The General Anime Thread...

[C-ZETA]

 

[DK]

Mmm, curvy...

 

[MHPALA]

Mmm, ruined.

 

[TheCorvette]

I'll just leave this here...

This might be too broad of a question to ask, but what's up with production delays in anime? You usually hear about studios working on an anime at least a few months prior to release, but if that's the case, why do you hear about production delays and people working down to the wire so frequently? I'd would've thought there would be some kind of system in place to prevent that kind of stuff (or am I just grossly underestimating the amount of work that goes into making a show?)

I am pretty sure you are grossly underestimating the amount of work that goes into making a show. That said, delays and last-minute delivery are something that's endemic to the anime business, and has been for decades. But now that everything's simulcast to the US, we're just now noticing what a huge problem it can be.

Work, especially creative work, has a way of expanding to fit the amount of time given. And since anime creators are both notoriously understaffed and underfunded, and tend to be perfectionists, it's pretty common practice for them to REALLY drag their feet on delivering the final product until the last minute. I've heard lots of complaints about animators not managing their time well (coming in around noon, being flaky and distracted until the last minute, then pulling a marathon of all-nighters right before deadline), and I'm quite sure they're all true.

Over the course of a TV series, all these little delays add up, and after a long run of episodes things get so far behind that the final delivery schedule starts to slip. Master files for simulcasts don't get sent in time for translation and timing (or sometimes they get sent an early version that isn't finalized, or doesn't contain full animation). If all hope is gone, and it looks like there's no possible way a master tape will get to the TV studio in time, the show producer will grab an editor and slam together a recap episode.

Recap episodes can cause more problems than they solve, since it basically cuts out an entire episode of story from the planned series run, causing subsequent episodes to need drastic rewrites and possibly re-editing, so it's considered a nuclear option. (If the series is nearing its end, it's not an option at all.) It's a bad thing for everyone: fans hate it, sales go down, and it's an embarrassing mark of failure for a production staff. But sometimes it's simply the only way a series can keep its timeslot when all else has failed.

Long story short, pretty much every anime production is chaotic to an extent, and the really bad ones are essentially a non-stop panic attack for all involved. I highly recommend you track down a copy of Animation Runner Kuromi(both parts) to see just how crazy things get in the anime business.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2014-05-02

 

[nk4e]

Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama has a couple Q&A's published in Japan today. There's a "Twel-Buu Mysteries" in Saikyō Jump, and there's bonus material in volumes 4-6 of the new color editions of the Cell arc. What's really grabbed the attention of Japanese fans is that he's revealed the names of Androids No. 17 and 18.
No. 17 is Lapis and No. 18 is Lazuli.
Toriyama also revealed that after the Cell arc No. 17 becomes a park ranger at a nature preserve. He's well suited to the work and shows no mercy to poachers! In this happy ending, he's well paid and married to a zoologist with two adopted children.

 

[ranhammerR34]

-> The feels...



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-> Ryoko cosplay!

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Randy digs Asuka (on the left end btw)

^ My new Mac wallpaper!

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-> What do you guys think about Hamatora?

Love the last photo, and as for Hamatora... Go watch it. I think it has been brilliant and I heard a rumor it got a green light for a second season.

 

[Roger the Horse]

https://soundcloud.com/prozd/madoka-megoofa

Wow.

 

[DK]

gooby pls become majicul gurl

 

[Roger the Horse]

but iv gooby be meguca wat wil dat meen fer meduka

In all seriousness though. That guy did an incredible job with that.

 

[Sage Ages]

https://soundcloud.com/prozd/madoka-megoofa

Wow.

The hell did I just listen to?

 

[Roger the Horse]

Someone singing the theme song to my second favourite anime in Goofy's voice?

Was that not already clear?

 

[eXtaticus]

Second-favourite? ;P

 

[Roger the Horse]

Evangelion is my favourite. Madoka is better, but Eva is my favourite.

Also, this may interest you:

 

[DK]

BANG.

 

[niky]

So, I never post in here... not because I don't like animated features, I do, but my tastes tend towards Studio Ghibli productions and the rather more serious animated features than cutesy-tootsie Sentai Sailor Girls, Ecchi and the endless, repetitive slice-of-Japanese-high-school-boy/girl/harem-life shows that seem to clog up the anime-waves. Just the fact that I know the word "Ecchi" makes me cringe.

But I have to say, this:

...was awesome.

On the face of it, it's fanservice-slash-hypergore-slash-utter-randomness.

On the inside, though, it's a deep narrative into human psychology, social issues, family ties and sexism.

One would wonder what a fanservice series would have to say about sexism, but it turns out, there's a whole lot. The whole interplay of the fight against sexual objectification (Ryuko) and the use of it for empowerment (Satsuki) is rather subtle... and then it gets turned on its head when Ryuko accepts objectification, then starts lamenting how society treats her differently from Satsuki, even if they've made the same choice.

Is it more acceptable for the rich and powerful to dress skimpily, while we label the poor who do so "trash"?

Hilarious take on this with regards to Porsche: (and unlike KLK, totally misogynistic):
www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/11/avoidable-contact-cayenne-wont-help-ya-cayenne-wont-do-you-no-good/

And then it goes deeper into duty, subjugation of desire, sexual abuse and freedom. All the while, there's a layer of political commentary on top of that ranging from subjects such as fascism to wealth (though that one is a bit heavy-handed) to war. And the science/magic is pretty well explained. No deus ex machina impossibilities. And even at the times where it appears that's happening, later explanations reveal most progression and events to have logical roots and consequences.

And on top of that, KLK has some of the most believable (as in, incredibly so) female characters I've ever seen in anime. It's telling a lot of girls actually like Kill La Kill. It's full of relatable protagonists who feel like they're not made of cardboard. Satsuki, in particular, could very well be the star of her own series. The ones that did seem sort of one-dimensional were acknowledged comic relief, but they do show some depth every now and then.

I also love the gorgeous visuals, too. The character designs for Setsuki and Ryuko (in their pre-transformation modes) are fantastic, and perfectly reflect their personalities. And I love the nods to classic anime and action movies. The BIG.RED.TITLES.ARE.PARTICULARLY.EFFECTIVE. Granted, the transformation sequences can get repetitive, but that's part and parcel of the satirical take on super sentai sailor girls, and the glowing man-nipples... oh Lord, that gets... distracting.

The only other nit I can think of is how quickly the fight with the big bad is resolved, and how a certain character's fate is left completely untouched. (spoiler: Nui Harime, who became the ultimate GodRobe. Though with the other GodRobe disintegrating, also, there's probably not much point in showing it)

But all-in-all... Kill La Kill is top-notch stuff. Most male viewers will be fixated by the gratuituous T&A, but once you get used to it, there's stuff that's worth watching underneath.

That's that... rare interruption/exposition over.

 

[DK]

Kill la Kill is easily the most epic show I've seen since Cowboy Bebop. I'm starting to think Ryuuko is hotter than Asuka...for starters, she still has both eyes.

 

[Roger the Horse]

Kozo Fuyutsuki is hottest anime.

 

[DK]

I sometimes imagine him with Christopher Walken's voice for the lulz.

 

[AOS-]

https://soundcloud.com/prozd/madoka-megoofa

Wow.

Bring Me To Life rocks Madoka's socks.

 

[Sly Guy]

Bought the Psycho Pass Collectors Edition BD set. I didn't watch it when it aired originally, but I'm liking it so far.

 

[kennylmao]

I remember watching things like PPG, Dexter's Lab and Courage the Cowardly Dog on CN back when it was still decent. Cartoon Cartoon Fridays. Man I feel old.

Those were the days eh? Everything now is all tame, kiddy stuff. But I heard Adventure Time is pretty good. I think it has the same levels of weird and wackiness as what we used to watch.

 

[TheCorvette]

Bought the Psycho Pass Collectors Edition BD set. I didn't watch it when it aired originally, but I'm liking it so far.

Out of curiosity, did you end up with a tight artbox (I got the tight one...) or a lobsided one? FUNimation really dropped the ball on this release, the initial artbox had issues, and the replacement also had issues (Many couldn't get the cases back in all the way at all).

(Also dat banding.)

FUNimation REALLY has gone downhill.

 

[C-ZETA]

I'm starting to think Ryuuko is hotter than Asuka...for starters, she still has both eyes.

Who are you and what have you done to Ciaran...??

 

[niky]

Those were the days eh? Everything now is all tame, kiddy stuff. But I heard Adventure Time is pretty good. I think it has the same levels of weird and wackiness as what we used to watch.

Adventure Time is pretty multi-layered. On the top-level, it's a retro-feeling sword-and-sorcery adventure set incongrously in a post-apocalyptic candyland inhabited by radiation-spawned candy people, mutants, monsters and fantastical creatures. On a more basic level, it's about a teenage boy, his dog and his life as grows up, finds love, loses it and finds it again over long story arcs. On another level, it's nearly pure randomness... but it's interspersed with some very serious bits, some very emotional bits and there are a lot of subtle hints and clues to the entire world's backstory scattered throughout the various episodes.

Wife and I actually watch it with our kid. It's surprisingly popular with young (and not so young) adults, with a good fanbase and even entire fan-made fan-animated episodes online.

The worst criticisms I've heard are of the simple art... but honestly, some of the most memorable shows, like "Dexter's Lab", use pared back art to better concentrate on proper character design and story-telling. To be clear, though, Adventure Time's art direction is much tighter than DL or PPG, and it's been remarkably consistent from episode to episode. Also, the simplistic art-style allows for very dense world-building detail and a rich variety of design. Lots of fans on Deviantart for this series.

The more valid criticism is that it's scary for younger kids. There are zombies, brain-sucking ghosts, soul-sucking demon-overlords, the undead Lich-king, who kills a character in one episode and wears his skin and various monstrosities and mutant oddities. For adults pretending to be kids... it's a nice distraction. Some of you will probably not like it, but I say, watch a dozen episodes or so before making up your mind. (Later episodes get deeper and better scripted, though they're still random at heart) Nickelodeon must be kicking themselves in the nuts for losing this franchise to Cartoon Network.

 

[Sly Guy]

Out of curiosity, did you end up with a tight artbox (I got the tight one...) or a lobsided one? FUNimation really dropped the ball on this release, the initial artbox had issues, and the replacement also had issues (Many couldn't get the cases back in all the way at all).

(Also dat banding.)

FUNimation REALLY has gone downhill.

Got the tight one. It was kind of a spur of the moment purchase once I saw the counter. It's as tight as the Aniplex LE for Madoka.

 

[kennylmao]

The more valid criticism is that it's scary for younger kids.

I think that's what caused Cartoon Network to move to the stuff they air now. Him from Powerpuff Girls or the many monsters from Courage The Cowardly Dog were some freaky stuff, and we fared well, I think. Everything now is so much more... "appropriate".

But suddenly, Adventure Time. I noticed the fandom among adults but it wasn't until I saw a video of Lemongrab on Youtube. Lemongrab is hilarious!

 

[Roger the Horse]

If I remember correctly the UK release of Adventure Time was rated 12 by the British Board of Film Classification, which, for some perspective, is the same age rating as FLCL, Haruhi Suzumiya, and Grave of the Fireflies.

Powerpuff Girls somehow got away with a PG (based off of the ratings I've seen other things get, it could well have been a 15 due to the repeated use of fowl language), and Courage... Yeah, I don't know how they thought that wouldn't traumatise an 8 year old, but apparently it wont.

 

[niky]

Unlike Courage or PPG, events in Adventure Time have lasting consequences. None of the main characters have died, but several supporting characters who've been in multiple episodes have, and disfigurement and sometimes lost limbs feature in various episodes. Fin also breaks bones and requires casts a number of times during the series.

It's not enough to attach an overly negative vibe to the series (except perhaps in episodes "Finn the Human", which was downright sadistic) but it's enough to project a feeling that there are real consequences for the characters whenever something happens.

 

[Roger the Horse]

Yeah. The weird thing is that if you switched Finn for Spike and Adventure Time for Cowboy Bebop, that would continue to be accurate. I generally find age ratings to be bizarre though. Adventure Time gets a 12, but Neon Genesis Evangelion gets a PG.

Actually, thinking back to what I said about FLCL, I can imagine that that was probably quite hard to give an accurate rating for, considering that while from an adult's perspective FLCL is incredibly sexual (being a show about that awkward transition between childhood and adolescence and all), almost all of that is communicated through bizarre innuendo (ie. robots being pulled out of people's heads) and a kid would be unlikely to actually pick up on much of it, if any at all. I think Adventure Time often does a lot of stuff like that, but perhaps more subtly.

Anyway, Adventure Time is best show.

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Found this:

 

[kennylmao]

Powerpuff Girls somehow got away with a PG (based off of the ratings I've seen other things get, it could well have been a 15 due to the repeated use of fowl language), and Courage... Yeah, I don't know how they thought that wouldn't traumatise an 8 year old, but apparently it wont.

I think it's cause back then there weren't much regulation for what makes it onto the tv for our kids.

Oh, and can someone (you maybe) explain what 'pulling a robot out of people's heads' means? I still don't know what it implies.