Lurker > Strife2

A decade late, but I'm watching Assassination Classroom. First episode is about what I expected, and that's exactly what I'd hoped it'd be: weird, funny, and kinda fucked up.

I finished The Heike Story. It was pretty crazy how quickly it moves, and some of the names bleed into each other after awhile. However, the sheer amount of sacrifices and deaths at play lead to a very morose and unnerving experience overall. Pretty enjoyable.

People are powerless against Holo the Wise Wolf. We just exist in whatever world she does the fun in.

https://tenor.com/view/spice-and-wolf-spice-and-wolf-remake-spice-and-wolf-2024-holo-korbo-gif-17828235424199105160

This made me happy all over again. The power of Holo the Wise Wolf doing Holo things.

I refer to it as the social media disease that stupid people use.

MI got done watching Sailor Moon Crystal with my friend. It was better than it had any right to be, considering my expectations were "really dumb and saccharine BS." I mean, it sure as hell was dumb and goofy, but there's these weird things people would say or do, or some of the visual moments that bled into the narrative that were oddly dark and depraved a show like this really shouldn't..Momo and Chibiusa/Black Lady (father and daughter) making out, or a line in the movies about wringing a baby's neck until they die. Jesus Christ dude...

But yes, the transformations, some of the goofy attack names (COCONUT CYCLONE!?) aside, there's enough here that it's a surprisingly fun watch for such a dopey, pre-teen kinda show. Enjoyed it a lot more than I would have figured going in.

Started the Heike Story. I'm into period pieces every once in awhile. This has a mix of down to earth yet sophisticated dialogue, and Biwa's story is already pretty tragic. I'm curious where this goes.

Finished Hokkaido Gals today.

Pretty chill and low stakes. All the characters were enjoyable (Akino > Reina > Minami personally), and Shiki was enough of a good guy to bypass the "dorky kid gets hit on by all the girls for no reason" problem. The show had a tendency to veer off into stuff about nothing, or even "advertising snacks and the Hokkaido travel guide for dummies", but it worked well enough to be a good fun time.

And like I said a few days ago, the OP and ED both slap hard.

Skyview sounds pretty interesting.

I love the fast travel rails, because nothing was more frustrating in this game that isn't a platformer than trying to line up a jump, fail, and then spend more time trying to get back.

They took some cues from Yakuza about map layout and sorting icons. Between that, quest markers, and level requirements, it'll sure as hell help. Speaking of the map, not being tied to defeating Abscesses to see the fucking thing is a godsend.

All in all, I am impressed with this setup. I was going to play OG again, but waiting it out for this will end up making for a much better experience.

I want to rewatch Darker Than Black, but I'm not going to pay hundreds for it. Fucking Aniplex.

Third Hokkaido Gal get. Reina is nice enough. Still like Akino best so far. Kinda neat they are already moving into weird love triangle/rectangle stuff midway in. Most shows save that for "crap we forgot to do shit for a finale."

As Shinigami might say, I'm getting horny for mysteries...again.

Given what the opening teased, you'd think they'd do everything.

The OP and ED are amazing. It's too bad the ideas it presented never seemed to come to fruition.

Speaking of touchy subjects that I wasn't expecting to deal with, been watching Sailor Moon Crystal along with a friend and got a weird dose of Electra Complex...so that was awkward as all hell. Not sure THIS is the kind of show that should be doing that, or any show for that matter. It's one of the few things I've stopped and said just nope to about what the show is doing.

More episodes into Hokkaido, and Akino is best girl so far. Made the show a keeper.

Trying out Hokkaido Gals. I'm getting a bit of Nagatoro meets Dress Up Darling vibes from this (though not as good as the latter). Minami is interesting, and the dialogue has its moments...but it is definitely not amazing either. Probably just needs another character or two to balance things out. Just seeing them hang out would get kinda boring.

I dumped Demon Prince of Momochi House a few eps in. They weren't really exciting me with the three dudes and the normal girl, and the dialogue was trying for "we're totally funny, aren't we" sort of pandering humor that stopped landing. Just came off kinda bland. Less Konohana Kitan and Kemono Jihen fun and more Nura: Rise of the Yokai without the fun Yuki-Onna girl to grab me.

And instead, I found Demon Prince of Momochi House. Coming right off rewatching Kemono Jihen, I don't mind another dose of yokai and ayakashi stuff. First episode was fun. Let's see where this goes.

Just started watching Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts. They sure as shit sped through the Beauty and Beast cliffnotes super damn fast. I hope the rest of the show doesn't have this sort of pacing. The way the girl and king talk, it's like they are in a hurry to get somewhere, rather than letting things breathe...especially considering there's an undercurrent of darker shit underneath the comedy. It's like the characters are walking, talking, and trying to convince you something is happening, rather than having anything actually happen; a bit "fake" for me.

Not sold on it just yet. It just felt like a two part intro got hurried up into a VERY fast opening episode that wasn't all that impressive. Sure hope a couple more episodes slow things down and get a little more interesting.

Edit: Dropped it after the banquet. Still not seeing enough to like.

Ah, that would be a fucking mess. That sounds like Poison/Bridget weirdness. JoJo is such a weird thing though. Everyone's faces and lips are just...distinct.

Every other series, I just sit there and go, "Ok. Japan, stop doing this. It's just unfair."

UshiromiyaEva posted...

I don't think Akira looks any more feminine than, say, Kurama from YYH, he's just younger.

And I mean we have our Fate Astolfos, Re:Zero Felix, and Steins;Gate Rukas out there too.

Now, if you wanna talked about Stone Ocean Anasui here.....

Kurama and Astolfo and very much fit the same mold as Akira. I kinda sat in stunned silence for a second at those two. Felix, Ruka, and Anasui I can at least look and go, "Yeah, I can easily believe that's a dude."

*Had to look up all these characters because I have never watched these*

Minnesota is never getting Mania...fucking hell.

Probably

I'm still a bit confused about Akira being a boy (not narrative wise), but looking absolutely feminine looking even by anime standards. Almost like they were meant to be female at first, then changed to a male character for other reasons. Maybe because Kon and Aya show up later.

Or it's just another of those, "why are Japanese people always so stupidly pretty" sort of things.

I think a detective show (Rampo something, I forget the name) does the exact same thing.

Rewatching Kemono Jihen. Pretty easy show to binge watch. I'm a sucker for supernatural/yokai/monster anime, and this has fun characters and morals at play. Both serious enough yet comedic. Love Kabane's "loose" grasp of social norms and moral concepts.

ew

Black Butler is back, and when in doubt, do a school setting.

Speaking of Tales, I wish non-related games would stop using "Tales of" as a title. There was that JRPG farming sim thing and now Tales of the Shire.

If Namco would just trademark that phrase (if they haven't already after 30 fucking years) this wouldn't happen. Get that Xenosaga trilogy remaster done too, dammit.

Legend of Black Heaven is bleh. It's Ender's Game with a heavy metal guitar and some potential adultery added.

Yay, Konosuba dub episode get. Time to see if the magic is back.

Edit: Oh fuck yes, it is back. KO NO SU BA!

Joy. Weiss's weapon broke apart and poked me on impact, and now my thumb is bleeding.

At least the figure itself is fine. Still, what a literal and figurative pain to bring a figure home just for the extra bit to be a piece of shit and to hurt me at the same time.

If I buy any of the rest, I'll be happy with Yang...cause you'd think her hands won't fall off...oh wait.

So that's where Penny put her.

Good news, and it makes this recent purchase topical

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/fe50325b.jpg

Gonna rewatch Gunslinger Girl again. First season anyway. Always had a fondness for it. The machinations of turning little girls into subservient mob killing machines, and the effects on both them and their handlers in a dark way. Second season is fine, but I grew to ignore it due to the visuals changing and the less than engaging storyline.

Besides, I'm getting stir crazy from Black Butler and Konosuba dubs not hitting yet. How many more days? Mrgrgr

Top 10 of the Past 10 Years (Let's see if i can think of anything)

1. SpyxFamily
2. Quintessential Quintuplets
3. Konosuba
4. Apothecary Diaries
5. Frieren
6. Case Study of Vanitas
7. Death Parade
8. Land of the Lustrous
9. Spaceship Battleship Yamato 2199/2202
10. How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift?!

Nagi no Asukara/A Lull in the Sea just misses out by being 2013, but it would be in there too. Interviews With Monster Girls, Fruits Basket 2019, and Helpful Fox Senko-San would be honorable mentions.

Konosuba twice, as it should be...lol

Gonna be hard for any game to beat Infinite Wealth, but this might do it.

It's those same kinds of people who pull the sub v. dub gatekeeping bullshit, so they can keep their stupid opinions and whine in their echo chamber. If it looks like English, doesn't have errors, and doesn't do the OG Tokyo Xanadu thing of misplacing a line of text outside the actual freaking text box (or something similar that happened), then it's totally fine.

The Maid I Hired Is Mysterious is such garbage. I ditched that in like a minute.

Morose Mononokean was ok, but I quickly felt it leaned way too much into the comedy and less into the yokai/underworld stuff and I couldn't wait to skip to the finish.

More rewatching of stuff: Sankarea. Forgot if I liked this or not. Dude wants a zombie girlfriend and to bring back his cat as a zombie too...but whatever. I think I liked it before. Wonder if I will a 2nd time. I remember Rea's family are fucking wackjobs.

Megumin is good, but as a balancing act for everyone else. Her side stuff really doused her appeal without any of the others. I think Darkness (if they curb her insatiable thirst a bit) or Aqua could probably hold their own in a spinoff in the right circumstance, but Megumin really didn't work as a "main" at all. She's best as a reactionary character. Then again, I'm not really into the deliberate chuuni, even the ones that make a joke out of the archetype. It reminded me of how everyone loved Gundham Tanaka from DR2 for some weird reason, though all he did was hang around hamsters.

Kazuma really does make the show work though.

*heaves uncontrollably at Darkness love*

Maybe that or the waiting for the dub another fucking week just hurts.

Maomao exists in her own plane of existence. She's that level of character. Kinda like a Holo or Major Kusanagi where a show is just elevated by their presence.

*Which helps in most cases, since Maomao is in 95% of the scenes*

Yay, more Maomao fans.

What happened to Sea of Stars was an ending and back half that was half baked, and shoehorning Garl into everything like he's everybody's favorite mascot. Music was great though, but god. Shut about Garl for an hour, please...he was the "we totally wanted him to be the main" sort of vibe.

Eiyuden is a wait and see for me.

Is the movie going to get put on CR eventually? The only places showing it are like an hour away.

Angry people being angry about wrestling and not having a consensus opinion and liking shiny new toys or claiming that cool thing last week isn't cool now?

Color me shocked.

Ah Spice and Wolf; how I missed you.

Yep. The gang is back, and I bet it will be better than the Megumin spinoff was.

I'm in my "rewatch phase," where I watch stuff I've liked before running back into new shows. First on my docket is Shadows House. While a bit too comedic at times, I find the show's visuals, tone, and style very unique. The first half shows quite a bit of Emilico and the inner workings of how Shadows and Living Dolls work, but I prefer the later episodes focusing on Mistress Kate and solving a mystery. I've always preferred Kate over Emilico, so that's probably why I like Season 2 more.

Hoping for more anime from this someday. Season 1's ED Nai Nai also slaps hard.