Akazora

Welcome to DCW! I hope you enjoy your time here!

Heya there! It's certainly rare to see a new member who also has an account at DCTP nowadays. I hope you enjoy your time here in this quiet little corner of the Internet!

WINTER 2016: Final Thoughts (Apologies for any grammar and spelling errors in advance, I haven't really read this over...) 1. Ajin My favorite anime of this past season is one that’s still two whole episodes away from finishing. Despite that, I can confidently say that this has been the show I’ve enjoyed the most out of all the others. The initial premise is reminiscent of Tokyo Ghoul and Parastye, but as the episodes progressed Ajin quickly establishes itself as something different from either of the two aforementioned shows. If anything, it has reminded me of Death Note more than anything else. The story is gripping, and paired with a fantastic soundtrack as well as superb directing the anime keeps you craving more. The characters are interesting and some of them break out of the stereotypical molds they initially seem to be part of. I’d tell you specifically what makes some of the characters so good, but that would be spoiling. If anyone is looking for a dark suspense thriller with unique characters and an amazing soundtrack, then this is for you! The CGI may be a bit jarring at first, but once you get used to it you’ll find that it adds a lot to the atmosphere of the series. 2. Boku Dake ga Inai Machi It seems everyone and their hamster has watched this show. For a time, it was even ranked 9.14 on MAL. Did it deserve to ever be that high? No. Did it deserve to fall as low as it has? No. The first few episodes of ERASED were fantastic. The music by Yuki Kajiura was great, the pacing was solid, and the intrigue was there. Unfortunately, quite a bit of that fell apart by the end of the anime. The characters didn’t develop as much as I had hoped, the pacing started to rush, and the story wasn’t as complex as it could have been for a time travel anime. Despite all that, it was still a fun watch and something that I think most people would enjoy. The director himself said he tried to take a Hollywood-esque approach to series, so this makes for one of the best entry-level anime shows out there. It’s not a perfect anime by any means, but doesn’t deserve a lot of the newfound hate it’s getting now that it’s over either. 3. Osomatsu-san I’m be completely honest: I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first half of this series. However, by the time this anime leaked into the winter season, it had gotten significantly better. I didn’t think any episode could top the first one, but the brilliant episode 18 might have done just that. Once the characters really start developing and establishing themselves as individuals (despite six of them looking nearly identical), the writers are able to string together overall better jokes and parodies. Maybe it’s because I have a younger brother, but by the end of the series I really started to relate to the sextuplets despite them all having over-the-top personalities. This is an anime that’s certainly worth checking out, though the humor will most likely not be for everyone. It’s more miss than hit in the beginning, but more hit than miss by the end. Whether or not you’re willing to make an investment like that is up to you. 4. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (TV) 2nd Season Assassination Classroom has really come a long way. There is nothing all that remarkable about the show, and it’s often cheesy and predictable, but something about it makes me want to keep on watching. The strange thing, I’m not sure what it is. The cast of characters is sort of interesting, but there are so many different characters that the anime can’t even give all of them backstories and/or very dynamic personalities. If I’m not mistaken, they’re even releasing OVAs covering some of the side character’s development that they weren’t able to fit in the television series. Despite all this, it’s still a fun shounen to watch. It’s not something to take too seriously, but it’s simplicity works to its advantage. 5. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu I think by now it’s become exceedingly clear to me that josei anime just isn’t my thing. I really wanted to like this show. Honestly, I really did. But for some reason, I just couldn’t get into it. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with this anime, and that’s what’s most concerning to me. The characters are realistic and unique, the story isn’t cliché, the music is on point, the animation is good enough, and the pacing is perfect. Since that there’s so little to complain about, why isn’t this at the top of my list? Even I can’t answer that. The show just didn’t click with me, and at the end of the day my subjective enjoyment is where I put the weight of my score. Surprisingly, there’s been a second season announced. I’m on the fence about whether or not to watch it, but knowing me and my track record for second seasons I’ll probably get around to it. If the premise interest you, then by all means check it out. It just wasn’t the anime for me. 6. Hai to Gensou no Grimgar This is probably the closest we’re going to get to a deconstruction of the stuck-in-a-fantasy-world genre (yes, let’s just say that’s a genre now). Even before Sword Art Online, having people stuck in a fantasy world (usually an RPG styled gaming world) has been an easy go-to premise, but Grimgar is a show that, in a small way, turns that cliché on its head. Exactly how it does that would be spoilers of sorts, but in short it portrays things more realistically. The world they find themselves in is not a game, but rather a place not all too different from the planet we call home. The watercolor backgrounds are really nice, even if the animation of the actual characters can be a bit stiff. The pacing is also really slow, though one could argue it’s for the sake of the “deconstruction”. All in all, it was an interesting show (with the potential for a second season) and I appreciate what it tried to do. 7. Dagashi Kashi This show ended up just being Candy: The Advertisement. It’s a real shame too, because it also features one of the best tsunderes in recent memory, Saya (she’s best girl by the way, fite me). If the show instead had just been a regular romcom, I would have liked it better. Instead, because the subject matter was so narrow, it’s hard for anyone outside of the target audience to enjoy, the target audience being Japanese people who grew up with those candy shops. This show is the Japanese equivalent of making an American show about the ice cream trucks of a decade ago. It’s something only people who have memories of paying up their spare change for a taste of sweets after a “long” day at elementary school would understand. As a result, a lot of the references and jokes about certain brands and snacks fall flat. It’s not really worth your time, unless you actually grew up in Japan. 8. Dimension W How the mighty have fallen. This show had a lot of potential, and from what I could tell of what they adapted from the manga a lot of that potential was thrown away. The pacing and animation both fell apart by the end of the series. There were a lot of interesting plot points and ideas briefly hinted at by the end, but since everything was so rushed none of those ideas were developed or explained. If this had instead been a two-cour series, and they didn’t skip over any parts of the manga, it would have been a lot better. It wouldn’t have been amazing, most likely, but it would have still been a lot more enjoyable than it ended up being. This isn’t worth watching, though the manga might be good enough to pick up. However, I haven’t read it yet, and never plan to, so don’t take it from me. 9. Sekkou Boys The running gag got rather old by the end of this show. It wasn’t particularly funny either. I’m having trouble thinking of much else to say, just because there’s not much to talk about (each episode was less than seven minutes, I believe). The animation is okay, the characters are a bit bleh, and there’s no real story since this is just an episodic comedy. It’s a short watch, but not worth watching now that it’s over. 10. HaruChika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun Suru People expected Hibike Euphonium and Hyouka, but that’s not what they got. It was unfair of anyone to expect that, but that’s what happened and I think that’s why this show got so much hate when it first started airing. Now that it’s over, did it end up being a good anime? No. But it’s not quite so terrible as people are making it out to be. Sure, the “mysteries” are Sakurako-levels of bad, and the music is just as nonexistent here as it was in K-On, but I don’t think that was the point of the anime. I think it was really just a nice slice of life at the end of the day, and in that aspect it succeeded. Also, the humor in HaruChika is very… “western” for lack of a better word. Or rather, it’s very non-anime humor. Humor in anime is usually categorized by exaggerated facial expressions, wild animation, and a temporarily altered art style. HaruChika, despite looking like a generic slice of life on the cover, did none of that. It was a breath of fresh air, at the least, even if it didn’t really make me laugh. It gave the show a general sense of real-ness. 11. Bubuki Buranki If Trigger ever made a GCI anime, it would look something like Bubuki Buranki. This anime was so bad, it was good, and it’s even getting a second season. It asks to both be taken seriously and not seriously at the same time. Sometimes it’s just outright stupid, and openly aware of that, while other times it seems like it’s trying to drive a hidden meaning and narrative. It’s the perfect show to watch with your mind turned off, because it’s so nonsensical that trying to take it seriously just makes you feel silly. The action scenes are stupidly fun, especially since the CGI allows for consistent art. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone of course, and at the end of the day this show is bad, but it’s become a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. 12. Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri 2nd Season Okay, now this is trash. It’s precisely these kinds of shows that give anime a bad name. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to get any better in the second season, but part of me just couldn’t help but give this a second chance. It’s been a huge waste of my time, to put it bluntly. The story is just right-wing propaganda, the characters are either generic men or attractive RPG styled women (wow, who would’ve guessed?), and the animation ranges from bad to worse. The music is generic, the directing is subpar, and everything about it makes you realize there are much better ways to spend your time. Don’t watch it, unless collecting trash is your hobby. -- This spring season is looking to be one of the most, if not the most, stacked seasonal lineups anime has seen in years. Here's what I'll be watching (scheduled to changed, ranked in order of most hyped to least hyped): 1. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress 2. My Hero Academia 3. Joker Game 4. Bungou Stray Dogs 5. Mayoiga 6. Ace Attorney 7. Sakamoto desu ga? 8. Kiznaiver 9. Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge 10. Kuromukuro 11. Kagewani: Shou 12. Flying Witch 13. Uchuu Patrol Luluco 14. Ushio to Tora: Second Season 15. Big Order 16. Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou - The Last Song Including the second half of Ansatsu Kyoushitsu's second season, that makes a total of 17 anime I'll be watching this season. Oh geez, my first impressions post is going to be massive...

The Anthem of the Heart I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. From the creative mind of the guy who gave us AnoHana, I didn't know what to expect from this two hour film. At it's core, it's just a basic high school love drama, but the overlying message is what really resonated with me. I can't say what it is because that would be spoilers, but it's something that struck a chord with me and I appreciate it for that. It's also interesting to watch a high school drama now that I'm in college. I dunno, I feel a bit more tolerant of them now. Either that, or the characters for once weren't unlikable. Certain aspects of this movie also brought back some bitter sweet band memories, so there's that. It's worth checking out if you're in the mood for some love drama and just need a quick movie to give you your fix. It's quite generic, but if you're fine with that then there's nothing else to really complain about.

Hello there! Welcome to DCW!

Three introduction posts in one day!? Is this the real life?? I seriously don't think we've had activity like this in literally years. Today must be DCW's lucky day. And welcome to this site, BlackLabel! Post around and have fun! try not to do anything too illegal

Another new member, nice. Welcome to DCW! I hope you have fun here!

Hello there! Hope you enjoy your stay here at DCW! Post around and have fun!

(I'll be posting a full winter season recap on Friday evening, most likely, so you'll hear my final thoughts on ERASED, Dimension W, Ajin, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, and the other shows I watched when that time comes. I've been pretty busy recently, but I didn't want to completely ignore your post so...) I'm only saying this because I'm biased and played all the games, but I'd recommend the games over the anime. Anime adaptations of video games are usually more miss than hit, and from the CMs I've seen so far it looks like it's only going to be mediocre. The notable lack of arrangements of the original video game soundtrack (which have helped make AA as famous as it is) as well as the serviceable but far from impressive animation have me on the doubtful side. Of course, if you have no intent on playing the games because you either can't afford to buy them and aren't comfortable playing them on an emulator, or because you aren't quite sold on the premise of the story to invest your time in an extensive series like AA, then obviously it doesn't hurt to watch either the beginning of the anime (or even the entirety of it) before playing the games. However, I do recommend you give the games a chance some time in the future, since the anime will most certainly skip some cases, leave out some jokes, and condense the characterization of some characters. If you know for a fact that you definitely will play the games in the future and don't need the anime to convince you of that fact, then my recommendation would be to not watch the anime until after playing the games. The anime is only confirmed to cover the events of the first two games but will most likely have a sequel that adapts at the very least the last installment of the original trilogy, so playing the first three games before watching the anime would be my suggestion. As I stated above, the anime doesn't look like it will be a terribly amazing adaption, so watching it will ultimately end up spoiling you the plot twists you would have enjoyed more playing the games. I heard about that, too. FLCL was pretty fun, but I don't know enough about this new series to really judge it just yet. I'll most likely watch it regardless of what it is, just for the heck of it.

Welcome to DCW! Hope to see you around the forums!

It's all cool man, I'm just glad I finally got the chance to donate to this site! Thanks for everything you do!

Looks like the forums and wiki are at the very least in good working order now. And by the way, Maurice-senpai, please notice me. I sent you a PM a while back stating my interest to donate to this site, but I'm beginning to think you don't want my money. EDIT: !!!!!!!!!!! MAURICE JUST LOGGED ON! THIS IS MY CHANCE! I'm sending a PM your way, boss! EDIT2: He logged back out.....................

As people on other sites have been saying, I think classifying ERASED as a mystery would be a bit misleading. It more closely resembles a "thriller" as opposed to a cut and dry mystery, which is why the reveal was still really well done despite the fact that the audience could see it coming.

What a gorgeous train wreck. This is the first of three Project Itoh movies, all of which I've been anticipating for quite some time. Unfortunately, my hopes for these films have been all but dashed. Genocidal Organ has been on hold since Manglobe filed for bankruptcy, and The Empire of Corpses was a disappointment. If I keep my expectations low for Harmony, it may not be so bad. The Empire of Corpses is a film animated by Wit Studio and an adaptation of the late Project Itoh's (yes, he's a person) book of the same name. As I mentioned earlier, the movie is beautiful. It features amazingly detailed, dreamlike landscapes as well as crisply choreographed action scenes. The music is fantastic and the voice actors did a decent job with their roles as well. As much as I hate to say this though, that's where the merits of this movie stop. The plot started off fine enough, stumbled a bit, got better, and then completely crashed and burned by the grand finale. The fansubs I used weren't all that great, but even if I watched the movie with better subtitles I doubt it would make the story any less understandable or well-structured. The characters, intriguingly based off of literary and historical figures from the 19th century, ended up being rather generic and bland. This is something only worth watching for the animation and music, and even then I'm not sure it's worth the time investment. If anything, this movie has given me even more reassurance that Wit Studio will make the second season of Attack on Titian look even better than the first.

Dimension W is getting kinda ehhh as you say, just because the pacing is a mess and the animation quality took a nosedive. Definitely check out Ajin though; I'm loving it and feel it's the dark horse of this season because so many people were initially turned off by the CGI. Things really start picking up at around episode 5, and since then it's been one heck of a show. Phantom World is that boob limbo anime, right? It looks like really pretty fanservice since it's done by KyoAni but not much else apart from that. And I'm not sure if you started with the first season of Gate or accidentally jumped into the second season, but either way you're not missing much by dropping it since it kinda sucks a lot.

tfw you really want to look up Fates's OST to identify an amazing song by name but you haven't finished the game yet

Can confirm; seems like Chrome-senpai has a beef with DCW again.

Here, you dropped this: /s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjupm5YKvtI DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IT'S THE BIG TWO-OH GUISE, TIME TO PACK IN ALL THE MOVIE TROPES!1! The trailer didn't get me too hyped and I'm not really feeling the B'z song, but I'll try not to judge the movie too critically when it comes out regardless. It's not like this won't be just a purely fanservice movie anyway, so I shouldn't expect anything more from it.

Ohhhhhhhhh the full version is out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blVQbN77eyo

Hey Adean, nice to meetcha! I'm looking to get my BS in Accounting and MAcc done in four years as a part of a program my school offers. I'm only a freshman though, so I won't be getting it done any time soon regardless. Best of luck to you in school, where ever on the planet it may be. Things can get rough out there mate. I hope you enjoy yourself here on the forums as well. Things tend to be really quiet, but it's a nice place regardless. Post around and try to make friends!

YOU'RE BACK -- And the last song I listened to was some FE: Fates soundtrack, the one that plays during Challenge battles.