What the Heck Am I Still Watching?
Just trying to take stock of all the anime things I’m following in a serial manner. I don’t think I’ve ever done it here, but there are some loose threads I want to write down. They are ordered by no coherent rationale, but they might be, I don’t know.
Mobile Suit Gundam: 8th MS Team. I’ve been watching this for over a year now, on and off. I’m about 4 episodes to the end.
Good Witch of the West: I started watching this, then read a volume or two of the manga, and then read a volume or two of the light novel (published in the US). I think I prefer the book version just out of economy of words-per-second, but sometimes my imagination works better. I do plan to finish the anime just so I can put an end to this experience. And it’s short enough with only 8 more to go (IIRC).
Shangri-la: Why? Probably because at this point the plot monster has taken hold with its quirky characters and setting, threading everything together in an amusing way. I mean, at one point, early on, when Mikuni crunches one of her servants, it was bad blood, like trying to pacify a monster. Now it’s comedy only because the victim wears a different outfit and is Akiba-kei? LOL indeed. But as far as “shipping” goes, I think Mi-Ko and Mikuni are the most unlikely pair this year in terms of pure “aww-ness.” Well, depends if things work out or not, even if the death flag is totally on (shh). Pure pulp entertainment.
Canaan: LEGS. And why does Jouji Nakata take all the smooth badass roles… Don’t disappoint me!
Kanamemo: It’s cute, it’s familiar, it’s a little edgy and well, a newspaper delivery service thing is new, to say the least. I think having simulcast on CrunchyRoll helps a show’s chances with me, but that’s just me and how I paid them to watch things. The episode 4 musical guarantees its chances on my to-follow list at least for a little while longer.
Cross Game: Tsundere is tsun tsun. I think it’s a good example of what the tsundere concept really means in an adolescent context. The baseball in the show is more a rule of nature rather than a narrative’s specimen. “Baseball” happens, it’s the people that train their lives like yoga masters to fit its cruel, inside-the-box plot. But something has to tug the heartstrings right?
GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class: It’s a 4koma anime. I haven’t made up an opinion on this in a definitive manner, I just know what it isn’t. It is a curious little show, so I will watch enough to at least be able to come up with an opinion.
Yoku Wakaru Gendai Mahou: It’s a weird little thing that doesn’t have a lot going for it, unless you dig Ai Nonaka in crappy anime heroine roles, which I do. The setting is intriguing at least, among other sparks of life that pushes through the skin of its rather lame anime adaptation. Probably a show to cut if push comes to shove though. Still: elephant, hunter, or President of the United States?
Aoi Hana: It’s a Noise show, on CR, so I think I have to watch it? The yuri is interesting. I notice people react to how the relationships work themselves out and inject their own “this is right/wrong/insulting/great” but I think it’s more…correct? to watch it like how you would watch a docudrama or treat it as juicy gossip from your bff about some real people. It’s not a serious statement on society even if it appeals to realism. Anyways, it’s a subtle work with a lot of attention to detail, so it’s never a total wash.
Basquash: I am really behind, but I’ll try to take notes. On how the director change leads to direction changes in the show. Natch.
Valkyria Chronicles: I’m not sure why I’m still watching this, but it seems more convenient to watch this show than to finish all the bonus content from the game that I haven’t gotten to. I’m also very behind, so it may be moot.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0: YOU WA SHOCK. I’m sorry, it’s one thing to have a disaster anime that uses your home town and daily commute as backdrop, it’s another when said setting is in countless apocalyptic anime out there already. It’s both a great case of animation production, and a bad case of pandering to a potentially mainstream audience for lack of any really good reasons. Well, that might be jumping the gun, so I will approach it, wait-and-see style.
Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei: I’m trying to play catch-up with this show. Like, being 2 seasons behind. Not sure why.
Bakemonogatari: Best Chiwa role of recent years. It’s like Kemeko but actually interesting than simply a riot. Also, Akio Watanabe has my number.
Sora no Manimani: For reasons I can’t quite state in words, episode 2 really sealed the deal for me. I feel the warmth, or something.
Muryou no Hakou: I’m really behind, but I want to finish now that I can.
Taisho Yakyuu Musume: Webbed gloves indeed are not in use in the 1920s in Japan, at least for the sake of this show, but at the same time I think that might be an animation mistake as all gloves used since episode 2 are non-webbed and they go out of their way to show it. At any rate, I think it’s by far my most guiltiest pleasure this season. The production is a great balance between economy and enjoyment. They don’t cheat where it’s what the average-viewer-of-this-kind-of-show expects the best.
Princess Lover: Still no opinions, but that just means I haven’t watched beyond 1 episode. Will do episode 2….soon.
Umineko is actually rather good, I thought. I just don’t have the time to watch more than 2 episodes so far.
Uni Monogatari: I didn’t dislike it, but somehow I just need to make the time for the next episode.
I mean, I was able to stop watching Spice & Wolf 2 on a cliff hanger. Sure, that’s a show which takes a gentlemanly approach on suspense, but such is the choice you have to make every day.
And why didn’t I finish Michiko e Hatchin yet? Oh, right:
Note the leftmost 3 letters.
I think I’m somewhere on Tweeny Witches, but that’s on hold somehow. Just don’t have the motivation to begin the second half. Does it get better than the first?
I think if I include stuff that I caught up on but not on a regular release schedule, it would include Rakkyo, Rebuild of Eva, Eve no Jikan, and…am I missing anything else?
Sigh, that’s not including even the things I have on rewatch.
Takeaway: blog/tweet/goof-off less, watch more animu.
I find that my habits are that I’ll keep up-to-date on a few, then I’ll start watching and often finish an older show I’ve got sitting around, and in the mean time more episodes from current stuff comes out, and then I’ll have one long marathon where I’ll suck down five or six episodes of something and catch up. So if I was to make a list like this then it would probably be kind of similar.
Recently, I’ve only been watching at most 3 of any shows in the current season, and mostly watching older series. I’d recommend Hayate no Gotoku!! for the current season, though.
It’s not worth watching past episode one of Princess Lover. I liked the first episode but it goes downhill from there.
Kanamemo!
*highfive*
negativezero: yeah, I do the same, kinda. For example I wanted to watch something on the DVD player so I ended up watching an older title (I”s Pure), just because. And I’ll probably play catch-up with Umineko or something, since they’re more fun to watch back to back.
I pretty much give up Hayate no Gotoku. Just can’t get into it, and don’t really wanna. I have a lot of other shows to choose from even among very similar works (Would rather watch Tenchi Muyo GXP first…)
@frog212: LOL, yeah, that’s my impression.
@lelangir: kana… memo o/
TM8’s “meticulous research” makes all the difference.
New York gets blown up all the time too, for example, but it happens in the context of something like Cloverfield where the characters run for two minutes in a subway tunnel and suddenly are 80 blocks uptown.
Cloverfield has a giant monster, so I’m not sure it’s a meaningful dig. But I get you. It’s like TM8 has to remind those who never had to spend prolong periods of time with children how big of a PITA they could be for some people.
That’s a hell of a lot of shows! Do you have time to eat?
barely. i suppose a measure of personal sacrifice may be the case from time to time.