Anime

[Capone]

and Black Clover which is still ongoing,

Ah, so you're into masochism, I see.

[Andol]

Ehehe, thanks I think.  Apologies in advance to others if it's a bit long-winded.  I just had a bit to get out there with that one.  There's some series that get major hype such as that one did all of 2017.

Which one was that which got all that hype...

[Haruki]

Which one was that which got all that hype...

CCS: Clear Card got quite a bit.  If there was another series I was thinking of besides that, I have forgotten.

Some shows get a lot of hype, and turn out to be a big letdown oftentimes.

Ah, so you're into masochism, I see.

Haha!  :P

I take that one in small doses...a couple episodes a time to avoid that problem.  I've read countless reviews from others that the Japanese is somewhat unbearable; it's Asta's Japanese VA specifically.  Doesn't affect me since I default to the English dub most of the time.  For me I'm just taking the show at face value.  Yep, it's a shonen that seems to be blatantly ripping off other series 'Naruto meets Fairy Tail', so to speak.

I don't know though.  I'm falling behind with it due to real life getting in the way of my anime viewing time.

[Andol]

Never mind... wrong year... I was thinking of a different year were the hype train did not keep going in the right direction. XD

[Capone]

Haha!  :P

I take that one in small doses...a couple episodes a time to avoid that problem.  I've read countless reviews from others that the Japanese is somewhat unbearable; it's Asta's Japanese VA specifically.  Doesn't affect me since I default to the English dub most of the time.  For me I'm just taking the show at face value.  Yep, it's a shonen that seems to be blatantly ripping off other series 'Naruto meets Fairy Tail', so to speak.

I don't know though.  I'm falling behind with it due to real life getting in the way of my anime viewing time.

I only watched the first episode, and I'm one of them jerks that prefers Japanese language with subs so yeah, his voice was awful. However, it really comes down to the concept and execution, and in then end it's a massive dose of "Been there, done that" combined with "Are you serious with this fifth leaf on a clover that means... wait what? This is full blown shitty webcomic territory."

Very much not my bag.

[TerribleTira]

My personal interest in anime is extremely limited. In my experience, 90% of the genre is garbage not to my liking. I love Miyazaki films, and imo I put them in a category aside from anime because they are so different.

Outside of that, The only animes that I can readily think of that I enjoyed were Akira, Ghost in a shell, Ninja scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and Last Exile. Oh, and Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet was alright in some respects. I loved some elements, and hated others. Battle Angel: Alita was one of the first animes I ever saw, and i still think it's pretty alright. Blood: The last Vampire was decent. Bio Hunter I saw on youtube for free, and it was... ok. But for the most part, I watch 30 minutes into most anime movies, and I'm like, "pass". The stuff in series is usually worse. Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece are some of the worst that I've wasted time on.

In general, I find anime to be too full of cliché character archtypes, and very cookie cutter. From the get go you already know what they fall into, it's almost rehearsed. The overly dramatic fight scenes are over the top and comical when they totally aren't meant to be.

Desert Punk looked like it had promise at first, but got tired really fast.

And the whole high school trope... ugh... Just. Stop.

[Haruki]

I only watched the first episode, and I'm one of them jerks that prefers Japanese language with subs so yeah, his voice was awful. However, it really comes down to the concept and execution, and in then end it's a massive dose of "Been there, done that" combined with "Are you serious with this fifth leaf on a clover that means... wait what? This is full blown shitty webcomic territory."

Very much not my bag.

The thing I don't like is how much of a marketing push that an otherwise 'by the books' shonen title is getting, mainly here in the U.S. where I am from.  I guess they're all trying to find that next 'DBZ' or 'Naruto'.  It doesn't work with those who've been into anime for as long as I have though.

I wished shows in the past that maybe had something different brought to the table, would have gotten as much of a push.

Oh well, so goes it.

My personal interest in anime is extremely limited. In my experience, 90% of the genre is garbage not to my liking. I love Miyazaki films, and imo I put them in a category aside from anime because they are so different.

I'm the same way actually, even with anime as being one of my more 'main' hobbies.  The stuff Studio Ghibli has released doesn't have the usual hallmark tropes and wild character design.

I think you took the cake with this bit though, and I couldn't agree more.

And the whole high school trope... ugh... Just. Stop.

This, all the way.

As for cliched plots and characters, Western media does it too, yet people (a majority, but not all) eat it all up.  Those big blockbuster movies (like those based off comic franchises) are an example.  But I'm just an outsider looking in on that stuff.  Not my cup of tea.

[Capone]

The thing I don't like is how much of a marketing push that an otherwise 'by the books' shonen title is getting, mainly here in the U.S. where I am from.  I guess they're all trying to find that next 'DBZ' or 'Naruto'.  It doesn't work with those who've been into anime for as long as I have though.

I wished shows in the past that maybe had something different brought to the table, would have gotten as much of a push.

I know Crunchyroll was really pushing it, which means either they paid a lot to get exclusivity and are trying to get their cash back with it, or they're being paid a lot by the Japanese studios to promote it. In truth, after listening to their podcast and seeing their promotions, I don't really trust anything Crunchyroll tries to push with some exceptions. I actually really dug the first three episodes of Darling in the Franxx, but I also think it's a show that everyone is getting way too focused on "the fan-service" to understand what's really going on beneath the surface.

My personal interest in anime is extremely limited. In my experience, 90% of the genre is garbage not to my liking. I love Miyazaki films, and imo I put them in a category aside from anime because they are so different.

Outside of that, The only animes that I can readily think of that I enjoyed were Akira, Ghost in a shell, Ninja scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and Last Exile. Oh, and Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet was alright in some respects. I loved some elements, and hated others. Battle Angel: Alita was one of the first animes I ever saw, and i still think it's pretty alright. Blood: The last Vampire was decent. Bio Hunter I saw on youtube for free, and it was... ok. But for the most part, I watch 30 minutes into most anime movies, and I'm like, "pass". The stuff in series is usually worse. Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece are some of the worst that I've wasted time on.

In general, I find anime to be too full of cliché character archtypes, and very cookie cutter. From the get go you already know what they fall into, it's almost rehearsed. The overly dramatic fight scenes are over the top and comical when they totally aren't meant to be.

Desert Punk looked like it had promise at first, but got tired really fast.

And the whole high school trope... ugh... Just. Stop.

Welcome to Being an American That Got Into Anime in the Late 80's or Early 90's and is Now Confronted with Modern Trends and the Glut of Media. All media is becoming flooded, and the sad part of being flooded means you get a lot of trash. Right now a lot of stuff like Naruto is getting pushed because shonen anime always appeal in some fashion to a broad audience. However, when you've been around the block a few times it holds less of its luster. I'm really loving My Hero Academia right now, but I'm also waiting for the other shoe to drop where it gets repetitive and goes nowhere because the manga publication pressures the author to keep the series going unnecessarily long so they can keep raking in the cash.

With that in mind, here are some things I'd recommend for you if you haven't watched anime in a while and want stuff that is still good. Caution that some of it may still be teenagers, but that isn't always a bad thing.

NETFLIX (US):
Your Lie in April
Madoka Magica
One Punch Man
Little Witch Academia**
Devil Man Crybaby
Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood**
Kill la Kill*

AMAZON PRIME (US):
Land of the Lustrous
The Great Passage
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress**

Hulu (US):
My Hero Academia
Log Horizon
Parasyte
Death Note
One Punch Man
Psycho Pass**
Trigun**
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex**
Black Lagoon**
Erased
Hellsing
Blood Blockade Battlefront**
Kill la Kill*
Fate/Zero**
Ergo Proxy**
Ushio and Tora
Mobile Suit Gundam: 8th MS Team**
FLCL**
Eden of the East
Slayers
The Reflection
Kids on the Slope

And I think I'll stop there. Needless to say it looks like Hulu might be the best place for you to start since it's got a greater variety than Netflix or Amazon, but I also have the highest membership to watch ad free. I don't know which of those will have ads or how bad without a Hulu membership.

* Kill la Kill is also often confused as being all about fan-service, and while that's not untrue, the show is very much about the thin line between objectification and sexual empowerment. Might not be a good place to start but somewhere to go eventually.

** Anything with two asterisks is, I think, most likely to appeal to your tastes based on some of the older anime you mentioned. I'd say start at one of these on your preferred service of choice.

[TerribleTira]

I'll look into some of those, thanks :)

[Capone]

Went back and double-asterisked Little Witch Academia and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood because they're both phenomenal.

[Haruki]

There's just such a wealth of anime out nowadays, it's hard to keep up.  I got into anime around 1996-1997.  As I wasn't about to put myself out there on the Internet at that time, I didn't do the fansub trading circut.  The negative in that is I was pretty much beholden to whatever ADV (now Sentai), Viz Media, CPM and other publishers, put out there to home video.  More often than not though, they cherrypicked the (usually) best or most memorable shows that are now considered classics, to release to hungry new fans like myself.  The 'trash' often stayed where it belonged; in Japan.

Fast forward to today.  Seems EVERYTHING that runs in Japan is now simulcast here between all the streaming services, and due to this, we're seeing the one show that will maybe become a classic in the future, the 2-4 others that (may become) fan / cult hits, and then all the rest which is oftentimes the trash.  Sure, it's a great time to be an anime fan, but damn is it overwhelming.

[Andol]

The thing I don't like is how much of a marketing push that an otherwise 'by the books' shonen title is getting, mainly here in the U.S. where I am from.  I guess they're all trying to find that next 'DBZ' or 'Naruto'.  It doesn't work with those who've been into anime for as long as I have though.

Dragon Ball will always be the best part of that series... only part I enjoyed watching twice. Though for a second there I was going to list One Piece as one of the best shonen, but then remembered that you said, "Mainly here in the U.S" Then I remembered the days of rapping about pirates and thought... "Oh yeah... they fucked up".

Then I remember Gintama, and Jojo's Bizzare Adventures... so those are both good times... at least if they finally come out with part 5 of Jojo's... XD

[Haruki]

Dragon Ball will always be the best part of that series... only part I enjoyed watching twice. Though for a second there I was going to list One Piece as one of the best shonen, but then remembered that you said, "Mainly here in the U.S" Then I remembered the days of rapping about pirates and thought... "Oh yeah... they fucked up".

One Piece seems to be a big deal everywhere 'outside' the U.S., where here it's just got its cult fan following.  That's one loooooong show, that's for sure, 800+ episodes and still going.  It goes well beyond the 4Kids foul-up.  That show was already a few seasons in before it got picked up and screwed with, rapping pirates and all, so it was probably doomed from the get-go.

(And thanks, I'm going to have that annoying opening in my head the rest of the evening.  :P )

Then I remember Gintama, and Jojo's Bizzare Adventures... so those are both good times... at least if they finally come out with part 5 of Jojo's... XD

Gintama is one I've been seeing mentioned more often in recent years, even though it's already in the 300-some episode mark, and believe is about to enter its final story arc.

JoJo's art style I always found to be too exaggerated for my tastes, but I can see its appeal with those who are fans.  It's not the 'usual' sort of thing that comes from Japan.  That's probably a lot of its appeal I'm guessing.

[Capone]

JoJo's art style I always found to be too exaggerated for my tastes, but I can see its appeal with those who are fans.  It's not the 'usual' sort of thing that comes from Japan.  That's probably a lot of its appeal I'm guessing.

It is and it isn't. It's not the sort of art style you might expect to be common today, but at the same time it's got that stylish pizazz that you can only expect from Japanese animation. Right now I think there's a bit of a rift in common anime fans based on when they got into the genre, and for many Jojo's is a return to the glory days in a sense.

[Andol]

To be honest I really started following One Piece and caught back up when they started the whole Impel Down arc... so you know that was a long time ago. I find the manga way better than the anime to be honest, as the anime doesn't do anything new till 7 minutes in XD

As for Jojo's again mainly it is a manga thing in my mind. Part 4 is the best of anime because the switch to the newer style plays out better in anime. I mean for me when I look at the manga and then look at the version of each Part on the show I think... damn... the difference is huge. Then again that seems to calm down in parts 5 and 6 and 7 where they still do the pizazz, just the people are not overly big guys and so it kind of helps tone things down.

Oh and trust me... I have seen other things like it. I mean I heard Araki took some inspiration from Fist of the North Star... and now while watching the show... it really shows. XD

As for Gintama when I started watching it I always thought... wait so is this like the South Park of Japan or something... and yes I am joking. Also 'the final story arc' is a running joke in Gintama. They always say that then they revive it with something new XD.

[Mellific]

@ Capone: Finally, someone else recommending Your Lie in April. Ugh, it was so beautifully done.

OT: Has anyone mentioned Death Parade yet? Because. Watch it.

[TerribleTira]

does Dead Leaves count as anime? O.o I liked that movie. t'was funny and weird

[Lustful Bride]

Wanted to watch Recovery of an MMO Junkie...until I learned that the Director of it is a raging Racist and Anti Semite.....I hear such good things but I cant in good conscience support the works of someone like that.

:/ This is as painful as when I learned the writer of Ruroni Kenshin was a pedo. The entertainment industry has a serious problem.

[Andol]

Eh that is why I tend to disassociate the makers and sometimes actors of anime or movies from the respective film or show. It creates more of a sense of escapism and avoids things like that. Well at least to a certain degree if that makes any sense... for some shows you get so many memes it is just hard to not know who made the manga/anime XD

[Haruki]

It's a shame that some people's true colors and thoughts are ugly.  I, like the above poster, do my best to separate the work from the person.  It's about the only way most entertainment can be taken in.

That being said, it is still very disappointing and sad what the 'MMO Junkie"s director let out of his mind and into the wild for him to be scorned (as he should be).  Japan's one of the more xenophobic 1st world countries around, but that's still no excuse for his remarks.

That thing with the author of Kenshin was also disheartening to read when it came across my news feeds.  As much as they want to bury it, Japan is not that much different than other countries' entertainment industries.  They all have bad apples in the bunch.

[Envious]

I've been watching The Ancient Magus's Bride. It's not my usual choice, but it's been fun. I don't get the rave reviews it's been receiving, but I'm still watching.

[Skynet]

I tried getting back into In Another World With My Smartphone. It still somehow manages to surprise me by tossing cliche after cliche, resetting my expectations for how Generic Wish Fulfillment Fantasy it can get.

[Caeli]

Not anime, but related - the Japanese pairs figure skating team skated to Yuri on Ice at the Olympics!  They skated their short program during the team event last Friday, and also last night during the pairs' short program.

They actually debuted this program last year (I believe during the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships) but it was cool to hear the sports broadcasters talk about anime.

The program is below, but this BBC article includes some hilarious tweets from anime fans.

https://youtu.be/8aM07A3WT4c?t=27s

[Avalon29]

Started rewatching Gosick recently. Definitely one of my all time favorites and one I've watched several times. Love the 1920s European setting and the mysteries often involving getting to the truth of some urban legend or scary story. The relationship and chemistry between Victorique and Kazuya  is great too. Could do without the school background but given that it's really just there to allow the two characters to meet each other and the vast majority of the show takes place in different settings it's definitely a minor quibble for me. It just hits all kinds of the right buttons for me that makes it one I don't mind watching multiple times.

[Csharynn]

Just recently finished Mysterious Girlfriend X. I liked it, the drool thing took a bit of getting used to though. I'm in the middle of Gungrave and beginning on Persona 4.