UPNetwork  

Go Back   UPNetwork > General Forums > Anime

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 07-17-2013, 04:26 PM   #5301
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
OH WOW. xfd;

Kuno: Your owl girl is sucking UPN's bandwidth dry!
Talon: *gulp*
moo:
Talon:
o.o;

That is pretty nuts. I wonder if you get the same result when you sign out of your Google account though. (Or, even more ideally, do the search as an anonymous searcher from an IP address that isn't one you regularly use to check UPN.) I ask because I remember a year or two ago Google rolled out some sneaky changes to how search results are returned now for each of us. Rather than the old fashioned way (where Google presents before you the most highly linked-to pages on the Internet in descending order), modern Google tries to offer an intelligent, user-catered search where it will return to you those sites which it thinks, based on your prior browsing history and whatnot, you are most likely to have wanted to find. So like, theoretically, this could explain why UPN turns up high for those of us who use UPN all the time. It's quite possible that it doesn't turn up that high in Google searches for other Internet users. Then again, it's also possible that it does ... in which case, dayum. ^_^;

Kuno: Quit leading spambots to our doorstep with your animu posts, Talon.
Talon:
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2013, 04:30 PM   #5302
deoxys
Fog Badge
 
deoxys's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,513
I tried non-personal global results and they were all the same. I also tried it in an incognito window where I wasn't signed in - the same results there, too. I also tried from my phone not signed in - exact same results. I rarely visit UPN on my phone. Haven't tried from another IP though, could try a proxy I guess.
deoxys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2013, 04:57 PM   #5303
kaisap112
Volcano Badge
 
kaisap112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Finland
Posts: 2,210
Talon, have you considered making Talon's Photobucket Adventures its own thread? ^-^;;
__________________
kaisap112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2013, 05:05 PM   #5304
Kindrindra
大事なのは自分らしいくある事
 
Kindrindra's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Determined
Posts: 5,840
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaisap112 View Post
Talon, have you considered making Talon's Photobucket Adventures its own thread? ^-^;;
Outpost Nine: Talon's Photobucket Adventures.

Being adapted into an anime this fall!
__________________
PASBL(TL: 4 RL: B-) --- FB (Kin Blackstone) --- WF (Adelie Fleur)
Quote:
Originally Posted by captainmisato View Post
People should watch what they enjoy regardless of what others think, even if it's a terribad guilty pleasure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
Though, I also dislike the concept of lamenting the current day while wishing to re-experience the past. At least, my modern attitude is to try and make each new day magical even if it's not, since exclusively reminiscing about the past is too pathetic.
Kindrindra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2013, 05:18 PM   #5305
lilboocorsola
Dragon's Tears
 
lilboocorsola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Searching for light
Posts: 6,453
Lil' Bluey

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kindrindra View Post
Outpost Nine: Talon's Photobucket Adventures.

Being adapted into an anime this fall!
Ironically I just realized the uncanny connection of "Moeko's Owl" and "Meina's Owl" last night. XP
lilboocorsola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2013, 05:32 PM   #5306
deoxys
Fog Badge
 
deoxys's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,513
Watamote 2:

I enjoyed it. It's a really awkward show to watch, but Tomoko is a pretty likable character for how inept and awful at social skills she is. I actually wouldn't mind watching her journey into becoming... what she isn't right now. I think I'll stick with it for now. I wasn't gut crushed the same way Talon was, but it's definitely hard to watch at times, especially when it draws comparisons to your own past... but I think, in a way, that's actually charming. Everyone has a little Tomoko in them. Her anxiety, reclusive behavior, and even bits of depression are really relatable on a personal level.
deoxys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2013, 06:09 PM   #5307
deoxys
Fog Badge
 
deoxys's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,513
Madoka movie 3 coming to theaters in the US.
deoxys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2013, 06:14 PM   #5308
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
That gun scene still turns me off something major. That and the fact that I don't appreciate or even understand why they keep trying to shoehorn in all of these sequels and prequels and What Ifs and sidestories. It's like ... the original told a contained tale with beginning, middle, and end. What is this new stuff bringing to the table that is so worth fucking with the canon of the original?

But then again, I wasn't one of Madoka's "OMFG 11/10!" fanatical fans so I guess that right there is all the reason I need to see why this film isn't for me.
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2013, 06:19 PM   #5309
deoxys
Fog Badge
 
deoxys's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,513
I agree that it's being milked, but since this movie is actually supposed to be the direct continuation, and considering the last few minutes of the final episode left it just barely open enough to having a continuation if they wanted to, I think it will work. That's of course not to say that they even should have made a sequel in the first place, even after the movie is out and I see it I'll probably feel like it's not something that needed to happen and would have been fine with the ending as it was. But I don't think it's one of those situations where they just should not have made a sequel at all because it doesn't fit or doesn't make sense... because it sort of could.

We'll see how they manage it once it's out. I agree with you on the gun scene though. It actually sort of sickens me a bit, though I imagine they keep teasing it because they're going to pull a fast one on us during the film. What do they call that? Creative editing or something? Making the viewer think one thing when it's actually another? Yeah. Maybe.
deoxys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2013, 03:13 PM   #5310
kaisap112
Volcano Badge
 
kaisap112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Finland
Posts: 2,210
Gin no Saji

Crunchyroll apparently picked this up and in English it is known as simply Silver Spoon. The title is explained in the first 5-10 minutes, no need to worry about that.

Gin no Saji is a fish out of water story: an urban teenager goes to an agricultural high school (EDIT: the school is in Hokkaido, the MC is from Sapporo, and I see people finding it weird) and stuff happens.

The first episode is spent repeating a single gag that I wasn't aware could exist at all - this particular bit of info is taught to every single kid in Finland, so to me being shocked for the tenth time at the same thing was stretching it too thin. Aside from that, this show has a certain charm to it, and if nothing else will tempt you then all the delicious shots of food will. I blame this show for making me want to try Japanese rice mixed with soy sauce and a raw egg. The school/program the MC goes to is centered around livestock, which separates this anime from Moyashimon (which was agriculture college kids making booze). Judging from the OP we'll be seeing a lot of food-stuff, especially with meats, dairy and eggs.

It's not a spectacular show really, but it's a relaxing show that sneakily teaches you stuff about agriculture. Speaking of which: is there a shortage of farmers in Japan, or is farming just an exotic thing to use in anime? Gin no Saji kinda reminds me of Finnish documentary/reality shows about life as [a police officer/nurse/doctor/fireman] that are trying to make kids want to get on those career paths.

I'll keep watching this show, and for some odd reason MAL claims this show already has a confirmed second season coming up. And this is the second week the first season's been on air! Is it a joke or just a very well ahead planned project we're looking at?
__________________

Last edited by kaisap112; 07-18-2013 at 03:19 PM.
kaisap112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2013, 03:33 PM   #5311
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaisap112 View Post
Gin no SajiThe title is explained in the first 5-10 minutes, no need to worry about that.
I'm not worrying about anything, I already watched it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
Gin no Saji: finally watched the first episode of this. Cute but disappointing: I had been expecting much more than what I got. May stick with it, will definitely watch Episode 02, but my hopes for this series are so much lower now than they were before.
As for why MAL can already confirm a second season, it's likely because this first season is going to terminate for odd reasons, like:
  • taking a one-season break just because
  • changing names between seasons from Gin no Saji to Gin no Saji: Moo or something.
Who knows. Regardless, the studio's probably announced that the break is only temporary (if a break) or that the name change is just a superficial name change thing (if that's what's happening), and that's why MAL is confirming it so early.

But MAL's bound to be confident a second season's coming out: because this is the second work by Fullmetal Alchemist's creator. So it seems pretty unlikely that it'd be terminated after only 13 episodes. There are quite a few volumes already out in Japan (nine, I think? too lazy to check right now), enough that there's no reason to even bother with a television adaptation if you're only going to animate the first two or three tankoubons and then call it a wrap.
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2013, 03:49 PM   #5312
kaisap112
Volcano Badge
 
kaisap112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Finland
Posts: 2,210
Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
I'm not worrying about anything, I already watched it.
I guess I forgot that post because of all the Photobucket Adventures! *shot*

Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
As for why MAL can already confirm a second season, it's likely because this first season is going to terminate for odd reasons, like:
  • taking a one-season break just because
  • changing names between seasons from Gin no Saji to Gin no Saji: Moo or something.
Who knows. Regardless, the studio's probably announced that the break is only temporary (if a break) or that the name change is just a superficial name change thing (if that's what's happening), and that's why MAL is confirming it so early.

But MAL's bound to be confident a second season's coming out: because this is the second work by Fullmetal Alchemist's creator. So it seems pretty unlikely that it'd be terminated after only 13 episodes. There are quite a few volumes already out in Japan (nine, I think? too lazy to check right now), enough that there's no reason to even bother with a television adaptation if you're only going to animate the first two or three tankoubons and then call it a wrap.
The first season has (according to MAL) 11 episodes, and the second season is just called Gin no Saji 2 at the moment (no episode number). I don't think I've ever seen something like this happen in my time with anime, hence the confusion.

And creator of FMA? Huh? What? This show is very much...not FMA. Nothing supernatural about it. I...really can't think of these two sharing an author.
__________________
kaisap112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2013, 04:02 PM   #5313
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Did you not notice that some of the characters bear resemblances to several FMA characters? If not, that's fine, you weren't looking for it like I was. Go back and watch for it. The one that was the most obvious was the instructor who looks a lot like Alex Louis Armstrong and even did something to show off his muscular upper body. The animation studio for Gin no Saji, whether at the behest of the author or not I do not know, seems to have mildly distanced the anime's look from the author's characteristic character designs, but I think you can see faint whispers of Maes Hughes or Roy Mustang in the protagonist. (Faint whispers!) And I think the Equestrian Club girl he's got the crush on bears some resemblance to that one female rookie officer in FMA (the one with the really short black hair).

Arakawa Hiromu. I was wrong before when I said that this was her second work since FMA. It's more like her fourth or fifth. But this has been her only work she's both started or been caught working on since the year work on FMA wrapped up (2010). She started Gin no Saji in 2011, it looks like, and has been working exclusively on it ever since.

Quote:
She often portrays herself as a bespectacled cow.
I guess she's always loved cows. Guess it makes sense then that she wanted to take us to an agricultural school at some point.
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2013, 02:23 PM   #5314
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Gin no Saji: Watched Episode 02. I enjoyed this one more than the previous episode. Perhaps because my expectations were now so much lower? ^^; Perhaps because it was just genuinely better? Perhaps because hooray Holstein Club? I'm not really sure, but what I can say is, Gin no Saji still hasn't grabbed me like Fullmetal Alchemist did but it's also something that I wouldn't consider dropping right now. A lot of other shows to drop before I'd drop this one. So that's good, at least.

Spoiler: show
lol @ Tamako being the younger sister of the chicken guy. lol @ "SHE'D BE HOT IF SHE LOST SOME WEIGHT!" Doubt we'll ever see that happen. In fact, I kind of doubt we'll ever see Tamako hook up with anybody in the main cast. But who knows.

I'm not sure whether the teacher who oversees the Equestrian Club is meant to be a parody of the Buddha or of Liu Bei. My own initial impression was the latter simply because of dat white horse. Obviously he could just be meant to be Buddha-like, but again, that was sort of Liu Bei's whole deal too, long earlobes and all. In any event, he seems like a nice mentor for the club.

Of course Hachiken would wind up on the principal's radar of interesting students. Of course. Guess it'll be interesting to see what all the principal's own story is and how it will impact Hachiken.

Damn, I could not wake up every morning at 4 a.m. just to be a member of the Equestrian Club. Noooooooooo thank you.

I like how the author is actually brave enough to have Hachiken's dorm roommates be completely different people from the people he's grouped up with for his coursework and clubs. It mirrors real life pretty strongly, I'd say, but it's something which far too few Japanese writers go with, it feels like. Too often in a series like this would the protagonist be sharing his room with some of the fellow boys in his group. I'd peg the veterinary student as the likeliest candidate. But here, we don't have that. Here we have two totally different guys who are Hachiken's roommates, four different students who are his academic group mates, and 7+ different students who are his club mates. It feels like real life. That's nice for a series like this. Helps us to relate to something which is so outside most of our own personal experiences.

I wish the show were funnier, more powerful, or both. It hasn't been either one yet, but it's also still just two episodes in. A lot can happen between now and the end of the season. Looking forward to Episode 03.
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2013, 06:48 PM   #5315
Doppleganger
我が名は勇者王!
 
Doppleganger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Emina Isle
Posts: 14,198
Send a message via AIM to Doppleganger
Minna Daisuki Kozukuri Banchou

This has got to be the most indecent VN I've ever played. Heck, it is so dirty, I don't think there's an H-manga or hentai I've ever seen that parlays this much depravity into a 22 hour session.

It's absolutely hilarious, but insidiously immoral and self-righteous about it. A big part of the comedy stems from how outrageous and chauvinistic the male lead is, and both the writing staff and the antagonists seem to acknowledge this.

To its credit, the production values are amazing. The art is top-tier, and so is the animation (even if the technique itself is not that impressive), and the HCGs are among the best I've ever seen in anything barring only the upper echelon of black-and-white doujins. The music is below average, but the voice acting is solidly excellent.

Comedy-wise, it's around Sengoku Rance, but since there's no rape that removes a key component of what made Rance funny. The main guy is perverted as heck, but he's relatively vanilla, his actions speak louder than his personality.

The characters were fun, although un-even in depth. The little sister Natsumi was easily the best character, as she had actual development and was among the most entertaining. Her active enthusiasm for her brother's impregnation campaign, and the riches it would bring, was comically self-centred. The conniving maternity goddess Ishtar was likewise amusing. Of the side characters, I liked the samurai girl, the noble girl, the mage and the robot. Pretty much expected as I like proper, good girls like them. They were more or less caricatures but didn't drive me nuts.

BBB gave this game a 6, but I'll give it a 7. Art/animation alone puts it in hallowed territory only trumped by the movie-tier VNs like Muv-Luv Alternative and ef, the voice acting, comedy and fun factor excuse the frame story and overall poor development. It's a raunchy H-game, it isn't meant to be emotionally fulfilling.
__________________
あなたの勇気が切り開く未来
ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望
今 信じあえる
あきらめない 心かさね
永遠を抱きしめて
Doppleganger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2013, 07:42 PM   #5316
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
Heck, it is so dirty, I don't think there's an H-manga or hentai I've ever seen that parlays this much depravity into a 22 hour session.
I can't help but to laugh at this. Googled the game. Saw a few pictures. On a twenty-one point scale (from -10 to +10) of raunchiness or indecency, -10 being HOLY SHIT THEY'D THROW YOU INTO AN ASYLUM FOR THIS and +10 being Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, your game looks like a +4 or +5. ^_^; Even if it is a porn game (which I don't doubt; I believe you!), it can't be any worse than like a -1 or a -2. This thing looks like it is the sweetest, purest, most innocent eroge I've seen in months.

I don't doubt that it might be the raunchiest or most indecent thing you've ever seen, but that sure isn't saying much, Mr. Choir Boy. ^^;; If I showed you the manga I read just this morning, given what you've just said I think it'd knock the wind out of you.

Also, I couldn't help but to laugh at how bad the art looks for an eroge. You're giving this game an overall score of 7 and accrediting the bulk of the effort to the game's art? Really? I feel like I'm being baited to namedrop some of the eroge I've played. Ź_Ź; I'll avoid the trap for now and settle for a simple "Nuh uh! " / "You must not have played very many eroge then!" childish retort instead. But seriously ... really, Doppel? ^^; They don't even look human in some of these pictures ...
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2013, 08:39 PM   #5317
Doppleganger
我が名は勇者王!
 
Doppleganger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Emina Isle
Posts: 14,198
Send a message via AIM to Doppleganger
In at least three of the cases, they aren't.

My high marks for the art isn't for the character design, specifically (although I did like some of the designs and have to disagree for some of them!), but for how the genitalia is presented. Perhaps I should say the censorship is creative, because what I saw was un-characteristically vivid for an H-game, enough so that I could discern detail that I haven't seen in most of my other titles. In saying this to you, I probably come across as an altar boy saying he knows more about God than the local bishop, but in the narrow spectrum of experience I have beyond my castle of sanctity, this is pretty extreme.

To perhaps illustrate this point, I normally take oodles of screen-shots from games I like, because I see a funny line, an ironic quote, or an image I just like. I try to avoid anything H because that can't be uploaded or shared, and that's a big component of taking the picture. I've taken a grand total of two for MDKB, and both of those were for the sake of having taken a picture. All of the CGs showed skin in some form, and while the game was funny, the animated bits weren't enough to get me to snap a screen, so despite really liking the game I don't have a lot to show for it.

The depravity is more along the lines of social rather than sexual. For a guy who doesn't rape, hurt, or humiliate women, it's pretty tough for him to be sexually offensive. The social dynamics of what he's trying to do is far more upsetting, and his non-chalant attitude and perhaps delusion at how self-righteous yet painfully self-serving his mission is all the more creepy.
__________________
あなたの勇気が切り開く未来
ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望
今 信じあえる
あきらめない 心かさね
永遠を抱きしめて

Last edited by Doppleganger; 07-20-2013 at 09:49 PM.
Doppleganger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2013, 10:37 PM   #5318
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Genshiken Nidaime: Just finished Episode 03. The series is, I think, my #2 anime of the summer season (right behind Rozen Maiden: Zurückspulen). This episode caught up to where I was in the manga (first half of the episode) and then lapped me (second half of the episode). Not sure whether I should go seek out the manga and catch up or whether I should stay put and enjoy being surprised each week. Probably will do the latter, as I usually do do, but we'll see.

Spoiler: show
Good LORD did this episode make me smile but fluster me and make me uncomfortable and embarrassed and this and that all episode long. PARTICULARLY THE SECOND HALF!

I think it's interesting how this episode explores something I remember from the manga when I read it years ago: the fact that while Hato does enjoy crossdressing and does masturbate to yaoi and even fantasizes about being in a male-male relationship with Madarame ... he identifies as being heterosexual. Or at least, he denies that he's "into that sort of thing" (i.e. a male-male relationship) in real life, much to the consternation of his inner woman. It's very strange, and it seems to me like he's lying to himself, but if he's not (and I'll trust him for now that he isn't) then it makes him a really complex, unusual character. 'Cause it's not every day that you find someone who does all the things Hato does yet still denies that he'd be interested in a male-male relationship in real life.

I mentioned one or two weeks ago that Hato is my favorite character of the new bunch. This is true ... but he's by no means my favorite Genshiken character of all time. That award solidly remains Madarame Harunobu's, and this episode was our first really great solid look at Madarame this season. I mean, sure, he's been in both of the previous episodes (delightfully ) but this was the episode which gave the fans what they wanted: more fuel for the Madarame x Kasukabe fire (yes please ) and a more focused look at what Madarame's life is like right now. I've been shipping Madarame x Kasukabe almost since Day 1 and was pretty darn sad that the original manga series never went in the direction of having Saki and Kousaka break up (due to Kousaka's utter inability to relate to Saki on a human level or to treat her the way that most men, including Madarame, would have treated her) and to have her and Madarame end up pairing off together. I actually do respect Kio Shimoku for not caving in to fan expectations (including mine! ) and sticking to his guns with Saki x Kousaka. But where does that leave Madarame? Where indeed. This episode gave us a very sad but very realistic look at Madarame's love life: still on hold, with him still having unrequited feelings for Saki. I'm hopeful that we'll get to see him and Saki interacting soon enough. I'm sure it'll happen eventually. It kind of has to. ^^;

Female Hato is so insanely hot and gorgeous it's not even funny. Getting to see what she'd look like "if she were a real woman" via the voice in his head was just Nosebleed City. I friggin' loved the part where Madarame invited Hato (when she was in girl form) to stay and have a drink with him, and then when she politely excused herself, he freaked out. "WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING? X_X;"

One of the most emotional and climactic moments in the original Genshiken manga was when the others came to Madarame's apartment to find his porn stash (and maybe some proof that he does in fact own at least some porn of real live women?) and they open his desk drawer, find the porno DVD there, give him a huge ribbing about how he *does* in fact own 3D porn ha ha ha .................. and then when they leave, he reveals to us that the porn DVD was a decoy he had just recently bought from the store meant to prevent his friends from uncovering the truth .......... that his greatest treasure of all was his secret collection of photographs of Saki in cosplay. Madarame was willing to let his friends unfairly tease him for not being the 100% pure otaku he always said he was -- he was willing to let them unfairly accuse him of being into porn with real women in it -- if it meant keeping his crush on Saki a secret. This week's episode was thus a really nice homage to that powerful scene, what with having Hato cleaning up Madarame's room (which is sort of like a different spin on having his friends over and them snooping all around his room for his porn stash) and Madarame being all "OH GOD HE DIDN'T FIND THE PICTURES, DID HE? @_@ okay good he didn't ^^; *pheeeeeeeew*" ... and then, after Madarame had passed out, Hato finding them anyway, but being very, very respectful about it.

While I am forever a Madarame x Kasukabe shipper, I have to admit that Genshiken Nidaime is warming me up to the love triangle of Kasukabe x Madarame x Hato. You've got Hato who has an unrequited crush on Madarame ... and you've got Madarame who's got an unrequited crush on Saki. I find myself peculiarly rooting for Hato's happiness just as I've always been rooting for Madarame's. Thing is ... I don't want Madarame to go to the dark side, so it's not like I can say I'm rooting for Hato x Mada or Mada x Hato. No. ^^; But like ... I dunno, I just feel bad for Hato that he's got this crush on a great guy -- and Madarame really is a really great guy, even if he's sort of a loser in several ways -- but this great guy Hato has a crush on just doesn't reciprocate. Hato's been totally friend zoned by Madarame, and like ... that's great that they get to at least be friends! ............. but no one wants to be friend zoned.

Loved the after-credits scene with Keiko. That Asuka Langley (Neon Genesis Evangelion) suit.

Speaking of cameos from various otaku things, this episode featured a shout out to Tora no Ana ("Tiger's Hole", a store in Japan that sells doujinshi and other otaku things) in the form Kuma no Ana ("Bear's Hole"), a bag Hato was holding from his trip with the other Genshiken first years to the doujin shops. Madarame's bedroom was also chock filled with nods to modern trending anime or eroge or whatnot. He had a poster for Ika Musume. He had another poster for Love Plus. I'm sure there were others I saw and recognized but I can't remember them all right now.
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2013, 06:10 AM   #5319
kaisap112
Volcano Badge
 
kaisap112's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Finland
Posts: 2,210
Quote:
Originally Posted by Talon87 View Post
Genshiken Nidaime: Just finished Episode 03. The series is, I think, my #2 anime of the summer season (right behind Rozen Maiden: Zurückspulen). This episode caught up to where I was in the manga (first half of the episode) and then lapped me (second half of the episode). Not sure whether I should go seek out the manga and catch up or whether I should stay put and enjoy being surprised each week. Probably will do the latter, as I usually do do, but we'll see.

Spoiler: show
Good LORD did this episode make me smile but fluster me and make me uncomfortable and embarrassed and this and that all episode long. PARTICULARLY THE SECOND HALF!

I think it's interesting how this episode explores something I remember from the manga when I read it years ago: the fact that while Hato does enjoy crossdressing and does masturbate to yaoi and even fantasizes about being in a male-male relationship with Madarame ... he identifies as being heterosexual. Or at least, he denies that he's "into that sort of thing" (i.e. a male-male relationship) in real life, much to the consternation of his inner woman. It's very strange, and it seems to me like he's lying to himself, but if he's not (and I'll trust him for now that he isn't) then it makes him a really complex, unusual character. 'Cause it's not every day that you find someone who does all the things Hato does yet still denies that he'd be interested in a male-male relationship in real life.

I mentioned one or two weeks ago that Hato is my favorite character of the new bunch. This is true ... but he's by no means my favorite Genshiken character of all time. That award solidly remains Madarame Harunobu's, and this episode was our first really great solid look at Madarame this season. I mean, sure, he's been in both of the previous episodes (delightfully ) but this was the episode which gave the fans what they wanted: more fuel for the Madarame x Kasukabe fire (yes please ) and a more focused look at what Madarame's life is like right now. I've been shipping Madarame x Kasukabe almost since Day 1 and was pretty darn sad that the original manga series never went in the direction of having Saki and Kousaka break up (due to Kousaka's utter inability to relate to Saki on a human level or to treat her the way that most men, including Madarame, would have treated her) and to have her and Madarame end up pairing off together. I actually do respect Kio Shimoku for not caving in to fan expectations (including mine! ) and sticking to his guns with Saki x Kousaka. But where does that leave Madarame? Where indeed. This episode gave us a very sad but very realistic look at Madarame's love life: still on hold, with him still having unrequited feelings for Saki. I'm hopeful that we'll get to see him and Saki interacting soon enough. I'm sure it'll happen eventually. It kind of has to. ^^;

Female Hato is so insanely hot and gorgeous it's not even funny. Getting to see what she'd look like "if she were a real woman" via the voice in his head was just Nosebleed City. I friggin' loved the part where Madarame invited Hato (when she was in girl form) to stay and have a drink with him, and then when she politely excused herself, he freaked out. "WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING? X_X;"

One of the most emotional and climactic moments in the original Genshiken manga was when the others came to Madarame's apartment to find his porn stash (and maybe some proof that he does in fact own at least some porn of real live women?) and they open his desk drawer, find the porno DVD there, give him a huge ribbing about how he *does* in fact own 3D porn ha ha ha .................. and then when they leave, he reveals to us that the porn DVD was a decoy he had just recently bought from the store meant to prevent his friends from uncovering the truth .......... that his greatest treasure of all was his secret collection of photographs of Saki in cosplay. Madarame was willing to let his friends unfairly tease him for not being the 100% pure otaku he always said he was -- he was willing to let them unfairly accuse him of being into porn with real women in it -- if it meant keeping his crush on Saki a secret. This week's episode was thus a really nice homage to that powerful scene, what with having Hato cleaning up Madarame's room (which is sort of like a different spin on having his friends over and them snooping all around his room for his porn stash) and Madarame being all "OH GOD HE DIDN'T FIND THE PICTURES, DID HE? @_@ okay good he didn't ^^; *pheeeeeeeew*" ... and then, after Madarame had passed out, Hato finding them anyway, but being very, very respectful about it.

While I am forever a Madarame x Kasukabe shipper, I have to admit that Genshiken Nidaime is warming me up to the love triangle of Kasukabe x Madarame x Hato. You've got Hato who has an unrequited crush on Madarame ... and you've got Madarame who's got an unrequited crush on Saki. I find myself peculiarly rooting for Hato's happiness just as I've always been rooting for Madarame's. Thing is ... I don't want Madarame to go to the dark side, so it's not like I can say I'm rooting for Hato x Mada or Mada x Hato. No. ^^; But like ... I dunno, I just feel bad for Hato that he's got this crush on a great guy -- and Madarame really is a really great guy, even if he's sort of a loser in several ways -- but this great guy Hato has a crush on just doesn't reciprocate. Hato's been totally friend zoned by Madarame, and like ... that's great that they get to at least be friends! ............. but no one wants to be friend zoned.

Loved the after-credits scene with Keiko. That Asuka Langley (Neon Genesis Evangelion) suit.

Speaking of cameos from various otaku things, this episode featured a shout out to Tora no Ana ("Tiger's Hole", a store in Japan that sells doujinshi and other otaku things) in the form Kuma no Ana ("Bear's Hole"), a bag Hato was holding from his trip with the other Genshiken first years to the doujin shops. Madarame's bedroom was also chock filled with nods to modern trending anime or eroge or whatnot. He had a poster for Ika Musume. He had another poster for Love Plus. I'm sure there were others I saw and recognized but I can't remember them all right now.
So I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that Genshiken Nidaime is basically
Spoiler: show
Hato the Animation to all of us who watch it.
__________________
kaisap112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2013, 06:12 AM   #5320
big bad birtha
Volcano Badge
 
big bad birtha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,878
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doppleganger View Post
Minna Daisuki Kozukuri Banchou

This has got to be the most indecent VN I've ever played. Heck, it is so dirty, I don't think there's an H-manga or hentai I've ever seen that parlays this much depravity into a 22 hour session.

It's absolutely hilarious, but insidiously immoral and self-righteous about it. A big part of the comedy stems from how outrageous and chauvinistic the male lead is, and both the writing staff and the antagonists seem to acknowledge this.

To its credit, the production values are amazing. The art is top-tier, and so is the animation (even if the technique itself is not that impressive), and the HCGs are among the best I've ever seen in anything barring only the upper echelon of black-and-white doujins. The music is below average, but the voice acting is solidly excellent.

Comedy-wise, it's around Sengoku Rance, but since there's no rape that removes a key component of what made Rance funny. The main guy is perverted as heck, but he's relatively vanilla, his actions speak louder than his personality.

The characters were fun, although un-even in depth. The little sister Natsumi was easily the best character, as she had actual development and was among the most entertaining. Her active enthusiasm for her brother's impregnation campaign, and the riches it would bring, was comically self-centred. The conniving maternity goddess Ishtar was likewise amusing. Of the side characters, I liked the samurai girl, the noble girl, the mage and the robot. Pretty much expected as I like proper, good girls like them. They were more or less caricatures but didn't drive me nuts.

BBB gave this game a 6, but I'll give it a 7. Art/animation alone puts it in hallowed territory only trumped by the movie-tier VNs like Muv-Luv Alternative and ef, the voice acting, comedy and fun factor excuse the frame story and overall poor development. It's a raunchy H-game, it isn't meant to be emotionally fulfilling.
I guess it's good you liked this VN more than I did. Though honestly I only really liked it for its wild premise. The art really took me some getting used to. I mean they drew the bodies well (and most of them had fantastic posteriors), but god the faces could be tough to look at. Though I think it might be a thing only for this title, since the characters they did for previous Eushully titles didn't have that problem (idol, robot, and slave elf).

Admittedly, the premise was really funny though. It was so god damn depraved and immoral, yet everyone, even the girls who were clearly being wronged, were acting self-righteous about it. Actually I still think the whole "I'm going to impregnate a bunch of girls and get money from the government!" is really funny.

Actually I'm surprised you didn't hate the sister. I mean, she's one of the girls the main guy impregnated, and she had that whole "onii-chan complex" thing going for her. Maybe you're finally coming to terms with your weakness?!
big bad birtha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2013, 01:07 PM   #5321
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Ilya: just watched Episode 02. Wow. I had so expected to hate this series, but ... I'm really enjoying it! o.o; Looking forward to "next week's" already! (Resisting the temptation to watch the NND version right now; will continue to wait for UTW's one-week-delayed releases.)

Spoiler: show
Nice Lord El Melloi II cameo.

Aww, was hoping Rider would be Ilya's first capture. They make quite the pair!

Not crazy about the idea of robbing from alternate universes. Just because there's infinitely many of them doesn't mean you're not fucking over individually each of the ones you pillage.
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2013, 09:21 PM   #5322
deoxys
Fog Badge
 
deoxys's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,513
New show!

Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka Cł-bu

At first it tried to trick you into thinking it's a generic slice of life high school show, but don't let it pull the wool over your eyes. While it definitely is a SoL, it's not a typical one. You might call it "slice of life/action", I'm not sure.

The show is about a young girl's first day at her new academy. When she arrives at her room, she discovers guns everywhere, only to soon realize they are all airsoft guns. Without giving too much away, she finds out her roommate is part of an airsoft club (C3 - Command, Control, and Communication Club). I have to say, I was quite surprised. I felt pretty meh at the beginning but as the show continued on I found myself really enjoying it by the end of the episode. It's funny and while it might have just a tad too much moe to it, I still really liked it.

Oh, and the soundtrack is straight up Jazz music which, in my opinion, is a HUGE plus (love Jazz). There was one scene in particular towards the end that the music just worked fantastically with. I'm talking 1950's Jazz, the kind that makes you want to get up, snap your fingers, and do the Charlie Brown.



I'm going to pick this up I think. I can't see much changing from the first episode, but if it gets worse and I wind up wanting to drop it, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
deoxys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2013, 10:52 PM   #5323
Talon87
時の彼方へ
 
Talon87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 20,578
Servant x Service: Watched Episodes 02 and 03. They were fine, as is this series. I feel like the series is a pretty average anime, but at the same time I was more entertained by Episodes 02 and 03 than I was by Episode 01. Perhaps not that surprising though when I reflect on what the highlights of the two episodes were. ^^;;

Spoiler: show
Episode 02 introduces a tsundere younger sister with a crush on her older brother; and Episode 03 spent half its time focused on a plot thread about Lucy's bra hooks snapping under the sheer strain of her massive boobs.

I feel like the show is dealing with a somewhat boring subject matter but is doing its best to try and "moe-fy" it or to turn it into a stereotypical comedy anime. I'd be quite surprised to meet anyone who is like any of the three newbies working as a civil servant in the real world and having done so for 10+ years. Maybe (maybe) some civil servants really do show up as new hires looking like Lucy or Miyoshi or Hasebe, but give it ten years and they all turn into ihatemylifeandiwanttodie "NEEEEEEEEEEEEXT!" types. [/stereotype] I dunno. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I shouldn't confuse the BMV with the government's information center for health care & insurance programs. Maybe Japan is just different from the USA in this regard. Anyway, the point is that even if I don't feel like this is a very honest or realistic depiction of life as a civil servant, I do feel like it's the moe-fied version. And the moe-fied version is admittedly a decent enough pleasure to watch.

Not really sure what the tease is with Lucy x Hasebe. This guy keeps hitting on her, and the way she keeps turning him down is like textbook Princess Leia Syndrome where she's eventually going to want to ride him like a cowgirl riding a bucking bronco date him. But the thing is, nearly all of the other signs point to the plot not heading in that direction. Like, it's only the fact that he keeps asking for her contact info and that she keeps being all "OVER MY DEAD BODY! " that I'm even remotely considering the possibility. Everything else seems to suggest "Yeah, no, that's never gonna happen. Neither Lucy nor Hasebe nor Miyoshi are ever going to be shown winding up with any of the other regular characters." The thing is ...

Spoiler: show
Episode 03's final bits seemed to suggest that Lucy is falling hot and heavy for Hasebe, given how he's such a Renaissance Man (which really seems to attract her), ... but like, that same material seemed to suggest that Hasebe doesn't really see Lucy as anything more than a friendly coworker with amazing breasts. Just as he explained to their supervisor, he seems to be more interested in the challenge of getting Lucy's phone mail address than anything else. But I dunno ... lots of weird mixed signals from the show in the form of scenes like him taking her on a dinner date or him gently putting those headphones in her ears to help her drown out the sound of the scary lightning.

I'd like to see the characters better developed than they have been so far. I'm sort of getting Doujin Work vibes from this. Here's hoping things do develop beyond what we've seen in Episodes 01 thru 03 thus far.

I've had the OP stuck in my head all day. It's by no means what I'd call a great song, or even my kind of music in general, but I've had the main bit (heard at the very start and at the very end) stuck in my head all day long. ^^; Although it looks like Soundcloud's working on that problem. Thanks for linking me to this other catchy OP, Soundcloud!
Talon87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2013, 08:40 PM   #5324
lilboocorsola
Dragon's Tears
 
lilboocorsola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Searching for light
Posts: 6,453
Lil' Bluey

Started watching some new shows.

Gin no Saji:

Watched episode 01 and 02. It's fairly pleasant so far, though the main character's tendency to judge by appearance is rather annoying. OP is kinda catchy, if a bit out of place. The ED is great though. <3

Servant x Service:

Up through episode 03, and loving it. Sure, it's probably unrealistic and seems to have little to do with actual civil service, but goshdurn if this isn't so ridiculously cute. ^^; I find myself really enjoying the light slice-of-life humor, and all the characters are quite likeable. Favorite of the season so far. Also once again the OP is surprisingly catchy, and the ED is nice and relaxing to listen to as well.

(Also, both these shows strike a personal chord with me at certain points, so I'm curious to see where that leads.)

Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Ilya:

Well, this is... Interesting, I suppose. It's a bit hard for me to get past the removal from FSN's plot and the artstyle. Definitely looks like a doujin. But it is kinda funny when it's parodying the magical girl genre. Just don't see the need to use characters who I know are supposed to have more tragic stories. =/

Last edited by lilboocorsola; 07-26-2013 at 01:45 PM.
lilboocorsola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-23-2013, 03:25 AM   #5325
deoxys
Fog Badge
 
deoxys's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,513
Watamote 03

has really jumped the gun in terms of awkwardness. I actually only made it about ten minutes in before I had to pause and break from it. You know when you watch a show sometimes and you're just like "NO STOP WHAT ARE YOU DOING NO NO NO"? This show was MADE to give the people who do that hell. I mean this is just the worst case of awkwardness and embarrassment I've seen. I like when the show does it and it's not terribly bad because it can be played off as funny, but it's progressively getting worse and worse each time, as if somehow Tomoko is becoming MORE inept and socially retarded. Some of it's just not funny and instead feels like I'm watching a slow motion train wreck. If this keeps up, I might have to drop the show, not because it's bad, but because I just cannot handle watching something so... demeaning.

I went back and finished it, and without spoiling anything, it got better, but my earlier point still stands. There's way too much awkward and uncomfortable humor, and there were quite a few things that happened in the episode that just made me feel sad as hell. One scene in particular just broke my spirit because of how relatable it was.

So yeah. I don't know. I WANT to like this show. But it's so hard to watch.
deoxys is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Lower Navigation
Go Back   UPNetwork > General Forums > Anime


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 2 (0 members and 2 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:13 PM.


Design By: Miner Skinz.com
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.