#the problem with giffing niche or whatever stuff like this is it’s so hard to tag

[stimboardboy]

grounding technique cards

[mugen-monogatari]

5 Quality Yet Accessible Tragic Anime You Should Watch

Let’s talk about tragedy in anime. Ain’t nothin’ like watching some sad anime boys experiencing sad things while I sit there and cry. I love tragedy in anime, there’s just a certain satisfaction in ‘dissatisfaction’. Sometimes, it’s far more meaningful for someone to lose a fight, to make a hard decision or sacrifice something. Maybe the hero never saves the girl, or a loved one just doesn’t make it. Yes, in a perfect world everyone ends up happy, but this isn’t a perfect world. People suffer, and sometimes it ends on a good note, sometimes everything goes to hell and the world burns. That gritty realism and human error adds a level of empathy and depth to many shows that would otherwise lack it. I personally think it’s worth talking about that, since I don’t think tragic anime get enough love.

So I thought I’d make a quick list of 5 accessible yet Quality tragedy series, ranging from pretty popular and accessible, to slightly more niche. Many of you have seen these series I’m sure, but with the continuous stream of shows being released every single season, it can be hard to either go back and watch older shows, or stay on top of newer ones. These are just a few picks that I would urge anyone and everyone to go and at least try.

I should also preface this by saying, when I say tragedy, it doesn’t mean the show has a depressing ending. By tragedy I’m referring to tragic events happening in a show regularly, be it at the end, the beginning or throughout. Simply putting something on this list, doesn’t mean it has a tragic ending, so you can rest assured there are still surprises to come when watching these.

Also, these are all my opinions, everyone is entitled to them. You can disagree or agree, it’s up to you, we can even discuss my peeps. Just don’t brutalize me for shows you don’t like or if one of your favorites isn’t on this list.

All of that being said, Here are 5 tragic series I think everyone should at least try:

1. Code Geass

Starting off simple we have Code Geass. What a show this was back in the day. Death Note, mixed with Mechs and sci-fi and chess and a whole lot of edge. For many people, they have already seen it, it’s almost guaranteed if you watched anime in the early 2000s. However, as time goes on, this series slowly falls into obscurity, many people being less attracted by its flamboyant art style and the ever growing age. It seems like Code Geass is slowly fading away with time, people online aren’t forgetting about it, but moving on, and many new fans are understandably detracted from a show like this.

But they’re all wrong. This series is incredible. It’s a fundamental “must-watch” show. Sure, it shows it’s age now, but that doesn’t detract from it’s plot and characters. With a very likeable cast, a constantly expanding story, high stakes, insane powers and mind games, politics and action, all of these make an insanely good series, one that warrants repeated viewing to this day. What starts as a boy being in the wrong place at the wrong time, blows up into a worldwide conflict. This is one of those series that sticks with you, there are scenes and moments in this you just never forget moving forward.

Some of the things I love is Sunrise’s mech designs, Lancelot as well as many of the Knightmare frame designs in the movies and show are still fun and vibrant to this day. Many old Mecha shows become redundant years later as the designs don’t hold up. This one though, certainly does.

I also really love the voice acting. Yes the sub is good, but the dub (fight me) is just mwah. Johnny Yong Bosch as Lelouch is nut worthy. Just watch the first episode where he gives his first command. Insta nut. I’m telling you.

I also love the endings of both seasons. I think the first is a really good climax, while the second season closes about as well as this could, while still coming out of left field.

Some things that I think detract people, definitely start with the art style. Sunrise’s designs for the machines and backgrounds and such is fine, it looks good, however Clamp’s character designs are definitely an acquired taste. They’re not for everyone. Everyone looks super slender, almost cartoon like in their clothes and proportions. Yes you get used to it, but they still look very “different” to the standard, even back when it first came out.

Another is sometimes, the show just goes to very strange places, for example having an episode to do with drug addiction that just came out of left-field. In the same vein, some people have very mixed opinions on season two, not entirely liking the direction it goes and some of the character developments. However, a lot of these things are subjective and I’ll leave them up to you to decide.

Spanning two, 25 episode seasons (you can definitely just pretend the movie never happened) as well as several spin off OVAs and Shorts (Those you actually can watch though), the series is a pretty long watch by today’s standards, but it’s definitely worth it.

2. Zankyou No Terror

Next up, we have Terror in Resonance. This one for sure is worth the watch even without the tragedy. This is one of those shows, which is so visually appealing to watch. It’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing shows I’ve ever seen. I guarantee anyone who’s interested in aesthetic gifs and images of weeb stuff, has seen shots from this show without even realizing it. It’s not exactly a niche show, but it’s a little less accessible than something like “Angel Beats”, with a much more serious and gritty tone. It’s not criminally underrated, but I just really wish more people had seen this, since it genuinely is a beautiful series.

Some of the things I really love about this show, is (as I’ve mentioned a thousand times) the aesthetic sense. Every shot in this series is screenshot worthy, with plenty scenes making for ‘straight-out-the-box’ gifs and icons and whatever it is you kids use screenshots for. Even the food, just like papa Gigguk mentioned, is just mwah, spicy stuff. I attribute this to the very well considered color palette, realistic lighting and designs, as well as just overall good cinematography.

On the less visible side of things, the story hold ups really well too, with some very genuinely emotional moments and scenes. Just like Code Geass above, this series has a very well considered ending, with a “Wholesome”(?) message at the end.

The only negatives I can really give for the series, is some pacing issues if you’re an impatient brat like me, as well as almost a complete lack of lightheartedness. The series can be sweet and touching, but it’s almost always dark and serious at the same time, with no time to relax or breathe throughout.

I think there isn’t as much to say about ZnT as there is about Code geass, as it’s not as subjective. It is an objectively high quality show, your own enjoyment of it is what varies. Unlike Code Geass, there isn’t many flaws, but it doesn’t take as many risks. To me, this show is a very safe bet. It looks gorgeous, is only 11 episodes (you big boys and girls can binge that) and tells a satisfying, self-contained story. A little bonus is that it’s directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, famous for Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, so hey- It has that going for it too.

3. Parasyte: The Maxim

Following on, we have one of the series that introduced me to tragedy, Parasyte: The Maxim. Let me tell you, this series is dark. And violent. Very violent at times.

When it first aired in 2014, the response was pretty good, it didn’t reach critical Acclaim, but had its own cult following, with the manga having been published from the late 80s to the mid 90s. For me, this was one of my first truly “darker” and more violent anime, having really only watched shounen and some seinen before that. This to me isn’t one of the best stories ever, the characters are fine, and the show looks acceptable. But while it doesn’t excel in anything, it does everything really well. To me, it’s the perfect bridge from Casual fan, to serious- or even as a primer for more dark and violent stories, such as Berserk or dare I say it Tokyo Ghoul (Read the manga, please don’t support the anime adaptation).

For me personally, I really Liked the main character, he drove the show on for me. Watching him develop into someone completely different from the beginning of the show, was a real draw to me. He’s likeable, relatable to an extent, and he had a complete character arc. Shinichi in the beginning is not the same character as in the end.

This character is also used to convey a deeper meaning about what humanity is and how we define the term. It’s a really interesting series about us as a race, with some genuine things to discuss and think about, which leaves a longer lasting impression than most shows. It’s the sort of series that makes you want to share it with other people just so you can talk to them about it. Ah- and it’ll hit you in the feels. This show is genuinely tragic through out, but still stays personal to the small cast, which to me, is the sign of a really good tragedy. Despite things going on in the entire world, they make you care about these few people specifically.

However, it has it’s own problems too. Art wise, it’s very faithful to the original source material, capturing the feel of it, the low key oppressive vibes. However, this also means, it can look a little… ‘Bland’? At times. The earthy colors can be a little drab, especially in an age were Studio Trigger, for example, can make an eye-gasm worthy scene using colours you didn’t even know existed.

The other problem, is some of the characters are very one dimensional. Take the love interest, she doesn’t really develop or change at all throughout the series, but I personally give this a pass as she’s not super relevant to the story anyway.

A fair warning though, this series has some strong violence, plenty of gore and mutilation, if that’s a problem for you, I suggest either giving this one a skip, or just trying to sit through it. It’ll be a good learning experience.

Spanning a fair 24 episodes, having aired in 2014, this series is both bingeable, and holds-up very well in the modern ecosystem of anime. To me, this is a pretty top tier show, a solid 8/10, it’s very good, a really well made show, It makes for the perfect bridge into far more serious and dark stories, such as maybe Berserk and Devilman, hence why I put it on this list.

4. Fate/Zero

For my second to last show, perhaps one of the most well known franchises, that is lowkey kinda niche. Fate is a series everyone knows the existence of, but not as many people have actually watched, especially not casual fans. To be frank, it’s intimidating. The series has no real easy entry point, and all the timelines are relatively interwoven, you can’t just bounce around. Everything spoils everything and it’s scary to even look at a list of fate entries.

That’s why I picked Fate Zero. To me, it’s the best entry point into the Type/Moon genre. For those of you who don’t know, it’s basically a battle royal between seven summoners who each have a servant of different classes. They all have to fight for the Holy Grail, an artifact that will grant them a single wish. Sounds simple right?

Well it’s not. The entire series is full of not only badass action, but plenty of mind games and ‘cat-and-mouse’ between the characters. It’s brutal, it’s tragic, violent and uplifting. Ufotable delivers some of the highest quality animation you’ll see in your life (they’re renowned for it), but it doesn’t just look good. The story is compelling, the characters are genuinely likeable and by the end, I wanted everyone to live and survive. Everyone has believable and compelling motivation, and even the objectively evil characters, like Caster, are still likeable, because you begin to love to hate them. The entire season honestly plays out more like a compressed microcosmic version of Game of Thrones, than a battle royal anime.

There are plenty of things I like about this series, the plot is really fun, the fights are pretty damn cool and it can be a very emotional show at times. I could talk about these aspects endlessly. However, the thing that really makes Fate for me, is the characters. Each individual characters gets some time and attention, and with the exception of a few, you really genuinely like and care about everyone. You want everyone to win, or at least survive, since all of them are either genuinely lovable, or have very compelling motivation.

The other part to it is, this is the best starting point for the rest of Fate, and I would actually argue that it enhances many scenes found in the subsequent (story wise) series, even if they aired prior to Zero. This series both introduced me to Fate, and got me attached and invested in the world, which is the sign of a good (technically) first series.

On the other hand, it has problems. First of all, it’s pretty interwoven with the later series. Those came before it and set up a lot of mysteries and ideas that Zero goes out of it’s way to explain, from character identities to events in the timeline, watching Zero will spoil a lot of those things, which may lessen the later experiences for some people.

The other flaw is despite being maybe the best starting point for Fate, it still isn’t entirely accessible. The show can be straight up confusing at times, at least for someone who hasn’t seen Fate. Many elements of the world aren’t explained and you’re just expected to go along with it, since it’s either just a part of this world, or explained in other series. Which is fine, but often lead to some rather “But wait… What just happened?” moments.

Ultimately, Fate/Zero is fantastic series for anyone looking for a really good character drama, full of magic and badass historical references. It’s not the best introduction but it’s the best you’ll get from Fate. Similarly to Code Geass and ZnT, the series has a really good conclusion in my opinion, with plenty of tragic moments sprinkled throughout.

For Fate, Zero specifically consists of two seasons of 12 episodes each, for a bingeable 24 episode series. For ideas where to go next from this, look for my upcoming Tumblr Post explaining the fate continuity.

5. Mobile Suit Gundam : Iron-Blooded Orphans

And Finally, we come to our last pick of the day. This is a series, I would urge anyone to watch. If I could make you watch one Single series from this list, this would be it. Throw away any views you have on the franchise or the genre, don’t be afraid of the name, just give this series a try.

Iron Blooded Orphans follows a small mercenary band of boys who just want to make a home for themselves in a galaxy strained by political unrest. The premise is simple, just people trying to survive and make a life for themselves.

Well what if I told you it was directed and written by the same Duo that made AnoHana, one of the most commonly acknowledged tragic shows out there. This duo write and direct stories about innocent children being put through immense hardship and this series is no different. This show is tragic, painful even. I sobbed as many times as I laughed and smiled in this show. We spend a season watching them come up in the world, only to watch everything get torn apart in the second season, and it is genuinely emotional and heart wrenching.

Something I love about this series, is the characters and how attached you become to them. Death is a genuine threat in this show, even if you don’t feel it in the beginning. When people die, it hurts, and that applies to IBO, where each death leaves resounding ripples on the people around them. It handles familial relationships really well, making you believe in these people and their emotions. When they suffer, you cry for them, and when they get brief moments of respite, you do too. I love how invested you become in this ragtag team of boys, making some of the later scenes all the more devastating when they happen.

Another thing I love is the stakes. Within the second season, the pressure to perform is on, the first season, while having threats and such, was never even close to season two. To be vague, one of my favorite moments is when a character has to land a decisive shot in the midst of a battle, and everyone’s lives are on the line. That entire confrontation is one of my favorite scenes in anime of all time. It is truly suspenseful and will take you on an emotional journey.

To top it all off, it’s made by Sunrise. If you like Mechs, well oh boy do they have you covered, and if you don’t- well oh boy, you will when you’re done. This show makes the mech Genre, and Gundam entirely accessible, you need no prior knowledge, you don’t need to be a fan to enjoy it. The fights are really fun and have genuinely cool moments, as cool as it can get for a mech anyway. The characters and story are well written and everything just comes together to make a very well produced show- Good job Sunrise.

It doesn’t go without it’s own problems though. The first 20 ish episodes, until they get to earth, are not pointless, but have some pacing issues, as well as low stakes. There are threats and people die, but you never feel that scared or intense. Then towards the end of season one, the show kicks into high gear. To counteract this slow start, the series has a phenomenal season two that I genuinely believe everyone should watch, as it’s a perfect example of character drama done exceptionally well.

The series is comprised of two seasons of 25 episodes each, totaling a measly (if you’re a big boy or girl) 50 episodes. There is several related forms of media, nothing worth mentioning though, for more Gundam, you’re better off watching other series from the franchise.

If I can only force you to watch one, please go out and watch Iron Blooded Orphans. To me, it’s 9- pushing a 10/10 series, with a undeniably slow start, but a fantastic heart felt, emotional ending.

So that’s it from me guys. Thanks for taking the time to read the ramblings of a mad man like me, but I hope this gives some people some ideas on where to go next or what they can watch now. If you enjoyed, make sure to follow me for more discussions and lists and whatever else anime related. If you have any advice, or want to discuss something with me, go ahead let me know, other than that- Leave, go outside, get some fresh air after reading all that.

[atleastputinsomeeffortinuroc]

Rant/Analysis: Logan & Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 --aka -- Redefining the Comic Book Film Genre

(As for why this gif specifically…yeah, I couldn’t think of a better one…)

Y’know…Logan and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 were really freakin’ good. Like…REALLY freakin’ good. Most people I’ve talked to have said that they liked it, but nobody seems to share the amount of enthusiasm I share about these two films in particular, and often say “It’s good. I dunno if I’d see it again, but it’s pretty good.” But, not only do I think that both are good, I will even go so far as to say that both of these comic book movies have shown what it means to redefine the comic book film genre in their own unique ways. BOTH. Bit of an odd claim, especially with that second film being…well it’s Guardians of the goddamn GALAXY. Volume TWO. And the other one is just…it’s WEIRD. It’s the dour follow-up to Deadpool to cash in on that sweet R rating they got. But, again, I have claims. Specifically, I believe that narratively Logan pushed the genre the farthest it’s gone, while I believe that Vol. 2 became the first film in the genre to work with one of the most unique and hard-to-get-right story-telling structures.

But, let’s go into detail about these things. Spoilers, btw.

First off, let’s tackle Logan.

The ways in which Logan pushed the boundaries for comic book films are roughly as obvious as you’d expect if you’ve seen it. It actually provides finality to a character, is self-contained, and successfully does the opposite of what we’ve been taught to be a comic book film ought to be. There ought to be big action set pieces, the villain has to be cut and dry from the get-go, make room for a possible sequel, if a hero dies, it has to be ceremoniously, etc. Logan has the downright balls to stick a finger to these ideas, and actively do the opposite. As the name suggests, we see the man underneath the Wolverine mask. The man behind the myth. In fact, that’s what the film’s main central theme lies in. Taking down myths that we have around heroes that we praise ala Unforgiven and the like. It’s almost a reverse Batman Begins, where Bruce Wayne is making a symbol, while Logan is trying to dismantle it. What’s more, the film downright stood against the very Hollywood mantra for how a sequel should work. It’s usually accepted that you should go bigger, instead going small, which is what Logan did. In fact, if you look at the Wolverine trilogy, you’ll notice that they actually steadily go smaller as the films go on in scale—with the quality just getting better as they progressed. The fact that both of these happen in the same trilogy itself makes it almost the anti-trilogy, as that kind of notion would be previously unheard of. But, that’s another subject for another day.

Despite Logan basically spitting in the face on how most comic book films are supposed to go, with the director himself scoffing at the very notion of seeing the films become something along the lines of carnage for the sake of carnage (sorry Kleatus Kassidy,) the film still remains true to the character in the best way it can. It stays on Logan himself. The man behind the mask, which, to be honest, is the real reason any comic book fan worth his salt likes the character. Not just for the excess violence and swearing and one-liners, but because of who Logan is. How he holds himself, how loyal he is to those who he cares about, how he’s too scared to be too close to anybody, and his general rejection to take a knee to just anybody. As such, it makes sense that the final villain that he has to face off against is a jacked up version of himself, the Wolverine that has been advertised and sold to the masses. A blood-filed rage machine that doesn’t have much in the way of character, but is just about the carnage and violence. By doing so, you make the audience question what it is that they expect from a comic book movie. Which makes it all the more tragic when Logan is eventually killed by this monstrosity. It takes another generation, X-23, or Laura, to put the Wolverine down, and finally do the character justice…perhaps it’s more of an open ending statement. How it’s up to the next generation to decide what matters more: the character or the caricature? The fact that Logan even poses these questions makes it stand out among both the top of the Fox brand of X-Men films, but also in general as a film tackling the subject of super heroes.

And then, conversely, there’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Before I go into detail about this one, I should back up a bit.

In film, there are certain structures that most films abide by, that all mainly circle around the 3 Act Structure, and hence be more narratively driven. Main character sees a problem in his environment that reflects himself, and he or she must conquer that evil, though not before entering his or her lowest point that he or she must conquer. Typical stuff that nearly every movie does. It’s not a bad thing, hell it’s pretty satisfying if you can do it in a unique way, but not all films actually follow this structure. One of note, and the one I’m going to be focusing on, is the “hang-out” movie. The hang-out movie, arguably invented on accident by the film “The Big Sleep” and hitting the mainstream with films like “Pulp Fiction” and “Jackie Brown,” is basically what the name suggests. It’s a movie where you “hang-out” with the main characters, and the plot takes a backseat. There is no clear end-goal that you can see from the get go, but that’s not the point. The point of the film is just to sit around and enjoy the company of the characters, and watch them bounce off each other in different scenarios. The plot winds and curves as dictated by the scenarios that the characters have been placed into. If you try to piece it together at the end, you may find yourself more confused to find a cohesive plot, which is a reason why it isn’t usually embraced by general audiences with a couple exceptions, though to try to pin it down would miss the general point, I think. To rephrase, it’s similar to watching a movie go from scene to scene, rather than plot point to plot point. Hell, the film basically spells it out for you that that is the direction the film is going to go during the opening credits. In it, Baby Groot is dancing to Mr. Blue Sky while the action and destruction is going on behind him. The plot is LITERALLY in the background to the character.

This isn’t to say the plot is unimportant, but it’s very much meandering, but oddly enough meandering with a purpose, which is something that a lot of films in general can’t seem to master. And the fact the film decided to go that direction is endlessly FASCINATING mainly because of one little fact. If I’m not mistaken…Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the first comic book film to actually use this structure. Every comic book film that I can think of has a very rigorous plot structure that the characters must fall into. That’s to say that there’s not a comic book film other than this one that doesn’t have its fair share of character moments, look at Logan for God’s sake, but this is the first that I can think of where the plot didn’t matter. They tossed out the handbook and just did whatever they wanted to do to flesh out the characters by placing them in different scenarios, see how they bounced off each other, and let it go from there. What you then get in response is this piece of film where every single major character is provided with enough character development and depth. Every single major character, I should remind you, include the already established five heroes, as well as five additional characters. That’s TEN characters who hold their own in terms of how much their characters are just that. Characters. With depth and layers that you could peel back to see the real humanity in them, or lack thereof in Ego’s case. (Avengers and Justice League: take note.) To see all of that come from a comic book film is honestly rather refreshing, when placed to all of these plot heavy films that are focusing on either setting up another movie down the line, mindless action or is just chucked into the same formulaic structure that Marvel has become damn near infamous for following. Add to that the most stunning visuals ever seen in a Marvel movie, and you have one of the most unique comic book films in both the MCU, as well as in general. The subject that Vol. 2 tackles is also very much an important subject matter as well, if you think about it. Focusing on toxic father figures as well as asking what’s more important: what your legacy is or what you value. (Insert political joke here.) Which, in this case, can be seen as family. I’d go into detail about this, but that’s another discussion for another day. Point is, you have a character heavy film in a very plot heavy world, and I couldn’t help but love every single minute of it.

In many ways, perhaps the two are more similar than I gave them credit for initially. Both are character driven films that defy convention and push the boundaries and demand more from their niche medium. Both are relatively contained with uniquely satisfying character development. They are both still vastly different, with one being a neo-western that tears down the “mythification,” for lack of a better word, of the characters, while the other is a hang-out space opera with the slightest echoes of old Greek legends. Both, I should also add, aren’t perfect. Each have their own set of issues, and if you didn’t like them, I can understand why. They also broke so far from tradition in each of their own respective ways, that I can see how it can be jarring and maybe a one-time watch for some of you, as hang-out movies always being an acquired taste, and Logan being so dour, dark and harshly blunt. That being said, I do think that both should be recognized as innovative in the genre in their own unique way. If you think that one’s a bit of a stretch, feel free to disagree, but I stand firm in saying that these two are among the best and unique I’ve seen come out of each studio. One is more critical, while the other is looser.

As to which one is my personal favorite, I’m torn. I’m leaning towards Logan, with its jaw-dropping performances from Hugh Jackman, Sir Patrick Stewart and Dafne Keen as well as the pure grit and honesty that went into it, but the more I think about it, the more I can’t help but smile when I think about how well those scenes between Yondu and Rocket (also, GIVE IT UP FOR MICHEAL ROOKER, Y’ALL. Best damn Mary Poppins I EVER did see), or how devious Ego was that FINALLY GAVE ME ONE GREAT FANTASTIC FOUR VILLAIN ON THE BIG SCREEN, or the eye-watering visuals….so I dunno. The jury is still out at the moment. But I’ll tell you what…they were both better than Iron Fist.