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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 randomly decided to watch Space Battleship Yamato 2199 and boy am I happy I started it! It’s been a while since I have seen a Studio Xebec space opera and this might easily be my favorite so far. It seems clear to me that the artists making it really loved what they were doing because it’s so incredibly full of these really beautifully composed pieces of art. There was a point at around episode 5 or so when it pans up to this beautiful mural in the background and immediately puts up another display in it. Episode 9 has a story mechanic where they read an old story that is supposed to mirror the events of the main story, and it’s accompanied by these beautiful illustrations. There’s a lot of nostalgia in the style they use but it does a fantastic job of standing by itself.
One aspect of the production that surprises me is the CG. It feels just a bit dated but only because it’s not using selected framerates like modern productions do. In stills it’s actually pretty incredible looking because instead of trying to imitate cell animation it’s trying to look more like the airbrush or watercolor key art of the past. The ship itself exudes aesthetic beauty. Admittedly Analyzer looks pretty crap though. Especially when in motion.
But damn, the direction and writing just hit perfectly. At one point the crew are making their last calls to earth and these extremely short conversations are making me tear up. Heck, most episodes manage that!
Frankly I am amazed that I never gave this series a shot. It’s something I have always meant to but never got around to it.