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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!
Still watching and enjoying Lazarus quite a bit. Highly recommend and really feels like a show commenting on the present. The other day my wife commented that AI is like the Hapna of our times. I can unpack that later, but maybe watch the show first :)
Any thoughts on the ending sequence? Doesn't end the episodes on an optimistic note huh.
It's definitely a series that has a lot to say and takes all the episodes to say it. Very much enjoyed Leland's episode. Already looking forward to rewatching all the episodes to see what character things I missed first round
This is a great observation that I've been turning over in my head for the last few days.
The episode with the cult led by an AI also has some eerie echoes of the recent news stories about users being hypnotised into a state of delusion by engaging with LLMs and looking to them for guidance.
Started Dandadan manga, not really knowing much besides that it's been trending lately. There's a particular scene in the very first chapter that almost put me off of it (cmon, man, why a child?). I googled if the series stayed "horny" the entire time, and results seem to imply it was all front loaded and gets much more tame quickly.
Already owning the first volume anyway, I decided I'd at least finish that and see how it is, and I'm glad I did. It's a very cute and funny comic, and while there is a good amount of immature jokes about sex/genitals (which are handled in a fine and funny way imo) there hasn't been any level of graphic-ness beyond that first chapter so far. I've only just finished volume 2 as a disclaimer, but so far I'd recommend the series, just with the one warning for the start
As someone who does NOT like sexually suggestive series, I would like to defend Dan Da Dan a little bit.
Vol 2 spoiler
What nearly happened to Momo, indeed did happen to all the young girls that became the location bound crab spirit. I feel like the tone was at least respectful: violence shouldn't happen to Momo, it shouldn't ever have happened to those girls, and hopefully now that the teens have power to kick alien butts they can prevent it from happening to others. Linking the almost danger to the first real boss they fight give room for the reader to emphasize with the rage and hurt of the crab monster. Who's the real monster here, the girls, or the people who hurt them?
There are some emotionally heavy stuff, and some really silly top shelf slapstick stuff, and yes there's teenage naked silliness all over the place in this series. I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Yeah I'd watched the anime adaptation and it's really excellent, I just wish I didn't have to include a caveat anytime I would recommend it to friends. The tonal whiplash it cultivates is pretty fun overall and I like that it's willing to tackle some pretty tough subjects but I wouldn't fault someone for dropping it before it had a chance to get good.
I randomly watched an older show called Blood Lad. I didn't look into it at all and just clicked it for the amusing name without knowing what I would be getting into.
What was there was okay, though a bit bouncy for my tastes. It's real problem is where it ends. It just unceremoniously stops existing at episode 10. It feels like if you took a story intended to be 2 12 episode seasons and then just stopped it after 10 episodes. There are other reasons I wouldn't recommend this anime here, but how unsatisfying it's stopping point is would lead me to not recommending it to anyone.
Re-watched all of My Hero Academia, then read the manga for the final season which doesn't come out until later this year. It was... okay. Like I've watched it on and off for years. I was waiting for the final season to release, but figured since the manga was finished I could just read that to get the closure (did the same thing with Attack on Titan when it was still airing). And like MHA has some awesome moments, and great characters, but paradoxically I think it both drags on too much and yet ends too soon. Like some of the latter seasons were just pure action. One massive battle that spans literally an entire season, and it happens multiple times! But then there were scenes towards the end where I'm like 'fuck why won't this guy just die already it's been like four episodes of him taking a beating and coming back from near-death every time' and then he goes on to live like three more seasons. Oh and the story gave me similar vibes to Avatar: The Last Airbender, but ATLA felt much more impactful for some reason (maybe all the side stories in ATLA made the world feel more alive and connected, whereas MHA focuses a lot more on the main heroes/villains, or maybe there's just too many of them compared to the gang in ATLA, not sure...).
After that I watched Buddy Daddies since I have a Spy X Family shaped itch that needed scratching, and it was pretty good. The best part about it, which caught me off guard given the state of shows nowadays (cough cough MHA), was that it wrapped everything up in one season. Like there's no crazy long overarching plot that takes multiple seasons to unravel. There's just a story with a beginning, middle, and end, maybe some backstory for context, and then no plans for continuation. So refreshing given how many shows end on cliff hangers and have plot lines that seem to drag on forever. Like sure I wish there could have been a bit more, but it wrapped itself up before it could overstay its welcome, which I feel happens to a lot of interesting shows that get stale after a season or two.
This season is already in its last few weeks, but I picked up Nazotoki wa dinner no ato de just because I stumbled upon the trailer and liked the look of it.
The premise is pretty simple; a wealthy lady has a day job as a police detective and solves mysteries with her bumbling superior and advice from her sardonic butler, a Mycroft Holmes-esque figure who can seemingly unravel any case just by hearing the facts.
I don't find the actual mystery parts (which often rely on a fair bit of coincidence) to be all that compelling or well explained, but the investigation parts of the show are very high energy and upbeat and the character interactions are a lot of fun. Hanazawa Kana and Miyano Mamoru in particular are a joy to watch as the police procedural duo. Both are of course super prolific and known for being excellent in any role, but comedic roles like this are relatively uncommon for both of them and they play off each other nicely.
Animation is by Madhouse and while it isn't their A-game or particularly detailed, it's smooth and rubbery and a good fit for the tone of the show.
I'm watching Sailor Moon 1992 for the first time!! It wasn't really something I could openly watch as a kid. I'm having such a great time watching it. I'm only like 32 episodes in, so I've only reached 1 big plot advancement, but I really love the "monster of the week" format. I love how little violence there. The focus is on the characters and how they spend time with one another with a fun spike in action right at the end. My favorite part is the iconic designs from the guardians to the dark kingdom, but a very close second is how great I think the English voice acting is! I think everyone is perfectly cast and put so much effort into their roles. And the music!! It's easy to see why Sailor Moon is iconic.
I don't know the entire philosophy behind "healing your inner child", but finally watching this show feels like it's doing that a little bit. I feel a little at peace when watching <3 Planning on reading the manga and watching Sailor Moon Crystal at some point too.
I plan on writing an essay after I finish the show, I've got a lot of thoughts about its problematic elements, queer themes, and how it relates to the girlhood I never got to have. I know the world doesn't need another Sailor Moon essay, but I need to write it for me.
I have been watching the Apothecary Diaries after a recommendation from a previous thread.
What an awesome show, good writing and interesting plot. Halfway through season 1 and looking forward to more!
Such a great show! I'm glad you're enjoying it. I absolutely love the historical mysteries, and Maomao's eccentricities remind me of the best parts of Sherlock Holmes.
Watching Hunter x Hunter for the first time. I’m flying through the episodes like I did the first time I watched Death Note. It’s just so hard to stop watching.
Kurau: Phantom Memory is another one that's hard to write about. I like the soundtrack, I like the dub, I like the animation (it's Bones, so you know it's pretty), but it doesn't really lend itself to much philosophizing or commentary, aside from some parallels with exploiting other peoples for their resources.
I liked the character development Christmas got. She starts as essentially an alien with no understanding of how human society works, and ends up being a particularly personable... person.
I also like the conflict Kurau feels regarding Kurau's body. It's a really unique story beat, a spirit possessing a body but trying their best to keep the body safe for when they figure out how to leave it, and the tension of wanting to stay in this world in that body, but knowing it would be wrong to just steal it? Idunno, I'm bad with words, but I thought that conflict was really neat, and I felt for Kurau (the Rynax) having to deal with it. The show doesn't lean into this internal conflict very hard, but you get glimpses of it.
I also really liked the ending. I saw it coming from a mile away, and I'm not ashamed to admit I shed a few tears.
Huh, I guess it does lend itself to commentary. 8/10. I can't think of anything specific they could have improved, but it isn't as above and beyond as something that gets a 9.