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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!
Oh yay, I enjoy these threads for finding new stuff and chatting!
I'm all caught up on the One Piece manga now, the new arc has been okay so far but this flashback is really long, lol (no spoilers).
I'm also caught up on the Sousou no Frieren manga as of last night. I loved the anime so much that I dove right into the manga. I am looking forward to the next part of the anime. I don't think the latest arc is going to be a part of it, which is kind of a shame because I'm really enjoying it, but the ones it's going to cover are going to be really good as well!
I also just started the Gachiakuta manga on the recommendation of a friend, and I'm enjoying it so far. I'm curious to see where it goes and the power system. The world definitely seems pretty interesting, so I'm looking forward to reading more.
I saw the first Kimetsu no yaiba Infinity Castle movie, and while I did enjoy it I had a few issues , which I've posted about on tildes in other threads. I'll paste my post from another thread, but I've only been watching the anime for this because my partner doesn't read manga, and I wanted to experience it with her.
My first issue was, and I'm not sure if it was like this anywhere else, but my showing was extremely loud. Like painfully loud at times. I adjusted a bit throughout, but I literally had to block my ears at some points, usually I'm not sensitive to sound but my partner was the same.
My other issue was...
Spoilers
Zenitsu's (adoptive?) brother , Kaigaku. As someone that has been anime only I felt like he completely came out of no where, I realize there were hints to him, but it never really showed him, or maybe I'm forgetting something. Idk how it was handled in the Manga, but was it similar? It kind of felt like oh here's this guy with a bunch of backstory with Zenitsu, oh wait he killed him.
Zenitsu
I read the manga only and it was a while ago. I remember his backstory being dropped here and there every so often, seeing as how he's one of the main trio. That Kaigaku was sort of the missing big brother, like Sasuke's bro from Naruto, someone who mysteriously betrayed the clan and caused the death of a parental figure kinda backstory.Edit: In the manga we didn't get a lot of backstory from Kaigaku either, but the fight wasn't about Kaigaku, it was about Zennitsu finally realising he had always lived up to the expectations of their master, and exceeding his own expectation of himself. It was a fight that complimented the others: that perseverance beats talent, and nurturing the next generation despite human frailty and mortality is far better than living forever hurting others and being a cursed existence.
Spoilers for Demon Slayer movie
Oh, interesting. Perhaps I was too lost in the moment of "Wait a second..who is this guy?" to appreciate the overall theme of the moment. You're right, Zenitsu has grown tremendously from the guy who could only do his abilities when he was unconscious, to inventing his own seventh form of thunder breathing. The touching moment with his Gramps where he tells him how proud he is of him is great. You're spot on too, Kaigaku was weak and scared and took the easy path while Zenitsu persevered and surpassed him. The scene itself was just visually stunning as well.
Perhaps this is an excuse for a second viewing now đ .
:) I'm delaying until the entire thing has finished animation. No cliff hangers please. (Even though I read the manga)
I missed the last discussion, but I've been holding on to my thoughts about watching Wolf's Rain for a while. I made a whole discussion about how I liked how well the series used 4:3 framing, but I really wanted to talk about the content of the show.
The art is fantastic. There are so many parts of it that are simply breathtaking, and the animation really enhances the aesthetics in a way that is difficult to express. I love that the design is frequently taking inspiration from art deco without necessarily being in that style, and the character designs in particular have that sense of art deco flow that makes it look great in motion. But at the same time it's also retro-futuristic with Shinji Aramaki's consistantly great mechanical designs. The only complaint I have with the visuals is a certain early fight between noble ships that looks like they gave it to some intern to learn how to do motion design.
The show was made when Bones was still a pretty new studio, and it seems like everything they were making at that time was about what it was like to be young. Wolf's Rain is no different in that regard, but it particularly is more interested in the ideas of what makes you alive, and what you need to do to find meaning in your life. The main characters are all looking for a way to get into paradise, a rather abstract concept that is only ever described as a place where Wolves are in charge.
I saw the show when I was young and while I did like it, I don't think I was capable of understanding some of the finer nuance at the time. One of the earlier story arcs is when the main characters find themselves in a town where there are no sources of food for them to hunt. They are surprised to find an entire pack of wolves already there. I don't think it was a particularly well executed story, but I loved how it portrayed what it is to grow up; the pain and sadness and terror that is to accept the world for what it is rather than strive for paradise. And the more the show continues, the more it illustrates how much worse the search for paradise is.
But I can't speak for the ending because Crunchyroll, at least in the US, does not have the final four episodes. Those episodes were originally released as an OVA, so I can guess how they somehow weren't included in the streaming deal. But they sure as hell had all four consecutive mid-run recap episodes! If anyone knows of a way to watch those, please send me a message.
Just wanted to add that this show has a soundtrack by Kanno Yoko that is as excellent as you'd expect. Also love both the OP with Steve Conte (who also sang a bunch of the songs in Cowboy Bebop) and the slow, moody ED.
I also watched this show when it was originally airing and again a couple of years ago. Man, I appreciate what they were going for - I thought the idea of freely switching between the wolf / human portrayals was really clever and constantly invites the viewer to recontextualise what they're seeing in their own minds. The plot device of traveling to paradise (and what paradise even is) is also compelling. The execution is where it falls over for me. The pacing of the show is just glacial and the story gets pretty abstract towards the end. I'm sure it can all be unpacked if people really go through the show and put the pieces and worldbuilding together from all the hints, but it's definitely not spoonfed to the viewer and if you're just watching it casually on the couch, the "payoff" is not one that is easily processed.
I canât believe that I forgot to mention the soundtrack. It was actually the reason why I started watching it! One of the songs from the soundtrack found its way into my personalized station on Apple Music. I think it was Shiro that piqued my interest but I think my favorite track is Leaving on Red Hill. But of course the opening and ending themes are stuck in my head permanently.
Slow pacing is just kind of what Bones does. Or at least what they did. I like it, but thatâs because I donât like watching week-by-week. I absolutely couldnât stand the pacing on Soul Eater. But the slow pacing isnât something I think that is a problem for Wolfâs Rain. Itâs not really a show that is built on story, really. More or less, the vibes are the point. Itâs there to immerse you in themes rather than tell you a compelling story, which works because everything in it is vague. Thats part of why Iâm not completely incensed by the lack of an ending; the conclusion is not actually important compared to the journey and the people who are taking it, which the show loves to explore.
Legally?
Preferably for $10 or less. I don't have a lot of disposable income.
Assuming the episodes you are looking for are 27-30 it looks like the only legal options are Apple TV or to buy physical copies. At least according to https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/wolfs-rain. As far as I can tell the only thing that fits your budget would be either an Apple TV+ free trial or to buy the 4 individual episodes on Apple TV for $1.99 each.
I've also assumed that finding a physical copy for under $10 won't be possible. I've bought physical anime releases and even buying used disks they've always been far more than that. I suppose its possible that someone out there has just the OVA DVDs or something and would be willing to part with them for cheaper than a complete set, but $8 still seems impossible to beat even with that unicorn seller.
I wonder if you're in a different region than me? Because the page for Wolf's Rain on Apple TV does not say that it's included with Apple TV+ and they cost $2.99 each to buy.
Weirdly enough, it's no longer saying that it's available to watch in Crunchyroll either, even though it notes that I've watched it since I watched the series on my Apple TV device.
Admittedly my Apple TV+ subscription is currently lapsed so I just trusted the information on the justwatch page without checking myself. For me episodes 1-26 show Apple TV $1.99, Crunchyroll, Apple TV+, and the Crunchyroll channel on Amazon. 27-30 show the same thing, but without either of the Crunchyroll options.
I didn't catch before that the Apple TV+ thing may be intentionally deceptive though. They put it in the list but in place of the episode length and language they put the text "Watch similar TV shows for free on Apple TV+". Pretty scummy marketing. It's formatted so similarly that there's literally a big play button-looking link that can't work for playing the show that it is listed as unless it is part of the subscription.
So the Apple TV+ thing may be on me for falling for a deceptively laid out list of results. I'm in the US looking at the /us/ page and it says $1.99, so I'm not sure if it's a regional thing or wrong on this page. I didn't check the app itself. I uninstalled it when I decided to not renew and Apple apparently doesn't want to let me see the prices anywhere except in their app.
Assuming that's the case then $12 is the best I can find legally. The legal channels really need to get this sort of nonsense ironed out.
I used to try to post weekly in this thread with a different arbitrarily selected currently running show each week. Now that we're in to a new season I'm going to try do it again. Don't expect the shows to be great, my household enjoys "trashy" anime.
Going to kick it off with https://myanimelist.net/anime/56854/Mushoku_no_Eiyuu__Betsu_ni_Skill_Nanka_Iranakatta_n_da_ga. This is in the bland gamified fantasy genre that I like to call "I can't believe it's not isekai!"
The premise is rather straightforward: in a world where people are divinely given classes (holy knight, sword princess, blacksmith, etc.) the main character is not given a class. Classes provide access to skills, for example a Sword Princess can learn Sword Dance. Unlike most shows where it would mean he actually has some other secret power or something it seems he truly does not get anything.
What he does have though is a very strong commitment to training and the realization that class skills don't let the user do the impossible, but instead just make the difficult much easier. While it seems like it would be exceptionally difficult, if someone replicates the movements of a skill it is functionally equivalent to the skill. It seems like most people haven't noticed this because why would they sink a ton of time into trying to replicate the skills of others when they have their own that'll be far easier to use?
Only 2 episodes are out, but it seems to be about his quest to get stronger through seeking out stronger opponents. By observing the skills of those stronger opponents and then putting in the effort to meticulously copy them he effectively gains new skills, or at least close enough that people think he has the skill.
Overall I'd say it's pretty okay for what it is. I'm not sure where the story is going, but the fights are reasonably animated for this kind of show and presumably there will be a bunch of them with a variety of movesets since his whole schtick is copying skills. It may also tackle overcoming the discrimination he faces when people learn he's classless, but he doesn't really seem to care about that at all beyond it sometimes being inconvenient.
The new season, new animes
Not all new animes were released, but for now I liked the first episodes of those:
New Dandadan manga came out recently! Just wrapped it up, it was a fun one,
spoilers for Dandadan inc this volume
but I'm surprised we got yet another high schooler with a occult connection to be presumably a part of the cast moving forward. She even got her own quirky spirit!
Overall it was fun! And nice and lower stakes (well, as low as Dan gets anyway). Sad the mystery of the beginning wasn't expanded more this volume, but I suppose that's being setup as the next big "arc"
I think one of the only things I don't like about the current state of the series is
spoilers
the constantly growing Scooby Doo gang of kids with super powers. There's nothing wrong with any individual character or their story arc, but it's getting to the point where there are too many characters for any of them to get more than token lines (in which they're generally just caricatures of themselves - Jiji acting goofy, Sakata acting like a dork, etc), let alone further character development. It really felt to me like this reached a breaking point in the latest volume, with all the school scenes featuring the whole gang just being chaos.Otherwise thought the new volume was great. Hope they start revealing more about
spoilers
the Dandadanin this arc!
Agreed on your first spoiler, which is why I was so surprised at my spoiler. But I guess we'll see how it gets handled, my guess would be
each "adventure" will only involve a subset, to give them more time to shine. But that does mean I imagine the series will be hella long, not a bad thing but means it'll take forever to get the resolution, and you can only drag out the romance will-they-wont-they so long
Re:your second spoiler, I didn't realize that was an actual thing, tbh I never really thought to think that it meant anything. Now I'm curious to find out more too!
spoilers
IIRC, it's only been directly referenced once so far by the antagonist, around when they leave the board game. Given this new arc seems to tie directly to the antagonist's scheme, hopefully they'll explain more!Finished watching Seirei no Moribito after seeing it recommended here months ago.
Man, the maturity of the writing in this show just made me reflect on how starved we are these days for proper fantasy anime. No one has levels, cheat skills or classes in this show. No one shouts out absurd move names when fighting. There's no hero out to fight the demon lord. No one is getting unjustly kicked out of the party, reincarnated in another world or putting together a harem. It's just a story about people who happen to live in a world with fantasy elements, and some of the best parts of it (like Balsa's backstory) have nothing to do with fantasy at all.
I definitely get the comparison to Avatar, although it has a lot less flashy action and a lot more somber politics / drama. Some of the plot elements actually made me think more of Lord of the Rings - particularly the burden of the guardian and that moment near the end where the fantasy part of the plot is resolved.
Great show overall.