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That's the first time I've heard a preference for Brotherhood. I think the differences make the original more compelling.

J. Wilson - Depending on how much your daughter can handle sadness and what she thinks about classical music, Your Lie in April is quite impressive.

Michael Kerpan wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 9:25 pm J. Wilson - Depending on how much your daughter can handle sadness and what she thinks about classical music, Your Lie in April is quite impressive.

Yeah, I keep trying to get her to watch it, as I've seen it and really liked it, but she tends to view my suggestions with a skeptical eye, despite my success to dud ratio being good. I did try Utena with her, but she hated the aesthetic, I think; she's very particular about character designs. I also tried to show her Escaflowne and she couldn't bear the noses of the characters, for example, which made me facepalm. Hopefully it's something she grows out of. I keep meaning to watch FMA: Brotherhood, as I've never seen either version, but heard plenty of good things about it.

knives wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 9:08 pm That's the first time I've heard a preference for Brotherhood. I think the differences make the original more compelling.

I think it (often, but not always) comes down to which version a person watches first, and I'll admit I watched Brotherhood before the original. If I had to explain why I prefer Brotherhood, I would say it's due to the character development and storyline. Both of those just seem more natural and fulfilling than in the 2003 anime. At a certain point in Brotherhood (around episode 10 or so), the ball starts rolling and it never stops until the end.

Both certainly have their own merits, however, and I'm planning to rewatch the original soon!

J. Wilson -- I share your daughter's taste in character designs, I guess. Escaflowne is something that I would also rule out for the same reason.

Has she checked out K-On! or Haruhi Suzumiya?

K-On! is one I've suggested to shrugs. I will probably just start watching it while she's in the room and see if it takes. Haruhi I hadn't really thought about. I might try the Escaflowne movie with her though - noses are nowhere near as sharp!

J Wilson -- A wonderful show (as gorgeous as a Ghibli one in many ways) just showed up on Netflix -- Nagi no asukara / A Lull in the Sea. (I watched it a couple of weeks before it showed up there).

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms / Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarou (Mari Okada, 2018)

Maquia was quite lovely and moving. This had a medieval-type setting and involved three groups -- ordinary humans, humans with extraordinarily long lives (who aged at a rate proportionate to their life span) and white dragons (on the verge of extinction). The long-lived people kept to themselves - but attracted the attention of an irresponsible nearby king. Maquia (whose age is equivalent to a young teenager) is one of the few survivors of a catastrophic attack. While still in a state of near-shock, she adopts a human infant, whose mother had died in childbirth. Obviously, there are compolications as the infant grows to manhood, while Maquia scarcely changes. There's lots more plot, but I don't plan to detail it here.

The treatment of long-lived people having to cope with the comparatively feeting lives of those with only normal life spans made me think of Shaw's Back to Methuselah and Capek's The Makropoulos Case -- but the subject matter and style reminded me more of Takahata's Horus: Prince of the Sun.

Mari Okada (best know as one of the most accomplished writer in anime) seems to have done a pretty good job in her debut as director (with the help of all her friends at PA Works). The Bluray has a nice bonus feature with a joint interview of Okada and the studio head).

If FB allows -- lots of screen shots: https://www.facebook.com/michael.e.kerp ... 8992733602

Most recent viewing"

Erased

Really excellent show (on Netflix). The protagonist has the ability (for reasons never explained) to get bumped back in time just far enough to avoid impending tragedies. It turns out two of his childhood friends (in Hokkaido) fell victim to a serial killer -- and he feels guilt for not doing something to prevent this. At 29, he's a failed (or flailing) manga writer, earning his keep (barely) working at a pizza shop. The only person in Tokyo who really seems to care about him is a free-spirited senior high school student co-worker. When his mother comes to visit (worried about how her son was doing), the two inadvertently foil a child abduction. This results in his mother being murdered, and the protagonist being suspected as the killer. As he is being arrested, he jumps back to his childhood -- giving him a chance to prevent the death of not only his school friends , but also his mother...

Wonderful characters (with Japanese voice actors of equal excellence). Moving script, with few lapses. The villain was, perhaps, easy to guess -- but not sure this was really a flaw. I thought having a good idea early simply added to the dread. Highly recommended.

Silver Spoon

Kind of a Hokkaido agricultural high school analog of the classic Yorkshire-set All Creatures Great and Small. The joys (and serious problems) of rural life -- as experienced by future farm workers (and one hoping to become a veterinarian). The two main characters are a city boy (from a well-off family) who rather aimlessly winds up at the school simply because he wants to get away from his family and a dairy farmer's daughter (a beloved only child who feels obliged to take over the family business, but years for a career involving horses). It turns out that depite the grueling school schedule (involving practical farm work), club membership is obligatory -- and all clubs are sport or agriculture related. Despite never having encountered a horse, he is impressed by the heroine's horsemanship (and the heroine) and is dragged into the Equestrian Club. The series largely focuses on the hero getting a clue and realizing that there are things he can do well -- and on the heroine getting the courage to pursue her own dream.

Despite a few bits of gratuitous silliness, this is a mostly quite realistic-seeming show. The lead characters and the supporting cast are well-done. The Hokkaido locations are gorgeous. Be forewarned, however -- some graphic scenes of animal birth and animal butchery. I can't imagine that this would have much appeal to American viewers, but I found it mostly fascinating. And it fit in well with my program of exploring (more or less) real-world Japan through anime.

Funnily enough, I'd had Erased in my Netflix queue for ages, and when my daughter suggested watching it over the weekend, we binged through it in a couple days. I did feel like some of the set up elements of the plot were left unexplained, which is probably just as well, but we both enjoyed it a lot. We're now checking out a few of the live action version's episodes to see how they handled certain things there.

FYI -- Erased's epilogue (under the bridge) takes place in 2012 (i.e. 6 years after the starting scenes of the series).

It seems like the manga has a bit fuller development of certain aspects of the story (especially for the period after the hero's coma).

If your daughter doesn't mind violent deaths in her anime, the series Another (from PA Works -- so it looks quite good) is pretty interesting.

Yeah, my daughter mentioned that the manga had a backstory for the antagonist that got more into his childhood and how it contributed to his situation. I don't know if any of that was in the live action version though. Will look into Another, thanks for the recommendation.

I didn't look at the earlier volumes of the Erased manga, but I can't imagine any sufficient "explanation" that would justify (or even adequately explain) the murderer's horrendous behavior

Spoiler

(not just his murders but his framing of innocent people for his killings)

.

I've seen the anime and read the chapter (#32) that goes into the killer's backstory. Here's a rundown:

Spoiler

When Gaku was a child, his older brother used to vent his frustrations by beating him up frequently. His brother moved away from this when he started a "system" of raping local girls (all around Gaku's age) in a shed behind their house as Gaku stood watch. When a girl left the shed, Gaku would console them and persuade them to not say anything. One day, Gaku went off to play instead of keeping watch; hearing voices outside, his brother accidentally killed the girl he was assaulting while trying to prevent her from calling for help. They hid her body in the shed. Since it was thought that girl had been kidnapped, local schools started implementing buddy systems and curfews. Wanting to put an end to this "suffocating time," Gaku killed his brother and staged it as a suicide driven by guilt.

Boosmahn -- Thanks for the backstory -- but I guess I don't find that an adequate "explanation".

I think the anime makers were correct in leaving the killer's motivation mysterious.

Latest viewing:

Wasteful Days of High School Girls/Joshi Kōsei no Mudazukai (Takeo Takahashi and Hijiri Sanpei, 2019) (more idiomatically, perhaps, "high school girls frittering their time away")

Probably the most entertaining comedy anime about high school life since 2002's Azumanga Daioh (one of my very favorite anime series). Lots of silliness, mixed with occasional heartfelt moments. Charming (well-designed and written) characters, good dialog (and there's lots) even in translation (though I suspect it would be even better if I understood Japanese better). Very little that is salacious (as opposed to virtually none at all in Azumanga Daioh). It starts with a core group of 3 "unusual" students (former elementary school friends reunited again high school), which is augmented one by one by other girls (most of whom would have been "outsiders" otherwise). The central character Who nicknames everyone else gets named (appropriately) by her friends as "Baka" (fool) -- and she does manage to drag her friends into all sorts of foolishness (which usually, but not always DOES wind up amusing them). The opening musical number for the show is a treat in its own right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYXPjGe ... p&index=14

Paranoia Agent is up for pre-order with the release date December 15, 2020: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Paranoia ... ay/277290/

Finally got around to watching all the Violet Evergarden shows available from Netflix (the new movie which premiered a few days ago will presumably not be online for a while). I would have to say that this turned out to be very moving and very technically accomplished. If you have Netflix -- and spare time -- highly recommended.

Yakushima wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 2:30 am Paranoia Agent is up for pre-order with the release date December 15, 2020: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Paranoia ... ay/277290/

Also being released as a BestBuy exclusive as of October 13, with availability extending to its Canadian customers, which is a rarity for these sorts of things. I just placed my preorder for the set on the BB.ca site, for a cost about $10 under Amazon.ca's price, and now look forward to revisiting the series in just under three weeks!

Got my daughter to watch Your Lie in April (a fave of mine), in exchange for watching Anohana (a fave of hers). My wife watched with us, and it was sort of a low key bet between my daughter and I as to which one would move her more. Turned out Your Lie in April was the "winner" on that front, as it had my wife sobbing at the end, which Anohana didn't have nearly the same impact on either of us. Anohana just felt off in regards to some of the characterization, and some of the plot contrivances were a little too much. I can see why many consider it the saddest thing they've seen anime-wise, but I wasn't really feeling it. We're moving on to something happy next, at the insistence of my wife. Not sure what yet, though.

J Wilson wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 6:37 pmWe're moving on to something happy next, at the insistence of my wife. Not sure what yet, though.

Have you seen Barakamon? It's a comedy about a young, stressed calligrapher who moves (read: is sent off by his father) to the Goto Islands in order to clear his head. It follows his interactions with the locals as well as his personal growth. Among other things, it's notable for featuring one of the best child characters I know!

Consolidated anime watching update report (happy to talk about anything anyone wants to talk about as to these)


Uchoten kazoku (Masayuki Yoshihara, 2013, 2017) (Eccentric Family) (set mostly in Higashiyama, Kyoto)

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Kyōhei Ishiguro, 2014-15) (Your Lie in April) (in and around Nerima, Tokyo)

Tamako Market (Naoko Yamada, 2013) (set in and around Higashiyama in Kyoto)
Tamako Love Story (Naoko Yamada, 2014)

Toradora (Tatsuyuki Nagai, 2013-2014) (in and around Kita city, Tokyo)

Hanasaku iroha (Masahiro Ando, 2010-2012) (The ABCs of Flower Blooming) (in and around Yuwaku Onsen, Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture)
Hanasaku Iroha: Home Sweet Home (Masahiro Ando, 2013)

Koitabi: True Tours Nanto (Junji Nishimura, 2013) (in and around Nanto, Toyama)

Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu (Junichi Sato & Tomotaka Shibayama, 2020) (A Whisker Away / lit. Wanting to Cry, I Pretend to Be a Cat) (set in Tokoname, Aichi)

Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara (Yuasa, 2019) (Ride Your Wave) (set around Chigasaki, Fujisawa, Kamakura, and somewhere in Chiba)

Kuromukuro (Tensai Okamura, 2016) (set in and around Kurobe, Toyama)

Haruta to Chika (Masakazu Hashimoto, 2016) (set in Shimizu, Shizuoka)

Charlotte (Jun Maeda, 2015) (initially set all around the Tokyo metropolitan area, then more widely in Japan, then almost all over the world)

Angel Beats (Jun Maeda, 2010) (fantasy locale, but loosely based on a university in Kanazawa)

Taisho Baseball Girls (Takashi Ikehata, 2010) (In and around 1925 Azabu, Tokyo)

Case of Hana and Alice (Shunji Iwai, 2015) (all around Tokyo metro area, I think)

Non Non Biyori (Shin'ya Kawatsura, 2013) (Chichibu and Ogawa, Saitama and various other locations)
Non Non Biyori Repeat (Shin'ya Kawatsura, 2015)
Non Non Biyori Vacation (Shin'ya Kawatsura, 2018) (mostly Ishigaki, Okinawa)

Suzumiya Haruhi no Shōshitsu (Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya) (Tatsuya Ishihara and Yasuhiro Takemoto, 2010) (Mostly around Nishinomiya, Hyogo)

Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana o Kazarō (Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms) (Mari Okada, 2018) (medieval European inspired settings)

Boku dake ga inai machi (Erased) (Tomohiko Itō, 2016) (Tomakomai, Hokkaido and Tokyo area)

Gin no Saji (Silver Spoon) (Tomohiko Itō and Kotomi Deai, 2013-14) (Obihiro, Hokkaido – and occasionally Sapporo)

Joshikousei no Mudazukai (Wasteful Days of High School Girls) (Takeo Takahashi & Hijiri Sanpei, 2019) (mainly in and around Higashimurayama, Tokyo)

Violet Evergarden (Taichi Ishidate 2018) (fantasy European setting – early 20th century)
Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (Haruka Fujita, 2019)


Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru (“Oregairu”) (My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected a/k/a My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU) (Ai Yoshimura 2013) (mostlly around Chiba City)
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO! (Kei Oikawa, 2015)
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax (Kei Oikawa, 2020)

Sangatsu no Raion (March Comes In like a Lion) ( Akiyuki Shinbo & Kenjirō Okada, 2016-18) (mostly Chuo City and Sendagaya, Tokyo)

Yagate Kimi ni Naru (Bloom into You) (Makoto Katō, 2018) (Tokyo)

Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater (Hōkago Teibō Nisshi) (Takaharu Okuma, 2020) (Sashiki, Kumamoto, Kyushu)

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (Seishun Buta Yarō wa Banīgāru Senpai no Yume o Minai) (Around Fujisawa, Kanagawa)

Encouragement of Climb (Yama no Susume) (Yusuke Yamamoto, 2013-18) (based in Hanno, Saitama – with side trips to Gunma and Tokyo)

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou (Sakura-sō no Petto na Kanojo) (Atsuko Ishizuka, 2012-13) (mostly Tokyo, one scene set in Fukuoka)

Michael Kerpan wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:59 amConsolidated anime watching update report [...]

I highly recommend you watch Bakemonogatari, the first installment in the anime adaptation of NISIOISIN's acclaimed novel series. It can be a little confusing on where to start, so here's a short introduction I think works well. That link goes over the novel order, not the airing order; the anime staff could take liberties with the order they adapted the books in due to the series' achronological structure. Now that everything in the "main story" is out, it is generally accepted that this is the order to go with. The first two episodes cover a story arc, so even if the first episode isn't to your liking, try to stick with it until then!

If anybody else here has seen the series, I'd be happy to discuss it!

I've looked at previews of Bakemonogatari (which I know is generally quite well-liked) -- and wonder if it might not have too much sex and violence for my taste. Alas, not a fan of vampire type stories in general. I will probably get around to it eventually, however.

Michael Kerpan wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:59 amYahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru (“Oregairu”) (My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected a/k/a My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU) (Ai Yoshimura 2013) (mostlly around Chiba City)
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO! (Kei Oikawa, 2015)
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax (Kei Oikawa, 2020)

As far as anime about precocious teenagers, it's in the upper echelon, built on a foundation of strong writing and delicate character animation (at least in S2 and S3). S2 remains the strongest in my eyes, S3 meandered for a bit too long and the ending didn't quite coalesce all the themes built up in the previous two seasons, but it was still cute.

Michael Kerpan wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:59 amSangatsu no Raion (March Comes In like a Lion) ( Akiyuki Shinbo & Kenjirō Okada, 2016-18) (mostly Chuo City and Sendagaya, Tokyo)

Devoted follower of the manga for about a decade so couldn't have been happier to have gotten an adaptation of this caliber. The first half of S1 is more slice-of-life, establishing the headspace of Rei, the protagonist. This shifts for the second half of S1 with its focus on the game & especially of the newly introduced Shimada and how his experiences/struggles influence Rei's experiences/struggles. S2 has a similar split, with a first half that flirts with intense drama that upends the status quo up to that point and instills a genuine change in Rei's character which gets carried through in the back half with its renewed focus on shogi matches. Rei's visit to his adoptive mother (told from her perspective) works as a great capper as to his character development.

Keyrek -- I loved both Oregairu and March Comes in like a Lion. (in fact, I think liked a lot or loved pretty much everything I listed).

I thought some of the incidents in season 3 of Oregairu were a little marginal -- but even these did seem to help build towards the conclusion. I actually watched these all the way through for the first time this summer. I didn't feel there was any significant falling off overall in the third season. I do wonder if there will be more to this story in the future?

March Lion got a little too shogi-wonky for me at times, but even these sections were ultimately interesting. The character development in this (not just for Rei) was really excellent.