Media Anime and Manga Thread MK3 - Beware Spoilers

Pilo

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am i the only one who was a bit disappointed with warau salesman new? with its particular concept the show had seemingly boundless potential for interesting plots and it didn't get off to a bad start either. its potential looks to be all but wasted now though. none of the episodes use any victims other than salary men, the plots are usually rudimentary at best, and the punishments are too tame. it definitely could have been good but tbh i've been p much forcing myself to watch it for the past while so i think i'm going to drop it.
 
Love the direction Little Witch Academia just took in the most recent episode. That twist tied up some loose ends from a plot standpoint while establishing a great amount of depth that makes it really excited about the future of LWA.
Akko as a character has frustrated me at times due to her naiveté and crazy obsession with Chariot, but seeing her cry after that reveal was absolutely heartbreaking. Knowing that Chariot/Ursula is the primary driving force behind Akko's overzealous energy about magic makes it even more tragic. In my mind, it's almost a bit emotionally manipulative that Chariot inspired the likes of Akko and Diana into wanting to become witches but having the inability to spawn magic due to the magic shows. Since Diana was able to get her magic back, I do hope Akko can fly again.

I have so much more appreciation for the characters thanks to this episode, especially Ursula, whose motivations are much more well-justified. Very excited about the next couple of episodes, especially on how Akko will be able to overcome her devastation.

Also, Koe no Katachi is only 64 chapters, really quick read. I'm in the minority with not being the biggest fan of the movie, so I think both options should be fine for anyone looking to get into it. Do both, preferably.
 
Little witch academia spoilers
Man, I never thought that I would have to put lwa discussion under spoiler tags, but I really loved the twist in this episode, it really puts things into perspective. To me it also explains why Ursula put so much effort into teaching akko, she saw her as a sort of redemption. If she can teach her how to do magic, then she can, if only in a tiny way, right the wrongs of her past. Cool stuff.
 
Looking for animes similar to Sword Art Online.
Honestly, why do people dislike it, I don't know. It was a cute story, though people complain about plot holes.
As if plot holes are something very uncommon.
 
SAO has a lot of problems beyond the plot holes, like the way that the story jumps around and most of the stuff in the first arc is basically filler, and how it throws away the premise (the most interesting thing it had going for it) fairly quickly.

Anyways, Log Horizon and Overlord are probably the most similar in that both involve a "regular guy gets stuck in an MMO" premise, though both are more focused on exploring and understanding the world than any specific objective like beating the game. Unfortunately Overlord is only 12 episodes and Log Horizon is ~50 but loses a lot of steam in the second half.

Re:Zero and Konosuba both slightly modify the premise to "regular guy gets taken to a fantasy world" and both are excellent though completely different, Konosuba is mostly comedy whereas Re:Zero is slow-moving and generally pretty negative and closer to horror.
 
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Martin

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Personally I really like Hai to Gensou no Grimgar as a "transported to fantasy world" show, although it puts a much bigger emphasis on the development of its characters' emotions as opposed to pushing a plot, fleshing out the background of the story/characters, explaining how the characters got there, or developing its character's personalities, and if you want well designed and directed action scenes you are far from starved for them. It's nice as a "before bed" show as a lot of the first half consists of slow plot progression and montages designed to sell (K)NoW_NAME's stellar soundtrack whilst admiring its gorgeous watercolour backdrops.

I've not seen Log Horizon or Overlord, but I'll echo Fishin's reccs for Re:Zero and Konosuba and think that if u liked SAO you'll definitely like them.
 
SAO has a lot of problems beyond the plot holes, like the way that the story jumps around and most of the stuff in the first arc is basically filler, and how it throws away the premise (the most interesting thing it had going for it) fairly quickly.

Anyways, Log Horizon and Overlord are probably the most similar in that both involve a "regular guy gets stuck in an MMO" premise, though both are more focused on exploring and understanding the world than any specific objective like beating the game. Unfortunately Overlord is only 12 episodes and Log Horizon is ~50 but loses a lot of steam in the second half.

Re:Zero and Konosuba both slightly modify the premise to "regular guy gets taken to a fantasy world" and both are excellent though completely different, Konosuba is mostly comedy whereas Re:Zero is slow-moving and generally pretty negative and closer to horror.
Honestly, I see no horror in Re:Zero. Or actually, I would rather not explain any more, because I guess it would be considered spoilers.
But seriously, why horror? It's not like it has ghosts or something.. all it has a wit*h. (censored due to spoiler, I guess you must understand what I mean)
 
idk that I'd call it horror in the traditional sense. There are a lot of scenes that are creepy or brutal (sometimes overdone to the point where it starts to feel a bit silly). It's more about how Subaru's inability to communicate and relate and just generally function as a normal person sort of creeps up on you, culminating in a scene that was harder to watch than any of the gore and made me mad at the time, but which was fantastic looking back on it. That, and the way that the main characters and Subaru especially seem to just be playing into the villain's hands.

And yeah, I'm not sure if I'd consider Grimgar to be an isekai show (iirc they kind of vaguely hint at it in the first episode and that's it) but it's very good and well worth watching if you want a show that involves RPG-inspired fantasy.
 
Log horizon season 1 is probably my favorite of the bunch. I would highly recommend it. It's much more interested in the mechanics of its world and actually almost becomes a politic drama type show (and trust me, it is pretty great)
 

RODAN

Banned deucer.
Looking for animes similar to Sword Art Online.
Honestly, why do people dislike it, I don't know. It was a cute story, though people complain about plot holes.
As if plot holes are something very uncommon.
The isekai genre in general is a pretty stinky one but theres a couple I genuinely enjoyed. Overlord was mentioned before and I enjoy it a lot for being a lot of fun and playing with the genre instead of being restricted by it. The other one I would recommend is Accel World - This show is definitely not for everyone, but I genuinely enjoy it and it has good action. And theres a cute butterfly girl.
 

trace

tell me
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does anyone here watch The King's Avatar / Quan Zhi Gao Shou? It's a really good anime from this season imo if you don't mind hearing chinese dub cos its from china lol

The s1 finished today and I'm already looking forward to s2
 
does anyone here watch The King's Avatar / Quan Zhi Gao Shou? It's a really good anime from this season imo if you don't mind hearing chinese dub cos its from china lol

The s1 finished today and I'm already looking forward to s2
English subs are available, right?
Though the synopsis caught my attention, and since it has finished, gimme a day to complete it.
Also, is a s2 confirmed of it, asking for future references?
Widely regarded as a trailblazer and top-tier professional player in the online multiplayer game "Glory," Xiu Ye is dubbed the "Battle God" for his skills and contributions to the game over the years. However, when forced to retire from the team and to leave his gaming career behind, he finds work at a nearby internet café. There, when Glory launches its 10th server, he throws himself into the game once more using a new character named "Lord Grim."

Xiu Ye's early achievements on the new server immediately catch the attention of many players, as well as the big guilds, leaving them to wonder about the identity of this exceptional player. However, while he possesses 10 years of experience and in-depth knowledge, starting afresh with neither sponsors nor a team in a game that has changed over the years presents numerous challenges. Along with talented new comrades, Xiu Ye once again dedicates himself to traversing the path to Glory's summit!
 

trace

tell me
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English subs are available, right?
Though the synopsis caught my attention, and since it has finished, gimme a day to complete it.
Also, is a s2 confirmed of it, asking for future references?
Widely regarded as a trailblazer and top-tier professional player in the online multiplayer game "Glory," Xiu Ye is dubbed the "Battle God" for his skills and contributions to the game over the years. However, when forced to retire from the team and to leave his gaming career behind, he finds work at a nearby internet café. There, when Glory launches its 10th server, he throws himself into the game once more using a new character named "Lord Grim."

Xiu Ye's early achievements on the new server immediately catch the attention of many players, as well as the big guilds, leaving them to wonder about the identity of this exceptional player. However, while he possesses 10 years of experience and in-depth knowledge, starting afresh with neither sponsors nor a team in a game that has changed over the years presents numerous challenges. Along with talented new comrades, Xiu Ye once again dedicates himself to traversing the path to Glory's summit!
yes, english subs are available though i prefer watching it raw lol

s2 is confirmed at the end of eps 12
 
does anyone here watch The King's Avatar / Quan Zhi Gao Shou? It's a really good anime from this season imo if you don't mind hearing chinese dub cos its from china lol

The s1 finished today and I'm already looking forward to s2
I tried it and it wasn't bad but the voices being in Chinese bothered more than I was expecting, there were a couple parts that sounded really lazily acted but that might have just been me. I'm hoping that an English or Japanese dub comes out.
 

Pilo

uses walther
is a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
does anyone here watch The King's Avatar / Quan Zhi Gao Shou? It's a really good anime from this season imo if you don't mind hearing chinese dub cos its from china lol

The s1 finished today and I'm already looking forward to s2
on king's avatar: I gave the show 3 eps last night but i'm not totally on board yet. I'm not actually that bothered by the cheap cg they use in a lot of the scenes but the lack of meaningful conflict in the show makes it a bit boring. the mc ye xiu is so unbelievably strong that almost every fight is no contest and it's honestly hard to root for a character who doesn't even have to struggle remotely to achieve his goals. I thought the show was going in the right direction when xiu was forced to give up his account and start over from scratch but the grind is made a lot less satisfying by the fact that he instantly attains celebrity level status within the game under his new account.
I tried it and it wasn't bad but the voices being in Chinese bothered more than I was expecting, there were a couple parts that sounded really lazily acted but that might have just been me. I'm hoping that an English or Japanese dub comes out.
i too found the chinese really offputting to listen to at first but i'm slowly adapting to it. if the show really is as good as everyone says it is i'm not going to let it get in the way of my enjoyment.

on a more positive note though i really have to give the show props for knowing its stuff. the writing staff clearly put a lot of effort into creating and perpetuating a believable universe which is something a lot of videogame-related shows barely even try to do. I have yet to see what everyone else sees in this show but i'm still going to give it a chance to impress me.
 
I saw a video on that show that kinda covered what it does well and it seemed like a good substitute to watching the show, lemme see if I can find it

EDIT:
 
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TMan87

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Alright, so I just finished Demi-chan wa Kataritai/Interview with Monster Girls yesterday (I know I'm late but whatever) and I thought I'll give my input :
Opening:
Well yeah, after all it's the first thing that you see and hear from the anime (aside from one scene), so why not begin with this. I have to say, the opening is rather clean and enjoyable, so I didn't skip it much (I usually skip anime openings once I've heard them once or twice). The drumline in particular is very good. On the other hand, the ending is okay but not great.

Visuals:
While not astounding, the colors and visuals are pretty and contribute to the cuteness of the show. Mostly pastel colors and soft shading create a warm atmosphere, letting the viewer get comfortable and follow the story. No unbelievable hair color or haircut (except Hikari's, but it's explained anyway) help by placing the show in a semi-realistic setting.

Characters:
As with any slice-of-life show, the characters are kinda normal (except that, you know, some of them are actually monster girls). Imo, the show manages to paint them as realistic characters by highlighting both their flaws and their strengths as demis and humans, which is really important when you consider the premise and is crucial to make them relatable. The main trio follows a rather classic genki girl/ladylike girl/quiet girl, and the fourth demi is the MC's main love interest, so it's not like they were very original here. Yuki does open up a bit later on though, and her personality becomes more interesting. The MC itself is a bit more unique in that he doesn't fall into the classic SoL MC category: he's intelligent, kind but level-headed, doesn't end up in weird situations defying every law of physics (looking at you, Yuuki Rito and Kimihito Kurusu) and is actually much more fleshed out than most main characters in slice-of-life. The last episodes in particular complexify his already decent character, which is a relief. There are not many secondary characters and many of them do not have much of an impact until late in the show, but said impact in the last episodes is sweet, so I'll give them a pass.

Story:
The story isn't very present as it is a slice-of-life and thus not as reliant on plot than more action-oriented animes, but there is still a sense of progression, which is satisfying for the viewer. Now, here's the catch: from ep 1 to 9, you'll be seeing an average (but nice) comedy slice-of-life anime. However, ep 10 begins to raise important questions and thickens the plot, while ep 11 and 12 just turn up the heartwarming button up to eleven, maybe twelve. Actually, these two episodes alone are probably more than enough to make the show worth a shot. The relationship between the main characters (and even with secondary characters!) becomes outright adorable and you'll end up regretting that it cuts short like this. Definitely a feel-good anime, but it does raise some philosophical questions.

Humor:
I was expecting more humor from this, so it's a bit of a surprise, but the show is more adorable than funny. However, the jokes and running gags in Demi-chan are spot-on (imo) and made me laugh. Hikari's antics never get old, Kyoko's appearances alternate between funny and d'awww, and Yuki of all characters becomes an unexpected comic relief at times, not to mention every flirty interaction between the MC and his succubus colleague (the guy has some buddhist levels of self-control btw).

Plotholes:
Sadly, this anime is also subject to plotholes, which are probably explained in the original support but is left out here. Among them:
- Really, who is Kurtz, the anti-succubus police agent, and what's his power? He just appears out of nowhere and disappears as fast, with no explanation given whatsoever...
- What does Takahashi's dream about being attacked by a vampire brings to the show? Is that foreshadowing or is it just to introduce his whole "nocturnal animals have their own eye properties" speech?
- What did they do to prevent heat from weakening them? It's probably a sequel hook, but still...


Final rating:
I'd rate this anime overall a solid 8.5/10. It's cute, it's funny, so it's definitely a good anime to take a break between two animes that are heavier or more plot-driven.

Now onto Gabriel DropOut I go!
 

Lemonade

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any mango readers? Been aimlessly browsing panda / here / etc. and there are so many boring series. Did manage to find a firefighting (not really) series (btw, it feels a lot like Blue Exorcist) called Enen no Shouboutai that I caught up with relatively painlessly. Need some recs I guess.
 

brightobject

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any mango readers? Been aimlessly browsing panda / here / etc. and there are so many boring series. Did manage to find a firefighting (not really) series (btw, it feels a lot like Blue Exorcist) called Enen no Shouboutai that I caught up with relatively painlessly. Need some recs I guess.
remember checking out the firefighter one, done by the soul eater guy right? pretty good stuff
Anything you're looking for in particular / favorites u can recall to get a bead on what you like? I've been reading BNHA but it's pretty generic aside from the phenomenal action choreography / character design.

-I know you like OnePiece so for shounen I'd say Eyeshield 21 and AssClass (art isn't the best, but it has its own charm and the writing is great)

-off the top of my head there's also voynich hotel which is relatively short but extremely funny and quirky, it's about demons and zombies and shit in a hotel, so check that out if you're interested
 

Martin

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any mango readers? Been aimlessly browsing panda / here / etc. and there are so many boring series. Did manage to find a firefighting (not really) series (btw, it feels a lot like Blue Exorcist) called Enen no Shouboutai that I caught up with relatively painlessly. Need some recs I guess.
i've read the first volume of Monster and think it was p. good
 

Lemonade

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I've read a lot of Hero Academia (100+) and wasn't feeling it. Finished 21, maybe I'll reread it. Read most of Aclass as well...not feeling the reread for another few years at least. Recently reread Monster, damn is it good. I guess I'm in an action shounen mood atm.

I guess I'll look at voynich hotel, the shortness is sad but I guess I've basically read every long running series at this point.
 

Pilo

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I'm about 50 chapters into Vento Aureo which is dope but I haven't really read it in a while. Other than that I read a lot of One Piece and a bit of CCS last year but that's just about the extent of my recent manga reading.

Voynich Hotel seems pretty interesting based on synopsis alone and I like the quirky artstyle so I'll probably give it a go too.
 

RODAN

Banned deucer.
seasonal stuff now that its coming to a close

LWA: Trash

Re:Creators: gets better and better each episode, the entire cast is compelling. except meteora fuck her. ep 3-5 are a bit of a slog.

Machiavellianism: good dumb harem, probably the best harem i've seen. still not really worth noting though.

Sakurada Reset: Fascinatingly bad, its bad in a way i've never seen a show be bad before. Main girl is insanely autistic

Eromanga-Sensei: the fact that he chose objectively worst girl brings this show down a bit. team elf yamada.

Warau Salesman: shitty twilight zone basically, the plot twists / punishments werent interesting at all. Few notable segments though (the night owl bit is a personal favourite)

Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine: started out ok but i got bored really fast i have 0 idea why i watched the whole thing

SukaSuka: way better than it has any right to be. the ctholly willem relationship carries the show hardcore. next episode will make or break the show.


and during the offseason i decided to start watching EL CAZADOR DE LA BRUJA https://myanimelist.net/anime/2030/El_Cazador_de_la_Bruja which is a surprisngly heartwarming tale of a bounty hunter and a witch girl. im only 3 episodes in but the relationship between the 2 MCs is really good. Theres a lot of dumb ways this show could go though, and its already showing signs of that.
 

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