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What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga)
What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.
If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!
I've been rewatching og trigun for like the 5th time lol. I just found out there's a remake that came out in 2023, so I plan to give that a watch here pretty soon. I've heard it's closer to the manga, which I've never actually read, so that should be interesting.
I finally got talked into watching Reincarnated as a Sword. I've been skeptical of the route isekai has been going, with Overlord being the last one I really got into. Though I really enjoyed this one. Enough that I'm reading the manga at least. A human turned sword acting as a father figure is really funny and surprisingly wholesome.
I have started Death Note about 17 episodes in, the suspense is awesome.
Though I wonder if my 10 years old self would side with Light; I sure matured a lot, so I am glad I waited this much to watch it.
Mushoku Tensei's 26th volume will also be publishing next week, when Redundancy finishes as well it might be the end for Mushoku universe or at least a very long hiatus.
Apparently Boruto's manga "ended" back in April, and a "Part 2" started back in September. I just found out and started reading.
I still really dislike Boruto, and only read it because of my attachment to Naruto.
Really? I started reading Boruto pretty much like you. God, I even hated the character designs — something about merging two old characters' designs as their offspring was really not done well. I even found Boruto himself really ugly.
However, I feel that Part 2 brings some interesting plot developments. Although I think they kinda jumped the shark with the whole collective genjutsu shenanigan, this, at the same time, fixed some issues I had with the series (such as Boruto being a spoiled, shitty brat) and brought some intriguing plot developments.
Overall, I still feel that the series has some major issues, such as power creep, the diminishing relevance of ninjutsu (to be fair, that seems to be a problem that started at the end of Naruto), Kawaki being a boring character, and the sakurization of Sarada. But these plot developments really got me hooked, and I feel that I'm reading it more out of curiosity than nostalgia for Naruto.
And I really liked the new designs! Even Boruto is cool now!
I tend to just get stuck on specific details that wholly prevent me enjoying certain stories.
Spoilers for the end of Naruto, and some miscellaneous Boruto spoilers
The power creep in Naruto was already really bad. We started with "Shadow Clone Jutsu is so dangerous that making more than a couple is forbidden" and ended with "Fighting on par against aliens stronger than the strongest ninja on the planet, with the means to shape global politics from the shadows for decades".
The only way Boruto can follow that is by furthering the creep. No one from the original series has any agency in Boruto because they're too weak. The two people who could have had any agency in the story, Naruto and Sasuke, simultaneously get nerfed (in a way I felt was bullshit).
I find it hard to find anything that happens in Boruto satisfying since it feels like the author advances the plot by pulling something out of their ass to save the day. One of the better examples of this is Ada. She can choose to perceive any information she wants, and involuntarily coerces people to follow her will. The only reason the series didn't just end at her introduction is that she just happened to be more interested in Boruto and Kawaki.
Things like the art and nostalgia for the original characters are really the only things keeping me going.
Not technically anime, but I'm watching Daily Life of the Immortal King season 4 and Solo Leveling.
I didn't read the manhwa, but the first few episodes of Solo Leveling really grabbed me. I like the protag as well as a bit annoyed by some of his recent actions. So I'm totally in for what the rest of the series has in store 😆
I'm also considering starting Mashle. I've read good reviews and the premise is interesting.
Mashle is dumb fun. Not saying it's bad, but it is very much a gag manga/anime that starts off ridiculous, and proceeds to get even more ridiculous as the story progresses. It's great if you want a laugh and some excellently drawn reaction faces, but you can't take the narrative very seriously because the story intentionally won't let you.
Why doesn't he max out intelligence first to know what should he be maxing out (and to not walk into metro dungeons alone)?
I get adding strength, but he needed everything else too lol. Add some vitality and agility. Both necessary for fighting. And yea, he just immediately goes into the dungeon. Typical rookie mistakes. Annoying, but it makes this a fun watch lol
Well if he had higher intelligence he'd know to add to intelligence :v
But seriously, I'd actually love a good story where that's what happens. Not knowledge, but just pure brainpower. We've had several stories about maxing out defense like BOFURI, most are about maxed out strength. And I hope no one actually considers Light Yagami and Lelouch actually intelligent, they sure think so of themselves, but... nah.
I know it's difficult to write, but there are ways, and it's always so satisfying.
I find that the outsmartting opponents is usually featured in stories where the protag is not necessarily a good guy or a villian. E.g. Tomodachi Game, Shadow Master book series. Even Batman, who is smarter than most of his rogues gallery, wins with fighting a lot of the time
I suppose. My first thought was Breaking Bad, with Walter being both incredibly cunning, but at the same time easily driven by emotions. Could use some more smart heroes. Intelligence-coding villains is overplayed.
Started reading Witch Hat Atelier, as I found out it was available at the local library. I like it a lot so far, it's got very pretty art, likeable characters and a magic system that makes sense.
I also started (and caught up on) Witch Hat Atelier this past week! I've really been itching for more programmatic magic systems.
Although I do wish the series was on a different schedule, I only learned it was on a monthly schedule yesterday.
Delicious in Dungeon is probably my favorite show of the season, and that's including stuff that's still ongoing from last season (looking at you Frieren). The chemistry between the main cast is great and I just really enjoy anime where people cook and eat food and look like they're having a good time.
As expected, Gurren Lagann: The Lights In The Sky Are Stars was fucking amazing. I'll forever cherish the experience of seeing my favorite anime in an actual movie theater. Like the original movies so many years ago, the show was much better, but that isn't saying much.
By all rights, I should hate Gurren Lagann. I don't like excessive fanservice, I generally don't like shounen, and I really hate shows that make you turn your brain off and just accept that what's happening is what's happening, but there's something about GL that speaks to my soul. Spiral Power is silly, but I can't help but adore the show for taking it so damn seriously. Idunno, I'm bad with words, I really loved this series. Highly recommend. Turn off your science brain and let your analytical brain pick apart the deeper subtext about keeping a positive outlook in the face of despair, and don't stop your inner child cheering whenever one of the characters gives a big speech. If your heart doesn't swell when this shit comes on, I don't want to be friends with you.
Also started Wolf's Rain the other day. It's giving me vague Last Exile vibes, with the largely inscrutable plot in the early part of the show, and the various factions each with their own strong aesthetics. The Guild would fit right in with the Noble Families. The two series are really nothing alike, one being urban fantasy and the other being dieselpunk sci-fi, but my brain is putting them on the same shelf, and not just because they're turn-of-the-century animes.
God that's such an adequate description of Gurren Lagann. I originally saw the cover art on Netflix, and went, "Nice! Mecha anime!" I distinctly remember ugly-crying when
Spoiler for Important plot moment
Kamiya dies.The show just somehow inspires motivation, regardless of how silly it seems. I use "You don't believe in yourself? Fine! Believe in the me that believes in you!" with my kids all the time.
I was surprised I like Gurren Lagann as well. I watched it some years ago, when my brother and I were bored one evening and were flipping through Netflix. We had both heard of it, but knew nothing about it, started watching it, and were hooked quite quickly. My brother still watches DBZ stuff, so maybe it was more in his wheelhouse, but for me, it was mainly outside of it, at least at the start. I did enjoy the space and sci-fi setting and eventual "political" storylines. I don't think I've seen any of the movies, but perhaps I'll have to give those a go.
I've been trying to finish Tokyo Ghoul:re (the 3rd and 4th seasons of Tokyo Ghoul). But god is it a slog.
The first two seasons of Tokyo Ghoul were fine. The pacing was a little quick, but with only 12 episodes each, it made sense. Like I wish those two seasons were just a tad slower so I could better understand relations and reasoning and all that. I'm used to shows like Psychopass and Ghost in the Shell, where there's a lot more discussion and exposition. But at least the overall story arc of the first two seasons of TG was coherent. It didn't feel like I was missing much from the manga.
But compared to ":re," those first two seasons were as slow as molasses.
It's 24 episodes long, but it's like nothing is being explained and there are time jumps everywhere. Right from the start, there's a "new" character, and it's never explained where he comes from. It's pretty obvious who Haise Sasaki is, but there's no explanation of how or why he is that way. Another is the long, cringey sex/love-making scene between Kaneki and Touka, which ends that particular episode. By the next episode Touka is like, "I'm pregnant." What?! How much time was there between these two episodes? There's no indication that anything more than a day or two passed between the episodes. But you know, maybe ghoul pregnancy is different. However, it's never explained; just brushed over as usual and I have to accept that Touka knows she's pregnant like a day after they do the deed. Whatever, just another question that I'm sure will never be answered.
Then there are all sorts of new characters practically every episode, particularly from the CCG. Unfortunately, as soon as they're introduced, they could be killed off. Plus they're apparently all as powerful as ghouls now? I get the "Quinx Squad" since they're half-ghoul/half-human like Kaneki, but not all the full-humans jumping around all over the place, moving at the speed of light. Talk about power creep.
Lastly, the motivations and backstory behind a lot of these characters is often largely missing or missing entirely. Arima, for example. Literally anything about him or anything that involves him. How did he begin to work with Kaneki/Haise? He has to know about Kaneki's background. What is "V," why is he apart of it, and why does he betray it? And how does he even know that author/ghoul lady? Him being half-ghoul -- along with every else and their mothers now, apparently -- I saw from a mile away. But still. Why?
I have 3-4 episodes left. But this is one of the most chaotic seasons of a show I've ever watched. Even "The Promised Neverland: Season 2" was better than this. It's clear that there's a lot missing in the anime from the manga. It's almost like you're expected to have read the manga. There's lots of action, which is nice, but it's almost, to me, starting to stray into the Shonen side of things (it's supposed to be Seinen). I think the characters are well-designed and drawn. They're all very pretty, especially the enigma that is Arima *swoon*. But I watch anime for story, not for pretty anime boys (mostly). Pretty anime boys and girls are just an extra benefit. I chose to watch Tokyo Ghoul because I knew it was popular some years ago and had heard good things about it. So I'm pretty disappointed in how the last two seasons have turned out. We'll see if I finish it or not, even though I'm so close.
Have you read the Tokyo Ghoul manga? The anime follows the plot well for the first two seasons but then goes off-rails, which explains why the latter seasons aren't nearly as well written. It's been a few years since I finished the manga, but I can still say with confidence that you'll get a much better story from reading than watching it.
I've been working my way through the Jujutsu Kaisen manga. So far I've been enjoying it a lot, but the power scale, and resulting power creep is a bit frustrating, and I'm only 150 or so chapters in.
I finally finished reading Dorohedoro and man that was a ride. I loved it from when it came out on Netflix and tried to find a good copy of the official set without much luck. A second season was recently announced and I got to tracking it down again and managed to and now I have a pretty severe story hangover.
Reading Dai Dark is helping a lot. Hayashida Q. Is a wonderful author and I wish he had more influence in other projects, but I understand why he doesn't. 18 years of Dorohedoro and then Dai Dark as a project passion that really shines through as you read... <3
Currently reading Kitanai Kimi ga Ichiban Kawaii. It is definitely one of the more disturbing mangas I have read as of late. I have very mixed feelings about it but overall if you want to be absolutely disgusted, it's pretty good at that. I'll try to finish it up before the next thread and post some final thoughts there.
If you enjoy mecha series, Bang Brave Bang Bravern is probably worth watching ... like, sight unseen. The less you read about it (including the comments on that video) the better. Discussing anything past the first episode is potentially a minor spoiler, but in case this helps make the pitch to anyone: (1) the show is directed by Masami Obari, (2) he clearly had a lot of sway.