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Previous Reviews
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Recommendations
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I'll constantly be adding to this section as I watch more animes. For now It will just be one big pile but eventually I might work up enough anti-lazy to organize them by episode length or something.
-Neon Genesis Evangelion
-Boogiepop Phantom
-Hayate no Gotoku!
-Serial Experiments Lain
-School Rumble
-Cowboy Bebop
-Samurai Champloo
-Haruhi
-Lucky Star
-Code Geass
-Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
-Miname-ke
-Nausicaä
-Spirited Away
-FLCL
-Golden Boy
-Full Metal Panic? Fomoffu! (Season 1.5)
-Ghost in the Shell (All of them)
-Death Note
-Akira
-Ergo Proxy
-The Place Promised in Our Early Days
-Paprika
-Tekkon Kinkreet
-5 Centimeters Per Second
-Kannagi
As I have no life, I spent my entire Saturday watching this.
Kara no Kyoukai - The Garden of Sinners - 7 Movies
Take note that this review is based upon watching 5 out of the total 7 movies, each about an hour long. Movie 6 has been released but not translated, and the last one is slated to arrive sometime in 2009.
Mainly a paranormal / supernatural series with a heavy dosage of romance, I found myself not knowing what the heck was going on for a good portion of the series (probably 3 movies in is when I started to make connections), however in the end you basically know whats happening (sort of). I don't know if this is because I'm completely ignorant to the series or what but I can't really provide any extra input as I have not read the novels.
Despite not knowing what's going on, these are still an excellent set of movies. The animation is stunning and the music is phenomenal. It seems to me that in the early episodes there isn't that much of a plot, however all the movies link together rather nicely to create a comprehensive and entertaining story. The 5th movie takes a seemingly different path, however in the end it becomes an enjoyable culmination to the previous 4 episodes, resulting in somewhat of a closure for the many of the unanswered questions from the previous movies.
What I especially like,(this being an excellent trait of any story), is the usage of anachronism throughout the series, but especially in the 5th episode. This may just be me but I find is especially enjoyable when connections can be made throughout a movie, overall this keeps them enjoyable and provoking, making you want to watch more.
[8/10] - This is an amazing piece of artwork on multiple levels, animation, sound, and story. I eagerly wait for the translation of the 6th movie and the eventually release of the 7th.
Undecided as to what I watch next, but I definitely need to clear some of the THREE HUNDRED GIGABYTES of anime I have queued up.
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NeverGG
United Kingdom5399 Posts
Thanks for the recommendations - I don't really watch much anime (I was more of a manga person back home because I worked in a comic shop for 3 years.) so it's nice to find some pointers. I've watched Lucky Star and it was so cute!
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Thing with Rakkyo is that the original novel is pretty bloody complicated, some might know the writer as the script writer for Type-Moon, and Rakkyo is the first piece to that universe. Consequently, a lot of it happens to be explanations of mechanisms of the universe. The theatrical version is quite confusing in the sense that they worked hard to make it accessible to people who are not Type-Moon fanatics and omitted a large amount of those things. However, in doing so, it also made it difficult for them to understand the reason for some of the things done.
Honestly you did good if you understand a bit from the first 3 chapters, as it wasn't until the 5th that you should have much of an idea of the connections. Movie 6 has been released, but will not see translation till DVD, which when I last checked is still unannounced.
The use of anachronism is particular to the 5th for thematic reasons, however, instead of looking for plot within each chapter, it is my opinion that you are much better off looking for thematic elements. The "plot" which connects the whole movie is less of a plot than it is the character development of Shiki, and to a lesser extent, Kokutou. In turn, each chapter reveals some facets of that as well as having an overarching theme that ties it together as a chapter.
EDIT - Somewhat curious on your take of the events in chapter 2, simply want to see the thoughts of people who have only watched the anime in regard to the chapter.
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I've been meaning to watch Fumoffu for a while now, but didn't want to commit to the entire FMP series. Would it be okay to watch the season on its own, without previous seasons being watched?
Also: I'm curious to see samples of the large amount of anime you have queued up. I myself have neglected a lot of the older series: and tend to just keep up with the current seasons. I myself am a sucker for comedy and romance. Thanks for your time: and great recommendation list!
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You can watch Fumoffu without knowledge of the other seasons of FMP, though some events might slip by you. Those episodes are based upon the short stories anyway, which kind of exist as a parallel plotline, so it works out.
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On March 08 2009 11:42 Sylvaner wrote:
I've been meaning to watch Fumoffu for a while now, but didn't want to commit to the entire FMP series. Would it be okay to watch the season on its own, without previous seasons being watched?
Also: I'm curious to see samples of the large amount of anime you have queued up. I myself have neglected a lot of the older series: and tend to just keep up with the current seasons. I myself am a sucker for comedy and romance. Thanks for your time: and great recommendation list!
I'd say way the 1st season at least as its only 26(?) episodes long. You really should have some idea of how the series works. If the first season isn't particularly appealing you can skip the 3rd as its pretty much more of the same with very little differences, however if you are expecting a good romance you're looking in the wrong place. Comedy + Romance mix well for comedy, but in the end create unfulfilling romances. (Although I'm sure you know this already.)
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Yeah, I know: I especially like shows that combine the two but know when to emphasize the drama when it is needed (e.g: Clannad, Toradora!). Thanks for the reply: and I'll definitely look into the Full Metal Panic series when I have more time (I'm leaving for The Philippines this coming Monday: so I don't really want to start anything new in the span of one day).
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On March 08 2009 12:15 Sylvaner wrote:
Yeah, I know: I especially like shows that combine the two but know when to emphasize the drama when it is needed (e.g: Clannad, Toradora!). Thanks for the reply: and I'll definitely look into the Full Metal Panic series when I have more time (I'm leaving for The Philippines this coming Monday: so I don't really want to start anything new in the span of one day).
Clannad and Toradora! were awful. Clannad more so.
It always fucking bugs me when I watch an anime based on a visual novel because I always fucking know they're combining story arcs to create a monstrosity that man should never be allowed to witness when compared to the great games they usually are. Furthermore, they always have to fucking pick the most plain and annoying main female protagonists to be the focus of the story. IN ADDITION, Clannad went so far as to spit in my face and create an OVA consisting of a differing story arc which completely annihilates and disembowels the main series in every way possible. The 1 episode OVA consisting of TOMOYO is so much better I wanted to cry that they spent all their time on the main arc rather than this. I'm sure the main arc is significantly better in the game but still, I punched walls after watching the OVA.
As for Toradora!, it suffers from generic 13 episode syndrome. Admittedly, it had its moments, however the ending was just plain awful. Really, where was the drama. Why were the characters developed for a completely unrelated ending. Arguably the worst thing an anime can do in my mind is set itself up for failure by not allowing a good ending to be created through not focusing the plot towards a specific goal. At least Toradora! did that somewhat, however it ended up not even using that type of ending. Overall a HUGE dissapoint for me, as the characters were very likeable.
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I wouldn't mock Clannad, if you want to complain about their focus, go bitch to Key about writing Clannad's true end to be based around Nagisa. Besides, Nagisa was one of the most popular galge characters of the year Clannad was first released, think it comes down to an issue of personal taste. Of course, that Tomoyo After was released at all points to her popularity as well, the DVD special (Not to be confused with an OVA or the theatrical version) was simply a nod to that.
For the record though, I enjoyed just about every other route more so that I did Nagisa's, especially the After Story/True End because of you-know-what-happened.
If you really cared, you can just play the game in English based on fan translations, I can't attest to the quality of the translations though. Also, Kotomi arc ftw, I don't know why the writer took a line from a random cute Sci Fi short story then proceed to essentially write it all over again, but the result was excellent.
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Fuckin' Key games. I'm like some abused wife with Key games. I'm like :D then it fucks me over and I'm ;_; but I just keep coming back~ Tomoyo After got me reallllllllllly good lol. I should just stick to Nitroplus bullshit. Also, I like Sanae.
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On March 08 2009 12:57 SayaSP wrote:
Fuckin' Key games. I'm like some abused wife with Key games. I'm like :D then it fucks me over and I'm ;_; but I just keep coming back~ Tomoyo After got me reallllllllllly good lol. I should just stick to Nitroplus bullshit. Also, I like Sanae.
Little Busters was awfully nice of them though? It broke their streak in terms of the way of how they fuck you! Of course the tradeoff is that you start off feeling getting screwed a lot worse than you would be normally :p
At that, isn't Key making something in collaboration with 7th Expansion? Can't wait to see how bad us readers get fucked then, the one with Leaf is going to look like child's play 
Nitroplus is awesome though~
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lol, I didn't think I'd start a large argument like this XD
It's all about personal preference anywhom. I do agree that the obviousness of the end-character in these adaptions can be quite disheartening: it still is interesting on how it unfolds. I'm still relatively new when it comes to things I have seen and yet to see: nor do I plan on having any more then a hobby when it comes to Anime (I just prefer it over a lot of the dreck that is shown on TV). I also go into much shows just for entertainment: I wouldn't be watching a lot of what I watch in search for plot or much substance for that matter.
On March 08 2009 12:35 Ecael wrote:
Also, Kotomi arc ftw
... *shifty eyes*
Agreed.
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Fuck this shit
Clannad is awesome.
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On March 08 2009 13:20 MYM.Testie wrote:
Fuck this shit
Clannad is awesome.
You have no taste good sir.
I can not attest to the game, however I am sure it is infinitely better.
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What.
Clannad is like one of the highest rated animes i've ever seen on anidb. Clannad's ok. After Story is pretty great too in the later episodes. And it definitely has its moments in the early episodes.
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Anidb ratings are...eh, lol
It is really a huge personal preference thing, though, the way they just blazed over Kyou and Tomoyo arc in Clannad was really annoying, while for the sake of plot they have to do that, it was still annoying as those two routes were excellent. The anime as a whole though was well done and right on line with what the "true" story of Clannad, down to each orb that you see.
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Oh god, if they put the Kyou/Ryou arc in the anime hahahaha that would be hella sick imo. Also yeah Little Busters was nicer, but like by then I was already fucked by Kanon (Makoto) and shit. I hope that new Rewrite one isn't gonna be that bad lol (bad as in, not fuckin with me D: )
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Oh gosh Makoto, that one is just painful, I swear they take sadistic pleasure in doing what they do with scripts.
Now toss in 7th Expansion, stir and serve...gah I wonder how bad it can be, Higurashi/Umineko's brutality on top of Key's excellent character settings?
EDIT - Ryou arc WAS in the anime, it was just horribly edited to make what happened in Kotomi arc all make sense still :p
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i watched clanned movie, was good, dunno about anime : \
also, thanks again for the review!
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On March 08 2009 15:34 Ecael wrote:
Anidb ratings are...eh, lol
I find them pretty good. I don't just read one review, the ratings themselves in general seem to reflect the quality of the anime.
All the ones I like are rated an 8 or more.
So far it's been very accurate for me. ;o
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I did like clannad, but over the top drama is just my thing. After watching it, I got my hands on the game and being able to see very arc is sweet. Tora Dora! is good if you're into Tsundere anime (Shakugan no Shana, Haruhi, Hayate come to mind though the second's arguable), but it's all a matter of taste.
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EPT
