Winter 2014 Anime Thread

First person I've ever heard hate on Lelouch. Hipster of the anime thread?

It'smassivelyover-rated and, judging from what the team behind it have done since, was a fluke. It's notbadper se, just not that great either.
Plus the second season disappeared up its own arsehole.

Lelouch is like the Japanese Batman with a superpower. Such a hater.

The list had Afro Samurai on it.

Need we say more?

Asmadai_sl said:

The list had Afro Samurai on it.

Need we say more?

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While I agree with you, Afro is the only black lead in an anime and voiced by Sammy J. It was inevitable.

Phoenix Prime_sl said:

Ok Kill la Kill just kicked it into overdrive and turned it up to 12!

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I want more! MORE!

eVasiege_sl said:

While I agree with you, Afro is the only black lead in an anime and voiced by Sammy J. It was inevitable.

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Haha, you're right. I should have realized that. Point to you, sir!

Itzena_sl said:

It'smassivelyover-rated and, judging from what the team behind it have done since, was a fluke. It's notbadper se, just not that great either.
Plus the second season disappeared up its own arsehole.

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I agree, I've always seen it as a shittier Death Note. Also, what second season ?

Foggy_sl said:

First person I've ever heard hate on Lelouch. Hipster of the anime thread?

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It's Itz; so the main problem was that Nunnally was not a magical girl and/or drove a tank.

Come on, code geass was a shittier death note, just like madoka is a shittier noein.

gogusrl_sl said:

Come on, code geass was a shittier death note, just like madoka is a shittier noein.

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Whatever. CG nailed the ending, whereas DN fell apart. They are both great. The first half of DN is amazing but post L's death just completely unravels. CG ups the ante and becomes completely epic.

Foggy_sl said:

Whatever. CG nailed the ending, whereas DN fell apart. They are both great. The first half of DN is amazing but post L's death just completely unravels. CG ups the ante and becomes completely epic.

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Geass gave us the anti-hero we needed. DN lost it's hero halfway throughout and we were left with subpar characters that couldn't keep our attention. The main character had no real growth or inner struggle for the vast majority of the series (maybe a little bin in episode 1?). He was always a one dimensional and boring character. He was operating from a position of power and it was always his game to lose, which he did inevitably to a bunch of piss-ant teenagers.

CG had a lot of moral grey area and the main character was not sure the entire time of his path though it was always to make a better world, even if it meant harming a lot of people in the process. He found a lot of his actions emotionally challenging but went through it anyway for the end results. He almost found an out in season one with Euphie but as things didn't go to plan he moved on and dynamically changed the landscape. The last third of the second season is when Lelouch is finally fully aware of the complexities of his world and has finally resolved inside to do what he must. Then he executes his final plan and atones for his actions. Lelouch actually has the capacity to love people, Light in DN did not even if they were both portrayed as super geniuses. One couldn't relate to light and can only be compared to sociopaths of the highest order with no real love capacity that even hardened criminals are capable of having for the most part. DN on a rewatch is terrible while CG after a few years actually seems better.

The only other anti-hero fiction that has come recently that has been executed decently in the last few years is the Prince of Thorns series. It's not easy to pull off.

As for the main writer's future work, the only thing I see afterwards are Valvrave when not counting jobs as assistant writer or episodic writer but that show also has a different director who will have a lot of control over the storyline. As an example just becase KLK has a lot of the same people as TTGL doesn't make it any less epic or KLK more epic. (Still consider KLK to be an above average anime but simply not TTGL levels).

Reading your post I have to agree to most of what you said and I know this sounds shallow as fuck but there's more to an anime / movie than just the main character's motivations or his growth. The drawing/animation style, sound track, the atmosphere they create has a major impact on how I see a series as a whole.

I should mention that I've watched about 5 eps TTGL and couldn't finish the first episode of KLK. Guess I hate 12 years old protagonists and/or someone shitting a rainbow on my screen.

Some of my favorite anime are GitS and Shigurui.

KLK lost me very early, doesn't matter how good it gets in the end if it drags along.

gogusrl_sl said:

Come on, code geass was a shittier death note

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This is how I've always felt for the most part. Death Note did drag at some points, and the ending could/should have been better, but the atmosphere and tone, music, art and animation offer an overall better package. Despite it's flaws, Death Note succeeds at being the better, darker thriller. Despite it's complexities and grand scale, Code Geass wasn't nearly as compelling a show. It's been several years, so I'll have to watch them both again to confirm.

gogusrl_sl said:

I should mention that I've watched about 5 eps TTGL and couldn't finish the first episode of KLK. Guess I hate 12 years old protagonists and/or someone shitting a rainbow on my screen.

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That's one of the reasons I liked TTGL so much, and KLK currently. The art is intentionally old-school and a bit crude, but it allows them to do crazy things with the animation. Either show doesn't really take itself too seriously visually, but ultimately tries to convey a serious message through a compelling story (TTGL was better at this). It's like for kids, but somehow not for kids. I like those contrasts.

Code Geass was an amazing anime.

Death Note was an amazing manga, but a pretty mediocre anime. It's not something that transferred mediums very well.

Obligatoryxkcd: Matrix Revisited

Also, anyone has any idea if there's gonna be more Bleach ? It's the show that got me into anime and I loved it (when shit actually happened). I still listen to the soundtrack.