Anime Decade: From Japan Cool to Cooling Off

VF5SS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> [thecartdriver.com]
> 8/iIrw2JgoAX24G.jpg
>
> anime is over
>
> /thread

Is this a parody?

Oh. It seems to be serious. The first four rows or so really had me thinking I was looking at some Poe Slaw parody. And there was this insane description (emphasis mine):

Quote

When a mysterious transfer girl happens to drool on her desk one day, Akira Tsubaki decides to taste it. Little did he know that soon he would be going out with Mitoko Urabe, a girl who he knows absolutely nothing about, yet seems to be destined for.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at the ridiculousness of that plot.

Sounds about on par with most Rumiko Takahashi plots.

[www.animenewsnetwork.com]

oicantwait



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2012 07:20AM by VF5SS.

Vincent Z. Wrote:
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> Strike Witches the movie will save anime!
>
> [www.youtube.com]
> =player_embedded


I think I'm ready to chime in here. After watching the teaser, I, for one, I am hella pumped for the Strike Witches movie. The WWII tanks and gear on the ground troops looked pretty accurate, and I am all for more things with tanks in them. The only thing I am afraid of is how cranked up the 'fan-service' upskirt camel toes will be with the higher production values.

SW is actually a pretty fun show if you take it for exactly what it is: totally, utterly, and completely stupid. It's the kind of thing you can like in an ironic way because the concept is so silly, but the action is fun and the characters are bombastic, if a little rote.

The problem is it is weighed down by the need to pander to an audience that has proved time and again that it is nothing but the lowest common denominator. You could do the whole pantsless action girl thing and make everything really subtle and tastefully over the top, but instead the animators fall back on straight up pussy shots to keep their revolting audience engaged, who are undoubtedly watching it primarily for masturbation purposes. I watched it on Youtube, and realized that a couple of episodes are actually censored... the DVD release includes some actually nuduty which, since most of the characters are between like 12 and 15, amounts to actual kiddie porn. This shit is unacceptable, and I cannot believe it is a thing that anyone could actually stand up and defend.

Introducing Prometheus Rising Studio.
[prometheusrising.net]
I make 3D printed mecha action figures.

I...I...

The above post apparently gave me a minor stroke.

Allow me to paraphrase my interpretation of the above:

"I am hella pumed for ###. ### is actually a pretty fun show...totally, utterly, and completely stupid...but the action is fun and the characters are bombastic.

The problem is the animators fall back on pussy shots to keep their revolting audience engaged...who are undoubtedly watching it for masturbation purposes. Since most of the characters are between 12 and 15, it amounts to kiddie porn...and is unacceptable. I cannot believe anyone could actually stand up and defend this."

So...you're BOTH "hella pumped" and you find it "revolting" and can't understand how anyone could defend it...all at once?

I'm going to slap you full-on across the face at Josh's, with my open palm lightly dusted with baby powder.

Sanjeev Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I...I...
>
> The above post apparently gave me a minor stroke.
>
> Allow me to paraphrase my interpretation of the
> above:
>
> "I am hella pumed for ###. ### is actually a
> pretty fun show...totally, utterly, and completely
> stupid...but the action is fun and the characters
> are bombastic.
>
> The problem is the animators fall back on pussy
> shots to keep their revolting audience
> engaged...who are undoubtedly watching it for
> masturbation purposes. Since most of the
> characters are between 12 and 15, it amounts to
> kiddie porn...and is unacceptable. I cannot
> believe anyone could actually stand up and defend
> this."
>
> So...you're BOTH "hella pumped" and you find it
> "revolting" and can't understand how anyone could
> defend it...all at once?
>
> I'm going to slap you full-on across the face at
> Josh's, with my open palm lightly dusted with baby
> powder.


Maybe I should have been more specific, because it does seem contradictory. The series in general is actually pretty enjoyable. It's the fan service and gross elements, which are totally removable from the rest of the show, that are indefensible. You could cut out the pandering entirely, and the show would be dumb and fun, but also kinda tasteful, rather than gross.

The thing I've noticed after skimming a few different modern animu shows last week is that anime writers and animators really have no sense of subtlety. Everything is so heavy-handed 'LOOK AT THESE TITS! SEE YOU GUYS WANTED TITS SO WE GAVE YOU TITS!' There's very little room for normal or at least reasonably well-adjusted people to enjoy a lot of this shit without feeling totally alienated by the more overt elements. The tits and ass stuff is just a crutch, and it comes off as so lazy even within these shows.

Introducing Prometheus Rising Studio.
[prometheusrising.net]
I make 3D printed mecha action figures.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2012 12:36PM by Prometheum5.

Ben is a big fan of Shirley-san's magic engines.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2012 01:00PM by VF5SS.

thomas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Is this a parody?
>
> Oh. It seems to be serious. The first four rows or
> so really had me thinking I was looking at some
> Poe Slaw parody. And there was this insane
> description (emphasis mine):
>
> When a mysterious transfer girl happens to drool
> on her desk one day, Akira Tsubaki decides to
> taste it. Little did he know that soon he would be
> going out with Mitoko Urabe, a girl who he knows
> absolutely nothing about, yet seems to be destined
> for.
>
> I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at the
> ridiculousness of that plot.

I'm a little puzzled by the parody remark, but I guess if you haven't followed current series in some time, I can kind of see it. Weird.

Mysterious Girlfriend X is based on a Comic Afternoon manga by Riichi Ueshiba who has been doing deliberately disturbing (and disturbed?) manga for them for 20 years. His stuff always looks like an autistic otaku's nightmare mixed with a hint of Geoff Darrow.

Prometheum5 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

It's funny, though I watch a lot of stuff, I never was quite able to get into Strike Witches.

> The thing I've noticed after skimming a few
> different modern animu shows last week is that
> anime writers and animators really have no sense
> of subtlety. Everything is so heavy-handed 'LOOK
> AT THESE TITS! SEE YOU GUYS WANTED TITS SO WE GAVE
> YOU TITS!' There's very little room for normal or
> at least reasonably well-adjusted people to enjoy
> a lot of this shit without feeling totally
> alienated by the more overt elements. The tits
> and ass stuff is just a crutch, and it comes off
> as so lazy even within these shows.

I've actually not run into that quite so much this particular season. Not saying they aren't out there, but rather that it's still quite possible to enjoy a good diversity of shows without dealing with that baggage.

microbry Wrote:
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<snip>
>
> I'm a little puzzled by the parody remark, but I
> guess if you haven't followed current series in
> some time, I can kind of see it. Weird.

Meh. I read more manga than I watch anime, and generally am quite picky with my animes. Animu-wise, the most recent stuff I watched was Darker than Black.

So why did I wonder whether it was a parody?

It just seems to have this somewhat implausible mix of different series types with no particular order and weirdly incomplete series synopses that I associate with parody fan works. Why not sort them by genre, or release date, or studio? Why so random?

>
> Mysterious Girlfriend X is based on a Comic
> Afternoon manga by Riichi Ueshiba who has been
> doing deliberately disturbing (and disturbed?)
> manga for them for 20 years. His stuff always
> looks like an autistic otaku's nightmare mixed
> with a hint of Geoff Darrow.

Well, at least it does what it intends to do correctly :P

microbry Wrote:
>
> Mysterious Girlfriend X

aaaaahahaha that title.

> His stuff always looks like an autistic otaku's
> nightmare mixed with a hint of Geoff Darrow.

That sounds much, much better than this series seems.

The art is more than competent, but otherwise it looks more like a typical fetishistic otaku daydream.


thomas Wrote:
>
> It just seems to have this somewhat implausible
> mix of different series types with no particular
> order and weirdly incomplete series synopses that
> I associate with parody fan works. Why not sort
> them by genre, or release date, or studio? Why so
> random?

We're still talking about that spring 2012 anime chart, right?

Because, uh, the mix of series types is because they're all premiering in spring 2012 and, well... they are sorted by release date.

-Paul Segal

"Oh, the anger is never far, never far." -SteveH

thomas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Meh. I read more manga than I watch anime, and
> generally am quite picky with my animes.
> Animu-wise, the most recent stuff I watched was
> Darker than Black.
>
> So why did I wonder whether it was a parody?
>
> It just seems to have this somewhat implausible
> mix of different series types with no particular
> order and weirdly incomplete series synopses that
> I associate with parody fan works. Why not sort
> them by genre, or release date, or studio? Why so
> random?

Ah I see. Actually you missed it, but if you check more carefully (bottom right corner of each show) they ARE in order of release date. Which makes it look pretty random. :)

> >
> > Mysterious Girlfriend X is based on a Comic
> > Afternoon manga by Riichi Ueshiba who has been
> > doing deliberately disturbing (and disturbed?)
> > manga for them for 20 years. His stuff always
> > looks like an autistic otaku's nightmare mixed
> > with a hint of Geoff Darrow.
>
> Well, at least it does what it intends to do
> correctly :P

No argument there...what's funny is a lot of his earlier stuff also portrays collector's shops (as well as Shinto shrines and other non-sequitur locales) stuffed with gokins and other toys both real and imaginary in obsessive detail. I ought to find a couple pages to share here of that for grins.

asterphage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> microbry Wrote:
> >
> > Mysterious Girlfriend X
>
> aaaaahahaha that title.

Heh. Exactly.

>
> > His stuff always looks like an autistic otaku's
>
> > nightmare mixed with a hint of Geoff Darrow.
>
> That sounds much, much better than this series
> seems.
>
> The art is more than competent, but otherwise it
> looks more like a typical fetishistic otaku
> daydream.

Yeah, I've not really read MGX more than a couple pages--enough to realize what the premise was, so maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it, based on the last couple decades of his stuff I've seen on and off. I used to follow some of the older stuff out of a somewhat morbid curiousity, and it is genuinely FREAKY. That said, they made one other anime based on that, and toned it all back several notches (Yume Tsukai).

microbry Wrote:
> I used to follow some of the older stuff out of a
> somewhat morbid curiousity, and it is genuinely
> FREAKY.

Where does it fall on the scale of weird manga? I'm trying to think of works I'm familiar with that could serve as milestones... Kakugo no Susume, Shiwasu no Okina's "Sei So Tsui Dan Sha", anything by Shintaro Kago...

> That said, they made one other anime
> based on that, and toned it all back several
> notches (Yume Tsukai).

*reads plot summary*
Sounds pretty great.

-Paul Segal

"Oh, the anger is never far, never far." -SteveH

Yeah, I actually really lked the *premise* to Yume Tsukai and it was that, the heavy Shintoist themes, and all those TOYS that really kept me interested...that and the really nightmarish weirdness. They way he would draw how the dream wielders could use everyday items and toys to transform themselves or create weapons was really pretty funky, and the show retained some of that at least (I've only seen a couple episodes, saved it for the rainy day pile).

In terms of comparable stuff, I don't know those titles, so I can't really say. I'm not sure I have a good analog for it manga-wise, it's pretty unique in its weirdness and thoroughness of it.

microbry Wrote:
>
> I don't know those titles, so I can't really say.

I would recommend them in the same way that I would recommend going into the terror cave on Endor.

-Paul Segal

"Oh, the anger is never far, never far." -SteveH

Here's what I mean by the toy shop imagery (and this is one of the LESS packed shots). The fetishistic and creepy stuff is another thing altogether, though it is mostly kept pretty surreal as it is published in a relatively mainstream magazine (Afternoon also ran stuff like Gunsmith Cats, Ah My Goddess, Yokohama Shopping Log, and many other fan favorites over the years).

[www.c21media.net]

Toei's gonna save anime

VF5SS Wrote:
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> [www.c21media.net]
>
> Toei's gonna save anime

Yeah, no, not so much.

I mean, they do kinda gloss over how Toei has had a fairly significant impact on Europe, France and Italy most of all.

Let me translate that bizspeak a little:

"Toei is sure there's major money to be had in China because people are buying all those Dr. Slump bootleg toys, and South Korea is finally interested, and so Toei will follow Bandai in focusing much much more on Pacific Rim nations and f**k you America"

that's ok

more Dragon Ball Z for us ( 'w')b

Look at who's directing this:

[www.animenewsnetwork.com]

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I asked if I have "Time For L-Gaim" but I got "No Reply From The Wind".

Not so surprising considering his recent work and given the demographic. Michael Arias (director of "Tekkon Kinkreet") directed their last video, which was an even weirder mash-up.

But it's great news for AKB fans. Thanks to anime magic turning the group into what appear to be elementary schoolers, now fans don't have to keep up the charade of liking grown women anymore.

BTW, I want to watch because the premise is so bad, it has the potential to be entertaining.

"In an era when entertainment is outlawed, there is an idol group that offers underground guerilla concerts despite the danger. The name of that group is AKB0048, "illegal idols" who inherit the light and spirit of the legendary members of AKB48."

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I asked if I have "Time For L-Gaim" but I got "No Reply From The Wind".

Seems like someone decided to combine little girls with Styx's 'Killroy was here' album almost

MattAlt Wrote:
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> now fans don't have to keep
> up the charade of liking grown women anymore.




tell that to the cosplayers

VF5SS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MattAlt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > now fans don't have to keep
> > up the charade of liking grown women anymore.
>
>
>
>
> tell that to the cosplayers

This. Also google Cosplayjav.com

Vincent Z. Wrote:
> the premise is so bad, it has the potential to be entertaining.

Finally I understand how your mind works.

-Paul Segal

"Oh, the anger is never far, never far." -SteveH

wasn't that sort of the original premise to Megazone 23 back when it was like Omega City or whatever

asterphage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Vincent Z. Wrote:
> > the premise is so bad, it has the potential to
> be entertaining.
>
> Finally I understand how your mind works.

Not really. Most things I legitimately enjoy. Yes, that includes the much hated M.D. Geist.

Bad to me is if you're show is boring.

Also since THAT one word pandering is thrown around like a baseball, REDLINE is the most pandering thing I've seen in years. It just panders to western brains is what it is.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I asked if I have "Time For L-Gaim" but I got "No Reply From The Wind".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2012 03:14PM by Vincent Z..

Vincent Z. Wrote:
>
> Also since THAT one word pandering is thrown
> around like a baseball, REDLINE is the most
> pandering thing I've seen in years. It just
> panders to western brains is what it is.

Go on...

-Paul Segal

"Oh, the anger is never far, never far." -SteveH

>Go on...

Go on about about what? The film was pretty to look at but everything about REDLINE was designed to entice the western anime fan with its particular look and alpha male law breaker lead who drives fast cars and gets the girl.

And don't get me started on the overused trope of "you can't use this engine in your car or you won't survive" but because he's supposed to be the law breaker alpha male that the western anime fan wants, he does it anyway and the day is saved. Bleh.

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I asked if I have "Time For L-Gaim" but I got "No Reply From The Wind".

i thought it was like initial d

or Overdrift

which also involves things that start with a d

Vincent Z. Wrote:
>
> Go on about about what? The film was pretty to
> look at but everything about REDLINE was designed
> to entice the western anime fan with its
> particular look and alpha male law breaker lead
> who drives fast cars and gets the girl.
>
> And don't get me started on the overused trope of
> "you can't use this engine in your car or you
> won't survive" but because he's supposed to be the
> law breaker alpha male that the western anime fan
> wants, he does it anyway and the day is saved.
> Bleh.

How are those western tropes? Tons of anime have tough male protagonists who break rules and get the girl. In particular, "you can't use that technique! you won't survive!" followed by the character using it anyway and surviving is a cliche used in EVERY ACTION ANIME EVER.

-Paul Segal

"Oh, the anger is never far, never far." -SteveH

I thought Redline was out to please oral sex fetishists

Andrew, Japanese people don't like oral sex.













Uh...

oh you'd think that


careful there's titties in this link



[listlessink.wordpress.com]

Sanjeev Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Andrew, Japanese people don't like oral sex.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Uh...

Sanjeeve, I think Leiji Matsumoto would like a word with you... :)

(seriously, dude drew some fucked up stuff in the '70s. )

>How are those western tropes? Tons of anime have tough male protagonists who break rules and get the girl.

Well true. Megazone 23 is an anime with that trope that did it right to me I guess.

Oh, how about the lazy names in REDLINE that sound like a ten year old came up with them.

Sweet JP, Machinehead, ROBOWORLD, Lynchman and Jonny Boyah.

Actually, I wouldn't even be half as hard on REDLINE if it were for people in the western fandom who touted it as the second coming of AKIRA and say stuff like:

"ANIME IS SAVED" and "THIS CARTOON WILL PUNCH YOU IN YOUR FACE".

If there's any NON moe coming up title I want to do well in Japan, it's GOTHIC MADE because I'm a Mamoru Nagano mecha fetishist.

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I asked if I have "Time For L-Gaim" but I got "No Reply From The Wind".

Yeah dude the Colony Drop review of Redline was pretty awful.

It's just some idiot whining about shit

and trying to pretend the way he got into anime is universal to everyone

like really guy

i know people who got into anime because of Strawberry Panic :3

oh Etoile-sama~

Vincent Z. Wrote:
>
> Oh, how about the lazy names in REDLINE that sound
> like a ten year old came up with them.
>
> Sweet JP, Machinehead, ROBOWORLD, Lynchman and
> Jonny Boyah.

you can criticize the intentionally dumb character names all you want but I won't be able to hear you over my screaming of the Machinehead theme song. MAAAAA-SHEEEEEEEEEEN-HEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDD

-Paul Segal

"Oh, the anger is never far, never far." -SteveH