What anime are you currently watching?

[ZetaBladeX13]

[Maxine MagicFox]

[scy]

One Manga, Mangatraders, or for it. There's some other stuff recently by SC that is worth looking into such as Deadman Wonderland:

CREEPY IMAGE (possibly!) Some spoilers for the first fight end:
[spoiler]


But you have to be stupid to not know how a shounen manga would finish a fight. GOOD GUY WINS.[/spoiler]

Spoilers for the second fight:
[spoiler][/spoiler]

Edit: Removed the links to OM and MT then. I think SC only keeps non-licensed stuff.

[Maxine MagicFox]

Sorry, I took out the link since there ARE licensed materials on that site.

[Kimiko]

Hidamari Sketch was so cute. It's indeed a lot like Lucky Star and Azumanga Daioh, but on a smaller scale. It's shorter (only 13 eps.), has a smaller cast, and doesn't have as many references to other stuff. Being about art students, it does have some interesting bits of art/photography. Mostly it's just cute though. I haven't started the second season yet because it's only been half subbed yet.

Because I didn't want to search my list of anime to watch for another 13-ep. series, I also watched the movie The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. It has a very interesting take on time-travel and its consequences. The art is very good, with the 3D blending fairly well with the regular 2D. It's also interesting that it shows a much more crowded setting than usual. The ending isn't full-out happy, but very much hopeful.

Simoun I would describe as 'bittersweet'. Very interesting was the understated portrayal of a society where everyone is female until about age 17, when they choose to become either male or female. Becoming an adult is one theme, but more prominent is the theme of war and its effects on those fighting. This series is however not about the war itself and which side wins or loses. The large cast was handled fairly well with most characters having clear personalities, even if it was at times obvious that characters were absent for no other reason than the writers requiring it. Despite the interesting setting though, I wasn't completely happy with it. I found it rather disappointing that the ending once again showed love between girls as somehow very pure, but ultimately a childish, immature form of love that can only exist outside reality. Stop reinforcing that stereotype already.

Next up are Ah! Megami-sama/My Goddess, and Claymore.

[Kinokokao]

[Kimiko]

In what way are those better than the anime series? I can still switch now. Are they the same story?

[Kinokokao]

There are 5 OVAs. The first 3 are a retelling of the earliest part of the manga. The last two are a 2-part story arc to wrap things up. It's influenced by events in the manga but not lifted so directly as the first three stories.

The movie takes place much later in the story and tells an original plot involving Belldandy's past. It introduces original characters for the movie and changes a few things (Peorth's role, for example). On the overall, it's great fun if you're already a fan, but for pure beginners it'd be best to at least watch the first 3 OVAs.

The series destroys the charm and humor that makes the manga so great. Yes, it's got it's sweet moments, largely the story arcs deal more with wacky Heavensent disasters and Keiichi's various motor clubs and college friends.
Belldandy's personality is reduced down to "she's a perfect goddess" when in the manga she has all her own selfishness and absurdist views on things. She becomes a cardboard cut out of her original self, and it disgusts me.
Keiichi, also, is drastically altered. He's not exactly a hero, but he's certainly not the total sparkle-eyed dweeb he becomes in the series.

For me, it's all about Fujishima's great comedic timing and fun plots. You have mini-ninjas soaking in miso soup "hot springs" for example, or a rogue Belldandy who gets drunk off soda and goes beserk granting wishes. Sometimes the plots are bittersweet, such as Skuld and Urd's respective angel stories. But, still, there's always the undercurrent of fun and humor.

[Archaic Sage]

On a completely unrelated note. Who's watching the kids TV series Chi's Sweet Home at the moment? It's got to be the cutest little anime ever.

[scy]

Personally, it's more of the OVA leaves you wanting more whilst the Anime overstays their welcome. I will say, though, that the OVA just doesn't tell enough of the story (like it could with how brief it is) so you may want to watch the Anime anyway just to see more of them ... that or, you know, read the manga.

[Kimiko]

The drawback of manga though is that you can't try-before-you-buy like anime.

[scy]

...huh? If it matters that much to "try it out" first, you can always [.....] go out and buy the real deal. That and there's I think 30 Volumes of it released here?

Edited by Kino

[Kinokokao]

OMG! is a licensed series. Check your local library. If they don't have a copy, ask about inter-library loan.

I actually recommend coming in somewhere in the middle and using the first 3 OVAs to introduce the storyline and main characters. The plot is very story-arc oriented.

[noodles]

finished Negima! volume 14 (the manga >>>>>> everything else)

Negima is a work of art

you hear me

a goddamn work of art

perfect blend between silly and serious/awesome

I cried

[ZetaBladeX13]