Official Anime/Manga Thread

[Mickeymac]

I've slowed down heavily, but haven't quite stopped, and thanks to my Super Robot Wars Marathon, I've discovered plenty of new shows to watch. The only one I've actually started, though, is Space Runaway Ideon, which was made by the creator of Gundam and allegedly inspired Neon Genesis Evangelion. I doubt that's true, though, since nothing about seems in any ways similar to Eva, aside from the fact that it's a darker, more realistic interpretation of your usual Giant Robot storyline, and Eva only used it as the backdrop of a much grander story, whereas Ideon really runs with it and tries to use it to its fullest potential. I'm only a few episodes in, though, so maybe I'll notice more similarities as I go.

[Mickeymac]

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (all 25 episodes) - I watched Code Geass from start to finish today. Luckily I was in a better state of mind for it, so I was more able to enjoy it, though I'm not sure if I should bother with R2. I didn't like the change of style and pacing towards the end, though I know it was meant to make it more "mature", the lack of maturity was what made it so charming in the first place, IMO. Granted, maybe it's just because I watched that part during the day when I was no longer in the right state of mind? Who knows. Overall, I can see the appeal, and I enjoyed it, but I won't recommend it, because I can see why I hated it before, and on any other day of the week, I still would've hated it. It relies far too heavily on shock imagery and stark contrast to pound its messeges into people's heads, it has of large cast but most of them are generic, unrealistic, and unlikeable - particularly Lelouch and Suzuki. Oh, and nearly every episode ends on an effing cliffhanger.:P Ah yes, and the sexual innuendo, or "fan service", was downright horrid and offensive, especially regarding Kallen. Oh, and royal family just seemed a little too...close, if you catch my drift.

Still, it does have it's good points that I've come to appreciate: Despite Lelouch being a *********, Zero is actually very interesting, and it's fascinating to see what he does. The story is very focused and well paced with very little filler, and while it can be confusing, it's rarely ever convoluted or needlessly complex. They also rarely waste much time fleshing out the dull, generic characters - despite the large supporting cast, the main cast is small and well fleshed out without ever losing momentum. Also, while much of the show is belligerent and over the top, it does has a great deal of subtlety and symbolism that keep it interesting and thoughtful. The Mech designs are fun to watch, even if they are relatively afterthoughts (which is actually a plus, IMO), and their implementation in this series makes the show feel like a counterpoint to Gundam SEED, for better or for worse (probably for the better because from what I remember, Gundam SEED sucked pretty hard). It also should be noted that while SEED had some of the sexiest machines known to mankind, they're ultimately impractical in context and in practice, whereas Code Geass had some pretty ugly mechs that generally wound up being very practical. It reminds me more of Gundam Wing in that sense, which is always a good thing. I also like how it leaves many of its absurdities and technologies unexplained, so you can wonder about it if you really care, and let everyone else just enjoy the show.

In the end, I guess I found Code Geass to be enjoyable to watch, though it's still far from my favorite show, and I still have little respect for it, since its negatives are still pretty major in my opinion. Upon reflection, it's hard to see how I bared through it so easily. I'll probably never watch it again. Still, I am looking forward to its appearance in Super Robot Wars, just to prove that the Gundam is indeed better than the Lancelot. XD

[Mickeymac]

I'll copy and paste this just for closure and a few surprises:

Originally Posted by Objection_Blaster

R2 (season 2) is great and has some beautifully tragic deaths. WHile it may seem generic or forced to kill charatcers off, I thought R2 did a good job, as rarely does an anime bring me to tears, yet R2 did it several times. Especially the last minutes of the last episode. I recommend it. Skipping the awkward first episode (of R2) its nearly perfect.

The damn B****** was right. R2 was damn near perfect. Yeah, it was a little slippery at the beginning, but overall, it was pretty friggin' good, and it fixed damn near everything that was wrong with the original while improving the good and adding plenty of new, all of which was exceptional. The ending in particular was glorious, and I have a feeling it'll be my favorite ending to any show for years to come.It was a shear torrent of delicious tragic irony, and I enjoyed every second of it. It alone would make up for how crappy the first part was, if the rest of the second part hadn't done so already. I'm really glad I watched it. R2 alone makes it one of the best shows I've ever seen, though it wouldn't be complete without Part 1. Thanks, Blaster.^_~

[Mickeymac]

I decided to watch the first episode of every show in the Gundam series that I hadn't watched already to see if it would change my mind about any of them.

It didn't. So I continued with them, and here's what I got:

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (12 of 49 Ep.) - It's not nearly as good as I remembered. The story is interesting, but Oz is far more even than I thought, even more so than the Titans. Also it talks too much - it blatantly explains to you themes that should speak for themselves, and they usually explain it in a bull**** manner that makes you wonder how they were able to deduce such things. The plot is also pretty rushed at the beginning, and it can be hard to keep up. As an added side effect, the characters aren't established and developed as well as they could be.

The thing that kills it the most, though, is the voice acting. It's simply abysmal, and it makes moments that should be awesome far less awesome. It's as if the voice actors were given no time to rehearse. I'll have to switch to the English Subs before I finish it. With all that said, it does still seem to be a good show with an interesting story to tell, and I'm looking forward to finishing it, even if I already know how it ends.

After War Gundam X (12 of 39 ep.) - A bit better than I remember. Of course, I remember it being pretty forgettable, which it is, yet it's still incredibly compelling. The story is really interesting and well-told, as well as properly paced. The characters are all believeable, likeable, and interesting. The action's great. Not much bad to mention, except it has some major logical issues (if the Earth's surface was levelled by a barrage of Space Colonies, why are there so many mobile suits and facilities left in-tact?), and the fact that it has yet to take that extra step and become "amazing". All in all, it's a nice twist to the Gundam story, and I can't wait to finish it. I might even like it more than Gundam Wing.

Turn A Gundam (12 of 50 ep.) - This is the only one where my opinion stays the same. I didn't like it before, and I don't like it now.

Don't get me wrong, it does have a lot going for it. I love the retro-future themes, as well as the allusions to 17th century colonialism. The world and characters are also very a live and believeable, and it does a good job of making you care when bad stuff happens without getting overdramatic (which I'd like to believe is a trademark of Tomino). Still, for all the good it does, it doesn't save it from its terrible pacing and the fact that it's just plain boring to watch. I don't know who to explain it, but it just can't hold my interest, and even though it looks like things might pick up soon, I have virtually no interest in continuing with it.

Obviously, I still have to finish it, but as of right now it's in my bottom 3 with Victory Gundam and Gundam 00, and it might turn into a bottom 5 if Wing doesn't get better and SEED Destiny turns out to be as bad as I remember.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (All 50 Episodes) - I was never a fan of this show. It was too much like the original Gundam, except it was over dramatic and borrow too heavily from every other show in the series, not to mention it lacks the subtlety and the level of attention to detail that the original Gundam had. However, I think the biggest problem I had with it was that I just didn't get it. I didn't get the characters, I didn't get the themes, I didn't get the story it was trying to tell.

Well, now that I'm older, I definitely get it. And now that I get it, I love it!

The story here is fantastic and very well told, and the excecution is near perfect. The drama really adds to the show and makes things as intense as they should be. The characters are all very natural and believable, and while not all are likeable, most of those you won't like will redeem themselves by the end. It's also nice that the character death rate is fairly low, and when characters do die, it means something. It also does a lot of nice small things, and it does have a good amount of subtlety and detail. It's also visually stunning, with great animation, and the use of some of my favorite character and mecha designers. I swear, this show has some of the sexiest bots in the series. The music's also pretty good, which is rare for a Gundam show.

Really, most of my complaints are just nitpicks, with the only major problem being that it has way too many flashback sequences, although at least half the time it works out for the better. All told, it's just one damn great show - One of the best in the series, almost on par with the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and it's certainly one of my Top 10 Fave Anime. Just like the original, I'm glad it got cancelled before the ending, just so I could have a chance to rewatch it at an age when I could truly appreciate it.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny (3 of 50 ep.) - I remember this show being pretty bad, and my least favorite after G Gundam. Watching it now, it's not that bad really. The only major problem I've seen so far is that it takes Gundam SEED and adds elements of Zeta Gundam on top of it, instead of starting a completely new and different story. Otherwise it's been very enjoyable, and I'd really like to finish it. But I'll have to wait a while, seeing as how I just finished SEED.

Gundam 00 Season 1 (19 of 25 ep.) - This one is actually pretty new to me, although I didn't come in with high expectations.

So far, it's been pretty boring. The mechs are ugly, the characters are dull and mostly unlikeable, the themes are weird and I definitely don't agree with the main idea, and the story so far has just been plain boring. The onlt positive thing I can say about it is that it isn't terrible, and it's still oddly compelling, or at least it was for a while. Now I'm having trouble convincing myself to finish it. I probably will, though, seeing as how I'm so close to the end. Unless the ending changes my mind, I probably won't get to Season 2 any time soon.

[Mickeymac]

I'm finally getting through some OVAs I had on the backburner. Now I only have Megazone 23, Bubblegum Crisis, FLCL, and Project Blue Planet SOS(Ugh...) left to watch, though I may take a break after Megazone 23. If I do I might squeeze in Plastic Little next time...if I ever find it Got it order for $5.

OVAs:

Gunbuster
Dream Hunter REM
Genmu Senki Leda
MD Geist
Legend of Lemnear
Dragon Century
Megazone 23
Bubblegum Crisis
Area 88
FLCL

Also, My Top 10 List now consists of:

1. Mobile Suit Gundam OVA "Trilogy" (War in the Pocket, Stardust Memories, 08th MS Team)
2. Mobile Suit Gundam
3. Robotech: The Macross Saga
4. Full Metal Alchemist
5. Excel Saga
6. Code Geass R2
7. Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
8. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
9. Dragon Ball
10. Cowboy Bebop

Special Mentions(Shows I need to watch more of):

Hamtaro (Yes, I'm serious)
Urusei Yatsura
Ramna 1/2
Magical Knight Rayearth
Neon Genesis Evangelion

This will probably be the last time I'll post in this thread.

[link64]

Originally Posted by Mickeymac

OVAs:
MD Geist

Did you like MD Geist It's usually refernced when people list there least favourite anime's but I liked it.

Originally Posted by Mickeymac

Also, My Top 10 List now consists of:

1. Mobile Suit Gundam OVA "Trilogy" (War in the Pocket, Stardust Memories, 08th MS Team)
2. Mobile Suit Gundam
3. Robotech: The Macross Saga

As A Gundam fan can please explain that shows appeal, I've never been able to get into it. (any of them actually)

[Mickeymac]

Nevermind...

Originally Posted by link64

Did you like MD Geist It's usually refernced when people list there least favourite anime's but I liked it.

I didn't like it. It would've been okay if it weren't for the ending. It did have it's strengths, don't get me wrong, but I just felt it's weak plot and the way they ended it ruined it. The sequel I liked a lot, though.

Originally Posted by link64

As A Gundam fan can please explain that shows appeal, I've never been able to get into it. (any of them actually)

The main appeal before Gundam Wing was that it was a more realistic representation of war, especially by Victory Gundam. They just felt like they could happen someday. Each show also have their own strengths, such as Mobile Suit Gundam being more of a coming of age story, while Zeta Gundam is a space opera, and the OVAs usually deal with regular soldiers.

I also find that the writing in all of them are exceptional (Gundam Wing and Gundam X excluded), and in every one of them I enjoy seeing how the characters are affected by the war going on in each show. The characters are never static, and while that can be said for a lot of anime (and I like enjoy it in any other anime as well), I can expect it from a Gundam show and never be disappointed. Then there's the action, which is always intense and compelling - another thing that never disappoints.

The only not good thing I can say about them is the music - it just rarely if ever stands out. I mean, it gets the job done, but few songs are ever that memorable, at least from my experience. Other Gundam fans may tell you differently.

[Mickeymac]

UPDATE March 5th:

Recently finished:

Armitage III - This one was alright. I really dig cyberpunk so this was right up my alley. With that said, the plot wasn't too special, though it did have its moments. I felt 4 episodes was just right for it. Any longer and it would've overstayed its welcome. As for the ending...I liked it. I was warned beforehand that the ending sucked, but I felt it was fitting, even if it did cut off a bit during the final battle and could've gone a bit farther with some of the stuff it was setting up. I'm actually looking forward to watching Poly-Matrix when I get a chance.

Detonator Orgun - And I can finally say my lucky streak is over. This was a major pain to get through, not so much because it was terrible, but mostly because it was painfully average. The story was stupid, made worse by some poor voice acting. The mech designs on the other hand, were pretty cool (it's nice to see some competent human weapons for a change) and the action was decent, to say the least. Overall, it was an Okay watch, but the stupid story made it difficult to hold my attention.

Giant Robo: GinRei Specials - I liked this one. While I wished they'd give more backround info, they did a good job of entertaining and feeling like part of a bigger overall plot much like the main Giant Robo episodes, especially episode 3, even though it was kinda generic Western shinnanigans, I love that kinda stuff. Episode 2 had too many gags, but overall it was fun. Episode 1 was a bit boring but gave the most backround info, which liked. Of course, I'm sure none of it was canon unfortunately. I honestly wish there was more to Giant Robo, like prequels and stuff, since I feel like I'm missing out on something. Unfortunately the GinRei specials really didn't help in that regard. Not that I should've expected them to. I guess I'll just have to watch GR: Giant Robo

Giant Robo - While each episode was long, and everybody having powers for no reason got to me, everything else about it was pretty good. The art, music, VA, and especially the story. The Ending in particular was dripping with delicious irony and I loved every minute of it! All in all, it wasn't great, but I did enjoy it quite a bit.

Mazinkaiser: ****ou! Ankoku Daishogun - While I wouldn't rate this one as highly as the last Mazinkaiser OVA, it was still great stuff. A lot darker, too, which I expected. Epic ending, too.

Mazinkaiser - yet another great watch. I especially loved the art in this one, it was very well done. I also thought the voice casting was perfect. In fact, everything about this show really clicked with me. The weakest part of course was the plot, but even then it was better than I expected and did a good job of building suspense, enhancing the action, and overall keeping things entertaining. I'll have to put this one on my faves list now.

Super Dimension Century Orguss 02 - I really wish the titular mecha had more screen time.:/ Other than that, though, I really have few complaints with this one. Great art direction, good music (especialy the opening theme), decent voice acting, and the story was great. I especially loved the characters, particularly Lt. Manning (if that is his name, I'm terrible with names). He was funny and spouted some of my favorite lines in the show. Now I just need to watch the original Orguss someday

Plastic Little - What a fun watch that was. Plenty of nudity, absurd action, and the best death of an evil emperor I've seen in a long time.

FLCL - I had previously watched it on Adult Swim, but I didn'y follow it closely until the end, I think, since that's te only part I recognized. Anyways, all in all, I'd say it was pretty good. The art, music, and voice acting were great, and while I don't usually go for Japanese comedies, this one was enjoyable and not overbearing. My only complaint really is that I found the story hard to follow. It didn't really hinder my enjoyment of it, but I honestly could not resummerize the story for you.

SDF Macross II: Lovers Again - I was warned beforehand that this wasn't very good, but I still gave it a chance. And all in all, it was decent. Nothing extrodinary, just "watchable", although it does require a high tolerance of bad voice acting. The timing was especially terrible, too, but that may have just been my stream. However, it was a battle to watch all the way through since my I just couldn't focus on it. Luckily I didn't buy it with my own money - I had some credit on Amazon, they had nothing else worth getting.

What I've been watching Lately:

Gaiking: The Legend of Daiku-Maryu ep. 1-6 - I think I'm in love again! Though I'll have to continue this again later. Ooh, and I guessed all the fortune telling cards right! Awesome!

Super Beast Machine Dancougar ep. 4 - Now I remember why I thought it was the best Super Robot show ever when I first started watching it. I like the relatively intricate storyline and the way it's all excecuted. And I like that the military isn't completely useless.

I'm also watching Gundam Unicorn, Fractale, and One Piece when new episodes show up. And I plan to start Iria very soon.

/UPDATE

Recently finished Cowboy Bebop. I wish I was more eloquent with my words so I could write a proper review. It's such an amazing show. I loved everything about it! The drama, the suspense, the humor, and the tragedies. Every facet came off as being very well done - The animation and artstyle were fantastic, the music was some of the best I'd heard in an anime and really fit the mood; and the stories were memorable, well-paced, and thrilling. Not to mention the characters, dialogue, and english voice acting, all of which were superb.

In fact, it's so good, It's hard for me to pick out little bits and pieces that I liked the most. I guess that best part of it was how ecclectic it was. They did a good job of mixing things up with every episode, I never new what to expect.

Overall, though, it was just a well-made masterpiece. There was nothing about it that I disliked, and it's easily one of the best anime I've ever seen.

I also recently finished rewatching Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, and I must say it's one helluva show. Sure, the story's a bit fantastical and preachy for a Gundam show, and the characters are...insane, and it misses a LOT of small, and occasionally big, details it's still very enjoyable to watch, especially for the action sequences, and the story was mostly compelling throughout.

After that I watched Endless Waltz. I felt it was a fitting epilogue to Gundam Wing. It's pretty much more of what you'd expect, albeit with more flair. The ending in particular made things worth it, as it was more conclusive and let us know what happened to the pilots after the war.

I'm currently watching Gurren Lagann. It's a pretty exciting show so far. I was expecting it to be really over the top, but that really only applies to one character, and he's mostly considered insane. I'm liking it overall, and I can't wait to see more.

EDIT:

I just recently finished Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and I must say that it's yet another major hit. Great art and animation, more great music, and style to spare, with a wobderful cast of endearing characters that grew on me instantly. The story was pretty interesting, too, though poorly paced. It felt like it should've been twice as long as it was to build up more mystery and suspense. That's my only gripe with the series, though. Otherwise, it's pretty great.

Oh, and I like how I kinda got that symbolism and **** in this show. Even if it was kinda obvious and explained more than half the time, it still made me feel smart for some reason.

After Gurren Lagann, I'll be starting my '90s OVA marathon, which I'll have to split into two parts, since I have so many '90s OVAs to watch!

Oh, and my '80s OVA marathon went well, most of the shows were watchable and my attention span managed to last through it all quite well. I didn't end up getting to Bubble Gum Crisis or Area 88, so I'll save those two for a rainy day.

I also forgot to mention How much I now like Code Geass and Evangelion, so here it goes:

I'm also rewatching Neon Genesis Evangelion for the third time, and this time I'm actually enjoying it. Third time's the charm, eh? Though I think it may just be because I like and understand the characters more now, and I can appreciate how light-hearted the earlier episodes are compared to how it gets later on.

I liked it So much so that I rewatched End of Engelion to see if I would enjoy that, too. I didn't. I really didn't. It's still a terrible, disgusting, disturbing movie that makes everything in the main series seem normal. I can't think of any other movie that has disappointed me more. It's like Anno only made it as an insult to his more annoying fans. I hated it, and I'll never be able to unsee it, and no matter what anyone says, I'll never accept it as the canon ending.

As for Code Geass, as much as I disliked the first part, R2 was damn near perfect. Yeah, it was a little slippery at the beginning, but overall, it was pretty friggin' good, and it fixed damn near everything that was wrong with the original while improving the good and adding plenty of new, all of which was exceptional. The ending in particular was glorious, and I have a feeling it'll be my favorite ending to any show for years to come.It was a shear torrent of delicious tragic irony, and I enjoyed every second of it. It alone would make up for how crappy the first part was, if the rest of the second part hadn't done so already. I'm really glad I watched it. R2 alone makes it one of the best shows I've ever seen, though it wouldn't be complete without Part 1.

I should also mention that I finished Gunbuster, Gundam 00(both seasons) and Martian Successor Nadesico, and mostly loved every minute of them.

@Link64

Several people at the anime forum I frequent consider MD Geist to be pretty good, and one of them considers the Main character to be pretty realistic (and he's the sanest one there). So you're certainly not alone in liking it.

[Mickeymac]

I just finished Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. First off, I'd like to say that this show was not as bad as I was led to believe. I think 'Guarded Praise' best sums up my feelings for it.

Starting with the visuals, the mech designs were even better than Gundam SEED's - a feat, I'd say, since I held SEED's designs to be the best in the series. The character designs were also as good as ever - Hisashi HIRAI continues to be my favorite character designer. The animation was also fantastic, as far as I could tell. The music was also very good, though not as good as the music in Gundam SEED. Oh, and I should also note that the dub was mostly good...although the dubbed music wasn't so good.

The story I felt was very entertaining. It wasn't anything exceptional, but it held my interest for the majority of its 50 episodes. Most of the characters were alright, and most were developed well enough that I cared for them when they either died or I thought they were gonna die. The beginning and ending were disturbingly similar to Gundam SEED's, but while SEED's beginning was more meaningful, Destiny's ending had more of an impact.

What I didn't like were the blatant references to other Gundam shows, particularly the first Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Then there's Shinn Asuka - I don't think I've ever hated a character in the entire metaseries as much as this guy, and he's the protagonist. He's a naive fool, through and through - putty in the main villian's hands. On the plus side, though, for once the main villian isn't entirely evil, and I found it difficult to understand why he needed to be stopped. He was actually at least partially in the right, and his thinking always made sense. As far as I know, this is a first for the series, and something that I felt it really needed.

In the end, I really liked this one. It's not exactly top material - it made too many references for its own good, and the protagonist annoyed me the whole way through - but it was definitely entertaining and easily recommendable to fans of the first Gundam SEED.

Looking at my list below really makes me want to rewatch some of those shows. Man, I really used to enjoy watching anime, huh?

EDIT:

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray - Not much to say about this one, seeing as it was 15 minutes all together. It was basically meant to entice people into purchasing the model kits and manga. Personally, I'd say it did it's job fairly well. The characters were charming right off the bat, and the action was excellent. The mobile suits were very well shown off. I'm definitely far more interested in the manga now, and I see they're fairly cheap. I might have to get a few volumes.

EDIT 2:

I finished off This Ugly Yet Beautiful World. To put it quite simply I enjoyed practically every minute of it. The story wasn't stupendous, but I loved the characters, especially Hikari - she finds joy in so many little things about the world that we take for granted. The art and music was great as well, particularly the main theme, "Metamorphose." And the ending, without spoiling too much, was bittersweet - my second favorite type of ending after tragic endings.

And slightly off-topic, but I had a dream last night where I talked to a girl for a long time about this show. She got really interested when I told her it was made by Gainax, makers of Evangelion. Then I managed to convince her to come over to my house to watch Gunbuster! Now there's a fantasy I wish would come true! Screw all my usually cartoony/Gamey dreams!

[OmegaMarcus]

Right now I'm watching Inuyasha and Basquash!

Inuyasha is a story about a girl named Kagome who gets transported to a feudal japan kinda place and meets a half demon named Inuyasha. In the second episode Kagome breaks a jewel called the sacred jewel, that powers up demons and now they have to gather the fragments while facing a lot of different demons. It's a really cool anime, I'm enjoying it a lot.

Basquash is a basketball anime, where everybody plays inside weird car like robots. I'm enjoying it and you should give it a go.

[Mickeymac]

Holy crap, someone else who posts here!

I could never get into Inuyasha. I saw, like, 50 episodes of it and just hated it. The story was confusing and repetitive, the characters were annoying, especially Kagome. The action was okay, but I've seen better. And then the romance elements really killed it. It really just wasn't my thing. Looked good, though, and it had a great style and setting, though how it was supposed to be in the past really confused me, especially since it started out as being another world.

Originally Posted by OmegaMarcus

weird car like robots

Sold.

As for me, I'm currently watching After War Gundam X. I don't have time to say much right now, but I will say that I'm loving it so far.

[OmegaMarcus]

Inuyasha is nothing special, I'm just seeing it for the classical factor, like seeing Ranma 1/2. I like mecha animes, specially if the characters are cool. My favourite anime series right now are:

1- Eureka Seven
2- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (this is a must see for every living being on this planet)
3 - Code Geass

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by OmegaMarcus

Inuyasha is nothing special, I'm just seeing it for the classical factor, like seeing Ranma 1/2. I like mecha animes, specially if the characters are cool. My favourite anime series right now are:

1- Eureka Seven
2- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (this is a must see for every living being on this planet)
3 - Code Geass

Fun fact, Inuyasha was made by the same person who made Ramna 1/2. She also made Urusei Yatsura, which is also a must-watch.

I LOVE Gurren Lagann! It's such a great show! The action is great, and it's over-the-top in a way that feels epic instead of just plain silly. Loved the characters, too.

I'm not a fan of the first season of Code Geass, but Code Geass R2 is phenominal! So many twists and turns, and the ending was so great! What a show it was!

I could never get into Eureka Seven. The first half is soooooo slow, and it has way too much filler. I hear the second half is better, but I could never make it that far.

BTW, have you ever watched Gundam before? I know you said you prefer it when the characters are great, and I find it hard to like the characters in Gundam because they can be a pain and do stupid things sometimes, but overall it's a must watch. Actually, I think you'd like After War Gundam X the most since, IMO, it has the best characters in the whole meta-series, and a good story to boot.

Another good Mecha show you might like is Mazinkaiser. It's my favorite Super Robot show, it's so fun to watch, and the characters are so loveable. It's also got this classic factor to it, since it's based on a show by Go Nagai, who made a lot of classic Comic-book-style action shows like Mazinger and Devil Man.

[OmegaMarcus]

Gurren Lagann made me the man I am today, that epicness is just... epic!

I love all seasons of code geass, im a sucker for political stuff on animesXD thats why I loved eureka seven.

Urusei Yatsura, oh god I laughed so much with that seriesXDXD

How many episodes does that have? also is it the beginning of the series? I dont like watching something from the middle, I prefer watching the first one ever released and then climb up, so I can make comparisons and see the rate of evolution.

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by OmegaMarcus

Gurren Lagann made me the man I am today, that epicness is just... epic!

I love all seasons of code geass, im a sucker for political stuff on animesXD thats why I loved eureka seven.

Urusei Yatsura, oh god I laughed so much with that seriesXDXD

How many episodes does that have? also is it the beginning of the series? I dont like watching something from the middle, I prefer watching the first one ever released and then climb up, so I can make comparisons and see the rate of evolution.

It's not the first one, but it does take place in an alternate universe, so knowledge of previous entries in the Meta series doesn't really matter, though it does make some minor references to them. Of course, If you do want to start with the first entry, be my guest. It's just called Mobile Suit Gundam, and IMO, It's a great show. A classic, and still one of the best in the series. You'll have a looooong way to go to get to After War Gundam X, though. Mix in the movies and OVAs, and you have a massive series. I really do suggest looking into the series and picking your own starting point. Oh, and After War Gundam X is the shortest full series at 39 episodes.

[OmegaMarcus]

I gobble up anime episodes as pac-man gobbles pellets so no prob, I'll start with the first one and go all the way through to the lastXD

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by OmegaMarcus

I gobble up anime episodes as pac-man gobbles pellets so no prob, I'll start with the first one and go all the way through to the lastXD

Then I wish you good luck and I hope you enjoy it.:3

[OmegaMarcus]

thanks, but first Ill end inuyasha and basquash. I believe in the end Ill want to play gundam gamesXD

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by OmegaMarcus

thanks, but first Ill end inuyasha and basquash. I believe in the end Ill want to play gundam gamesXD

Too bad very few of the ones released in the U.S. were any good. The best Gundam game isn't even a Gundam game, but it should be - Zone of the Enders. I hear Encounters in Space is similar, though not as good.

[OmegaMarcus]

I played zone of the enders, good game really. I'll have to see the anime aswell.

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by OmegaMarcus

I played zone of the enders, good game really. I'll have to see the anime aswell.

Yeah, it's good, and I hear the anime is good, too. I got it written down to watch some time, too.

[SlurmNator]

I made a Signature with this character and I lost the name of her and I have no idea who she is. Could someone please tell me her name and what Anime she'd from. Thanks.

[Mickeymac]

After War Gundam X - I don't think I could sing enough praise for this one. Starting with the story, it was very well done - there was a lot to it and it managed to make things very compelling and interesting, and was almost never confusing. I also liked how it seemed to be more clearly divided into arcs (not used to seeing that in Gundam) which I thought helped to create more of an adventurey feel to the story. There were also some genuinely moving scenes, especially near the end of each arc. I was never brought to tears, but they sure did tug at my heart strings, which I must admit is hard to do. The ending was actually quite nice, and I liked Warning: Spoiler Below.

that the brothers survived so they can live with their defeat.

The only thing I disliked about the story was near the end when Warning: Spoiler Below.

they explained Newtypism as being mearly an illusion. Unless I missed something important, that's just a huge cop out.

I also loved the characters, who really made the story memorable. They had both charm and subtle charisma, and there wasn't a single character I didn't dislike, not even the smaller side characters. Most of the main cast was well developed and had interesting back stories. I'd say this is one of the best overall casts in Gundam History, and Garrodo Ran is easily the second best protagonist (and, with Tiffa, making the best couple), just being nudged out by Judah Ashta from ZZ Gundam.

I especially loved the setting. I'm very big on post-apocalyptic settings, more so than space or other sci-fi settings, and I thought this show excecuted it quite well, helping to make the world seem very interesting. Only problem here is that there seemed too be too much greenery and infrastructure when the world, not to mention tons of mobile suits. However, while they never officially explain all of it, I can think of reasons why they'd be there, so it's no big deal, really.

I liked the visuals, too. Everything looked quite nice, and I loved the character designs, which were both unique yet natural. I'd say I even like 'em more than SEED's, which was my previous all-time favorite. My only complaint with the visuals is that I thought the mechs were quite ugly at first, but I grew to like them by the end. Heck, I thought some of the Gundam designs were actually quite amazing.

I don't have much to say about the music, other than I liked it and found it to be quite fitting. Also, both opening themes and the second ending theme have been stuck in my head for quite some time now.

I don't usually compliment Gundam on the fights, but in this case, special attention needs to be given to the combat, as they're simply outstanding for a real robot show. There's a lot of variety and very little overused animation, and it's always intense. Mixed with the variety of the mechas being used, even the large scale battles can be incredibly interesting. Only minor problem involving the combat is that sometimes the bullets from the mobile suits would just bounce off the ground or kick up dust like they're smaller bullets. It's really just an annoyance, though. I can also think of tons of memorable fights that span the entirety of the series, and thanks to them, not a single episode was boring. They really were outstanding.

Overall, I'd say it was a simply fantastic show. I loved just about every minute of it, and thought it was excecuted very well except for a few noted exceptions. It's really one of the greatest Gundam shows I've seen and one of my favorite shows I've seen so far. I even liked it more than Zeta Gundam and ZZ Gundam, two shows I thought would never be surpassed. Most importantly, it's the biggest surprise I've had so far, since I knew very little about it (which was suspicious since I'm a Gundam fan) and wasn't expecting much from what little I did know about it. Really, I'm glad I got to watch it.

[link64]

I decided to watch some video game anime for some reason.

Fatal Fury: Legend Of The Hungry Wolf (1992) I actually enjoyed this move despite the budget problems. 7/10

Tekken (1998 ) Awful when you actually miss live action Z grade martial arts movies from the 70s and 80s you know your doing something wrong.

Every fight consists off about 3 frames (with Speed lines) also half the cast off the tekken have no lines (including king and Yoshimutsu) and only appear in stills.

The only fun too be had in this movie is in how bad it is. 3/10

[Tides of Chaos]

Just finished Death Note (anime version) yesterday. At first, I thought this might be the greatest anime I'd ever seen. Its atmosphere matched the storyline well: Light Yagami, a high school student, finds a book that can kill people simply by writing down their name, and this interesting concept is paired with great suspense. The psychological battle between him and L (the best detective in the world) creates some memorable moments. However, about half-way through, the animation quality seems to drop. Also, the second arc that comes way too late into the show feels rushed and not nearly as good as the initial one (I don't want to spoil why though). And lastly, the unsatisfying ending (at least for me) brought the anime down to one that's worth a watch, but sadly, isn't the best, even though it could have been. I'm thinking of watching the live action movies next.

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by link64

I decided to watch some video game anime for some reason.

Fatal Fury: Legend Of The Hungry Wolf (1992) I actually enjoyed this move despite the budget problems. 7/10

Tekken (1998 ) Awful when you actually miss live action Z grade martial arts movies from the 70s and 80s you know your doing something wrong.

Every fight consists off about 3 frames (with Speed lines) also half the cast off the tekken have no lines (including king and Yoshimutsu) and only appear in stills.

The only fun too be had in this movie is in how bad it is. 3/10

You gotta watch the sequel to Fatal Fury (unless that is the sequel I can't remember), it's a lot better. And yeah, Tekken really sucked, I couldn't even get myself to finish it. Glad you perservered.

Originally Posted by Tides of Chaos

Just finished Death Note (anime version) yesterday. At first, I thought this might be the greatest anime I'd ever seen. Its atmosphere matched the storyline well: Light Yagami, a high school student, finds a book that can kill people simply by writing down their name, and this interesting concept is paired with great suspense. The psychological battle between him and L (the best detective in the world) creates some memorable moments. However, about half-way through, the animation quality seems to drop. Also, the second arc that comes way too late into the show feels rushed and not nearly as good as the initial one (I don't want to spoil why though). And lastly, the unsatisfying ending (at least for me) brought the anime down to one that's worth a watch, but sadly, isn't the best, even though it could have been. I'm thinking of watching the live action movies next.

The Manga's better from what I can tell. I'm not normally one to go and tell people to read stuff, but really, the Manga fixes all your problems.

[Tides of Chaos]

Originally Posted by Mickeymac

The Manga's better from what I can tell. I'm not normally one to go and tell people to read stuff, but really, the Manga fixes all your problems.

From what I've (indirectly) read, it doesn't seem like it. Yes, the ending is technically different in the manga, but even with that (kinda small) change it doesn't fix my problems. Really, the entire second arc to begin with wasn't a good idea, and even if the manga fleshes it out a bit, it would barely add to it.

Maybe I'll read the manga if I can easily get hold of it (or maybe online...), but it's not too high of a priority ATM.

[OmegaMarcus]

Originally Posted by Tides of Chaos

From what I've (indirectly) read, it doesn't seem like it. Yes, the ending is technically different in the manga, but even with that (kinda small) change it doesn't fix my problems. Really, the entire second arc to begin with wasn't a good idea, and even if the manga fleshes it out a bit, it would barely add to it.

Maybe I'll read the manga if I can easily get hold of it (or maybe online...), but it's not too high of a priority ATM.

Read it online, you'll save a lot of money.

[link64]

Originally Posted by Mickeymac

You gotta watch the sequel to Fatal Fury (unless that is the sequel I can't remember), it's a lot better. And yeah, Tekken really sucked, I couldn't even get myself to finish it. Glad you perservered.

Did you make it too the part with the invisible dinosaurs.

Art Of Fighting (1993): It was better than Tekken I guess, but seriously this is a crappy buddy cop movie. 4/5

Edit: I should mention for the most part they seem to have got the setting right it does feel as though it's set in the 70s.

Fatal Fury 2 (1993): Probably the best Fighting game anime, I've seen so far 9/10

[Ouenben]

I watched DBZ when I was younger so it made me into a massive fan. I've decided that now there is an English dub I'm going to watch DBZ Kai, it's perfect as I've always wanted to rewatch DBZ but couldn't be bothered with almost 400 episodes to go through due to all the filler and such.