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Anime/Manga General Discussion

Parasyte reminds me about my favorite alien (and possible horror movie) of all time. The Thing!
 
and since we talked about the captain harlock movie
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the firguree made for this movie is just.... sexy.
 
Btw, that Harlock figure aint no PVC. dat shits got POA and it hides it really good!

EDIT:

and if you don't believe me,
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Oh yeah before I forget because I ALWAYS DO.

Everyone please read Kodomo no Jikan.

It's da god.
 
iLoli said:
Oh yeah before I forget because I ALWAYS DO.

Everyone please read Kodomo no Jikan.

It's da god.

A classic.

Rin always loves to screw with Daisuke while Kuro wants to murder him for even looking at Rin while poor Mimi sits there wanting no part of it.
 
I love Samurai Champloo. I think it's better than Cowboy Bebop. not saying Bebop is bad, don't get me wrong.
 
Okay. I haven't done this in a while. So, time for an anime review this time.

My thoughts on Watamote.

9/10

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WataMote is a painful story. That's the easiest way to describe it. It's the painful story of a painfully anti-social girl's painful life. There are very large pros to having a story like this, but there are also huge cons that can come with it. WataMote is no exception, it's amazing but also majorly flawed. So why did I give it a 9? Because the flaws with stories like this is that they are completely hit or miss, there's no in between. For me it was a home run, but it's very understandable that it can be a strike out.

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Baseball metaphors aside, let's get into why WataMote is good and why it's bad.

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It's relatable. The strongest thing that painful stories have is that people who have felt similar pain can relate to the main character, when that occurs a person can easily fall in love with a story. If you're someone that is anti-social, socially awkward, shy, or can't express yourself well then you'll find Tomoko practically reading your mind at several points.

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But what about people who aren't like that? What of you folks who can easily talk with people, have tons of friends and go out and have fun regularly? What you end up with is a gruelingly torturing story of a sad girl futilely attempting to make friends. When you see the things in the story that happen to Tomoko, you don't go "It's so true!" You go "Oh, my god that's so sad. Poor Tomoko."

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Let's put it this way. While you watch you might think, "When is someone just gonna go up and try to become friends with her?" In a fluffy story about friendship that would happen. But this is a realistic story about a loner, that person who wants to become her friend doesn't exist, in the story or real life. If you're thinking "That's terrible." Then you probably won't like WataMote.

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Looking at the story objectively also opens some flaws to you. There is almost no plot. The entire story is just the life of Tomoko, period. The pace is slow and and the progression is very lifelike, AKA nonexistent. There is a notable amount of repetition and things can eventually become stale. To a person who's experienced similar pain however, these issues are nearly invisible because of how close to life it is. But that doesn't excuse that the issues exist.

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An interesting thing about WataMote is that the only true character is Tomoko. There are only two other notable characters and even they are very minor to things. When this show says it's about a girl with no friends it means it. The whole story revolves around Tomoko observing the world around her and making commentaries, trying to become popular, and then reverting back to her NEET state in recovery from the pain. Being that everything is about her and her alone, the story is very Me VS The World, which some can enjoy but a lot of people can easily find so much time spent with just one character suffocating.

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No matter how you look at it however, Tomoko is a brilliant character. She is realistic at scary levels. She has no friends, but wants to make some. So then why does she spend all day cooped up in her room? Why does she watch what her classmates do in disgust? It's because that's how she has developed to survive. The only way to make it okay to not have friends subconsciously is to hate them, yet she consciously still wants friends. She wants to go out and have fun, but subconsciously she knows that only pain awaits outside her room. Tomoko is absurdly lifelike and likable.

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A big part of her character is that no matter what happens. No matter how likable she is, she is never cute or moe in any way which is so important for this show to make her relatable. Several times I got absorbed into Tomoko's character that I started to fantasize about nice things happening to her, which is exactly what she does to get her spirits up. Your spirits get lowered to the same level as hers as she connects to you. I didn't want to refer to her as Tomoko as I watched, I wanted to call her Watashi(Me).

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The sound of WataMote is excellent. Kitta Izumi does a brilliant job as Tomoko. Her voice is unique, fitting, and enjoyable. The opening is fantastic in my opinion. It takes a very different direction than typical openings by being a serious dramatization of Tomoko's desire to break out of her recluse nature.


(Sorry for the Spanish sub as I couldn't find an English sub version.)

The ending in contrast shows the representation of Tomoko's inner awareness that she can't break out of it.


The art is also notable. It's simple but also very expressive and erratic at many points. Tomoko is a NEET and she looks the part.

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So with what I've said it might seem like WataMote is the a massively depressing story, that's not entirely wrong. The way that it manages to keep things lighthearted is by always trying to make the depressing let downs, failures, and truly pitiful successes comedic. It's a dark humor, it's funny how much Tomoko is beat down, not because I like watching girls in pain but because I understand her pain. And when they finally portray Tomoko's pain as pain instead of dark humor it really resonates with you. But only if you can stomach watching a really pitiful girl. The extreme darkness of the humor can easily turn a lot of people off.

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The last thing I have to say about WataMote is that a lot of other people, including the show itself, claim that the story is a trivial one that eventually leads to nothing. Throughout the whole thing there is pain, pain, and more pain. Where's the payoff? There isn't any. The story is too realistic to offer something like payoff. However I don't believe at all that the Tomoko at the beginning of the story is the same one at the end of it. WataMote has one of those endings that when you first see it it seems like nothing, but if you give it another good hard look you can see that Tomoko changes a lot at the end. To me, the ending is the payoff of everything and it is a massive payoff. It's a great and very realistic ending. But it's not easy to see the payoff, only people who understand can probably see it, but it's there.

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Should you watch WataMote? In most cases an anime scored with a 9 might be an "Absolutely". Not here. As a matter of fact, I think most people would probably not like WataMote. I think that only those quiet, anti-social, loners are the people who would praise WataMote the same way I do. But all of you sociables probably want to avoid this one. You might think you can sympathize with Tomoko, but sympathy won't carry you enough to ignore the flaws the same way relating to her can.

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I was like Tomoko during high school, although I was more moody and violent, so I can actually relate to her. However, I stopped watching after episode seven because eventually I just got bored. I can only watch an example of the past I left behind for so long until it starts to get tiring. See, when I started watching Watamote I expected the main character to at least make some progress, but when that didn't happen after seven episodes I lost interest. Objectively I would give Watamote at 7/10, because of all the flaws Zeriam pointed out. I can't ignore those flaws.

However, if this kind of show is meant only for certain people then I understand why it could be ranked so highly. Especially if it could help those people crawl out of their damn shells, then I could rank it highly as well.
 
the thing that puts me off Watamote is that there's a sizable part of the fanbase that fails to realize that Tomoko's issues are issues and only see her as a character that's ~so like them~ without realizing the hilarity of that situation
 
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Yeah....that show was different. Not sure if I ended up liking it in the end or not.
 
There's a Watamote OVA coming soon this Autumn. Hopefully this leads to a Season 2 since the manga is still on-going. Apparently, she makes a new friend who's also awkward/eccentric.
 
I still read watamote, and there is actual character development, it's just super slow.
But I'm not gonna watch it
Fuuuuuuuuuuuck that.
 
Watching Watamote made me felt like it was a parody of myself, I dunno why but everything she does embarasses me. I dropped it after the first episode.
 
the episode with her cousin was pretty rough getting through. Like, I had to skip a scene because I knew how it was gonna go and everything.

I also can relate to Tomoko on a personal level being anti-social myself. I love Watamote.
 
Sanoblaze said:
I also can relate to Tomoko on a personal level being anti-social myself.

I don’t think so. You may be a little loner who rather does things indoors, like me, but you are not anti-social dude.

Ruin said:
the thing that puts me off Watamote is that there's a sizable part of the fanbase that fails to realize that Tomoko's issues are issues and only see her as a character that's ~so like them~ without realizing the hilarity of that situation

This. But I think most people comparing themselves to this character are overdramatising themselves. That doesn’t make the situation better, but being anti-social is not something you just say you are.
 
I'm not a social butterfly, but I never really felt uncomfortable watching the show/reading the comic. I found it to be funny and sad at the same time.

There was some scene where she talked back to her Mother when asked to help with chores. Didn't feel sympathetic for her during that. Also I found her to be very ungrateful when she quit from that packing job in a factory. Don't know why, but I have high tolerance for repetitive work and there was a horrible time where I had trouble finding any work.
Other than that, I mostly thought "Tomoko, don't do that! You'll embarrass yourself. You'll regret it" when watching her antics.
 
Yeah, being anti-social and having the inability to create stable relationships with other creatures are 2 different things in the first place.

Chances are no one here are neither of those.
 
No, I remember being very much like Tomoko in high school, only I was more hostile. That's all in the past though, now I'm a huge bad-ass which hinders my ability to enjoy the show. I'm surprised I lasted seven whole episodes.
chickenwithtie said:
Watching Watamote made me felt like it was a parody of myself, I dunno why but everything she does embarasses me.
No way, I may not have met you in person but I know you're not as bad as Tomoko.
You're too cool to be like that.
 
well, Tomoko's anxiety can be a bit extreme sometimes. when I relate to her, its the small things, like getting nervous when someone out of the blue talks to you, or freezing up when you see yourself on camera.

we're not all wanting to spray ourselves with soda or calling sociable people bad things.

also, on the internet, we can be much more verbal. we're not likely to type out our "um, uh, um" stuff when its in text. like, I am very open when I type but I am actually quite shy and very nervous around other people in real life.
 
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To be honest, I've had the theory that Tomoka is exaggerating her own things, as most high schoolers tend to do.

Which is why I think alot of the narration says "this is a pointless story", because it's being told by Tomoka of the "present", who is recalling her past.

A lot of high schoolers go through it ignoring everyone except like 4 or 5 people, and that's what I think the series will eventually end up being.
 
You are just shy and nervous, so what? That’s no reason to call yourself "anti-social". Because technically, anti-social is not only not being a part of society, but also breaking rules just for the sake of it and not care about what other people feel. It's not just being shy and do things for yourself.

I know we're in the Anime-thread and I don’t want to overtalk this, but you’re awesome, and you should call yourself that instead of anti-social. All of us are or where anti-social in a way (we play Skullgirls... tehe :>), but that’s life. The perfect "normal" life doesn’t exist.

Everyone can relate to this girl somehow, but you really shouldn’t overdue it.

Denizen said:
That's all in the past though, now I'm a huge bad-ass which hinders my ability to enjoy the show.

You dirty liar, you were always a huge badass!
 
Detective Q said:
You dirty liar, you were always a huge badass!
Nope, I was exactly the person you were just describing, but that's another story.

Now let's talk about Michiko & Hatchin and how absolutely amazing it is.
 
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the more I think about it, the more it makes sense how basketball is an easy to make sports series. plays are done quick, and they can be portrayed without having to add some kind of super effect or DBZ it up like Eyeshield (even though Eyeshield 21 the manga is amazing and you guys should totally check it out, if only for Hiruma)

like, I love the sports aspect in Slam Dunk and Kuroko and those series are very different in how they handle their characters.
 
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Ugh, totally missed that watamote discussion.
Wanna response to some quotes from review.

>But what about people who aren't like that? What of you folks who can easily talk with people, have tons of friends and go out and have fun regularly?
Then you don't watch otaku anime like watamote kekeke.

>When you see the things in the story that happen to Tomoko, you don't go "It's so true!" You go "Oh, my god that's so sad. Poor Tomoko."
And drop the show on episode with her cousin.

I remembered that show as that one, where "(wo)man in worst possible social position in any situation ends up with worst possible outcome, but death, just being him(her)self". Basically it's about "you have to change your self first" thing, means you can't be successful in something being yourself when you always sucked in it. This show represent all the pain of trying to do unusual for you things using your usual ways.
And, I believe, as soon as she get what she wanted, she will realise that it's not interesting for her (people don't sit in games 24/7 because they don't like it). as it was for me
 
So Kuroko's is ending next week? I'll have to start reading that soon.
 
Its getting a third season though. Don't worry, we'll get more of our favorite invisible shounen hero and his best friend who fucking loves burgers you guys.
 
destruction_adv said:
So...anyone here seen The Soul Taker.
From Mystery Science Theater 3000? Oh, it was one of the best Season 10 episodes. It's been a long time since I saw the show.


































Just kidding. Couldn't resist it.
 
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Vladislav_Paizis said:
From Mystery Science Theater 3000? Oh, it was one of the best Season 10 episodes. It's been a long time since I saw the show.


































Just kidding. Couldn't resist it.
Close enough.
 
Watamote felt samey occasionally, which bored me. But I enjoyed it overall, and of course I, too, relate hard to the main character.
 
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One random little detail I love about Michiko & Hatchin is that none of the characters wear the same outfit twice.
Most animated characters wear the same clothes 24/7, as if their closet were lined wall to wall with the same thing. Michiko, Hatchin, and everyone else change the way they look with every episode, like normal human beings.
They act like real people instead of anime characters.
 
that actually seems to be a little more prevalent nowadays. problem is that it seems like it could require more time/money considering it's probably not as easy drawing different outfits as it is the same outfit.
 
I wanna finish that show when I have the time


So naruto ended finally in the words of 3rd strike announcer awrightdatscool
 
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