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My favorite anime, Yu Yu Hakusho, now has a live action adaptation on Netflix
I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but it's been really interesting to watch the discussions/debates between those who have. I feel like there are 3 different camps, with the 2 extremes being the most vocal and most likely to misrepresent the opposite view, despite the extremes taking the time to flesh out their own concerns:
1. Middle Camp: "I thought it was decent. If the objective was to fit in as much Yu Yu Hakusho as possible within 5 episodes, then I think the goal was pretty much met. A lot was missing, but overall it was better than nothing, and there were a few really solid highlights. I'd rate it somewhere between 5/10 and 7/10, and I hope they make more episodes."
2. Hated-It Extreme Camp: "I really feel let down. I understand that certain fantasy parts of the manga/anime can't exist in a live action adaptation with a limited budget, and that other parts are going to be cut due to time restraints, but I feel like even the parts they kept weren't done well. Character personalities and interactions weren't consistent with the source material, the plot is confusing because so much is combined at once, the key moments that were retained still lack the necessary gravitas, and even some simple, aesthetic, design choices were a complete mismatch. Here are ten additional points that specifically address my disappointment: [X]." But then also, when replying to someone who is in the Loved-It Extreme Camp: "Anyone who enjoyed any aspect of this show is a moron and should take a spirit gun to the face. This live action has ruined Yu Yu Hakusho forever, it's literally cancer, and everyone knows the only rating for this show is a 0/10. Am I allowed to pick a number less than zero? How about a -3/10?"
3. Loved-It Extreme Camp: "I really enjoyed it! The live action series is doing an incredible job at efficiently navigating through dozens of episodes, trimming the fat, and creating a unique take on our beloved Yu Yu Hakusho. The battles are incredible, I thoroughly enjoyed the references and Easter eggs that were nods to the source material, and I'm really excited to find out where this live action goes next! Here are ten additional points that specifically address my admiration: [X]." But then also, when replying to someone who is in the Hated-It Extreme Camp: "You dumb, pathetic, piece of trash. I can't believe you wanted a perfect, one-to-one copy of the anime, with a budget of infinite money. Don't you realize that these spirits and demons are fictional? You probably want the Yusuke actor to die in real life too, just to stay accurate with the source material. Stop condoning murder. Anyways, I rate this live action adaptation a very modest 37/10."
The year is coming to an end, so it's time to look back at all the anime released this year. If you like, you can fill in the form in the spoiler below. You can also add, delete or change categories to your liking and add some rationals for your decisions/placements.
1. Pluto (8/10; I think it had some very interesting takes on themes such as "what makes a human human" and I really liked the characters and story telling for the most part. Production was top notch as well. Only the ending was quite underwhelming compared to the rest of the of the show but I still think it was the strongest show this year.
2. Hikari no Ou (8/10; see below)
3. Vinland Saga s2 (8/10; This one missed some of the intriguing politics of the first season, which I enjoyed the most. This was probably due to the lack of Askeladd. Thorfinn's growth was very well done. The story featured a number of unexpected turns of events, which didn't feel like asspulls. I also worried it couldn't deliver with a satisfying ending to all the build up in the second half but I was wrong. The last 3 episodes tied everything together nicely, had a strong message and an outlook that left me wanting to see more.
Best Thing that Nobody Watched of 2023
- Hikari no Ou (I think most people dropped this because of bad animation fairly early on. To their loss. Imho was one of the strongest shows in a while. The art was gorgeous, the soundtrack phenomenal and the story-telling and world-building was interesting and quite unique.)
Most Surprising of 2023
- Heavenly Delusions (Discarded this one preemptively based on the synopsis and picked it up based on popular praise for it's animation and was surprised. Not only was the animation astounding indeed, the rest of the show was quite decent as well.)
Stockholm Syndrome Award for 2023
-
Worst anime that I wasted time on of 2023
- Nier:Automata (I dropped this after 7 episodes, when this got delayed indefinitely. Should have done so earlier. While the world was super interesting, the story-telling and especially the characters were super boring.)
Best Anime Season of 2023
- Winter
Worst Anime Season of 2023
- Summer
Most Disappointing of 2023
-
Guilty Pleasure
-
'Elem Award' for Most Overrated Anime of 2023
- Sousou no Frieren (Yeah it's not finished, but at 16 episodes for this type of anime I have surely seen enough, I don't think my view of this show is going to change. Yes, it's decent but it's not outstanding in any way, shape or form. I have no idea why this is rated so highly everywhere.)
Top OP of 2023
Usotsuki by Leo leiri (Hikari no Ou). The music together with the artistic opening made me watch the OP everytime, which rarely ever happens.
Top ED of 2023
Tie between Without Love by LMYK (Vinland Saga s2) and 誰も彼も何処も何も知らない by ASOBI (Heavenly Delusions).
Best OST Piece
Cherished Memories by Showa Manabe & Yugo Kano (Pluto). I really enjoyed the main theme of this piece. It's not only memorable and emotionally impactful but the integration of the creation of the main theme in the show really made one (or me at least) bond with it. Unfortunately the OST from Hikari no Ou isn't available (yet).
- Mayumi Saco (Arnheid, Vinland Saga s2; Usually I have at least some complain about the way scenes involving crying are voice acted in anime but damn, Mayumi did an incredible job.)
Best Show watched from back log (released pre 2023)
- Tatami Time Machine Blues (9/10; absolutely brilliant writing, witty, eccentric, lively).
I picked this up because of this post. Just finished the Manga / Comics. Episode 2 on Crunchyroll should appear today. Great show overall
i tried to read 2 times. first time i got to the fight with some wolves in a basement or something and the second time to a gigant centiped or worm iirc... i guess is not for me but i will check the anime just in case
Damn, The Wrong Way To Use Healing Magic is way beyond my expectations. Started watching it one day out of boredom thinking it'll be another bad isekai but boy was I wrong. It's actually fun as hell and has interesting characters so I guess I'll be sticking with it.
On January 20 2024 07:16 Manit0u wrote: Damn, The Wrong Way To Use Healing Magic is way beyond my expectations. Started watching it one day out of boredom thinking it'll be another bad isekai but boy was I wrong. It's actually fun as hell and has interesting characters so I guess I'll be sticking with it.
On January 14 2024 08:34 ZerOCoolSC2 wrote: Manwha's are hard to get into, so don't feel bad. I think it's the vertical nature of the strips.
I would really like to know the origins of this format. It's absolutely fucking atrocious. Solo leveling anime is like 10000x better than the manhwa because in the anime you can actually capture all the action that the comic version tried to do but failed at because of the format.
Is it designed for the screen readers primarily? All this whitespace and small panels make it really hard to do anything apart from the bog standard 2 people talking and camera switching between them.
If you really want to see something great comic-wise (fair warning though, it'll ruin all graphic novels for you forever) you should check out Sandman: Overture. From an artistic/design standpoint it's currently the pinnacle of graphic novel medium IMO. 0 wasted space. Borders are part of the picture, speech bubbles are also part of borders or the picture itself, black background by default (which required them to develop a whole new coloring and printing techniques). It's a feast for the eyes.
On January 14 2024 08:34 ZerOCoolSC2 wrote: Manwha's are hard to get into, so don't feel bad. I think it's the vertical nature of the strips.
I would really like to know the origins of this format. It's absolutely fucking atrocious. Solo leveling anime is like 10000x better than the manhwa because in the anime you can actually capture all the action that the comic version tried to do but failed at because of the format.
Is it designed for the screen readers primarily? All this whitespace and small panels make it really hard to do anything apart from the bog standard 2 people talking and camera switching between them.
If you really want to see something great comic-wise (fair warning though, it'll ruin all graphic novels for you forever) you should check out Sandman: Overture. From an artistic/design standpoint it's currently the pinnacle of graphic novel medium IMO. 0 wasted space. Borders are part of the picture, speech bubbles are also part of borders or the picture itself, black background by default (which required them to develop a whole new coloring and printing techniques). It's a feast for the eyes.
On January 14 2024 08:34 ZerOCoolSC2 wrote: Manwha's are hard to get into, so don't feel bad. I think it's the vertical nature of the strips.
I would really like to know the origins of this format. It's absolutely fucking atrocious. Solo leveling anime is like 10000x better than the manhwa because in the anime you can actually capture all the action that the comic version tried to do but failed at because of the format.
Is it designed for the screen readers primarily? All this whitespace and small panels make it really hard to do anything apart from the bog standard 2 people talking and camera switching between them.
If you really want to see something great comic-wise (fair warning though, it'll ruin all graphic novels for you forever) you should check out Sandman: Overture. From an artistic/design standpoint it's currently the pinnacle of graphic novel medium IMO. 0 wasted space. Borders are part of the picture, speech bubbles are also part of borders or the picture itself, black background by default (which required them to develop a whole new coloring and printing techniques). It's a feast for the eyes.
On December 16 2023 21:28 DarkPlasmaBall wrote: My favorite anime, Yu Yu Hakusho, now has a live action adaptation on Netflix
I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but it's been really interesting to watch the discussions/debates between those who have. I feel like there are 3 different camps, with the 2 extremes being the most vocal and most likely to misrepresent the opposite view, despite the extremes taking the time to flesh out their own concerns:
1. Middle Camp: "I thought it was decent. If the objective was to fit in as much Yu Yu Hakusho as possible within 5 episodes, then I think the goal was pretty much met. A lot was missing, but overall it was better than nothing, and there were a few really solid highlights. I'd rate it somewhere between 5/10 and 7/10, and I hope they make more episodes."
2. Hated-It Extreme Camp: "I really feel let down. I understand that certain fantasy parts of the manga/anime can't exist in a live action adaptation with a limited budget, and that other parts are going to be cut due to time restraints, but I feel like even the parts they kept weren't done well. Character personalities and interactions weren't consistent with the source material, the plot is confusing because so much is combined at once, the key moments that were retained still lack the necessary gravitas, and even some simple, aesthetic, design choices were a complete mismatch. Here are ten additional points that specifically address my disappointment: [X]." But then also, when replying to someone who is in the Loved-It Extreme Camp: "Anyone who enjoyed any aspect of this show is a moron and should take a spirit gun to the face. This live action has ruined Yu Yu Hakusho forever, it's literally cancer, and everyone knows the only rating for this show is a 0/10. Am I allowed to pick a number less than zero? How about a -3/10?"
3. Loved-It Extreme Camp: "I really enjoyed it! The live action series is doing an incredible job at efficiently navigating through dozens of episodes, trimming the fat, and creating a unique take on our beloved Yu Yu Hakusho. The battles are incredible, I thoroughly enjoyed the references and Easter eggs that were nods to the source material, and I'm really excited to find out where this live action goes next! Here are ten additional points that specifically address my admiration: [X]." But then also, when replying to someone who is in the Hated-It Extreme Camp: "You dumb, pathetic, piece of trash. I can't believe you wanted a perfect, one-to-one copy of the anime, with a budget of infinite money. Don't you realize that these spirits and demons are fictional? You probably want the Yusuke actor to die in real life too, just to stay accurate with the source material. Stop condoning murder. Anyways, I rate this live action adaptation a very modest 37/10."
It's done pretty damn well but it just rushes WAY too much, barely gives you any time to get to know any of the characters while also squishing two of the first major arcs together into 5 episodes.
The action is done quite well, and the special effects are pretty good too for what it is, but the show would be a lot better if it wasn't so squished.
That looks super edgy... Who is this acclaimed director? What series did he direct?
On January 31 2024 09:52 Manit0u wrote:
On January 14 2024 08:34 ZerOCoolSC2 wrote: Manwha's are hard to get into, so don't feel bad. I think it's the vertical nature of the strips.
I would really like to know the origins of this format. It's absolutely fucking atrocious. Solo leveling anime is like 10000x better than the manhwa because in the anime you can actually capture all the action that the comic version tried to do but failed at because of the format.
Is it designed for the screen readers primarily? All this whitespace and small panels make it really hard to do anything apart from the bog standard 2 people talking and camera switching between them.
If you really want to see something great comic-wise (fair warning though, it'll ruin all graphic novels for you forever) you should check out Sandman: Overture. From an artistic/design standpoint it's currently the pinnacle of graphic novel medium IMO. 0 wasted space. Borders are part of the picture, speech bubbles are also part of borders or the picture itself, black background by default (which required them to develop a whole new coloring and printing techniques). It's a feast for the eyes.
On January 30 2024 21:37 ThePhan2m wrote: Solo Leveling really cool. So is Shangri-la Frontier! Really enjoying them both.
any others worth watching? "The wrong way to use healing magic" still holding up?
Been great all episodes so far.
Both these are nice aswell for new shows this year:
Majo to Yajuu Sasaki P-chan
Returning shows this season that im watching: Mashle S2 Shin no Nakama S2 Tsukimichi S2 Classroom S3
And ofc the 2nd cour shows from this fall Frieren Hitorigoto
I only picked up Majo to Yajuu this season. It's quite mediocre but not bad enough to drop it immediately.
Other than that I'm still watching Frieren and the second season of Hikari no Ou.
Tsukaikata is a treat if you like isekai with a somewhat silly comedic nature.
Yeah, thank you but no. I have nothing against the idea of isekai, in fact it's actually a fascinating premise with a lot of potential. The problem is, that these authors rather want to write a self-insert story instead of actually writing something interesting (to me, that is). I think the most recent isekai I found interesting was Sonny Boy.