#i would rewatch fma but i would like to Not have to watch my two faves die again

[cable-salamdr]

Actually one of my favorite things about fma/b will always be that you get all of these short jokes thrown at Edward and it could have just been that that’s it: he’s just short for some reason (because he doesn’t drink his milk)

But then Arakawa went “No no, Ed is short because actually he’s been feeding his own nutrients to his brother’s body (which has been in limbo & chilling with god this entire time btw), and as soon as that connection begins to waver he does actually end up growing quite a bit still, until he’s taller than Winry.” and she just expected me to feel normal about that

[stackslip]

you're inspiring me to rewatch 2003, it was my favorite between the two when i watched them but I forgot most of it in the decade since. also you're good at highlighting exactly how mangahood doesn't work. I actually watch 2003 before reading the manga and I remember thinking the ending of

it's really fucking frustrating to me that people basically closed ranks around Brotherhood as the 'real one' and dismiss 2003 as a regrettable mistake/error in the One True Canon. I've always really loved that 2003 and Brotherhood diverge it's such a unique collection of art

also I want to rewatch the two sequel movies (Milo's and conquerer of Shamballah) god I love bleak writing

i have never watched the second movie but i remember really enjoying conquerors of shamballah. granted, i was like, 14 then lol. there was a lot that i didn't catch in fma 2003's themes at the time, but same as you, i watched it before i read the manga (and i finished the manga before watching brotherhood) and i remember even then i was disappointed by some of its aspects. then in my early 20s i was like well manga/brotherhood is better bc it's better executed (as like. a mid shounen lmao) and bc it has greedling (i do still love greedling, if only bc i looove body sharing as a trope), but i still thought 2003 had lots of good aspects and couldn't understand how people went from "fullmetal alchemist is one of the best animes ever" to "fma 2003 was a mistake and all bad and stupid actually and its female characters suck compared to mangahood which has MUCH better female characters" (i was thoroughly unimpressed by fma's base female characters. loved mei and lan fan but come on they were hardly given so much depth). not to mention how disappointed the manga version of the homonculi were. like i remember when sloth in the manga was first introduced being SO disappointed.

in retrospect, i think mangahood's status as The Best Animanga Of All Time when even at the time i liked it most i found it..... decent to good at best, and quite overrated, has made me sour on it quite a lot. like it felt impossible to talk about anything i disliked about it bc despite having such a highly praised status, people get irrationally angry and defensive over any criticism of the manga or brotherhood's themes and story. they'll either claim its depiction of genocide and fascism is really good, or when you criticize it they'll go "well it's a shounen, why are you criticizing it for being a shounen!" (i think shounen can do and engage with these themes thoughtfully! and i think if you're gonna use these themes and depict genocide so viscerally you got a duty to do it right to the end or at least TRY to do so). it's when i started rewatching clips of 2003 and being really impressed by the clips, and how much they held up if not actually blew brotherhood out of the water. and it's also my own maturing in terms of politics and understanding of fiction that made me even more open to what 2003 was doing even though i remembered it did fail in some aspects! like, i don't think as a 14 year old i much understood the nazi thing, and as a young adult i was like "eh that was a bit weird" but it's in the past few years in my criticizing of what brotherhood and the manga fuck up that i suddenly realized "oh. 2003 was actually saying the quiet part out loud instead of using this as an aesthetic for its world!"

i was unsure how much 2003 would hold up on a rewatch tbh, and there ARE clunky if not bad parts. making human barry the butcher a serial killer who dresses as a woman to get his victims is............ a choice. it's very typical 90s/2000s transmisogyny and even though it's only one episode it left a real bitter taste in my mouth. the anime filler episodes are not nearly as strong as the main plot episodes (even when they have anime-only content!), though i appreciate the effort to make them thematically relevant to the series and make many of the anime-only characters direct parallels to ed and al. they clearly saved the animation budget for important parts, and it suffers in some episodes (i am fine with that, i watched lots of mid 2000s anime who had the same issue. not everyone can use its budget allocation and limitations like rgu). i don't like the end of the one episode where the tomboy kid suddenly becomes feminine at the end bc she's happy now lmao.

but from episode 1, it's already so much more committed to some of the themes and ideas that harakawa evoked as flavour or background but barely dug into. she was making a fun action shounen with a large, lovable cast, and that's..... fine. it's just not interesting to me, at least outside of greedling's whole thing. it's got SUCH a melancholy feeling to it, it feels like it's digging into the literal guts of arakawa's world and characters. i also actually really appreciate that while it keeps touches of humor, it wayyyyy tones down the gags that are there every four pages or so--arakawa can make it work in the manga, but in brotherhood it's near unbearable how you can't one one serious scene without someone doing something goofy.

i will say, a little thing that i REALLY in 2003 like that's pretty personal is the way the alchemical circles are drawn and used. this might sound weird, but the way i learned about fma's existence was when i was i think 9-10 years old and bought a french anime magazine, and it had a whole part on fma 2003 including a two page spreader detailing the alchemical circles and their uses. it was my first ever impression of fma and i loved the look and feeling of them. there was something occult and dark about the way they were presented in that magazine that coloured my experiences when i watched the anime on a fan page in 244p max with terrible fansubs

[chirpingchorus]

i think i saw you posting about fma 03 possibly a month or so ago, i forgot how long its been but you popped up under the tag again. hows the show treating you? thoughts from when you first started?

I have finished the show and am currently rewatching it! Yes, already. I’m at ep. 16. I’m not much of a TV person, but I consider it my favorite show right now, and I really want to write some fic for it once I’m done with my rewatch and have a better grasp on the plot/characters.

From the first episode, I really loved the show and knew it was something special. There was a period of time where I could only watch one episode a day, and that would be the part of the day I’d look forward to most and save for last.

I liked the ending in concept after I let it sink in a little, but I was still a bit confused by some things, and I really wish the finale had another episode or two built-in. (Better yet, I wish we got a full season for the Shamballa storyline…)

I see things a bit differently on my rewatch. For instance, I liked episode 4 the first time I watched the show, and I think I put it higher than episode 3 on the tierlist I was trying to make. (A crime, I know.) Now, 4 is the lowest episode, and 3 is the highest. Overall, the show drags in a couple story sections for me, but is by and large very entertaining, and the perfect pace for me.

In other words, 03 is treating me pretty well. Thanks for the ask!

[fma03envy]

Rewatching CoS for the first time in like 2yrs, here's my stream of consciousness thoughts as I watch:

The steampunk aesthetic at the beginning is neat. Also a fan of this guy presenting his life's work to Al, who goes "that's the worst idea ever We Are Not Fucking Doing That" in his polite little way and then just starts walking away

The animation is immediately noticably higher quality than in 03 proper. I like the normal animation by this is also neat :)

The fact that physicist dude whose name I've already forgotten was actually capable of getting as far as the gate when human transmutation is funny to me. How do you have more willpower than Shou Tucker

The concept that CoS!Ed and I are the same age is just so much. Idk whether I should find you hot or gender sir...

Last time I saw this movie and Edward driving (poorly) I remember thinking about how I'd soon learn to do that too. And Then I Didn't™ (I'm autistic and it's scary etc)

This sub appears to be spelling Heiderich's name like Alphonse and I really wish it wouldn't

The Noah fortune telling thing is one of the parts of CoS that's like, I'm aware it's for plot armor but that still doesn't excuse the premise. The fact that they're establishing that no other magic-adjacent fma stuff (not just alchemy but also Envy's shapeshifting) even works in this dimension, but they still give their main Romani character magic fortune-telling/mindreading powers (and never explain why) is shitty

The opening credits art style is really pretty, even if I this gets to me:

Ed you are not that tall we all know you're not

The subplot about one of Noah's companions selling her out is also at best unnecessary

Glad to see that even without his alchemy Edward is still perfectly able to fight with what he has, i.e. explosives, steaming hot metal, and fucking up his automail (come to think of it, these were all tactics he also used when killing Sloth specifically, but I doubt there's any intentional parallel there)

I like how there's a lot of little characterization details early on. The parallel of Ed and Noah's quiet depression, his earnestness to tell anyone he thinks will listen (see: Alfons Heiderich) about his world contrasted with her interest in learning about it...

It was kind of funny though seeing Ed (resident science nerd and Shit From His Dimension Enthusiast) happy that Noah was curious about his prosthetics, before realizing that he also didn't really know how they worked

The Bradley/Lang thing is one of my other most serious problems with this movie's writing. Like. I know Lang canonically isn't Fuhrer Bradley's doppelganger but that of the human Bradley was, and I do think the writers made that clear so it would seem less like they were comparing the two. (And ik homunculi can be very different from their sources in terms of beliefs, see: Trisha being the Rockbells' friend and not liking to see Amestrian soldiers in Resembool vs. Sloth being the Fuhrer's secretary). But even given that, it still feels way too close to equating Bradley to a Jewish man (who's also an actual irl person, not just a character they made up for the movie)

Envy vs. Edward fight 2: Ed has a gun this time

I think Envy's serpent/leviathan form is sick actually. Look at this shit:

Just wholesome sibling bonding moments

The "Envy gets captured by the Thule society" subplot is the third main writing decision in CoS I take serious issue with. Like I do see why the writers could hardly redeem Envy (they'd never help Ed), but also couldn't make them a main antagonist (they're a kind of campy (? not exactly right the word but you get it) villain, and so it would be in really bad taste for them to be too relevant in movie where all the other villains are literal Nazis). But the canon solution of "we don't know what to do with Envy's character in this movie, so to avoid having them make real plot decisions, they're going to get imprisoned and experimented on by Nazis and then killed off" is so awful? Especially with them trying to escape and getting hunted down again. It's a horrible writing choice to make for plot armor

The pose/lighting we first see Hohenheim in here mimics the one we see Ed coming out of The Gate in at the end of 03. Wonder what it means

I'm trying so hard to like Winry's CoS clothes but I still don't really. Tragic that the most masculine outfit we ever get to see her in is this, the one choice that looks weird to me for no reason. I think she deserves a vest like Ed

The animation on the soldiers sucks so the animation everywhere else can be good. Equivalent exchange

The thing of Al being polite but clearly not recognizing his old allies is so. God. Drives me insane. Alphonse my sonnn

Thank you for saving Al Rose, it's clear which of you had the braincell on that one

The bit where Noah basically asks Heiderich if he's working for Nazis and he goes "I just want to build rockets :)" as if to distance himself from responsibility for his actions... Hm. I have thoughts on his characterization and the thematic point of him but they'll be easier to articulate when I'm further through the movie

Ed talking quietly to himself as he skulks around and looks at the transmutation circle... Edward ily I hope you know that

Elric brothers back together babey!!!

Ed's little smile about having seen Al and Al waking up in his world and starting to cry.... Argh you can't do this to me movie...

This movie needs more Wrath. Maybe that's just me and my thing of caring a lot about the timeskip between 03 and CoS but I want to know more about what's going on with him

The fact that when we first see him he's just sitting defeated at Izumi's graveyard and has let his automail break down rather than reach out for repairs. And that once Winry fixes it for him he immediately goes off with Al on what for him is a suicide mission... Wrath how are you coping with it all buddy

The bit where Ed stares at alternate Lyra and she turns up her nose at him is so funny to me I'm sorry. Lyra my friend, even aside from my aro Ed HC someone with your face is the last person to be his type ever. Just trust me on this one

The entire conversation with Lang is another "I get what the writers were going for but still" moment

The. The bit where Sheska tells Winry she'll show her where the underground city is after they visit the cemetery. Feels like dramatic irony

I don't think I was able to see as well before how big the underground city is...

Two well adjusted, mentally stable young fellows competing to see who's more suicidal:

"He's like me- a monster!" I know it might be different in the dub translation, but Wrath. Wrath :(

Ed I really doubt you'd survive a fall from that height irl

It's sad that Noah never got into Ed's world imho. Like I get why thematically it wouldn't really work but still

With his hair flowing like that underwater, Wrath almost looks like his mother (Sloth). Ofc that's partly just fma03 typical sameface but

The Gluttony vs Wrath fight is sick, though I do feel a bit bad about Gluttony's fate

*Guy who isn't big on the idea of Wrath forgiving Izumi and also doesn't want to think about the fact that he just died voice* This isn't how the gate works. The only other times we've seen dead people's souls in the gate was when they had literally just died. That's why Al at the beginning and Ed at the end didn't come back as homunculi, because it had just happened. So there's no reason Izumi would still be in the gate

Hohenheim's death is the only CoS writing choice involving Envy that I really like. Envy, whose main goal in life was to kill Hoheinheim for failing him as a father. Them ultimately being forced to do so by Hohenheim himself as a way of helping Edward, Hohenheim's other child, is just. Hollowest victory possible isn't it my friend

Now that Alfons Heiderich is dead and we've seen everything of him that we're going to I'm trying to gather my thoughts on how he's written. I've talked about being ambivalent with how his characterization is before and I guess I still am. But it's feeling more and more like "I really dislike this guy as a person but might (?) think he's well-written as a character".

One criticism of his writing I've had is that he isn't a good representation of Alphonse Elric, as I feel like *gestures at all of fma03* kind of demonstrates that Al ultimately wouldn't act like this in Alfons's position. But on rewatch, I kind of feel like Alfons's final speech about how he was real and not part of Ed's dream feels partially like a message to the audience not to view them as synonymous. Given that I do think the whole doppelgangers premise is weird but like. I'll take it?

Anway, for Alfons himself. A core message of fma03 is that harming others cannot be justified in the name of chasing one's own hopes and dreams. This is relevant to basically every subplot where the philosopher's stone is important (Lab 5, Dante's actions, etc), to Mustang having to put aside his ambitions before he can actually make a positive change, "even when our eyes are closed, there's a whole world that exists outside ourselves and our dreams" (i think that's the line), etc. And imo this premise is crucial to understanding Alfons Heiderich. The EXPLANATION for his behavior is that he's a slowly dying scientist desperate to make something of his life's work, and that he wants to help his friend get home. But neither of these facts is an EXCUSE for his willingness to help Nazis in order to achieve his own goals. I think his writing tracks on a thematic level

Winry and Sheska also def couldn't have survived that fall

The truth gunk on the ships is weird and totally not how the gate has worked before but I kind of like it

Ed's confrontation with Al about him opening the gate is so good arghhhhhhh

First time seeing Mustang in two years and he and Ed are already at each other's throats with Al apologizing for his brother, same as it ever was

Last Ed vs Eckhart conversation did seem a bit on the nose/unsubtle but I liked the fight choreography

The ending makes no sense on a ton of technical levels (you're going to. Destroy The Gate. The interdimensional gate where people's souls go right after they die that opens when you try to bring them back. Full of weird silhouette unrealized homunculus hand blobs. Containing all human knowledge. You're destroying it. How™) (and what happens if they succeed? Is human transmutation impossible to try now?) but I get what they were going for on a thematic level

Hiiiii Scar and Lust

Well that was CoS ig

[gayleviticus]

fma 03 TV ending thoughts

finished rewatching FMA 03 for the first time in about 8 years today

FMA 03 was the first anime I ever properly got into, all the way back in 2015, so it’s one I have a ton of feelings about. Unfortunately for various reasons at the time my only way of watching the show was DVDs from the library, which meant I never got a chance to watch Conqueror of Shamballa. Instead I pieced together whatever desperate fragments of plot summaries I could find, but there was always this lingering, unsatisfying sense of unfinished business and heartbreak that i never got to see the elrics reunite

Eventually I got interested in other stuff and forgot about FMA, so I still haven’t seen Shamballa to this day (I will though. Soon). I read the manga and watched Brotherhood intermittently, and I enjoyed it, but it didn’t scratch the itch 03 left. Something about it’s more straightforwardly happy ending rang hollow to me.

Anyway, when I rewatched 03 recently I found my love for it largely vindicated, and even deepened. Arcs that felt meandering gained a little bit more clarity knowing the big picture, and I really loved the shows emphasis on character and its melancholy tone instead of epic shounen battles.

There are aspects I think are awkwardly handled – I don’t feel like the writers knew entirely what to do with the Greed arc – but for the most part I really enjoyed it. It’s messy, but in the way that anything dealing with really interesting ideas that can’t be confined to a 51-episode anime has to be – the Homunculi alone have so much potential.

However, there was one thing that sticks unsatisfyingly in my mind – the ending. Now, to be fair, it’s clear to me now that you can’t really judge 03s ending independent of Shamballa. Not having seen 03 for 8 years, not having actually seen Shamballa ever, and also not being able to cope with ambiguity well at that age had drawn a vastly sharper line between the two than I ever remembered.

03’s TV ending is so obviously, optimistically gesturing towards a continuation. At the time I overly-literally misread this open-endedness, even knowing full well that Shamballa existed. I had this weird mindset of ‘If I don’t see them reunite, it doesn’t happen’. But watching it now, it’s very clear the intent of the ending is to establish that Ed and Al will meet again – even if Shamballa had never seen the light of day.

But it leaves me with weird feelings about the TV ending nonetheless. It has its flaws – not giving enough space to key emotional beats, a final episode that feels like it speeds directly past the climax to an epilogue without a strong sense of denouement.

All the plot beats themselves are fine imo. I think the reveals about the alternate world or the souls of the dead as fuel for alchemy are really thematically rich, the small-scale confrontation between Ed and Dante and its accompanying battle of ideals is great, and there’s a kindve sense of melancholy and dread as we descend towards our finale in the ruins of a dead city. But I think there’s something a bit off about the pacing of these beats and the framing.

A better version of the 03 ending for me would look basically identical on a Wikipedia plot summary. But I think it would emphasise what to me feel like the core strengths of 03s interpretation of Fullmetal Alchemist – the character drama, the emotion, the existential melancholy, the deep brotherly love Ed and Al have for each other but also the weight of all the horrors they’ve endured, the bitter truth of a world where equivalent exchange is not absolute versus these boys’ ideals.

This feels like where 03 was heading. And of course, it’s really not that far off. But I dunno, I feel like the emotion of Al resurrecting Ed, and then Ed sacrificing himself in turn isn’t given the space it so desperately needs. And this too would be fine if 03 was willing to sit with the ambiguity, I think, but after quickly dispensing with the necessary sacrifices it then proceeds to a pretty optimistic ending that basically flat-out assures us everything will be OK.

It’s funny, because I found it so unbearably sad when I first watched it (granted, amplified by the IRL sadness of not being able to watch Shamballa), but now I think it’s not angsty enough? these children should never know happiness (kidding. a little)

BUT with all that said – obviously I am missing out on the actual proper ending not watching Shamballa so!!! We will see how that final piece of the puzzle slots in. tldr is that fma 03 is not really a complete ending in itself anyway but i underestimated how much so

[lovedaisy02]

I know I might be clouded by nostalgia and I'm open to changing my mind but I actually think anime was better in the 90s and 2000s.

Code Geass

Death Note (although it's not my favorite, I know it's good. Idk why)

Naruto (without filler and the first show, rewatch it and it's genuinely good trust me)

Hunter x Hunter

Sailor Moon (genuinely good anime, watched 100 episodes before getting remotely bored)

Cardcaptor Sakura (top tier imo)

Black Lagoon

Cowboy Bebop (watched, rewatched)

FMA

Ouran Highschool

Your Lie in April

Clannad

Eva (although I don't like Evangelion I objectively can see why people do)

Angel Beats (which is basically an Isekai but done in a really good way with emotion)

Even shows that shouldn't be good we're good for me:

Noir

El Cazador

I think a lot has to do with the production really having to take time and thoughtful planning. I could be totally wrong, but having to hand draw scenery or go frame by frame slows people down enough to actually put effort into making something good. I know CG and computer animation takes work and time but being able to move the mouth of characters or keep the same scenery with having to redraw the character makes it easier to produce something that isn't quality. Throw in streaming and bam you get exactly what TV is going through in the 21st century, high volume of production of low quality shows. I know with anime a lot of this starts with the mangaka but the volume of shows coming out today and there's only two shows that comes to mind I would ever recommend:

Demon Slayer

JJK

Of all the anime that hits each season only two standing out to me is just not a good ratio.

[leedee013]

I posted 14,557 times in 2022

That's 8,912 more posts than 2021!

16 posts created (0%)

14,541 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@superpika1of4

@elricsyao

@lieutenant-sarcastic

@odinspattern

I tagged 656 of my posts in 2022

#fullmetal alchemist - 79 posts

#fma - 75 posts

#spy x family - 60 posts

#red dead redemption 2 - 53 posts

#edward elric - 53 posts

#fmab - 50 posts

#rdr2 - 48 posts

#fullmetal alchemist brotherhood - 43 posts

#red dead redemption - 38 posts

#loid forger - 35 posts

Longest Tag: 131 characters

#i feel like it’s also something that he keeps in bc he feels like he can’t let himself go fully until he’s got al back in al’s body

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Hello FMA fandom

I have a headcanon about Al that might turn out to be a little controversial that I’d like to share

1. I feel like Al would be asexual

2. I feel like Al and Mei would be the bestest of friends but I can’t see them getting together? I think it’s a wholesome ship, but I feel like Mei’s fawning would be too much for him once he’s back in his old body.

3. I think Al would have sensory overload issues and therefore would avoid too much physical contact with things. The textures of his clothes, his skin, his food; anything could potentially make him feel uneasy or uncomfortable.

4. He’d have an ESA (a cat of course) and I feel like he would give it some kind of silly name. I don’t think he’d be able to anywhere without it, unless he’s just visiting Ed/Winry.

5 notes - Posted April 5, 2022

#4

Is it really so much for me to ask that I create stories that are as fun to watch unfold as, for example, Fullmetal Alchemist (Hiromu Arakawa), Attack on Titan (Hajime Isayama), The Starless Sea (Erin Morgenstern), Over the Garden Wall (Patrick McHale), The Unicorn Chronicles (Bruce Coville), and Demon Slayer (Koyoharu Gotouge), I will die a happy hooman.

The depth of world building, the intense breadth and diversity of characters, the power to help people out there remember the joy of a good story and revitalize the joy of living. Fictional worlds have always been a refuge of mine, and I adore the creators who gave me such rich characters and worlds that I can lose myself in. FMA in particular has gotten me through some of the hardest moments in my life, and consistently reminds me of the beauty in living. That love is NOT just romance. To help me accept myself and understand that we don’t all interact with the world in the same way.

I want to return the favor so, so badly.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk

6 notes - Posted March 21, 2022

#3

Hi The Sheridan Tapes came out with a prologue to season three and I am simultaneously SO PUMPED for the next (LAST?!?!!!!??!) season, especially after all the character building of season two

But anyway I’m so happy that Anne Bonny is showing up and playing such an important role in the lore of TST because as a kid I LOVED Anne Bonny and even dressed up as her for Halloween one year. It’s fascinating and I’m still overjoyed that she’s being recognized and given attention as a historical figure.

Anyway go listen to the first (of four) season three Sheridan Tapes prologues

8 notes - Posted January 30, 2022

#2

Nothing is more cathartic for me than going back to the beginning of Brotherhood and truly seeing Edward grow older physically and emotionally.

Like, it’s done in a way that reminds me of how I feel when I rewatch the Harry Potter series, where the trio gets older naturally because the actors are also growing up. Then you restart it and suddenly these characters are just babies again and you want to squish their little faces?

Yeah, that’s me with Fullmetal. Holy shit.

And no, I don’t mean the famous little “oh haha Ed’s tall now” scene because that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, I’m talking about the rate at which he matures throughout the series.

^Squishy baby

See the full post

11 notes - Posted January 26, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that Spy x Family is just therapy for every FMA(B) fan? Like

Finally, a big floofer who doesn't give me flashbacks but rather wholesome warm heart feelings

116 notes - Posted November 16, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review ��

[bleachbleachbleach]

The Bleach Live Action is a Reason to Live

I didn’t do any writing last night, because we rewatched the Bleach live action movie instead. We saw this movie for the first time during Lockdown Summer #1, after watching the FMA live action. Basically, it went “wow, that was the worst movie I’ve ever seen, I wanna watch another one.” At the time, my co-blogger had already pandemic read/reread the Bleach manga, but I didn’t yet know that (or this blog) was something I was going to choose to be doing with my life. Suffice to say, the context of watching this film last night was very different than the first time! 

We’ve now seen many live action anime adaptations, and many anime stage plays (musicals, 2.5Ds, whatever a “Naruto Live Spectacle” is). With this broader appreciation of the genre, and a deeper and refreshed understanding of Bleach, this movie is still in my Top 5 Live Action Adaptations!* It slaps, this Ichigo is my favorite live action Ichigo, and Renji literally made me drop my salad bowl because he and Byakuya are so funny in this movie. Love it, no notes. * I think this Top 5 goes: 1. the Rurouni Kenshin movies, 2. Death Note III, 3. Kids on the Slope, 4. Bleach, 5. ???????

The Bleach live action has big “It’s a Summer Movie!” energy/style, so if you liked the Bleach live action, you should watch that one. If you didn’t like this movie but thought it might have potential, you should watch that one. If you would have preferred this movie be about Rukia and Renji making a student project film, you should watch that movie. (No, but you actually should. It’s genuinely wonderful.)

Anyway, the Bleach live action also features Ichigo and Ishida conversing a very normal distance apart from each other:

As well as Renji, fresh from his stint on Soul Society’s Next Top Model and having taken Tyra’s advice about “ugly pretty” and angles to heart:

(Tits out Renji came to execute Rukia, which is how you know it’s a formal occasion.)

According to my co-blogger, this guy is best-known for playing female roles in kabuki theatre, which precipitates here in An Interpretation of Renji. But also I would definitely read the AU where Renji joins the Hanbantai Players and becomes best-known for playing female roles in kabuki theatre.

Miyavi’s Byakuya pairs perfectly with Abarai “Strike a Pose” Renji, also offering An Interpretation of Byakuya’s hair, among other things:

Granted, the best thing about these two isn’t in this movie, but in the underground sequel, titled Kate, where Byakuya discovers that he enjoys roleplaying as Yakuza/Finance Renji’s live-in boyfriend:

You see, in the Bleach live action, Byakuya and Renji have the patience to spend an entire training montage in the Living World after having encountered Ichigo and Rukia for the first (or second, in Renji’s case) time, just like... hanging out? I guess?

My best explanation for this is that the Kuchiki have a summer penthouse in the Greater Tokyo Area, and Byakuya figures that while they’re there to execute Rukia and Ichigo, they might as well turn down the sheets, let some air in, etc.

So while Ichigo and Rukia are involved in their second or third training montage of the film, Byakuya and Renji go off to do penthouse things. There, nurtured by the unexpected inspiration of the relative freedom of the Living World and a vast expanse of spare time while they wait for the clock to run out on the training montage, their roleplay relationship begins.

The Bleach live action also took its credits animation cues from the cinematic experience that is 2Fast 2Furious, which of course is a timeless and always welcome aesthetic nod. You can’t watch this film and be left wanting. It is perfect.

[yaboylevi]

FMA FES - Roy & Edward

I’m a bit seiyuu fan, so when I heard there were original Roy & Ed moments in it, I had to buy the “Fullmetal Alchemist FESTIVAL” DVD released in 2004 (a recording of a live event with voice actors and other artists of the FMA03 series). As far as I know, there hasn’t been an english translation yet.

Below are the new narrations by Ed’s and Roy’s voice actors together, respectively Romi Park and Okawa Toru. Sorry for the crappy quality of the videos, I had to take them with my phone while I was watching the DVD on TV.

                            --- FMA 03 end of series spoilers ---

Edward, alone, has a brief monologue about coming to understand that he cannot turn a blind eye to all the wrongdoings committed by others anymore, only focusing on his own dream. That’s a monologue that is similar to the one in the final scene he has with Mustang in episode 48, “Goodbye”.

And that’s the same scene Okawa and Park re-enact live right after. You can rewatch the original scene here:

Immediately after this anime scene’s live dubbing ends, they let us hear Roy and Ed’s thoughts about their last interaction, those good-byes. Video here.

Ed: “What else was I supposed to say at that moment?” (enjoy Romi Park’s voice cracking here…)

Roy: “I thought that one day, we would have walked the same road. But I was wrong, our paths were very different.

Ed: “You think so? In the end, I feel like they were the same after all. But there's no use in realising that now...

I died, and was brought back by Al’s sacrifice. So there was only one option I had left.”

[the anime’s actual scene resumes with Ed sacrificing himself to bring back Al.]

As soon as Ed “dies”, Roy’s monologue begins. 

It’s the one that can be found in this magazine. Up until now I only presumed it to be Roy’s, based on the speech pattern used, but now I have confirmation that I was right! Find the video here.

There is a new sentence, though, voice-acted by Okawa, that isn’t in the magazine spread. It’s the one I highlighted in bold:

When I heard that you vanished, Somehow I immediately knew That you were not dead, but alive.

You might have meant to give up your life as a price for your brother’s, But you had learnt that lesson once already: Nothing can be given in exchange for another’s life.

You had just gone on a journey Away from equivalent exchange, Away from the atonement towards your brother, Free from the force known as Alchemy. You had become, for the first time, Edward Elric.

It was you who decided to undertake that journey. That’s why I believe, Someday, We will meet once again…

[Anime resumes with episode 51, the dialogue that we already know of is not voice-acted live.]

Ed: I had meant to give my own life as the price for transmuting Al. And yet, I’m still alive. Maybe I did obtain something without paying the price after all. Or maybe Al is still in there…

Hohenheim: You two have been journeying together. The people you met during that time, the things you saw, your pain, your effort, everything that you have experienced… That could be the price you paid, couldn’t it?

[lady-of-the-spirit]

1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 19 (and what would you use it for), 28, 36, 37, 44, 99!

1.What were your summers like as a kid?

We'd usually go visit my great grandmother for a week or two, or we'd fly to LA to see my aunt and uncle for a week or two. Before she died, we'd sometimes drive to see my great aunt. Lots of just chilling out, or running around, doing whatever we wanted. There was one summer, maybe two, where my parents were both working full time and so I went to an all-day summer program and I remember that being fun.

6. What’s your favorite outfit?

summer edition: Casual outfit is a pair of shorts - usually either cotton and black with white spots or a pair of pink denim shorts - and a pink striped tank top. More fun 'formal' outfit is this new sundress I just got but really like, which is black and has lemons all over it.

not restricted by season: black pants (short or long, I have both) and my snake-patterned crop top.

7. Does seeing people in love make you happy? Sad? Annoyed?

Depends on how in love they are. Like, I roll my eyes a little if I see two people obnoxiously in love or just having excessive PDA. But in general if they're not obnoxious about it, I think it's cute.

8. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?

Yep! More than one. I have two giant unicorns from childhood I refuse to get rid of, a stuffed dinosaur (I think a raptor, idk), Clifford the big red dog, a No-Face from Spirited Away, an Edward Elric from FMA, a little black jackal (this kind), a little purple unicorn, a little brown puppy, and a cow Squishmallow.

10. Hike to a mountain top to watch the sunrise or drive out of town to stargaze?

I liked your answer of hiking to watch the sunset and seeing the stars. but realistically, driving out of town to stargaze.

19. Power of invisibility or flight?

I think invisibility would enable me too much to give into my more anxious and shy side, so I have to choose flight. I'd just like to fly, you know? I want to fulfill some of the dreams I had as a kid of just flying around. and it would make it easier to go places without public transportation.

28. What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

don't know if this counts, but my family does this thing for all of our birthdays where the birthday person chooses a restaurant and we go there for dinner. for an actual holiday, I like on Christmas when we all sit around all morning and open presents one by one, going in a circle and watching everyone get and open their presents.

36. If you could learn one language fluently what would it be?

ASL would be really handy. (pun not intended but I'm not taking it back.) I think Japanese would be useful as well (and I could just fucking buy the manga I want instead of having to wait for translations), or Thai so I could communicate with my friend and her family in their native language.

37. Would you fly to the moon if given the opportunity?

If it's the full astronaut experience, no. I'd absolutely get sick. I would if it was a more fantasy-esque trip where I don't feel discomfort.

44. Do you have a favorite quote?

“On April 19th I made bread” —Latin graffiti in Pompeii (CIL IV.8792)

99. . What’s the last show you binged?

A Discovery of Witches, season 1. idk if that counts because I watched the first 4 episodes months earlier and then the final 4 in one day. if not then the closest would be me rewatching a lot of episodes of Santa Clarita Diet over the past week. I don't really binge-watch shows.

[haleigh-sloth]

I'm doing a rewatch of fmab too! I'm showing a friend who has never seen it so it's really enjoyable to see their reactions to everything for the first time! But just revisiting it seriously puts me in a much much better mood and genuinely just gives me hope and appreciation for good stories and life in general, like it just makes me content and happy lol. It doesn't matter how many times i rewatch it, it's always so engaging and the characters are so likeable or if they're not likeable at least very interesting! ughhh i love it haha I was wondering if you knew anyone who does metas on fmab though? i've never really come across any which is kinda sad. It seems to be one of those anime that people watch and love but don't talk about heaps, although i only watched it for the first time maybe 2 years ago? so I missed when there was a lot of hype about it i guess haha

Two years ago? That's well after the hype died down lol.

It makes me nostalgic too, rewatching it. It brings back so many childhood memories. Me and my bestfriend waited up every Saturday for the new dubbed episode to air on cartoon network 😭

As for the metas, I WOULD LOVE TO WRITE SOME. The problem is, I only really write metas when I need to find the answer to a question myself, or when I get an ask prompting me to look deeper into some aspects of a story, or when there's something new to analyze.

FMA is so old and I've watched/read it so so many times that I don't know what questions I would need to seek out answers to. That's why receiving asks always prompts me to write my best posts, because other people help me figure out what to pay attention to and what not to.

I don't know any blogs that actively write for FMA though unfortunately. But if I started receiving asks for it giving me things to look deeper into in the story, I absolutely would write some.

I have made a couple of comparison posts for FMA when talking about BNHA though, specifically regarding redemption arcs. And I've mentioned FMA in some analysis posts pertaining to other things. I'll link them below:

Redeeming Murderers

My Favorite Redemption Arc

Manga Panel Analysis

I didn't bother to read this one I just know I mention Scar in it

That's as far back as tumblr was willing to let me go. I hate this website. Lol.

[ruinsofxerxes]

Tagged ( ˘ ³˘)♥

by @liathgray thaaaaaankk yooooOOooouuu cece!!!!

1. name/nickname: Nikki!! The thing about ur name also being a popular nickname is that you don’t get any other nicknames :’( but tbh you can call me anything and I’ll probably respond

2. gender: just a little lady

3. star sign: Aries!!!! >:((( I found out last week I am Leo rising and I still don’t know what that means but I have an unnecessary pride in it regardless 

4. height: 5'2″.......i’ve got u beat cece

5. time: like midnight:30

6. birthday: THE HUNDRETH DAY OF THE YEAR SONNNNNN

7. favorite bands/groups: My favs have always always been Radical Face and Sleeping at Last!!! GOD can they put out one bad song??? I think NOT 

8. favorite solo artist: I’ve been a taylor swift freak since 2008 and y’all have to deal with it (also radical face and sleeping at last are both solo artists as well but you KNOW what i mean)

9. song stuck in my head: You are Gold by The National Parks because I referenced it in a tag in one of my last reblogs and I played myself because now it’s stuck in my head 

10. last movie: *sweats nervously* oh gosh....I’m not actually much of a movie person ah ahhhhh.. . .. ....OH WAIT. I caught half of The Outsiders on tv yesterday. One of my favorite books, terrible movie

11. last show: oh man....ok i’m a terrible tv show watcher too.....I think it was probably Bob’s Burgers, that’s about the only show I watch that’s actually on tv, I mostly just watch documentaries and listen to podcasts lol I’m currently rewatching fmab for the first time in [redacted] but haven’t watched in a week or two because I want to give it my UNDIVIDED ATTENTION and I am a busy bee

12. when did i create this blog: February of 2012. I had a stomach bug and was bored as hell at home for days lol

13. what do i post: fma and fma and more fma..... . .. . .....I used to post more than just that but hey, the heart wants what the heart wants. Every once in a while I’ll throw in another fandom or a cheeky little text post just to keep everyone on their toes 

14. last thing googled: "how to use a shampoo bar” because I got a shampoo bar from Lush and had no idea how to actually use it ashdkljasdljasdl

15. other blogs: basically just this one. I have/had an art blog but literally havent’ used it since like... . . . ......2016 rip

16. do i get asks: *stares into the camera like I’m on the office*

17. why did i choose this url: because back in 2013 I wanted people to think I was a cool popular fma blog so I wanted a canon url and well, I am neither cool nor popular but this url is a part of my identity now

18. following: 325 exactly!!!! 

19. followers: I think it’s around the 8900s last I checked but tbh I always forget to lol

20. average hours of sleep: 7-10 babey i love me some sleep

21. lucky number: idk if it’s my lucky number per se but my fav number is definitely 24!!!

22. instruments: I used to be able to play the trumpet, piano, and acoustic guitar but it’s been a long time since I’ve played!!!! :(( Would really love to pick up the guitar again, always my fav instrument!!!

23. what am i wearing: my pjs!!! (because what else is anyone wearing these days?????) i’m wearing a big ol’ baggy t-shirt (with a ton of paint stains on it because life of an artist) and some boxers

24. dream job: ooohhhh!!! I’m actually already doing my dream job! I’m a book illustrator, and that’s what I’ve wanted to be since I was about 5! I would LOVE to be an author someday too!!! I think that’s always been my DREAM dream! I love books idk if that’s obvious 

25. dream trip: OOOH MANNNN. AT THIS POINT: ANYWHERE. I LOVE TO TRAVEL AND THIS QUARANTINE HAS GOT ME ITCHING TO GO ANYWHERE. Once it’s safe, y’all never gonna see me again, I’m just gonna be a vagabond traveling the world lol But actually, I would love to go to Japan, Italy, Amsterdam, and travel Route 66!! (not all of these at the same time lol) 

26. favorite food: ooohhhhhh ok idk if this counts but I have a major sweet tooth and I’m such a chocoholic, like...anything with chocolate....I love it. But in terms of food-food, I guess probably fish and chips??

27. nationality: i’m from america pls let me out :’(

28. favorite song: oh gosh! Idk if I could choose just one! I’d say Bible Belt by Dry the River has been my favorite for the past few years. But some of my favs over the years have also been Severus and Stone by Radical Face, Get Up by Barcelona, Poison Oak by Bright Eyes, and Blood by The Middle East (if you listen to all of these you will realize the pattern is that I love really sad songs) 

29. last book read: man I read like five books last week I don’t even know where to begin lol

30. three fictional universes you’d like to live in: oooohhh definitely Avatar!!! I’d say fma but only if it’s post-promised day lol and probably Spirited Away!!!

[kingofthewilderwest]

princesstokyomoon replied to your post ... ... ... can we see the list?

kovu was the first crush baby me ever acknowledged i had, so seeing simba on this list is very validating lol

[high fives] Disney made those lions way too hot for their own good. Kovu would probably be on my list if I had watched the second Lion King movie more recently. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but I remember being gripped by him when I was younger. So if he magically appears on that list later...... a rewatch happened.

writingstellar replied to your post ... ... ... can we see the list?

-is queer -has a type -that type involves dark hair and eyes ...my dude do you also like them kinda damaged? Because I think we have the same taste lmao

Bruh. Bruh. I wasn’t going to admit it in the tags, but TOTALLY. When they’re damaged is when my heart melts. I relate to their struggles and issues, I yearn to care for them, I feel for them, I love them. [high five on the same taste]

maski1 replied to your post ... ... ... can we see the list?

"Elizabeth Hawkeye" ? I think it was stated her name really is "Riza" ? When I watched ATLA when I was little I didn't like Zuko. Now he's my favorite character XD Gotta watch The Dragon Prince but before, I have to watch TLoK (and before that, read the chapters that were never adaptated). I'm curious, why Aladdin? Linguini is underrated

I started replying to you in the comments of the original post, but you always have such fun conversations, so I had to hop onto here and expand!

1. Regarding how I present the names on my list, I try to give a character’s full name, so long as there is strong evidence-based canon that gives or implies their name. In a few rare cases, like Elizabeth Hawkeye, there are fans who would dispute me on this, but I can give a very good account based deeply in canon for why I have the name listed as it is. If people want to agree or disagree with me at the end of the day, I don’t mind either way.

Regarding Riza... there are two types of scenarios she is called “Elizabeth” in Arakawa’s writing. One scenario is when everyone in Team Mustang is given code names. I imagine zero fans care about that as evidence. Havoc’s code name is Jacqueline, and that obviously isn’t his real name. Riza being called “Elizabeth” on the phone when Roy is disguising his operations by fake flirting doesn’t count for proof by itself. But the other instance is Roy calling her “Elizabeth” to Madame Christmas. I think most fans read that as Roy simply extending the code name for anonymity reasons. However, given Madame Christmas knows a ton about Roy’s emotional investment in Riza, and I’ve encountered some..... translational difficulties that the official English versions have with names... I think the latter’s a good cue.

Riza in older English translations and older merchandise was legitimately named “Liza,” and Liza is a common nickname for Elizabeth (especially for the time period Fullmetal Alchemist is roughly evoking). I talk about the translation weirdness here in much better depth. As you may know yourself, given your own language background, this would not be the first time the English translators made stupid mistakes with FMA names. Viz Media initially gave Xerxes the clusterfuck spelling ‘Cselkcess’ before they realized what the word was supposed to be. Ling Yao’s name has danced between Ling and Lin, despite Arakawa herself putting the Romanized spelling of his name in some drawn panels. I have seen Ranfun, Ranfan, and Lan Fan all within official FMA merchandise. Viz Media couldn’t even get a kid’s name “Kyle” down right in their translations... originally he was called “Khayal,” because at that point in time, they didn’t have a good grasp of the world (and ergo name base) that Arakawa was drawing from. Jean Havoc’s name should have been given a French pronunciation rather than sounding like ‘Gene,’ and if you wanted to Anglicize his name one step further, you could’ve named him John Havoc more accurately than what we got in the anime dubs.

With all that said and done, a character named Liza who is sometimes referred to as “Elizabeth” seems to me a logical enough indication she would have been born as “Elizabeth Hawkeye.” In any other circumstance, if I met someone who was called Liza but at one point got called “Elizabeth” by people who knew her in her past, I would conclude she was named Elizabeth. So yeah. Some people may disagree with my logic, but that’s the short of why I have it. XD

If other people are curious: another character whose name might disputed on my list is Rufus from Deponia. There’s some information in the obscure Deponia roleplaying book that says his father used to be named Landgull. Rufus was offended when his father changed his name from Seagull to Landgull to distance himself from Rufus (ergo, it wasn’t a first name change, which would’ve been irrelevant to disowning your blood relation to someone); Captain Seagull was always referred to by a title which usually goes with a last name; and ergo it’s likely Rufus could’ve grown up as Rufus Landgull. Even though the games never ever ever actually call him that.

2. NOW GOING ONTO THE ZUKO THING. Dude, I feel you. When I watched Season 1 of ATLA, I hated Zuko. By Season 3, I loved him and he was my favorite character. They did a magnificent job not just creating the character and giving him an arc, but allowing his personality to be increasingly revealed to us as audience members.

3. Why Aladdin? As a kid, I was obsessed with Aladdin. Now that I’m older, I still think his cheeky, adventurous, charming, but genuine yearning spirit are appealing. And he has sUCH pReTTy eYeSSS!!! So yeah. 

4. Linguini is VERY underrated. What a dear.

[ja-khajay]

2020-2021 Animation Watch(ed)list

I haven’t posted about animation in a while that I remember, and I know a lot of my followers are into it as much as me so I decided to make a list of the animated movies and series I watched on the past year or so, coupled with my short, spoilerless take on them. Enjoy!

Organized by

Things I saw for the first time

Things I rewatched

Under a cut for the sake of your dashboards! PS: I have not added any images yet. If you are interested in knowing more about the visuals of these movies, I might make an old fashion ask-prompted imageset list.

Part One: Things I saw for the first time

The Bear’s Famous Invasion of Sicily

Movie, 2019, Italian/French

9/10, a delightful little movie with amazing visuals. It feels like an animated picture book.

One of those “plot is in the title” media! I had never heard of this before but was heavily recommended it by my family members, who all loved it! It’s a sweet story, nothing groundbreaking but the unique colorful visual style alone makes it worth it.

The Castle of Cagliostro

Movie, 1979, Japanese

10/10. Reminded me of all the books i loved reading as a child

I assume its because it’s so old and the art style and themes are so different that it gets little to no love compared to other Ghibli movies, which is a shame! It’s fun with an endearing cast and as always, great animation and music

Mushishi

Series, 2006, Japanese

10/10 three episodes in I knew it was going to be my favorite series ever

One of the few things I’ve seen I’ll describe as life-changing. It’s absolutely lovely but never toots its own horn about it. Humble, calming, emotional and surprisingly mature. It’s pretty impossible to binge due to how intense the experience is. I just want to walk in the forest now...

FMA: Brotherhood

Series, 2009, Japanese

6/10 Dissapointing adaptation of a classic story

I read the manga for this when I was in middle school and remembered loving it. The animated version does an ok job of presenting the characters and worldbuilding and has some nice action scenes but overall looks really damn cheap and just. Not very good. Seeing I already knew most of the plot I did not have the element of discovery that made me marvel so much reading the original. It’s still a nice series but I really recommend reading it instead.

Code Lyoko (s1+2)

Series, 2003, french

3/10. 1.5 being for the opening song alone

This show sucks ass if I hadn’t been watching this with my bestie I would have dropped it two episodes in. The art style is ugly the stories are always the same and the first season has a (later removed thank fucking god) LITERAL “erase any consequences” button as a plot device in every episode. If you watch it for one thing let it be the nostalgia factor of early 00s Vidya Game Plot

The Legend of Hei

Movie, 2019, Chinese

7/10. Impressive visuals and a poor story

I finally watched this, peer pressured by the load of gifsets on my dashboard! It’s a sweet movie with really impressive animation, sometimes a bit too flashy for my taste (the action sequences go so ham they become not very readable...) but the story was just ok? The setting is barely explained and you are instead bombarded with vague epicspeech about powers and stuff that made me fondly remember Kingdom Hearts lol but that asides it’s a really good time! I need to watch more Chinese movies the few I know are just delightfully off the shits in how they approach action and I love that

Hunter x Hunter

Series, 1999, Japanese

9/10. Superior to the recent one!

I first got introduced to the series via the 2011 one. Comparatively, the 99 series focuses way less on action and way more on the characters, which I love because that fits my personal preferences! Despite mediocre filler episodes and some weird slight pointless plot changes, what it changes from the original manga doesn’t have much of an impact on the characters. The animation quality isn’t always consistent including a huge art style change for an arc (???) but it’s overall pretty nice. The series really shines in the last arc it adapts.

Oban Star-racers

Series, 2006, Japanese/french

9/10 a lovely surprise

This series is completly obscure despite having been created by people famous for their other series (Cowboy Bebop, Code Lyoko that i can name) and it’s a crime! It’s a kids show but without being stupid about it who tells the story of an inter-planetary race. If you liked that one scene in the star wars prequels you know what I mean. It’s got surprisingly nice animation for a TV series, and some truly great character design. The art style is a bit unique in a not for everyone sense, but I didn’t mind it much. It’s also THE most offensively 2000s series i’ve seen in terms of visuals. y2k kids assemble

The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon

Movie, 1963, japanese

8/10. Classic fairytale format with incredible visuals

Watched this for the art style because I know it inspired Samurai Jack, and it delievered! I dont’ have much to say about this one, it’s a very simply film but it’s sweet. For my pirates out there if you want to find it in good quality with english subtitles it’s VERY hard to find. If you just want to see the looks of it, it’s on Youtube with portugese subs.

We now enter the Gobelins Shorts Zone....!

My Friend Who Glows In The Dark

10/10 makes me cry each time

Pure delight...great animation writing everything. A little short about death and friendship but not in the way you imagine!

Colza

9/10

Visual treat...homely and nice :) not far from a 10 but a 9 because nothing about it is that groundbreaking

Sundown

9/10

If you’ve ever been ten minutes from failing a group project because of a single dude you will REALLY enjoy this. Loved the colors and personality

T’as vendu mes rollers?

10/10

It’s SUCH a sweet little short I loved that one so much

Dix-huit kilomètres trois

10/10

Surprisingly well written dialog. Visuals are great but the humanity of the characters carries this to another level

Un diable dans la poche

9/10

Amazing visuals and the most tense/creepy of Gobelin shorts i’ve ever seen. Chilling

La bestia

8/10

I had some issues with the pacing. Interesting story and visuals choices but I was not fond of the art style

Goodbye Robin

5/10

Confusing but predictable. Both at once??? Yes!

Le retour des vagues

6/10

Cool animation stuff but felt pretty pointless

                                                                ***

Part Two: Things I rewatched

Ruben Brandt: Collector

Movie, 2018, Hungarian

10/10. Underrated as hell

Watched this fully blind for the first time in an animated festival and rewatched it with friends. It’s a crime I never see anyone talking about it given the amount of whining I see about the lack of both adult animation and 2D movies? This film is a unique love letter to art in the form of a weird mix of charming crime story and psychological horror with amazing visuals. I recommend watching it blind and also buying it to show appreciation for how nice it is!!! WATCH THIS MOVIE...

Mononoke

Series, 2007, Japanese

10/10 Visual/storytelling masterpiece in the weird shit departement

If you can stomach intense stuff watch this. The visuals are incredibly unique and beautiful and under the jewel tones and art direction high takes it’s a really cool horror series. My only obstacle to enjoying it the first time I saw it was how dense it is - simply put, it’s so...culturally Japanese it’s not very accessible to me who doesn’t know anything about the culture? Watching it for the second time helped understanding the stories more! 

Corto Maltese in Siberia

Movie, 2002, french

9/10 but really close to ten. A great adaptation!

I’m a huge fan of the original comic so I entered this a biiiittttt suspicious it would suck but it was a really pleasant surprise! It has all the wonder and charm of the original and the animation was surprisingly good for the little budget. If you’re not familiar with the series, it’s a sort of geopolitical action/adventure movie but with it’s own really poetic vibe to it. It’s almost impossible to find online but happens to be fully on YouTube so go ham I guess?

Redline

Movie, 2009, Japanese

10/10 cinema was invented for this, actually

Every review of this movie i’ve seen gives it five stars and starts by talking about how immensly stupid it is. I’m no different. It’s a masterpiece of escalating energy with the depth of a puddle and it fucking rules. It’s free on YouTube too so there really is no excuse to not watch it. Watched it for the first time on a huge cinema screen and despite this my second rewatch on my small laptop was as/even more enjoyable. If you watch this stoned with friends you might travel to another dimension

Spirited Away

Movie, 2001, Japan

10/10 deserves the love it gets

I watched this a single time as a kid and had little memory of it! I mean it’s Ghibli you know it’s going to be good as hell but this one rly shines in how colorful and detailed it is and in it’s world! It made me remember I had a huge crush on the dragonboy as a kid. I’m gay now

Kung-fu Panda (1&2)

Movie, Usa

10/10. KFP fucking rules

Honestly my favorite franchise of the whole disney/dreamworks/pixar hydra. It’s fun as hell, doesn’t skip a single beat and has amazing animation and character designs. If something is a good time I will not care if it’s deep or not and boy I fucking love these movies

Sinbad, Legend of the Seven Seas

Movie, 2003, Usa

5/10 Some great some really bad and overall generic

I tend to hate american cinema and this includes that era of animation I have no nostalgia for. Sinbad is in a weird place because I love adventure stories and the visuals of the movie absolutely deliver but it’s very predictable and TANKED by the addition of the female character, pushed in your face as “look we have woman!!!” despite her writing being misogynistic as hell lol. The evil goddess rules tho. This movie would have been a solid 9 if instead of the girl the two dudes had kissed

[evilelitest2]

what do you think of anime/manga as a medium for storytelling/art? I really like your analyses on Fatal Flaw on all sorts of pop culture genres and mediums and would like your take on it!

hmm....that is an interesting question, because I have a really good way of telling what my opinion of it is.  Ok well Manga is easy, I thin Manga is like western comics, it has tremendous potential if it can just discipline itself a bit. Its actually the exact issue that Manga has.  The two I’ve spent the most time on are Vinland saga and Berserk 

Anime...I don’t know.  I love animated visuals as a medium because I like how uninhibited it can be and how much storytelling it can transition into a single frame, but I never know if i....get Anime.  Like I watch some anime, namely 

Death Note (first season only) FMA (2003 is better) Now and Then Here and There, everything by Studio Ghibli, EVA (Neon Genesis Evengellian) , Baccano, Berserk (original), Ouran Host Club, Melencholy of Harahi suzumiya, Mushishi, Attack on Titan (but lets be clear its fascist as fuck), Madoka Magica,  Azumanga Daioh, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, and part of digimon Trainers.  

I mean I actually I’ve seen more, i just...don’t like most of it, like I utterly don’t get the appeal so much of what people say is classic anime. 

So that feels like a pretty solid selection of anime, but I also have never seen Cowboy Bebop, and I am really not part of the anime cultural scene.  So when I watch a lot of anime I have this awkward feeling of

“Is this stupid or do I not get it?”  

Like there are so many bad storytelling conventions in anime, its like Japan had the ability to do decent pacing taken away from then as punishment for Denying the Rape of Nanking, I don’t know what it is, but almost every anime plot feels simultaneously too rushed and like every episode is 50% padding.  Like, was anime at home drunk while every other medium went to “Basic story telling” class (video games arrived late).  Because with so much anime out there, its weird to me that you have 20 min episodes filled with like 5 mins of content, the constant repeating of information the audience were already told, and then characters stating out loud “OMG I AM THINKING THIS THING AT THIS MOMENT”  Or other characters going “NOBODY COULD POSSIBLE DO THE THING....OMG HE DID THE THING....WELL HE CAN”T POSSIBLY DO THE OTHER THING....OH CRAP HE DID THE OTHER THING”

And i’m left going “Is this just terrible story telling infecting the entire medium, or am that one asshole at the modern art museum who is like “WAH THIS ISN’T REALISTIC WHY?”  So i’m always left being like “Is there a medium thing that is going over my head or like a Japanese cultural reference that I just am too ignorant to be aware of, or is this entire genre just reusing tropes mindlessly without ever wondering why and its chocking up the entire genre”

So....I have thoughts on anime, but I’m always willing to try more out.  Once I finish rewatching Breaking Bad I’m going to finally watch Cowboy Bebop.  

@afriendtokilltime @randomshoes this question is for you guys as well, what are your thoughts 

Btw, i’m glad you are a fan of the Fatal Flaw Series, we talk about a few anime in it if you are interested.  

[kingluffy]

My top 10 anime’s/manga series

One piece (simply the goat) rating 9.75/10

Gintama (slow start but great anime all round especially the comedy) 9.25/10

Black Clover ( from 3 to 10 they are was below how I view the top 2 and my only problem with black clover is my interest In what’s going on goes on and off but when it’s on it’s absolutely fantastic) on it’s day 9.5/10 but average 8.65

Bleach (Great anime fantastic was my number 1 till I watched 1 and 2 but if I’m being honest I don’t think I’ll ever rewatch it again) when watching 8.5/10 looking back 8

Magi and sinbad (can easily be third pushing second but they just stopped both series for some reason, like its really good easily recommend if your not looking to watch over 100 episodes) rating is 9/10 but it only has like 50 episodes combined

FMA (just great I think it’s overrated but it’s still a great anime binged watched it and it’s movie in a weekend) 8.5/10

Tower of God ( The manga before people get confused I was really hooked on the manga a couple of weeks ago but I stopped reading it Idek why but am now struggling to get back into it since I forgot a lot it’s really is good but idk I’ll probably get back into it before the end of the year) 8/10 but certain parts were 9.5/10

Konosuba (Gintama was the funniest anime for me till I watched the konosuba movie and rewatched the anime and I can say hands down this is probably the funniest anime you’ll watch, like I now watch clips when I’m angry or something because I’ll know it’s crack me up no matter what) 9.9/10 for comedy but overall 8.5/10

Quanzhi fashi and hitori no shita ( now these two are Chinese so probably unknown but quanzhi fashi is really good got me hooked since episode one but I won’t lie the ending of season 4 kind of put me of that’s why it’s so low before it was like number 4/5 on the list. For hitori no shita it’s first two episodes are boring I’m not going to lie and it put me of the anime twice but I’m consistent and from episode three it just got better and better and season 2 was absolutely great I didn’t have any issues with it at all, season 3 came out a while ago but it’s very confusing to me now that’s why it’s this low before it would have been at 7). 8/10

My hero academia (I’ll be honest this was the first anime that I watched as in like after childhood with dragon ball,Pokemon etc and it got me hooked on anime I thought it was the greatest thing ever until I started watching other anime’s and stuff even then I still thought it was top 5 but then as I started to watch MCs like luffy, asta, ichigo even kazuma and main girls like nami,Darkness, rukia and others, I found myself disliking delusions and oraka because to me deku was too much of a crybaby and still is and he just lacks that spark for me to be that funny mc or that cool/badass one to me he literally just feels like a child and then oraka is just dull in my opinion and doesn’t really get enough moments that being said I love everything else in the anime it they had different main characters it would be like 3-5 on my list) at first before I watched any other anime 10/10 but now 8/10

Ones you should still definitely check out

Black lagoon (current time pirates and badass characters would have been on the list if it was longer)9/10 but is only like 35 episodes

One punch man (used to be on the list and now that I think about idk why it isn’t 😂😂 it’s tied 10th I liked season 1 much better than 2 but two was ok just a let down from one imo)8.5/10 but is short too

Prison school (very funny top 5 funniest but very highly sexual)8/10

Grand blue (for me this is top three funniest behind gintama and konosuba)8/10

Shokugeki no soma ( when I watched this at first it was my number 1 for sooooo long mostly because I just felt like soma was the anime version of me always proving the doubters wrong but then when he started getting respected and feared it just lost that element and slowly left my top 10 still a fantastic anime but again very sexual)8/10

Attack on titans (great anime pulled an all nighter watching season 1 when I had a huge exam same day(dw I aced it) shows how good it is but why it didn’t make my list is just that it’s general theme I really don’t like the zombie apocolyse types of shows but aot is the only exception so yeah.

Probably forgetting a few to mention oh well hope people check some of this out to me all this anime’s are over 8/10 and please feel free infact no please recommend me anime’s you think I’ll like