while back is about to get shaggy dog'd right back in. If you want to see what it's like when a stand-up routine is played as traditional story narrative, then you might enjoy this show! The "shows that just spark inordinate amounts of joy for being FUN TRAIN! DO NOT STOP THE FUN TRAIN! but also have good character/relationship work" tier: Kaguya-sama, Symphogear, Demon Girl Next Door, Thunderbolt Fantasy, Saga of Tanya the Evil And finally, the "sports anime executed so well that they make other genres look bad" tier: Haikyuu, Girls Und Panzer Shows I haven’t watched yet/finished watching, but trust the critical consensus on: From the New World, Sonny Boy, Flowers of Evil, Flip Flappers, Revue Starlight, Vinland Saga, Planetes, Katanagatari, Land of the Lustrous, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, Concrete Revolutio, Girls’ Last Tour, Shirobako, Death Parade, Given, Kino's Journey, Heike Monogatari, Ranking of Kings, Made In Abyss, Dorohedoro, Konosuba, Gegege no Kitaro, O Maidens In Your Savage Season, Devilman Crybaby, and Golden Kamuy.

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