What’s not on? (the dropped list)
Thinning the herd, and the seen
As DMC’s manager would say, FUUUUCK. There’s a lot going on this season, as there should be, it’s fall. Casshern Sins supplies the atmosphere, Kannagi brings the lulz, and ef: melodies keeps bring the symbolism (or is it the red herrings?).
Done and done.
Ga-Rei Zero. After the traumatic first episode, it didn’t seem to go much of anywhere for a while. I just can’t seem to get into it, regardless of gore. I’ll probably check it out after it’s all over if the response remains somewhat positive.
Chaos;Head. Higurashi it ain’t, NHK it ain’t. In a medium full of shitty male protagonists, Takasu is the most worthless and loathsome representative of the species. NHK’s Satou was the product of excellent writing and was thus able to tread a thin line between empathetic and just plain detestable. Nitro+’s story doesn’t give us anything like that. Worse, the paranoid antics of the first couple episodes have taken a back seat to a harem-like lineup of girls with weird glowing swords.
Tytania. I can’t handle it. I re-started an earnest attempt to plow through Legend of the Galactic Heroes, for real this time (I know…), and I just can’t deal with both. I’ll check it out later.
Hokuto no Ken Raoh Gaiden Ten no Haoh. It’s hard to find a reliable subtitle out there, and with Toei’s new Crunchyroll showing of the classic original Hokuto no Ken series, I can finally fulfill my wish of seeing the whole damn thing without actually paying for it (I’ve only seen the movie waaaaaay back in the day). You wa shock!
Thin Ice
Clannad After Story. When, in episode 6, Misae goes to get something to drink at the festival, did anyone else groan? It’s not that I wrote it. It’s just that this shit is starting to get old. Whether it was just Tomoya’s bizarre Dallas-like dream, or he was talking to a goddam cat, it reeked of the same old Key dirty tricks. The flashback episodes started to really get on my nerves how the character design is pretty samey. I mean, wasn’t one of Misae’s friends a dead ringer for Kotomi, never mind Misae herself being Kyou with a slightly different hairstyle? I can think of only one reason why I’m still doing this. Must be time for bodies to start dropping.
Toaru Majutsu No Index. While omo’s theory that whether or not you like the smoking-drinking-loli-teacher will make or break the show didn’t quite last after a quick survey, another common theory that there’s too much fucking exposition in this show holds water. Stop talking. Stop!
ghostlightning | November 10th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
You nailed it re: Index. There’s too much exposition, too much dialogue. Too much world-building through talking before battles, in-between battles, during battles. It’s exposition, not dialogue.
On thin ice with me as well.
frog212 | November 10th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
I agree with your choices. Index started to bore me starting from episode 3. The show needs better dialogue. It’s just too lengthy and the speeches don’t grab the audience and puts em to sleep.
Joe Jacobs | November 10th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
You should check out Michiko to Hatchin, I’m loving that one!
Baka-Raptor | November 10th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Just started watching Hokuto a few days ago.
YOU wa SHOCK!
I like the backstory episodes of Ga-Rei Zero better than the initial action episodes. Don’t you want to know why the lesbian flips out and starts killing everyone?
otou-san | November 11th, 2008 at 12:37 am
ghostlightning and frog212 – “It’s exposition, not dialogue.” That’s the kicker, man. Dialog would move the story forward or develop the characters, this is just telling us a lot of stuff about what already happened. To my mind, this is the mark of a bad adaptation. The novels may have been fine, but anime is a visual medium.
Joe – I am working on a post talking about what I am watching, and M+H is high on that list. Awesome show in an awesome Manglobe style.
Baka-Raptor – I guess I kinda want to know, but it can wait. Galactic Heroes beckons. And Hokuto No Ken. Tell me that song isn’t one of the most manly-awesome things you’ve ever heard.
blissmo | November 11th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Aw, too bad you stopped following Ga Rei. Well, I’ll let you know when the gore comes back, although Ryan A said that the first episode was the only one with gore in it (or something along those lines).
;_________;
And the 2D blood had been so beautiful as well ….
Kabitzin | November 11th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I like the Ga Rei manga, but the anime prequel isn’t really doing it for me. No wonder the manga didn’t focus on what happened in the past… it was so boring!
I heard some raves about Chaos;Head and also its source material. A quick skim, however, only turned up horrendous production values, silly fanservice, and weird-looking swords. What was the hype about?
I’ve started Michiko to Hatchin and it’s ok so far, but it’s been mostly groundwork so far. I’m hoping it will build up to a super story, but I am not that excited just yet.
otou-san | November 12th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I think the Chaos;Head hype was about the paranoid thriller that I don’t think it’s turning out to be. Then again, I don’t know. I believe it was a visual novel, but I don’t play those and probably won’t be starting anytime soon.
I’m excited for M+H just because Manglobe doesn’t do shows very often, and they always seem to be so stylish. I can go quite a few episodes on style alone.
picchar | November 13th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I really liked the first ep of Ga-Rei… but after watching the next four eps, I think I might drop it >.>
…or wait for it to end and watch all the eps back-to-back. Keke.
Martin | November 13th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Agreed on Chaos;Head. In accordance with your analogy, it’s on thin ice for me too. Tytania on the other hand I’m really enjoying – I’m thinking of it as training for watching LotGH through to the end. Over a hundred episodes needs a practice run!
lelangir | November 14th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
@BK: Of course I wanna know why the lesbian goes berserk…well…not really. But the implicit incest yuri is nice.
otou-san | November 15th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
When it changes from implicit to explicit will someone let me know?
@Martin – I told myself that a few times but the only thing that’s really gotten me to watch is the fact that I’m no longer delaying.