It should be known that I now have decent internet and thus can stream shows at a decent speed! Woo!

I've decided it's time to watch a lot of the anime I've been hearing about on the interwebz.

A lot of the anime I hear about is newer stuff that doesn't have a dub yet. But they can all usually be found for free on http://www.crunchyroll.com/

But the thing is there is a LOT of anime there. Sheesh. You wouldn't think so much exists! I was just going to click one randomly but I'm pretty sure I'd just end up hooked on some show that nobody actually cares about or has never heard of. Or maybe I just won't like it and would have wasted my time.

Now it should be no surprise that I like Anime. I have watched all the ones that are overly popular in the US. Like Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Death Note, Dragon Ball Z, etc! As well as watch a lot of Anime Movies... which I've reviewed several times in the movie thread. But there isn't really a thread for Anime TV shows so I figured I'd go ahead and make one!

Feel free to talk about any anime you like, or dislike... or you can just display outright swooping hatred of it like I've known a few people to do!

Let me begin with one that many probably have seen on TV lately if they have Toonami.



Space Dandy!

This is a new anime that I'm sure a lot of you here will like. It's kind of a gag anime about a space hunter named Dandy and his robot and cat friend as they explore the galaxy and basically get into weird shit every episode. This one is easy to get into because there is very little overarching narative. The characters could all die in one episode then return the next with no mention of it.

The art style in this show is AMAZING. From the colour design to the character design this show really shines with quality. Anyone who has seen Cowboy Bebop and liked it would probably also like this series. Plus there is already of a dub of it if you don't like Subtitles.


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Puella Magi Madoka Magica



Now I've seen this anime everywhere now. It's been pretty huge on Tumblr and other sites but for the life of me I couldn't find a decent release on DVD. It was like 50 dollars for a handful of episodes online. Sheesh! So now that I have decent internet I'm finally watching it.

This is a magical girl show. Like girls transform and blow up bad guys. If you grew up watching Sailor Moon like I did this should be pretty standard stuff. But geez is this show dark!
It's a pretty twisted take on the magical girl genre and I think it's worth a watch if only to see what all the fuss is about.

The character design is solid and the show is short. Only 12 episodes so it doesn't drag on like most anime. Plus the villain sequences are trippy as hell.



I couldn't find a dub but I hear the one they have is terrible. If you don't mind Subtitles I recommend it! It's on CrunchyRoll and it's free on Hulu.

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Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son)



Ok so I saw some people suggest this on some list of great anime and having never heard of it I decided to look into it.

It's a slice of life (non magical/real life) anime about the school life of a boy and a girl. The thing is in this picture the boy is on the left and the girl is on the right.

Yeah it's a weird one but stick with me.

It deals with the life of these two kids as they wish to be the opposite gender. The boy wearing a wig and dress and the girl wearing suits and baggy clothes. It's a very simple premise but the series takes itself very seriously. You see how they deal with growing up and how people react to their secret.

The show has a very realistic tone to it and honestly it might not have needed to be animated at all. You could have just as easily done this story in live action and it would be no different.

There is some romantic aspects between the boy and the girl as well as social commentary on how their classmates perceive them. How the girl might be able to get away with wearing a boys uniform one day but how things are drastically different if the boy were to try the same thing.



I think this series will strongly appeal to even non-anime friends as it's not exaggerated or really fan servicey in the ways the characters act or look. And the art style is so simple and appealing. There is a very relaxed vibe to everything, strengthening the realism of it all.

The only issue is all the characters have natural hair colours and styles so it might get confusing remembering who is who. Especially early on. It also is pretty short and ends on an undecided note.

But I highly recommend it. And after just watching a trailer for it I was hooked. I ended up watching all 11 episodes in just over 2 days. But maybe I'm weird.




Well that's all I'll post for now. I'm still on the lookout for more anime!

I'll probably talk about the more obvious ones we've all seen next go around.

I've been trying to get Rose to sign up there for ages to watch Madoka.

I've been watching Sakura Trick and Witchcraft Works this season (and Space Dandy on Toonami) but my queue's got lot in it. I'd also recommend Kids on the Slope!

Fucking weeaboos

Grimapple @ 20/3/2014 11:54

I've been trying to get Rose to sign up there for ages to watch Madoka. I've been watching Sakura Trick and Witchcraft Works this season but my queue's got lot in it. I'd also recommend Kids on the Slope!

You don't even need to sign up at hulu or crunchyroll they are just available for the free service. The only thing the premium is good for is the really new shows.

I just started Sakura Trick but it seems incredibly fanservicey. lol. But also pretty cute.

Yeah. I just have the free accounts.

Sakura Trick is a bit fanservicey but I like how cute it is and the way it treats the relationships.

I didn't read your post but the Anime convention in Boston is this weekend and I always like going to the area and checking out peoples costumes.

Derpeos @ 20/3/2014 17:36

I didn't read your post but the Anime convention in Boston is this weekend and I always like going to the area and checking out peoples costumes.

Yes cosplay is fun. If had the money I'd do it for sure.

Same. I've only done it once and that was years ago.

Space Dandy reminds me of that anime with that dude with the afro that fights with nose hairs and some Sonic reject as his sidekick.

I watched Sailor Moon on USA as a kid. I've only really watched a shortlist of anime movies since then though. The only other series I watched were Bubblegum Crisis, Evangelion, and Cowboy Bebop a little later on. When I was into anime I mostly had to settle for what I would sometimes catch on Scifi channel's Anime Saturdays or what they had in Blockbuster to rent.

Or what I would randomly come across in stores and ask my parents to buy. One of those movies wound up being one of the Legend of the Overfiend movies which filled me with little kid guilt. I buried it in the woods behind my house inside of an X-Men lunchbox like a serial killer.

ZM Punk @ 20/3/2014 18:28

I watched Sailor Moon on USA as a kid. I've only really watched a shortlist of anime movies since then though. The only other series I watched were Bubblegum Crisis, Evangelion, and Cowboy Bebop a little later on. When I was into anime I mostly had to settle for what I would sometimes catch on Scifi channel's Anime Saturdays or what they had in Blockbuster to rent. Or what I would randomly come across in stores and ask my parents to buy. One of those movies wound up being one of the Legend of the Overfiend movies which filled me with little kid guilt. I buried it in the woods behind my house inside of an X-Men lunchbox like a serial killer.

I thought you said that was Perfect Blue? Maybe that was included in the burial.

Kru @ 20/3/2014 18:05

Space Dandy reminds me of that anime with that dude with the afro that fights with nose hairs and some Sonic reject as his sidekick.

Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo. Still my favorite anime.

Bobobo is hilarious and random.
Highly enjoyable.

Ecto @ 21/3/2014 1:08

I thought you said that was Perfect Blue? Maybe that was included in the burial.

No, Perfect Blue was just a weird movie. I think you watching it was what kicked off the same discussion on ProM.

I might have called the one I buried Urotsukodoji, which is either the Japanese title or Legend of the Overfiend is just the subtitle.

I remember Bubblegum Crisis and Bobobo, but I don't think I ever really watched them. I do love Satoshi Kon's films (and I can't watch Black Swan without thinking of Perfect Blue), I'm really excited for the Sailor Moon reboot, and I'm waiting for a Cowboy Bebop shirt to come in the mail. I really need to buy the whole series and the soundtrack (I only have to think Yoko Kanno's name and I start fangirling over her music). I should rewatch older series like Serial Experiments Lain while I'm home for the summer.