What are you watching now?

[Toriban]

Unlike the List of animes you've watched thread, this thread is more of a general discussion about: What's an anime that you're currently watching? Or used to watch? Or haven't seen yet but would like to?

[kuponut]

Death Note is really good, and BECK Mongolian Chop Squad if you haven't watched it, Lucky Star is hilarious(kind of like Azumanga Daiho!)

[Toriban]

I've been watching some older ones that I didn't get to see. Right now I'm working on Berserk, on about episode 22. I've seen most of The Slayers before, but I missed the end of the season, so I'm watching it again. On about episode four right now. Also, I don't think I've seen past episode 4 of Slayers Next, so I'll probably watch Slayers Next and Slayers Try after that.

I'll soon be mooching Ghost in the Shell S.A.C 2ng Gig from a friend. I saw all of the first season, but I never watched much of the second.

I haven't seen Beck, but I've heard good things. Too many other series I want to see first. Would you believe that I haven't seen Getbackers yet?

And it's not anime, but I'm watching Red Dwarf again. British comedy at its finest.

[SimsHsia]

Currently I'm watching:

Series from previous seasons
1.) Lucky Star (or L*S)
After watching KyoAni's preceding anime, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu, I decided to watch if L*S followed its success, and boy is it sugoi! I'm nearing the end of this series (only 4 episodes left, no!) and I've been laughing from start to finish for each episode. Some may dislike the Haruhi-references that are seen in almost every episode, but I'm fine with them. It turns into a treasure hunt for each episode to find references to other animes. After watching the first few episodes, I'm re-evaluating how much more anime-otaku I've become.

2.) Shakugan no Shana Second
I'm also nearing the end of this season (8 episodes left), this series starts off from the events from season 1. I won't say anymore as to not spoil any one who hasn't seen it. Watch season 1 or Shakugan no Shana the Movie first to get used to all of the vocab they use!

Fall Season 2008
1.) Toradora!
This is a new romantic-comedy series that's currently airing this fall, based on the light novel series of the same name. The first episode introduces the viewer to the two principal characters of the show: Ryuuji Takasu and Taiga Aisaka and their unlikely partnership. Apparently, the title has a meaning, "Tora" meaning tiger and "dora" meaning dragon for Taiga and Ryuuji, respectively.

You gotta love it when voice actor Kugimiya Rie, the seiyu (voice actor) of Taiga, shouts her classic "Urusai!" (shut up!) line.

OP: Pre-Parade by Rie Kugimiya, Eri Kitamura, and Yui Horie
ED: Vanilla Salt by Yui Horie

What I Want to Watch
1.) Zero no Tsukaima: Princesse no Rondo
Since I've watched the first two seasons, might as well see what happens in the third season.
2.) Finish Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.
3.) Start Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2.

[SimsHsia]

Finished Lucky*Star, it had its share of funny moments here and there. We laugh, we cry (almost), we reminisce about what happened in past episodes. However, it has come to a close, and the ending of L*S ended in a positive note.. L*S, in my opinion, is a great slice of life comedy series provided you get the bunch of anime references in most episodes.

Anyways, picking up from my previous reply, I've picked up watching the third iteration of Zero no Tsukaima: Princesse no Rondo. I've also picked up a new anime series this fall called Tales of the Abyss which is based off of a fantasy/RPG game for the PS2 of the same name. This is, supposedly, my first action/fantasy/drama/game-adaptation anime and since I have not played the said game before, I'll have to watch a few episodes first before I have a good impression about this series and decide whether I want to continue watching it or drop it.

[Toriban]

Finished up with Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, and have to say there was a decline in quality from the previous season. Not a sharp decline, but it is there. Switching to Rika as main character and introducing Hanyuu kind of took some of the pizazz out of the akward combination of happy-go-lucky craziness and bloody death that was present before. The ending is somehow satisfying and disappointing at the same time.


Next up for me is (pauses to savor the forthcoming gasps of disbelief) not an anime at all! Takin a break, gonna watch me some Torchwood.

[SimsHsia]

Haven't seen Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, but I heard from ANN (Anime News Network) that they're coming out with an OVA for the series, called Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei, coming out late December. Are you making any plans to watch the OVA when it's released?

I'll make a first impressions thread later this week on the several fall season animes for Toradora!, Tales of the Abyss, and another anime I haven't mentioned that I'm following -- let's just say it's the "unwilling fiancé edition" anime, and, I guess, it's sort of like Konan which is also an adaptation of a visual novel. Just waiting to watch the first two episodes, then posting my first impression, and whether I'll follow, drop, or continue to figure out my impression of it.

In regards to Torchwood, I've seen a couple of episodes here and there, looks very interesting. Enjoy!

[SimsHsia]

And with that, I have finished Zero no Tsukaima: Princesse no Rondo. It certain had it's share of "princesses" in the story, but one of them was only in a few episodes. The animation was alright, the ending was a bit better than the second season, but there were a few plot holes due to the quick pace of this series J.C.Staff is known to pull off. The once love triangle turns into, oh I lost count, some love nth polygon - alright, it's a harem now. I rank the three seasons as the following: ZnT Season 1 > Season 3 > Season 2. The comings of a 4th season is up in question now, as there was a "The End" statement after the credits, but it hints at a possible continuation. In addition, the DVD version of the third season is supposedly having a 13th episode, perhaps that episode will bring all the plot holes and bring this series to its final conclusion? Only time will tell.

EDIT: Maybe this 13th episode for the 3rd season will not bring this series to an end, there's still a certain something that was made in the first season that hasn't been fulfilled -- it'd be very awkward if they tie up and conclude the plot; not to mention all the enemies that still haven't been defeated. Yeah, most likely there will be an announcement for a 4th season in the works before the end of this year.

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Now I have to finish up the story about a certain enpatsu in Shakugan no Shana one of these days.

EDIT: Also, I've been following another romantic comedy, Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka (the one I've mentioned before but didn't identify), I will NOT create any first impressions/episodic plot summary threads about this one -- the ones about Toradora! and Tales of the Abyss are already too much () - - just a pass-the-time anime.

[SimsHsia]

Managed to get around and watch Lucky Star OVA while eating dinner last night, this brightened up my day. If you've watched L*S before (and liked it), then all the characters you know are back in seven small chapters — each based for each main character and the remaining for a few supporting characters — that span over roughly 40 minutes. There were some anime references I picked up immediately, and others I had to look up since I'm not that much of an otaku. Definitely the best parts were the MMORPG chapter, we finally see what Konata and Kuroi-sensei play all the time (which references to a real MMORPG), Kagami's chapter, and the live-action Lucky Channel(ru!) with Akira's seiyu (Hiromi Konno) and Minoru himself at the end. That's about as much as I'll spoil the OVA, so I won't mention what Kagami says...oops!

P.S.: PIZZA-LA SUPPORTS THE REBELLION! Yareyare, wrong series!

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On another note, I'm following two more anime series (sigh): Toaru Majutsu no Index and Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens -- both are adaptations of their respective light novels and mangas. Toaru reminds me of Shakugan no Shana, even though both are animated by J.C.Staff, because of the terminology they dish out in the first episode(s), the supernatural stuff that goes on, and the explanations. In addition, the OP music, PSI-missing by Mami Kawada, is wonderful to listen to, who also did the OP/EDs for Shana/Shana II which I also enjoyed; while the ED is nice to listen to.

As for Kannagi, wow, the animation quality is top notch. Notable for Kannagi is its director, Yutaka Yamamoto, who directed Haruhi and the first four episodes of Lucky*Star (along with the Hare Hare Dance and the L*S OP), and I'm enjoying this story so far. The OP sequence is upbeat and cheerful, while the ED sequence is soothing and peaceful -- very fitting. For the moment, I'm preferring the ED more than the OP.

Unlike the other series I'm currently following (Tales of the Abyss, Toradora!, and Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka), these two series have more unusual plots with roots in the supernatural (with Akane right after them). Anyways, that brings the total to 5 series I'm following...great...this season has roughly 35 series airing (not including the kids shows), so I'm watching roughly 15% of this season's offerings (Heaven, save me if that number jumps to 50%). I certainly hope I don't go past watching more than these already, any others I find interesting will have to wait until those with 12-14 episodes finish up at the end of this year (with Tales having 26 episodes, it'll finish up before the Spring season premiere). Alright, so that's one on Thursdays, one on Fridays, and three on Saturdays.

[Toriban]

What the hell!!?? They remade Guyver and nobody told me?! Three years ago? *sigh* Whelp, looks like a few episodes of Torchwood may have to wait...


Edit: Steven Blum isn't Agito/Guyver III anymore. *grumble*

[SimsHsia]

Yeah, I'm picking up yet another anime going by the name of ChäoS;HEAd, a supernatural sci-fi psycho romantic thriller based off of the game for the PC and XBOX360 of the same name, with a manga adaptation of the same as well. It's been called a cross between Welcome to the NHK! and When the Higurashi Cry, if that has any meaning for you (as I have not seen these anime). Thus, there's the otaku humor and the grotesque scenes of blood, guts, and gore. The show kicks off after fictitious events occurring in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo during September 2008 on works its way from there. Considering the fourth episode aired yesterday, I'm not too late in entry and have enough time to get caught up with the story. So, that's six total animes I'm following this season; two on every Thursday, one on every Friday, and three on every Saturday. With the one on Saturday ending sometime before April. Then there's the possibility of watching the winter season lineup. Wonderful.

[Toriban]

It's been called a cross between Welcome to the NHK! and When the Higurashi Cry, if that has any meaning for you (as I have not seen these anime).

...wow, so that just short-circuited my brain. So you're saying that there's an episode revolving around the main character masturbating, then going shopping, and then in the next episode he kills two sixteen year old girls with a baseball bat before clawing out his own throat in a telephone booth?

Cuz I know NHK would have been a lot more interesting with bits of Higurashi in it. Meaning I could have watched through the whole thing. My God that show was boring.

[SimsHsia]

So you're saying that there's an episode revolving around the main character masturbating, then going shopping, and then in the next episode he kills two sixteen year old girls with a baseball bat before clawing out his own throat in a telephone booth?

I just watched the first three episodes so far and it could be something like what you said, minus the masturbating part. Sure, he has delusions of his favorite anime character figurine, Seira, who he calls his "wife", accompanying him as he lives alone in a sea container. He only cares about anything in the 2D world and not the real world because of his otaku nature: watching anime and playing MMORPGs. The show itself has a female being involved with these events so far, but in my opinion, it could be that he's being delusional and he's seeing things when he's actually involved with these events. If you are a psychologist (or psych major), he's basically your perfect subject.

The show itself is mysterious, it makes you really wonder whether what you're watching is a delusion or this stuff is happening for real. It feels like I have more questions than answers, like, "Why does he not remember this particular girl?" or "What's the significance of the whose-eyes question?", and to find out the answers to those questions you have to anxiously wait for the next episode. As for the comedic-side of this anime, I don't see a lot of comedy, other than the main male character calling Seira his wife, and her telling him not to worry about anything and just play your MMORPG game. Oh, the police involvement on investigating the events makes it have a Death Note-like aura to it. With the events occurring, it's expected that the police investigation will become a major part of the plot.

The OP sequence and ED sequence music awesome to listen to, as well as the insert songs played in one of the first three episodes. I'm preferring ED song, Super Special, because of its catchy tune, mostly sung in English (not Engrish) and ironically, the artist's name is Kagami Seira. The OP song, F.D.D. by Itou Kanako is a fitting song for this series. The "Do you want to save" prompt at the end of each episode is a nice touch, since this series is an adaptation of the PC/console game. The show is interesting, if you have time, at least watch the first episode to get your impression on it. It's difficult to explain without spoiling the plot for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

EDIT: By the way, you know what's really scary (or freaky or awesome, your pick)? The links shown in the show are actual links that we can visit.

[SimsHsia]

This weekend alone I've finished two anime series, picked up yet another airing this fall (that brings it to 7, G.R.E.A.T. *sigh* ), watched an OVA, a movie, and two episode specials. First, I watched CLANNAD, animated by the well known KyoAni and yet another Key adaptation, which is yet another romantic comedy (but mostly comedy, it's not like Kanon (2006)) that acts like a harem, looks like a harem, but doesn't have the usual harem-ness in it. With the completion of CLANNAD, I decided to pick up CLANNAD ~After Story~ which is currently airing this season, and I'm caught up to the current (as of this post) sixth episode. Unlike the first season, C~AS~ still has story arcs, but it looks like it's giving secondary characters more screen time and several main supporting characters are given less. Now, I've been partially spoiled by what happens in this season, but when it happens, it happens.

For the OVA, CLANNAD: Another World, Tomoyo Chapter, a special twenty-fourth episode for the first episode that takes place in an alternative timeline. It's mostly catered for those Tomoyo x Tomoya fans. It was good, but I was sort of disappointed by it seeing as how it does take place in an alternative timeline, and thus, none of it ties into the first or second season's plot.

For the movie, Shakugan no Shana Movie, an alternative retelling of events that take place in the first season. Despite my previous recommendation to watch this as a substitute for watching the first season as an excuse to jump directly into the second season, I'll retract this recommendation as it is not very good substitute. I'll say it clearly this time: Shakugan no Shana Movie is an alternative retelling, and is not a good substitute for the first season. It's better to watch the first season then the movie, if you choose to do so. Most of the characters seen in the first season are not seen in this movie, and thus, one may wonder who these characters are when watching the second season. With that said, the animation is amazing as always in the Shana series, and it was nice to see a gentler Shana.

Finally, after almost a month hiatus, I've finally finished the remaining episodes of Shakugan no Shana II. Despite a slow start at the beginning, it makes up for it in the end. The ending felt rushed, but nevertheless, all the action that takes place definitely surpasses the ending of the first season. I'm also glad that Yuji finally made his choice but also sad for another, and I'm looking forward to a possible third season to tie up the story of what happens after as there is still much to see. As for the two episode specials are parody episodes based on events in Shakugan no Shana II. They poke fun at certain characters and scenes in the second season. That is all.

How I can remain sane for keeping up with seven anime series (roughly 20% of anime airing) airing, managing as a student, AND able to complete two anime series and other specials, no less, is still a mystery. *sigh*

[Toriban]

Since my last post I've watched Getbackers, Gode Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, and caught up on many House episodes I missed. As I'm typing this I'm watching the first episode of Code Geass R2. That I'm watching the second season is a sign that the first season was good.

Added to my "to do" list are Eden of the East, K-on, Trinity Blood, and Gurren Lagann.