The Anime Thread: Finding Good Anime

Medic_wheat · 10/20/2015, 09:25 PM

English dubbed?

roflmao · 10/20/2015, 09:59 PM

Quote from: guest on 10/20/2015, 03:54 AMPretty nice.
From this point of view, Bubblegum Crash's box design looks like My Little Pony softporn.

DragonmasterDan · 10/21/2015, 03:56 AM

Quote from: Medic_wheat on 10/20/2015, 09:25 PMEnglish dubbed?

These are subtitled.

Medic_wheat · 10/21/2015, 12:03 PM

I wonder if Funimation will do a dubbed version of these two movies.

DragonmasterDan · 10/21/2015, 12:13 PM

Quote from: Medic_wheat on 10/21/2015, 12:03 PMI wonder if Funimation will do a dubbed version of these two movies.

It's Discotek that has the rights. So it's unlikely.

And I'm not a fan of Funimation's dub cast in general.

I do like the old Pioneer/Geneon dub cast even if the localization weren't the most literal but even then I'd watch with both the original Japanese cast and the dub.

SignOfZeta · 10/21/2015, 05:13 PM

I seriously doubt Discotek could be the company we know them as if they were pissing away twice as much as money on every release just to provide a dub that probably only %1 of their already really small customer base would ever watch. They include period dubs (which I enjoy for Unico) but most of the time their attitude is "dub it yourself, we aren't made of money, you illiterate otaku scum".

Ok, that last part is mostly me...

DragonmasterDan · 10/22/2015, 04:16 AM

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 10/21/2015, 05:13 PMI seriously doubt Discotek could be the company we know them as if they were pissing away twice as much as money on every release just to provide a dub that probably only %1 of their already really small customer base would ever watch. They include period dubs (which I enjoy for Unico) but most of the time their attitude is "dub it yourself, we aren't made of money, you illiterate otaku scum".

Ok, that last part is mostly me...

If the dub already exists they'll try to get the rights for it.

But yeah, they're not going out of their way to finance new dubs.

ShadowKitty777 · 10/24/2015, 05:43 AM

I would recommend checking out One Punch Man if you haven't already.

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 10/10/2015, 10:15 PMI saw Frozen. It was slightly above average. I don't hate it or anything, but I do have trouble understanding its popularity. I bet the boys in Disney's top secret audience pacification institute have some good data on this, but they probably didn't expect this level of popularity either.

Yeah I agree that Disney def had some analysts in on this one. I think most of the popularity/hype comes from the fact that it had a lot of "progressive" themes that has become really popular in social media right now. I'm not saying it's bad for it, but it is just why I think everyone is making it seem like it's a special snowflake.
I enjoyed the movie though.

ClodBusted · 10/24/2015, 07:36 AM

Quote from: guest on 10/06/2015, 01:54 PMI just placed my order for the Robot Carnival and Orguss DVDs at Rightstuf. Thank god they're finally accepting Paypal payments. Discotek Media themselves don't accept international orders - bummer! But I think that's not too bad, since Robot Carnival was on discount ($10 off) on Rightstuf. They also claimed that Orguss would be on discount, but I see the same price of $49 shown on Discotek's shop.

I'm so excited!

Yes! They finally arrived!
Now it's time to dig out that old region modded DVD player. The last time I used it was before the move, since then the PS3 has become my working horse for Blu-ray movies.

I still remember how I performed the mod on that Toshiba SD-220E. Not the usual way by using secret IR remote codes, no this one needed a CD-R burned with some firmware update that somehow removed the region check. Thank god it also has no trouble playing both NTSC and PAL.

elmer · 10/24/2015, 04:54 PM

Just finished the 1st season of Aldnoah.Zero on Netflix.

Definitely not going to recommend it.

It was entertaining enough to actually watch the whole season, but the story didn't really work, and the ending was a bit naff. Don't know if was just a poor translation job.

They really had to do some major "you-didn't-see-what-you-thought-you-saw" to get the 2nd season made.

Medic_wheat · 10/31/2015, 02:22 PM

Started picking up some anime again from used movie stores and what not. Here's what I have found so far.

Never heard of this anime and unfortunately it seems to be only English sub as I usually prefer dubbed. Seems to have character designs by the creator of Akira. Found that there is a blursy compete collection English dubbed for like $30 new. Unfortunately it is region 5 so I will need to invest in a region free blursy player eventually. There are a few other blursy complete collections of like to get that never made it to NA. Moral Oral is one that frankly surprises me seeing how it is a NA produced claymation show.

Fan of this spin off series. They have the two other DVDs that complete it but it am being a tight wade and waiting to see if they go on clearance as well.

Hoping it is a movie as it seems interesting.

Another "older" anime that was made in modern times. Or at least in character design and art. Not sure how many are in this series but the cover art and back plot grabbed me

Not sure if this is the complete collection but this and the caption harllack series that came out in the mid 2000s will make me happy.

I think I am only missing vol 4 but I hope it is as good as the rendition of count of monti cristo.

Most expensive anime I have picked up recently at $65. But this is SO hard to find with the English dub. I have the sub version as well on DVD I got for $3.99 but prefer the dub.

These next few I got at a half price book clearance. All DVDs $2 or less. Some not anime.

Figured I love the game let's check this out. Not sure if there are more in this series or what. Will be watching tonight.

Medic_wheat · 10/31/2015, 02:47 PM

These I have picked up throughout the year as well

An extremely underrated series that I am having a HELL of a time competing.

Sure the bluray is out but this collectors edition is sweet.

Only missing the first DVD I think. Also so wish the sexual to the Afro Samuri collector edition matched this one in style. Now it looks like the odd DVD our. When ever I get around to picking up the sequel.

On the look out for the second half.

Wouldn't mind a redo of GANTZ to more closely match the manga. Who knows.

Also steamboat was fun.

Found a complete set minus the movie on eBay for less then what it would have cost for the seasons I was missing. Now I have season 1 2 part 1 and 3 part 1 as extras. Probably trade for more anime. To me G1 TF is basically anime lol.

Honestly don't know if I want to bother getting the original series to pair with these or not. But boy do I remember buying them when they where new and it was like $35-40 a DVD and they would have like 2 episodes a pop. Grrrr.

Another underrated series that is balls hard to find.

Medic_wheat · 10/31/2015, 02:49 PM

I am amazed on the number of collector editions and near complete series I can find for cheap.

But hen again I haven't bought anime since like 2004 maybe lol.

For the most part I would download, stream, or rent from a local rental bookstore (and burn copies with clone DVD) lol. It wasn't until pretty much last year I started picking up some to own.

Medic_wheat · 10/31/2015, 02:51 PM

Turns out the PS3 for bluray is region free. Neat. Guess I can pick up some blurays now that have been on my want list.

in99flames · 10/31/2015, 03:01 PM

I like the Hellsing series. Always entertained me.

I watched Angel Beats recently. Pretty good series. Pretty deep story. Lots of funny parts....lots of sad parts. Definitely Worth a view.

shawnji · 11/01/2015, 12:39 PM

I honestly don't remember if I've posted in here before, so forgive me if I end up repeating myself in places. Here's some of my personal favorites:

Trigun - A show that heavily influenced me, and I still collect merchandise for it to this day. It caused some friends of mine and I to have a very long conversation on the moral issues it brings up, which to me is the mark of something truly great. I won't go into a lot of detail, as it's a very popular title, but if you haven't seen it I would definitely give it a go.

Master Keaton - This is an excellent, episodic story of a half-Japanese, half-British jack-of-all-trades. Like another of Naoki Urasawa's works, Monster, it's set heavily in Europe and the writing is some of the best you'll find in the manga or anime world. Unfortunately, most will never get to see it, as Pioneer released the DVDs in limited quantities, and they're somewhat expensive these days.

Hajime no Ippo (AKA Fighting Spirit) - This is probably the best shonen anime out there, in my opinion. It's directed by Satoshi Nishimura, of Trigun, with music by Tsuneo Imahori, who also worked on Trigun and provided guitar work for Yoko Kanno on Cowboy Bebop. It's about a teen who helps his single mother with her fishing boat business, but is shy and gets bullied a lot. He's rescued one day by a heavyweight fighter who proceeds to tell him that he has less respect for him than he does for the bullies because he wouldn't stick up for himself, which gives him the push he needs to try and better himself through boxing. The fights are fantastic, and the great thing about it is that you almost never encounter a completely unsympathetic character; meaning you always end up wishing both could win. It's great stuff.

Boogiepop Phantom - This is an awesome, highly atmospheric, supernatural horror story. I love to put this one on around Halloween. The style is very reminiscent of Serial Experiments Lain and Haibane Renmei (which I also highly recommend). I won't say any more, as this is one best experienced for yourself.

Now and Then, Here and There - I forget the Japanese title (maybe something like: Ima, Soku ni Iru Boku), but this is an incredibly harrowing and heartbreaking story of a boy who gets drawn into another world. If you're familiar with Future Boy Conan, it's almost like someone took that and made it a million times darker and more depressing. I know that's not a high selling point for all, but it really is an incredible show. Again, the less known going in, the better.

Planetes - A story about a future where space travel is prevalent and NASA has its own debris collection unit, which turns out to be highly dangerous, yet extremely important work. It's handled with such care and attention to detail that it even became popular with astronauts on the International Space Station.

Please Save My Earth - This is a hard one to find, as it has been out of print almost since Viz released it at the dawn of the DVD era, along with Video Girl Ai (which really tugged at my heartstrings when I was a teen). I absolutely love this six episode OVA. It involves reincarnation, psychic powers, and a bit of a love story thrown in. It's based on the shojo manga of the same name, which is much more readily available than the DVD. The whole thing may be on YouTube, though.

Madoka Magica - This was a recent one for me. I had heard people rant and rave about it, and was like, "What the hell are you people on? This looks like pandering crap." Well, when it ended up on Netflix, I decided to give it a chance, and I finally got what the big deal was. It takes the entire "Magical Girl" genre and flips it on its head. This is another one where it's better if you just see it for yourself. I'll just say that it gets suprisingly dark (like most of my favorite anime series are).

ClodBusted · 11/01/2015, 01:13 PM

So if this appears to become a "look what I got to make you jealous" thread, I think I need to post this to stop you guys.

From left to right:

1. SDF Macross Collection (ADV Films 2008). Contains the whole series in its original Japanese format with sub and a whole new dub, about 900 minutes runtime not counting all the bonus content. Got this in 2010 when ADV just went defunct and the pricetags for this set went mental. They still are, if you can find this somewhere, good luck.
2. SDC Southern Cross / Genesis Climber Mospeada Double Collection (ADV Films 2008). Similar story to the Macross collection.
3. SDF Macross Perfect Collection (OVA Films 2001). Contains Do you remember Love? and Macross II. The one and only official and 100% uncut DYRL release outside of Japan. Has German subtitles. Very sought after, though the price went down since when the Blu-ray of DYRL was released in Japan.
4. SDC Orguss - just for the fun of showing all the "Super Dimension" TV series/movies in one picture and for bowing down to Discotek that they finally released this on DVD in 2015.

SignOfZeta · 11/01/2015, 02:01 PM

Nice!

Don't worry, you won't make me jelous. I have the DYRL BR, as well as two different versions on LD and the TV series.

I should get that Orgus DVD though. I've never owned that series, but I do have the Mospeada LD box.

DragonmasterDan · 11/02/2015, 12:06 PM

I got Hulu Plus fairly recently and have been watching Space Adventure Cobra the series.

xcrement5x · 11/02/2015, 05:14 PM

I just finished Nadia after finally making it over the filler hump. Solid show, which was well paced and I even enjoyed the ending. It seems a bit contrived, but I think that's only because I am watching it after seeing so much other stuff that has followed it.

DragonmasterDan · 11/02/2015, 05:18 PM

Quote from: guest on 11/02/2015, 05:14 PMI just finished Nadia after finally making it over the filler hump. Solid show, which was well paced and I even enjoyed the ending. It seems a bit contrived, but I think that's only because I am watching it after seeing so much other stuff that has followed it.

So much was influenced by it. Whenever I see Team Rocket I immediately think of the Grandis gang.

The fact that it derived from an unused Miyazaki idea became a bit more apparent after I saw Future Boy Conan.

SignOfZeta · 11/02/2015, 07:07 PM

Yeah, Laputa and Conan make up over half of Nadia. I'd honestly say it was more dirivitive of past works than inspirational to stuff that came after. Most of the stuff that seems based on it could just as easily be inspired by Laputa.

I love the ending to this series, btw.

DragonmasterDan · 11/02/2015, 08:11 PM

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 11/02/2015, 07:07 PMI love the ending to this series, btw.

And for any other fans of the series. Don't bother with the Nadia movie. It's terrible!
Let the story end where the series ends it.

SignOfZeta · 11/02/2015, 10:19 PM

It's true. It's terrible. The art book is worth owning, but not the movie.

Digi.k · 11/04/2015, 10:50 AM

Finally after being recommended by a friend to watch Attack on Titan I got round to finish watching the first season of Attack on Titan in two nights viewing and I would say I was hooked and I found that after watching each episode they always leave a cliff hanger and I just couldn't stop watching.

The main character Eren really does remind me of Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion while his adoptive sister Mikasa evokes vibes of Rei Ayanami and if you are veteran of anime you might find a lot in this series that evokes feelings that you may have felt from other animes. Despite this I do like it.

Give it a go if you haven't already. The atmosphere, characters, story and settings are decent. There is also something about this anime that gives me a 90's vibe but technically it's bang up to date.

SignOfZeta · 11/04/2015, 12:35 PM

I simply cannot fathom willingly exposing myself to a character that instantly reminds one of Shinji from Eva. I hated that kid from the first second I saw him. Also, giant skinned humans is not a draw for me, personally, and that part is extremely similar to Eva's "robots should be gross and totally unappealing" axiom.

xcrement5x · 11/04/2015, 04:19 PM

I personally had a mixed reaction to AoT, I watched the first like 13 episodes or so and then came to the realization they were doing the same cliffhanger shtick on every episode and I knew where the second half was leading up to. I read a synopsis of the second half online and was not surprised to see I was right.

I just finished an anime called Golden Time which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's about some college students and starts out pretty innocuous, and goes through some interesting ups and downs about the friends, their feelings for each other, and how their struggling sometimes to transition from "adults in the eyes of the world" to "actual adults" who understand what the world is going to expect of them.

There's plenty of comedy and romance, plus the latter half of the series is dominated by a large psychological issue, but it seems to tell two stories at once sometimes, and didn't drop the ball on either for me. One of the best things though is that at the end everything seems to wrap up decisively. There is no teaser for a second season put out, it simply tells it's story and finishes which is quite refreshing. I'd definitely give it a solid 8/10 for the story and the silly but fun characters.

JoshTurboTrollX · 12/29/2015, 04:49 PM

Not sure if it was already mentioned but,

Dead Leaves?-

So bizarre

ClodBusted · 12/30/2015, 11:01 AM

Haha, Dead Leaves. I think I saw it on DVD some years ago, had a great time with friends who couldn't believe what was happening right in front of their eyes. Recommended.

I just tried to watch Iria on DVD yesterday, but the picture quality of the official German/French release by AnimeVideo was as horrible as a Hongkong VHS bootleg. I can live with a lot, but this was so pathetic, I had to turn it off after five minutes of blurry fuzzy colourbleeding video.

I guess I'll sell it on, maybe to fund the new release from Discotek Media (if I recall right).

I also got Patlabor 1 yesterday on Blu-ray.

deubeul · 12/31/2015, 09:31 PM

Lately I had good times watching first seasons of Kekkai Sen Sen and One Punch Man.

BigusSchmuck · 01/15/2016, 11:29 PM

Started watching Erased. Damn good anime.

lions3 · 01/18/2016, 08:20 PM

Anyone watching Crunchyroll? At the moment I'm digging "Gate". Modern military in a fantasy world. Fun

Now to start Captain Harlock. Been so long I can't remember the story.

ClodBusted · 01/19/2016, 04:34 AM

I watch Crunchyroll for short 5-minute episodes of wacky series like Wooser and Miss Monochrome, where the commercial breaks inbetween don't bother me.

wilykat · 01/19/2016, 07:43 AM

Quote from: lions3 on 01/18/2016, 08:20 PMAnyone watching Crunchyroll? At the moment I'm digging "Gate". Modern military in a fantasy world. Fun

Now to start Captain Harlock. Been so long I can't remember the story.

If mixed military and fantasy is your thing, maybe Outbreak Company? http://myanimelist.net/anime/19369/Outbreak_Company Quite funny.

xcrement5x · 01/19/2016, 12:08 PM

Quote from: wilykat on 01/19/2016, 07:43 AM
Quote from: lions3 on 01/18/2016, 08:20 PMAnyone watching Crunchyroll? At the moment I'm digging "Gate". Modern military in a fantasy world. Fun

Now to start Captain Harlock. Been so long I can't remember the story.
If mixed military and fantasy is your thing, maybe Outbreak Company? http://myanimelist.net/anime/19369/Outbreak_Company Quite funny.

This sounds interesting. Maybe. I have such a hard time getting a reliable internet connection in the gym unfortunately.

I'm almost done with the Devil is a Part Timer though, it's pretty fun.

elmer · 01/19/2016, 12:20 PM

Quote from: guest on 01/19/2016, 12:08 PMI'm almost done with the Devil is a Part Timer though, it's pretty fun.

One of my favorite shows in a long time, and the first one that I've wanted to actually buy since Cowboy Bebop.

Not sure how they're going to keep it "fresh" for the 2nd season ... but I'm hoping.

xcrement5x · 01/19/2016, 03:40 PM

Quote from: elmer on 01/19/2016, 12:20 PM
Quote from: guest on 01/19/2016, 12:08 PMI'm almost done with the Devil is a Part Timer though, it's pretty fun.
One of my favorite shows in a long time, and the first one that I've wanted to actually buy since Cowboy Bebop.

Not sure how they're going to keep it "fresh" for the 2nd season ... but I'm hoping.

My wife said that the author rebooted the light novels to do something like "the devil is a high school student" or similar, so I'm not sure either. I'm on episode 13, after I finish that I might go back to Zero no Tsukaima, but it's getting pretty ecchi in the 3rd season.

lions3 · 01/19/2016, 07:54 PM

Quote from: wilykat on 01/19/2016, 07:43 AMIf mixed military and fantasy is your thing, maybe Outbreak Company? http://myanimelist.net/anime/19369/Outbreak_Company Quite funny.

Thanks. I'll check that out. I was looking for something new.

DragonmasterDan · 01/21/2016, 01:05 PM

Quote from: lions3 on 01/18/2016, 08:20 PMNow to start Captain Harlock. Been so long I can't remember the story.

I watched the whole late 70s or early 80s Toei Captain Harlock series last year. The story isn't that complex but it's a fun watch nonetheless.

Medic_wheat · 01/30/2016, 01:00 PM

Well that took for ever.

I completely forgot I even had the third movie preordered.

Hmm seems I never got around to getting the first one. Wonder if it will be difficult going one that will match up with these other two in terms of casing.

lions3 · 02/06/2016, 10:31 PM

Quote from: Medic_wheat on 01/30/2016, 01:00 PM

Thanks for posting about that series. They were taking so long I completely forgot about the 3rd movie.

Digi.k · 02/10/2016, 05:56 PM

Quote from: Medic_wheat on 01/30/2016, 01:00 PMWell that took for ever.

I completely forgot I even had the third movie preordered.

Hmm seems I never got around to getting the first one. Wonder if it will be difficult going one that will match up with these other two in terms of casing.

what region are those? The UK packaging is different.

SignOfZeta · 02/10/2016, 09:16 PM

Holy shit. Manga Video still exists!?

ClodBusted · 02/11/2016, 03:57 AM

I bit the bullet and got me Bubblegum Crisis on Blu-ray.

I've watched up to episode 5 so far and I think Animeigo did a very nice job, the picture and sound is better than I expected. And much, much better than on my 15 year old DVDs released by OVA-Films/ACOG back in the day.

Luckily, there are even German subtitles on the BR discs, and it looks like they're mostly taken from the old release I mentioned, with only a few touch ups here and there. Which is fine for me, since I like that translation and would have found it odd to see a major overhaul.

I'll give the English subtitles as well as the English dub a try soon.

Still, I think the initial 4 episodes were the best out of the total 8. The drawing style, the animation, the believeable story and the attention to detail is amazing in them. The later ones seem to lose a bit of that, ok admittedly episode 7 double vision brings back some of it.

Medic_wheat · 02/11/2016, 08:59 AM

Quote from: Digi.k on 02/10/2016, 05:56 PM
Quote from: Medic_wheat on 01/30/2016, 01:00 PMWell that took for ever.

I completely forgot I even had the third movie preordered.

Hmm seems I never got around to getting the first one. Wonder if it will be difficult going one that will match up with these other two in terms of casing.
what region are those? The UK packaging is different.

NA collectors editions. Basicly it comes with a slip cover.

ClodBusted · 02/19/2016, 01:49 PM

Quote from: guest on 02/11/2016, 03:57 AMI bit the bullet and got me Bubblegum Crisis on Blu-ray.
(...)

I went through the whole bunch of discs now.
Comparing the music videos, which are available in both SD and HD versions, the remastered picture quality of the HD versions is fucking awesome. Hats off to Animeigo!
I just wonder why the video for Konya wa hurricane appears two times in HD, while Touchdown to tomorrow is only available in SD. To my eyes, it looks like both konya wa hurricane HD videos are absolutely the same. Or am I missing something that you guys have already spotted?

Medic_wheat · 02/19/2016, 03:25 PM

Quote from: guest on 02/19/2016, 01:49 PM
Quote from: guest on 02/11/2016, 03:57 AMI bit the bullet and got me Bubblegum Crisis on Blu-ray.
(...)
I went through the whole bunch of discs now.
Comparing the music videos, which are available in both SD and HD versions, the remastered picture quality of the HD versions is fucking awesome. Hats off to Animeigo!
I just wonder why the video for Konya wa hurricane appears two times in HD, while Touchdown to tomorrow is only available in SD. To my eyes, it looks like both konya wa hurricane HD videos are absolutely the same. Or am I missing something that you guys have already spotted?

Are the bluerays still available for order?

SignOfZeta · 02/19/2016, 03:48 PM

Quote from: guest on 02/19/2016, 01:49 PM
Quote from: guest on 02/11/2016, 03:57 AMI bit the bullet and got me Bubblegum Crisis on Blu-ray.
(...)
I went through the whole bunch of discs now.
Comparing the music videos, which are available in both SD and HD versions, the remastered picture quality of the HD versions is fucking awesome. Hats off to Animeigo!
I just wonder why the video for Konya wa hurricane appears two times in HD, while Touchdown to tomorrow is only available in SD. To my eyes, it looks like both konya wa hurricane HD videos are absolutely the same. Or am I missing something that you guys have already spotted?

I don't have the BRs, but I do know of two different Hurricane videos. I think the edit from the CDV is different than the one that was used for promotion elsewhere. There's also a live action one.

EDIT: if you give me the running times I can be more specific. I have lots of BGC on earlier formats.

ClodBusted · 02/19/2016, 03:55 PM

Quote from: Medic_wheat on 02/19/2016, 03:25 PMAre the bluejays still available for order?

Yes they are. Unfortunately, the cheaper basic Blu-ray set seems to be sold out, there's only the costly premium one left. They can be ordered via Animeigo's website either by credit card or paypal.

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 02/19/2016, 03:48 PMI don't have the BRs, but I do know of two different Hurricane videos. I think the edit from the CDV is different than the one that was used for promotion elsewhere. There's also a live action one.

EDIT: if you give me the running times I can be more specific. I have lots of BGC on earlier formats.

Ah, thanks, I'll take a second look at the two versions included on the Blu-Ray and let you know about them.
I wasn't aware there was a live action video of Konya wa Hurricane, now that's interesting!

SignOfZeta · 02/19/2016, 04:13 PM

It may be out of print on purpose. There was some contractual shit with the two different Priss's back in the day that may have made rereleasing it impossible. Or maybe it's all over the place, I don't know. I know it was on the first US VHS release of episode 1. I can't remember if my big remastered LD BOX has it or not.