Spring Anime 2012 - Sugami watches all the things!!

[Shirai]

http://www.jgeeks.com/wp-content/upload ... nime-2.jpg

[Sugami]

Umm... wow. Thomas the Tank Engine? Really? 4th season of Jewel Pet and 2nd season of Pretty Rhythm, really? SD Naruto? Who gives a frak? Another Bayblade series, really? Another Cardfight Vanguard series, rip off of a sucky series, really?

Fate Zero part 2, about God damn time! Kimi to Boku 2, cool. Phi Brain season 2, season 1 hasn't finished yet More like one giant season or ongoing anime, also good as long as they actually end the anime. Kore wa Zombie Desu ka season 2, cool.

Another season of Queen's Blade... boobies...

Saints Seiya is one to look out for, and Eureka Seven OA if you've seen the original too. Does look like there's a lot of crap this coming season though, will give me time to catch up I suppose.

[Shirai]

The Nadia remaster one I'm also very interested in and Space Battleship Yamato. \o/
Of course part 2 of Fate/Zero won't be overlooked.

Umm... wow. Thomas the Tank Engine? Really?

Don't you dare diss Thomas!! D:

Oh god... an AKB48 anime ~--------===/o/

[Sugami]

Oh sure, I loved Thomas the Tank Engine... when I was 5 But isn't that just redubbing? That's not anime...

[Shirai]

That's not anime...

It depends on what your definition of anime is.

I notice that towards the outside world I rather use Japanese/Asian animation or cartoons and explain the term anime for what it litterally is.
Namely the japanese word for cartoon which also includes western animation.

[Sugami]

Well anime is basically animation from Japan (or there abouts). Thomas the Tank Engine is English, no?

[Alya Mizar (Tsybil)]

No.

Anime is the Japanese word for animation.

Here in the west we use anime for animation from Japan vs. animation from studios we are long familiar with. (Hello Walt.)

Thomas the Tank Engine is anime even if it is the cartoon we have known (and loved) for decades redubed in Japanese. Mind you I would prefer a brand new Japanese adaption of Thomas the Tank Engine rather than a Japanese dubbed version.

As long as Hana Barbera had no hand in it I am happy.

[Shirai]

No.

Anime is the Japanese word for animation.

Here in the west we use anime for animation from Japan vs. animation from studios we are long familiar with. (Hello Walt.)

This is one hundred percent correct.
Hence when it comes to speaking about my hobby in public I tend steer away from using the word Anime or Manga to describe my hobbies.
As a positive side effect people that aren't into it tend to take me a LOT more serious.

Thomas the Tank Engine is anime even if it is the cartoon we have known (and loved) for decades redubed in Japanese. Mind you I would prefer a brand new Japanese adaption of Thomas the Tank Engine rather than a Japanese dubbed version.

I'm not too sure what will happen, probably a redub of the old English version though.
But who knows?

As long as Hana Barbera had no hand in it I am happy.

I don't think Hanna Barbera will bother us that much anymore really.
HB currently exists as an in-name-only company by Warner Brothers used to market properties and productions associated with the studio's "classic" works.
It would be a big surprise to see anything new (as in, not a remake of or "all brand new episodes of...") come out of that studio as both Hanna and Barbera have been resting in peace since 2001 and 2006 respectively.
I don't think HB will even think about touching Reverend Wilbert Awdry's creation, or anything else for that matter.

[Sugami]

No.

Anime is the Japanese word for animation.

Here in the west we use anime for animation from Japan vs. animation from studios we are long familiar with. (Hello Walt.)

Thomas the Tank Engine is anime even if it is the cartoon we have known (and loved) for decades redubed in Japanese. Mind you I would prefer a brand new Japanese adaption of Thomas the Tank Engine rather than a Japanese dubbed version.

As long as Hana Barbera had no hand in it I am happy.

Right, me being English and not speaking Japanese to you guys I'm obviously referring to the western definition of anime Just like how if I were to talk about hentai I'd be talking about the pr0n rather than perverts

[Shirai]

Right, me being English and not speaking Japanese to you guys I'm obviously referring to the western definition of anime Just like how if I were to talk about hentai I'd be talking about the pr0n rather than perverts

Right, now say this to someone from the press or a popular tv show/station.

As far as our hobby is concerned the press and media are biased, heavily biased.
As far as public opinion is concerned the people that like anime are autistic or otherwise socially awkward.
Popular media love pushing that image as much as they can by looking up the extremities and making it look like those are the representation of all people sharing our hobbies.

It goes so far that our combined organizations have started keeping a blacklist of certain media and advise fans and other organizations to steer clear of them whenever they want to make an article towards Japanese pop culture.
And as far as the more serious media goes, we try our hardest to break the image that the general public is getting to see now.
And people throwing around slurs like anime, manga, echi, hentai and the like do not help breaking that specific image.

No, the western definition for the outside world is animation/cartoons and comic books and anime and manga are just Japanese words for them.

[Sugami]

Ha, you'll get in a whole heap of trouble if you call manga "comics" to a big manga fan

[Shirai]

Ha, you'll get in a whole heap of trouble if you call manga "comics" to a big manga fan

Nope, I won't.
I have some very persuasive arguments.
And for those that do not want to listen and seek the physical approach I have my physique to help me.

[Sugami]

I was talking more about a massive bitching fest, you know these "otaku" will never get physical

Still, I don't buy it. You'll never convince me that Japanese words used in a western way don't change their meaning. I was in the anime society at university, we only showed Japanese animation, nothing western, BOOM!

[Shirai]

Keep in mind Sug, as an "industry professional" (I don't like the title, because I still do it as hobby but it's still the most appropriate title for my position) I don't deal with fans alone.
I have to explain my hobbies and interests to people I described above in a way where those people stay interested and won't try to find a way to ridicule you afterwards.

[Sugami]

Can always say you're interested in Japanese language, culture and media if you need to oversell it

[Sugami]

Ozuma or OZMA - Art style is seriously old school and to be frank has put me off the series, it's pretty ugly IMO. If you've seen Excel Saga and remember the Puchuu episode where the Puchuu commanders get faces, it's EXACTLY like that I can't really explain much of the story as I haven't really been paying all that much attention to it, just appears to be some kind of action adventure anime.

[Sugami]

I've been looking for a new anime this season that particularly stands out and sad to say I don't think there are any. That's not to say that there aren't any good new anime just that none seem to have that little extra to make them better than good.

Honourable mention to Tasogare Otome x Amnesia, I'm going to put it down as probably the funniest comedy series this season. In short it's about a ghost (girl) with amnesia who also happens to be the president of the detective club, 2 of the members can see her and one can't and doesn't even know about her and so hi-jinx follows It has a very strong Natsu no Arashi feel to it in both art-style and humour (seeing as both involve ghosts and such).

Another honourable mention to Accel World, it might well be the best anime of the season with a pretty interesting story but who knows where it'll go. The other interesting thing to note about it is the protagonist is a short fat kid. It's not all that unusual for small weedy kids to be protagonists but they're usually quite bishie in the process, this kid doesn't really have anything going for him in that aspect, even his avatar is just a small pig.

The WTF award goes to Upotte, think of it as a typical (somewhat pervy) anime about high school girls only the girls are actually guns. "I have a skeleton stock, that's why I wear a thong." Right, makes perfect sense... what?! It's pretty funny but serious WTF is going on there?

Zetman is probably the action anime of the season, it's dark, gritty, gory and somewhat touching in places. First episode only really told the origin, so episodes 2+ is going to be the real story.

Actually might have to take away the WTF award from Upotte and give it to Polar Bear Cafe. It's basically an anime about a polar bear, penguin and a panda but in a world where animals can talk and pretty much mix in with humans without a second thought. What's amusing is the panda gets a part time job as a panda at the zoo, doesn't make a whole lot of sense The polar bear owns the cafe and the penguin is a friend/customer. Something else to mention is all the animals are cell-shaded CG. Quirky is probably the best way to describe it, I'm not sure if I'll continue watching it due to time constraints, I have to cut down on the amount of anime series I watch

[Sugami]

Just when I thought there wasn't any new outstanding anime two come along and bowl me over.

Sakamichi no Apollon - I'll put my money on being the anime that'll tug at your heart strings the most this season. "The coming-of-age story of love, friendship and music." All you need to know I suppose

Tsuritama - Sci-fi comedy fishing anime, what more do you need? The art-style is very interesting as well, there's a lot of CG for scenery and such but it also reminds me of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars, it uses visual imagery of Yuki getting flooded when he can't handle a situation, the animation on the whole is pretty smooth.

Jormungand looks interesting as well.

[Alya Mizar (Tsybil)]

.... Tsuritama - Sci-fi comedy fishing anime, what more do you need?

Saw a T-shirt at a Sci-Fi convention, it was a 3 circle ven diagram. The circles were labeled Space Ships, Time Machines, and Killer Robots. At the intersection was the Tardis.

A Sci-fi comedy fishing anime would come in a close second.

Recommended story: "The Doors of his Face, the Lamps of his Mouth" Roger Zelazny. Sci-Fi fishing high drama.

[Sugami]

I want that T-shirt xD

[Sugami]

Best animation of the season goes to Hyouka, I'd describe the character art-work as a cross between K-ON! and Guilty Crown (and the other anime that share the style) with detailed scenery and use of CG for vehicles and the like. It also has a cool quirky style used when one character is thinking or explaining stuff. Story could be described as a high-school detective kinda thing with a light sprinkling of comedy. Needless to say I'm enjoying it thoroughly so far