Topic: Manga and Anime discussion

@Blooper987 Glad to hear that we've converted someone into a Nichijou fan.

@nessisonett Have you ever watched Lucky Star? It's another surreal slice-of-life anime. It's a bit more slower paced and isn't as wild as the likes of Nichijou, but it's still a rather charming and amusing show.

@crimsontadpoles I actually haven’t but I’ve only heard good things. I’ll check it out!

I've been considering getting into anime for a long time now, but I've only made it to One Punch Man season one so far.

Any Recommendations?

@Blackjay if you want comedy style go with Nichijou

Action style go with My Hero or Swird Art.

I haven’t really seen that much so other’s are probably more suited to giving you suggestions😂 but you really should watch Nichijou

@Blackjay If you liked One Punch Man, then you might like Mob Psycho 100. It's about a guy who has an immensely strong psychic power. The show has a similar sort of slice of life and action mix that One Punch Man has.

@Blackjay Depends entirely on what you're looking for.

With that said, there are some classics that everyone should see, anime fan or not. Have you watched Ghost in the Shell (primarily, the 1995 Mamoru Oshii-directed film)? Akira? Grave of the Fireflies? Princess Mononoke? Neon Genesis Evangelion?

@Ralizah Add Perfect Blue, Paprika, Night is Short Walk on Girl, The Tatami Galaxy, Your Name, 5 Centimetres Per Second, My Neighbour Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Steins;Gate, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood etc etc to that list and it would be perfect 😂

@nessisonett Perfect Blue is AMAZING, but the simulated rape scene makes me hesitate to recommend it to people.

@Ralizah Yeah, it’s a tough watch but eerily accurate in the way that it portrays the idol business. I also somehow managed to forget Ping Pong The Animation and Mind Game as well.

The only thing I'm watching is YashaHime, which is okay, though not surprisingly not living up to expectations.

I think it's biggest problem is that it wants to be a mystery (none of the core cast of the original, or Sesshomaru, were around to raise their kids, and where they are now is a big question mark), but it's not executed well (many of the supporting characters like Kaede, Kohaku, & Myoga are accounted for & it's clear they have their memories intact, but they don't seem to question at all that the various kids don't know their parents. Just basic conversation that's not happening not for believable plot reasons, but because the writers aren't ready to give answers). Also, despite the fact that the mystery of the parents is a topic they want the audience to care about (as they're constantly referencing or teasing them), it's made very clear that the kids themselves don't give two s**** about them.

Then there's the fact that they made the baffling decision to center the story around Sesshomaru's twin children (you know that series that was known for it's various romantic narratives? How 'bout we make a sequel to that & center the story around the kids of the one character who wasn't involved in one? Brilliant!).

At least the last episode reintroduced Miroku & Sango, so we could finally get some answers... or not. He's apparently in the middle of a years long training regimen in response to losing to some uber powerful demon (who is probably a relevant entity, but goes unnamed for no particular reason), and that's really about it. Of course they found a way to sideline Moroha (InuYasha & Kagome's daughter) from events so she wouldn't meet Miroku & Sango (this seems to be part of a longer running gag where she's been getting sidelined from events, or one-shotted, so the Sessho-twins can take center stage, much to the chargin of the fan base). The only thing we did learn is that Miroku put a spiritual seal on Setsuna (one of the Sessho-twins) at some point in the past, so her demon blood wouldn't overwhelm her.

Rant over.

@nessisonett Perfect Blue's examination of obsession, the role of modern communication technology in facilitating harassment, and the grosser, more misogynistic aspects of the idol industry is incredibly ahead of its time.

If we're tacking on classic anime: Serial Experiments Lain, Maison Ikkoku, Aim for the Top! Gunbuster, Rurouni Kenshin, Card Captor Sakura, Berserk, and Rose of Versailles are up there as well. Probably Monster, too.

@Ralizah Serial Experiments Lain is another classic, also pretty ahead of its time despite the whole 90s internet aesthetic. Also pretty bizarre that the theme tune was done by Boa, who were a band founded by the lead singer from Free and Bad Company’s children. So probably the only link between Middlesborough and anime.

I just found out that my local library has the first 5 Nichijou volumes! I'll probably go there tomorrow and see if they're not checked out yet. That'll be the first manga I ever read!

Never seen any of those.@Ralizah

Action sounds good.@Blooper987

@nessisonett Yeah, Lain really didn't foresee everything becoming wireless like it did (to the point where the internet is even called "the wired," lol). It did do something a lot more difficult, though: to a big degree, it anticipated a number of social and psychological issues that would crop up when the internet becomes all-encompassing. A bit sad that a show that amounts to a cosmic horror story about the internet was so on the nose about stuff, but there you go.

And yeah, the opening is a masterpiece to this day. Simply wonderful.

Thought I would recommend Wonder Egg Priority for anyone looking for something new to watch!

So I'm trying to plan out the next couple of anime I start, and I thought I could ask you guys what you thought of the ones I'm thinking of watching. For some context my favorite anime so far are Toradora, CLANNAD, Nichijou, Spice And Wolf, and Squid Girl. I also like psychological horror and somewhat disturbing things. I do not want ANY nudity or anything like that. Basically, if it's worse than SOA, I won't want to watch it.

Here's the list, I would appreciate any input!

Re:Zero
Cells At Work
Your Lie In April
Umaru-Chan
Blend-S
Anohana
The Promised Neverland
Gabriel Dropout
Lucky Star
If It's For My Daughter, I'd Even Defeat A Demon Lord
Love, Chunibyo, And Other Delusions
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
Nisekoi
K-ON!
Puella Magi Madoka Magika

@Blooper987
Serial Experiments Lain
Steins;Gate
Azumanga Daioh
Great Teacher Onizuka
School Rumble
Natsume Yuujinchou
OreGairu
Ping Pong the Animation
Haikyuu
The Tatami Galaxy
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
3-gatsu no Lion
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki Kun
Bakuman
Kaguya-sama: Love is War
Lovely Complex
Maid-Sama
Special A
Ao Haru Ride
My Love Story

Should be more than enough for you to investigate further! I would have recommended Devilman Crybaby as it’s a masterpiece but the graphic gay sex and ultra-violence may put you off, despite the fact it is entirely there for a reason and serves a deeper purpose.

@nessisonett Thank you so much! I will definitely look into those! There's a stinking Ping Pong anime!!! I love ping pong!!! I'll definitely have to watch that one.