Both Digibro and Mother's Basement have done videos where they express an opinion that Anime shouldn't try to be sexual or fanservicy unless it goes all out with it. That there is no point is doing it at all unless you go "Balls to the Wall" with it. That it's insulting to the audience to pretend it can have "good taste".
But I can't disagree more on that.
Now I firmly agree with Digibro's philosophy he's expressed in some of his recent Let's Plays that society needs to more normalize talking about sex. My Sola Scirptura Christian Liberty blog is partly dedicated to Biblically arguing for more healthy attitudes towards sex. So I don't want to shame people who are turned on by stuff that is very raunchy and not at all subtle.
And I don't want to imply my tastes are better then anyone Else's by calling it more "tasteful" or of higher class. I'm just arguing that lots of stuff they may write off as "half assing it", or "coping out", are exactly what turns me on the most, and I'm sure there are others similar to me.
And plenty of what they complained about at the same time as making this statement also kind of annoys me too. So what I mean is pretty nuanced.
What I find Sexy, like my preferences in movies and Anime in general, are very reflective of my "Less is More" and "What you don't see can be more impactful then what you do" philosophy of fictional story telling.
The sexiest scene I've seen in 2017 Anime, including the actual Hentai I've watched, is in the first episode of Masamune-Kun's Revenge. When Aki Adagaki walks into Makabe's classroom, first sits on his desk, in a way that shows off her legs, then finds the boy she actually came for, sits on another desk and crosses her legs. It has a lot to do with my being a Leg Man, but I also like that she was clearly intentionally showing off her legs. She was confident and in control and I'm into that.
Unfortunately, as the show progressed it did not allow her to maintain that. I realize the premise of the show implies up front we can expect the tables to be turned on her at some point, and I can be turned on by scenarios like that. But they choose to "defrost" her with the typical Harem Anime cliches. So I dropped it after episode 7.
Kampfer is an Anime I really enjoyed. It has a lot of the Anime Style Fanservice I find annoying. But also scenes that do appeal to me. Shizuku is a great character, very cool and sexy. And *Spoiler Alert* is one of the best Femme Fatales in Anime.
The scene in the second episode of the OVA where Shizuku uses her foot to play with Natsuru under the table is the Hottest thing I've ever seen in any Anime. And in the main series there are good moments too.
Aria of the Scarlet Ammo is mostly stuff I don't like in it's fanservice. But some scenes with Riko Mine really appeal to me. AA is fortunately much less fanservicy.
So, hopefully that should give you a taste of what my taste is, if anyone has any similar recommendations I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
I'm not the only person who calls themselves both an Otaku and a Christian.
First I found the Otaku in My Veins blog, and then Beneath The Tangles, both earlier this year, and I've read some pretty insightful stuff on each of them. I'm still not aware of any in the Anime YouTube community however.
I have always been, but am especially now, a fairly unconventional Christian. I consider myself a Fundamentalist on the grounds that I'm a Six Day Young Earth Creationist, as well as a Premillennial Futurist in my Eschatology. And I firmly believe in both a literal Virgin Birth and a literal Bodily Resurrection of The Dead.
I could also justify calling myself an Independent Baptist, Pentecostal and Hebrew Roots based on the most baseline definitions of those terms. Three things that are not generally viewed as going together, but are regardless commonly viewed as conservative brands of Christianity.
But I've increasingly movies Left when it comes to matters of politics and morality. I've also recently become an Evangelical Universalist. (If you're curious my view of The Gospel is laid out here.)
However the view most likely to get me excommunicated from all three above mentioned forms of Christianity, is one I've held for a fairly long time now. A view that is the basis of the oldest and still most important piece of Online Content I've created.
The Bible does NOT Condemn Homosexuality or Homosexual Acts.
I'm not the only or even first person to argue that. But I do it in a very different way, a way that is very strictly sticking to the text of what The Bible says. Some others address one of the passages similarly to how I do but not the rest. Because you see I view most of the relevant passages as being about basically the same thing.
My advocacy for this position has gotten me banned from forums and Facebook groups. Which annoys me considering these same groups did tolerate dissenting opinions on issues The Bible says far more about, and are far closer to effecting one's overall theology.
I was hoping that an Okatu-Christian community would be more tolerant of this. Since Yuri and Yaoi shipping are such a big part of Otaku Fandom. I understand why many in the LGBT community do not view our interest in same sex-love as actually helpful for a variety of reasons, I have and will continue to engage with that nuanced issue. My point here however is that it seems unfathomable to me that anyone can call themselves an Otaku and think same sex-love is outright wrong.
And yet that hope has disappointed me once again. I haven't been banned yet this time thankfully. But Otaku in My Veins actually attempted to argue Yuri on Ice isn't Gay. And Beneath The Tangles has ignored the Yuri subplot of episode 4 of Classroom of The Elite (I do appreciate it being one of the few sites covering that show).
I don't judge fellow Christians who disagree with me, if I can still respect and learn from Chuck Missler and Rob Skiba, I can certainly find endless value in these sites. But it's disappointing.
Though maybe some of them simply need to be exposed to a good argument to see the light.
The Anime YouTube Community has a few people who've talked about coming from Christian backgrounds but being Atheists now. So we have people who had to leave the Faith to become Otaku, and Christians who have to reject a core part of Otakudom because they cling to Augustinian Morality.
So in a sense I'm the only true Christian-Otaku, I'm the Rickest Rick there is.
But that's partly because I was unusual before I even got that deep into Anime.
I have on this blog generally avoided bringing my faith into discussing Anime. It came up in one post about Noir. In the near future, I'll be doing a few posts that bring it up more. But in general things will remain the same. As a Universalist I don't want to force my faith on anyone. What I think about The Bible is there on other blogs for people who want to know, but mainly I try to Be A Witness by setting a good example.
P.S. If you feel compelled to ask if I've seen the Ghost Stories dub, the answer is.... a good chunk of it. I'm willing to laugh at unflattering Christian caricatures because I know we've done a lot to earn it. And Monica Rail is hilarious.
I have always been, but am especially now, a fairly unconventional Christian. I consider myself a Fundamentalist on the grounds that I'm a Six Day Young Earth Creationist, as well as a Premillennial Futurist in my Eschatology. And I firmly believe in both a literal Virgin Birth and a literal Bodily Resurrection of The Dead.
I could also justify calling myself an Independent Baptist, Pentecostal and Hebrew Roots based on the most baseline definitions of those terms. Three things that are not generally viewed as going together, but are regardless commonly viewed as conservative brands of Christianity.
But I've increasingly movies Left when it comes to matters of politics and morality. I've also recently become an Evangelical Universalist. (If you're curious my view of The Gospel is laid out here.)
However the view most likely to get me excommunicated from all three above mentioned forms of Christianity, is one I've held for a fairly long time now. A view that is the basis of the oldest and still most important piece of Online Content I've created.
The Bible does NOT Condemn Homosexuality or Homosexual Acts.
I'm not the only or even first person to argue that. But I do it in a very different way, a way that is very strictly sticking to the text of what The Bible says. Some others address one of the passages similarly to how I do but not the rest. Because you see I view most of the relevant passages as being about basically the same thing.
My advocacy for this position has gotten me banned from forums and Facebook groups. Which annoys me considering these same groups did tolerate dissenting opinions on issues The Bible says far more about, and are far closer to effecting one's overall theology.
I was hoping that an Okatu-Christian community would be more tolerant of this. Since Yuri and Yaoi shipping are such a big part of Otaku Fandom. I understand why many in the LGBT community do not view our interest in same sex-love as actually helpful for a variety of reasons, I have and will continue to engage with that nuanced issue. My point here however is that it seems unfathomable to me that anyone can call themselves an Otaku and think same sex-love is outright wrong.
And yet that hope has disappointed me once again. I haven't been banned yet this time thankfully. But Otaku in My Veins actually attempted to argue Yuri on Ice isn't Gay. And Beneath The Tangles has ignored the Yuri subplot of episode 4 of Classroom of The Elite (I do appreciate it being one of the few sites covering that show).
I don't judge fellow Christians who disagree with me, if I can still respect and learn from Chuck Missler and Rob Skiba, I can certainly find endless value in these sites. But it's disappointing.
Though maybe some of them simply need to be exposed to a good argument to see the light.
The Anime YouTube Community has a few people who've talked about coming from Christian backgrounds but being Atheists now. So we have people who had to leave the Faith to become Otaku, and Christians who have to reject a core part of Otakudom because they cling to Augustinian Morality.
So in a sense I'm the only true Christian-Otaku, I'm the Rickest Rick there is.
But that's partly because I was unusual before I even got that deep into Anime.
I have on this blog generally avoided bringing my faith into discussing Anime. It came up in one post about Noir. In the near future, I'll be doing a few posts that bring it up more. But in general things will remain the same. As a Universalist I don't want to force my faith on anyone. What I think about The Bible is there on other blogs for people who want to know, but mainly I try to Be A Witness by setting a good example.
P.S. If you feel compelled to ask if I've seen the Ghost Stories dub, the answer is.... a good chunk of it. I'm willing to laugh at unflattering Christian caricatures because I know we've done a lot to earn it. And Monica Rail is hilarious.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Summer Season update
Other people might have done this at the 6 episode mark, but I'm weird.
I've dropped Hina Logic and Vatican Bros. There wasn't any real change in their quality, I just don't feel I need their novelty as much anymore.
Princess Principal keeps getting better (and keeps making me think of Les Mis). It is the best show of the season, and so for now the one I have the least to say about, what I have to say is simply Watch It.
Fate/Apocrypha took it up a level in episodes 8 and 9. If you're into Fate/ it is worth it to stick this one out.
I started following the Dub of Lupin III Blue Jacket on Adult Swim. It's fun, I love Rebecca.
Classroom of The Elite is intriguing, it's kept me engaged.
In Another World with my Smartphone is surprising me how fun it is. It's Meta but not in the obvious way something like Knoosuba and Re:Zero are. And it has me starting to think I don't hate Harems as much as I thought.
I've dropped Hina Logic and Vatican Bros. There wasn't any real change in their quality, I just don't feel I need their novelty as much anymore.
Princess Principal keeps getting better (and keeps making me think of Les Mis). It is the best show of the season, and so for now the one I have the least to say about, what I have to say is simply Watch It.
Fate/Apocrypha took it up a level in episodes 8 and 9. If you're into Fate/ it is worth it to stick this one out.
I started following the Dub of Lupin III Blue Jacket on Adult Swim. It's fun, I love Rebecca.
Classroom of The Elite is intriguing, it's kept me engaged.
In Another World with my Smartphone is surprising me how fun it is. It's Meta but not in the obvious way something like Knoosuba and Re:Zero are. And it has me starting to think I don't hate Harems as much as I thought.
Sunday, August 27, 2017
My advice to Zack Snyder.
First off, I want to offer my condolences on the loss of his daughter, Autumn earlier this year.
Chances are because of that he won't be directing any new movies for awhile.
But my advice is that if and when he does return to directing, he should take a break from Comic Book Movies and try doing some Anime adaptations. I feel like Snyder's style is better suited to adapting Anime into Live Action, he's clearly been influenced by Anime already. I did a post on wanting LA versions of Anime to be Colorful, and Snyder I feel would do that, the muted coloring in Man of Steel was the result of Nolan's influence, Watchman shows he is great at directing vibrantly colored films.
He got attached to adapting Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead at some point, who knows if it's actually still in active production. I think doing something with no SciFi or Fantasy aspect is not going to be Snyder's strong suit at all. Either way as a former Libertarian-Capitalist and current Libertarian-Communist the last thing I want is more exposure for Rand's so called Libertarianism.
I have enjoyed every Snyder film I've seen except Dawn of The Dead. And all things considered I greatly appreciate what he's done in establishing the new DC Universe. But Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman better reflect where I want that universe to go moving forward. And Justice League will finish Snyder's vision effectively being the third film of his Superman Trilogy.
Snyder's approach of being visually experimental while also having a dark tone isn't what audiences expect from Comic Book Movies. We're more used to Dark=Gritty and Realistic for those.
Not every Anime would be ideal for Snyder, I feel like Nolan would be best for Noir, and Gundam by the same people handling Star Wars. And I'd overall prefer Women be entrusted with Magical Girl adaptations. However....
Madlax, Lupin III depending on which kind of Lupin Anime they're drawing on, Future Diary, Attack on Titan, Kabenari of the Iron Fortress, maybe Code Geass. Are examples of Anime where if a Western Live Action version is ever green-lite, I think perhaps Snyder might be the best guy for the job. I would also sorta add just about any Nasuverse story, including Canaan which may not actually count as Nasuverse.
Chances are because of that he won't be directing any new movies for awhile.
But my advice is that if and when he does return to directing, he should take a break from Comic Book Movies and try doing some Anime adaptations. I feel like Snyder's style is better suited to adapting Anime into Live Action, he's clearly been influenced by Anime already. I did a post on wanting LA versions of Anime to be Colorful, and Snyder I feel would do that, the muted coloring in Man of Steel was the result of Nolan's influence, Watchman shows he is great at directing vibrantly colored films.
He got attached to adapting Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead at some point, who knows if it's actually still in active production. I think doing something with no SciFi or Fantasy aspect is not going to be Snyder's strong suit at all. Either way as a former Libertarian-Capitalist and current Libertarian-Communist the last thing I want is more exposure for Rand's so called Libertarianism.
I have enjoyed every Snyder film I've seen except Dawn of The Dead. And all things considered I greatly appreciate what he's done in establishing the new DC Universe. But Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman better reflect where I want that universe to go moving forward. And Justice League will finish Snyder's vision effectively being the third film of his Superman Trilogy.
Snyder's approach of being visually experimental while also having a dark tone isn't what audiences expect from Comic Book Movies. We're more used to Dark=Gritty and Realistic for those.
Not every Anime would be ideal for Snyder, I feel like Nolan would be best for Noir, and Gundam by the same people handling Star Wars. And I'd overall prefer Women be entrusted with Magical Girl adaptations. However....
Madlax, Lupin III depending on which kind of Lupin Anime they're drawing on, Future Diary, Attack on Titan, Kabenari of the Iron Fortress, maybe Code Geass. Are examples of Anime where if a Western Live Action version is ever green-lite, I think perhaps Snyder might be the best guy for the job. I would also sorta add just about any Nasuverse story, including Canaan which may not actually count as Nasuverse.
Thursday, August 24, 2017
I want to make new Anime Fans
And that is why I can't agree with Pedantic Romantic's opinion that Netflix is worse then Amazon. Netflix's treatment of it's exclusives may not be the most convenient for those of us already into Anime. But lots of people have Netflix for other reasons, so it can help grow the Anime community when I can just tell someone they already have access to a bunch of Anime. I don't want to recommend a show to a Normie till it has at least a full season anyway. And a newbie is going to watch them Dubbed so Digi's complaints about Netflix's subtitles aren't relevant to that either.
Meanwhile Amazon's exclusives are not only stuck behind a double pay wall, but it seems like they don't get Dubbed. And this season they have at least one show that I think could be a good show to get people into Anime with, (I won't know for sure till it's done).
Now some people might disagree with my desire to bring in new fans. Digibro has expressed a few times the mentality that it hurts a Niche property for it to become more mainstream, it dilutes the purity of it. There are lots of things I could say to counter that, like how new fans are needed for something to survive at all. But mainly the reason I can't see it that way is this.
I was incredibly late in getting into Anime. I'm about 5 years older then Digibro, but based on when I finally got full time into Anime I might as well be 10 years younger. That means there are at least 15 years of being an Otaku I missed out on. Yet lots of things about me show I was an Otaku at heart all along. I was definitely a Yuri shipper before I knew that word.
Now some Anime I was familiar with during that time. Pokemon, Sailor Moon and DBZ were part of my childhood to varying degrees. Then I fell in love with Noir and it's sister serieses, plus Witch Hunter Robin during the period of my life that mostly revolved around waiting for The Dark Knight. Then after that I randomly got into Code Geass, Gundam 00 and Death Note. Thing is, those mostly don't reflect well what my current taste in Anime is, half of them I probably only still like because of Nostalgia. Lucky Star is now my second favorite Anime, yet I didn't watch it till the summer of 2016, when it was nearly a decade old already.
The lack of easy accessibility to Anime is the reason I missed out on it so much. (Noir is a show I've still never watched streaming online, I found it via Digital Cable's On Demand service, and then bought the DVD.) So I want to expand the reach of Anime so more people don't miss out like I did. If someone gives Anime a chance and they don't like it, that's cool. But I want to get more people to give it a chance.
The one thing Netflix needs to do to help it serve this purpose is increase it's selection. Though I'd prefer it not make anymore exclusive. For this season their exclusives aren't the best entry points anyway. Fate/Apocrypha is for people already into Fate/, (but fortunately they have UFOtable's Fate/Zero and Unlimited Blade Works), and that gambling show is not exactly going to refute negative perceptions of Anime. Doesn't mean those shows aren't good, they just aren't good places to start.
But Little Witch Academia can work, it's like Harry Potter meets My Little Pony.
Since a lot of what Netflix currently has seems to be Aniplex stuff, I feel like recommending they work with them to dub the Kara no Kyoukai films. But I haven't seen those yet and so don't know how good of an entry point Anime they would make.
SFdebris is good proof that Madoka can make a good first impression for Anime. It seems the only people who have a problem with Madoka are old fashioned Magical Girl fans.
For others who want to make new fans. I'd recommenced trying to stick to legal streaming sites (like HIDIVE) to introduce people to Anime. People who are entrenched in the community seem to underestimate just how much outsiders are not likely to be comfortable using a technically illegal site.
So for the rest of this post I want to help explain which Anime are better for introducing new people to Anime. These "rules" aren't universal however, sometimes what I think is the worst Anime to make a first impression with may for some weirdo be exactly what gets them into it. So keep what you personally know about a person in mind.
Try to avoid ones that engage in Anime Style Fanservice. Doesn't mean excluding shows that are Sexy, just try to avoid ones that feel creepy.
It's also important to understand that many Americans who aren't in High School anymore don't wanna watch fiction set in High School. (Though someone who still enjoys Spiderman or Buffy or Smallville may be an exception to that.) That is part of why Fate/Zero is the best way to introduce someone to Fate/.
Steins;Gate is a good show to recommend to SciFi fans, as is Gundam 00. For a Fantasy fan have them start with Nausica of The Valley of The Wind. The original Gundam film trilogy is a good recommendation for people into Space Operas. I wish I knew more about what Anime to recommend to people into Westerns and Neo-Westerns, the only thing in that category I've seen much of is El Cazador, and I love it but it may not be the best to get someone started with.
Noir is something good to recommend to people who are into Film Noirs, or are in general Francophiles. Especially the kind of Francophile who buys BlackCoatPress books. If you happen to know someone specifically into Paul Feval's The Blackcoats (Les Habits Noirs) series, recommend Noir to them and tell them that I have a fan theory that the Bouquets are related to the Bozzo-Corona clan of Corsica.
Related to that, let's talk about Lupin III for a minute. My first exposure to Lupin III was The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, for most people I don't think that'd be the best impression to lead with, but for the kind of person who loves Noir like me it might be. In General the two 70s Lupin movies make great introductions. So could some of the TV specials that got dubbed, of which I've seen five. Blue Jacket, who's Dub is currently airing on Adult Swim can also be a decent enough place to start, though you may have to warn people that some key characters are unique to it. But absolutely do NOT use any 80s Lupin work as an introduction, the 80s was the worst era for Lupin.
If you know any Pretty Little Liars fans, recommend them good Magical Girl shows like Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure, Madoka and Yuki Yuna. Or shows like K-On. If they are specifically a BooRadleyVanCullen type of PLL fan, then you have a potential Yuri Fanatic on your hands. Meanwhile from what I can tell so far Princess Principal could be a very good show for PLL fans, but unfortunately it's trapped by Amazon.
Any Feminist who hasn't seen Utena yet needs to fix that immediately.
Likewise, anyone who's into Slash and/or Femslash fan fiction, is a potential Yaoi and/or Yuri fan.
Yuri is one genre where I'm not sure where to start, so much Yuri Anime has never been Dubbed. But I know you should NOT ever start with Kannazuki no Miko. Yaoi actually has a pretty definitive entry point now with Yuri on Ice.
This October I will be a making a Halloween themed recommendations post.
I would not recommend someone start with Sword Art Online. Which is ironic because it has already been the first for many. I think the SAO haters wouldn't be nearly so upset by it's rather standard Anime flaws if it hadn't become one of the most mainstream Animes ever.
The thing in general about the really mainstream shows of the last 10 or 15 years, (SAO, Attack on Titan, Death Note and One Punch Man), is they have probably already brought in all the new fans they're going to, so there isn't much point to recommending them now. If you know someone who's watched those shows and nothing else yet, perhaps you can use their opinions on those to get an idea of what to recommend them next.
Evangelion is not something to recommend to newbies, someone has to be very into Anime already to in 2017 tolerate it's many many many many many flaws.
Meanwhile Amazon's exclusives are not only stuck behind a double pay wall, but it seems like they don't get Dubbed. And this season they have at least one show that I think could be a good show to get people into Anime with, (I won't know for sure till it's done).
Now some people might disagree with my desire to bring in new fans. Digibro has expressed a few times the mentality that it hurts a Niche property for it to become more mainstream, it dilutes the purity of it. There are lots of things I could say to counter that, like how new fans are needed for something to survive at all. But mainly the reason I can't see it that way is this.
I was incredibly late in getting into Anime. I'm about 5 years older then Digibro, but based on when I finally got full time into Anime I might as well be 10 years younger. That means there are at least 15 years of being an Otaku I missed out on. Yet lots of things about me show I was an Otaku at heart all along. I was definitely a Yuri shipper before I knew that word.
Now some Anime I was familiar with during that time. Pokemon, Sailor Moon and DBZ were part of my childhood to varying degrees. Then I fell in love with Noir and it's sister serieses, plus Witch Hunter Robin during the period of my life that mostly revolved around waiting for The Dark Knight. Then after that I randomly got into Code Geass, Gundam 00 and Death Note. Thing is, those mostly don't reflect well what my current taste in Anime is, half of them I probably only still like because of Nostalgia. Lucky Star is now my second favorite Anime, yet I didn't watch it till the summer of 2016, when it was nearly a decade old already.
The lack of easy accessibility to Anime is the reason I missed out on it so much. (Noir is a show I've still never watched streaming online, I found it via Digital Cable's On Demand service, and then bought the DVD.) So I want to expand the reach of Anime so more people don't miss out like I did. If someone gives Anime a chance and they don't like it, that's cool. But I want to get more people to give it a chance.
The one thing Netflix needs to do to help it serve this purpose is increase it's selection. Though I'd prefer it not make anymore exclusive. For this season their exclusives aren't the best entry points anyway. Fate/Apocrypha is for people already into Fate/, (but fortunately they have UFOtable's Fate/Zero and Unlimited Blade Works), and that gambling show is not exactly going to refute negative perceptions of Anime. Doesn't mean those shows aren't good, they just aren't good places to start.
But Little Witch Academia can work, it's like Harry Potter meets My Little Pony.
Since a lot of what Netflix currently has seems to be Aniplex stuff, I feel like recommending they work with them to dub the Kara no Kyoukai films. But I haven't seen those yet and so don't know how good of an entry point Anime they would make.
SFdebris is good proof that Madoka can make a good first impression for Anime. It seems the only people who have a problem with Madoka are old fashioned Magical Girl fans.
For others who want to make new fans. I'd recommenced trying to stick to legal streaming sites (like HIDIVE) to introduce people to Anime. People who are entrenched in the community seem to underestimate just how much outsiders are not likely to be comfortable using a technically illegal site.
So for the rest of this post I want to help explain which Anime are better for introducing new people to Anime. These "rules" aren't universal however, sometimes what I think is the worst Anime to make a first impression with may for some weirdo be exactly what gets them into it. So keep what you personally know about a person in mind.
Try to avoid ones that engage in Anime Style Fanservice. Doesn't mean excluding shows that are Sexy, just try to avoid ones that feel creepy.
It's also important to understand that many Americans who aren't in High School anymore don't wanna watch fiction set in High School. (Though someone who still enjoys Spiderman or Buffy or Smallville may be an exception to that.) That is part of why Fate/Zero is the best way to introduce someone to Fate/.
Steins;Gate is a good show to recommend to SciFi fans, as is Gundam 00. For a Fantasy fan have them start with Nausica of The Valley of The Wind. The original Gundam film trilogy is a good recommendation for people into Space Operas. I wish I knew more about what Anime to recommend to people into Westerns and Neo-Westerns, the only thing in that category I've seen much of is El Cazador, and I love it but it may not be the best to get someone started with.
Noir is something good to recommend to people who are into Film Noirs, or are in general Francophiles. Especially the kind of Francophile who buys BlackCoatPress books. If you happen to know someone specifically into Paul Feval's The Blackcoats (Les Habits Noirs) series, recommend Noir to them and tell them that I have a fan theory that the Bouquets are related to the Bozzo-Corona clan of Corsica.
Related to that, let's talk about Lupin III for a minute. My first exposure to Lupin III was The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, for most people I don't think that'd be the best impression to lead with, but for the kind of person who loves Noir like me it might be. In General the two 70s Lupin movies make great introductions. So could some of the TV specials that got dubbed, of which I've seen five. Blue Jacket, who's Dub is currently airing on Adult Swim can also be a decent enough place to start, though you may have to warn people that some key characters are unique to it. But absolutely do NOT use any 80s Lupin work as an introduction, the 80s was the worst era for Lupin.
If you know any Pretty Little Liars fans, recommend them good Magical Girl shows like Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure, Madoka and Yuki Yuna. Or shows like K-On. If they are specifically a BooRadleyVanCullen type of PLL fan, then you have a potential Yuri Fanatic on your hands. Meanwhile from what I can tell so far Princess Principal could be a very good show for PLL fans, but unfortunately it's trapped by Amazon.
Any Feminist who hasn't seen Utena yet needs to fix that immediately.
Likewise, anyone who's into Slash and/or Femslash fan fiction, is a potential Yaoi and/or Yuri fan.
Yuri is one genre where I'm not sure where to start, so much Yuri Anime has never been Dubbed. But I know you should NOT ever start with Kannazuki no Miko. Yaoi actually has a pretty definitive entry point now with Yuri on Ice.
This October I will be a making a Halloween themed recommendations post.
I would not recommend someone start with Sword Art Online. Which is ironic because it has already been the first for many. I think the SAO haters wouldn't be nearly so upset by it's rather standard Anime flaws if it hadn't become one of the most mainstream Animes ever.
The thing in general about the really mainstream shows of the last 10 or 15 years, (SAO, Attack on Titan, Death Note and One Punch Man), is they have probably already brought in all the new fans they're going to, so there isn't much point to recommending them now. If you know someone who's watched those shows and nothing else yet, perhaps you can use their opinions on those to get an idea of what to recommend them next.
Evangelion is not something to recommend to newbies, someone has to be very into Anime already to in 2017 tolerate it's many many many many many flaws.
Monday, August 21, 2017
HIDIVE is a Legal Streaming site I want to recommend.
www.hidive.com
It allows you to watch stuff for free with ads. A paying subscription allows you to watch ad free, at 1080 quality, and Dubs for stuff that has Dubs. And a few shows aren't view able for free because of Ecchi content. A paid Subscription is $3.99 a Month.
My main constructive criticism right now is that I wish they'd allow Dubs to be watched free with Ads. It may be the companies that own the rights to the Dubs that are demanding they not be given away for free. But the purpose of Dubs is mainly to help bring in new fans. When I recommend an Anime to someone, I want to link them to a Legal site that will let them watch it for free. And Ideally that should include a Dub.
I'm weird in that I'm willing to watch Subbed when I have too but still prefer Dubs. I, as much as I want to recommend this site right now don't have the means to pay $4 a month for it. So I'll be using this site a lot in the near future, but sadly their Dubs I'll still have to look for elsewhere.
That desired improvement aside, it is a site that runs smoothly for me, even on my cheap laptop. And the Subs are pretty easy to read. A note before browsing the site, the section called "Movies" includes the OVAs it has, like Gunbuster.
This site is the only legal site I've found Higurashi on, though it's not listed as an exclusive so it must also be somewhere else, but I'm happy to have just found it here. I looked for a legal option for it before and kinda gave up when neither Crunchyroll, Netflix or Daisuki had it.
They also have exclusive legal streaming rights to Legend of The Galactic Heroes!!!!! Yes, you heard that right, the most notorious "Elitist" Anime is finally legally streaming in the West. It's being added one episode at a time, so only 33 are on there at the moment, but that's still something. Similar to when Sailor Moon was being added to Hulu.
They have Girlish Number and K-On if you're a Digibro fan, also Canaan and Angel Beats. And Hidimari Sketch, which I'm gonna need to look into what the proper order of it's seasons are. And Ghost Hound which Digi recently praised. And they got Log Horizon, which Digi says you should watch instead of SAO. And Chivalry of a Failed Knight which he recommends as being better then the Asterisk War.
If you're a Fate/ fan they don't have any UFOtable/Aniplex stuff but they do have Deen/Stay Night, the Unlimited Bladworks movie and the first three seasons Prisma Illya.
They have Engaged to the Unidentified, a personal favorite of mine. And they got Flip Flappers which makes me happy. And Kampher, something I've been writing a piece on but keep putting off. And Clannad which I've enjoyed so far.
And all that's just the tip of the Iceburg, lots of stuff I haven't heard of before which I may use this site to check out for the first time.
They also have some Live Action stuff. Including 4 Godzilla movies (Smog Monster, Sea Monster, Gigan and 1984).
Current Simulcasts include Action Heroine Cheer Fruits.
It allows you to watch stuff for free with ads. A paying subscription allows you to watch ad free, at 1080 quality, and Dubs for stuff that has Dubs. And a few shows aren't view able for free because of Ecchi content. A paid Subscription is $3.99 a Month.
My main constructive criticism right now is that I wish they'd allow Dubs to be watched free with Ads. It may be the companies that own the rights to the Dubs that are demanding they not be given away for free. But the purpose of Dubs is mainly to help bring in new fans. When I recommend an Anime to someone, I want to link them to a Legal site that will let them watch it for free. And Ideally that should include a Dub.
I'm weird in that I'm willing to watch Subbed when I have too but still prefer Dubs. I, as much as I want to recommend this site right now don't have the means to pay $4 a month for it. So I'll be using this site a lot in the near future, but sadly their Dubs I'll still have to look for elsewhere.
That desired improvement aside, it is a site that runs smoothly for me, even on my cheap laptop. And the Subs are pretty easy to read. A note before browsing the site, the section called "Movies" includes the OVAs it has, like Gunbuster.
This site is the only legal site I've found Higurashi on, though it's not listed as an exclusive so it must also be somewhere else, but I'm happy to have just found it here. I looked for a legal option for it before and kinda gave up when neither Crunchyroll, Netflix or Daisuki had it.
They also have exclusive legal streaming rights to Legend of The Galactic Heroes!!!!! Yes, you heard that right, the most notorious "Elitist" Anime is finally legally streaming in the West. It's being added one episode at a time, so only 33 are on there at the moment, but that's still something. Similar to when Sailor Moon was being added to Hulu.
They have Girlish Number and K-On if you're a Digibro fan, also Canaan and Angel Beats. And Hidimari Sketch, which I'm gonna need to look into what the proper order of it's seasons are. And Ghost Hound which Digi recently praised. And they got Log Horizon, which Digi says you should watch instead of SAO. And Chivalry of a Failed Knight which he recommends as being better then the Asterisk War.
If you're a Fate/ fan they don't have any UFOtable/Aniplex stuff but they do have Deen/Stay Night, the Unlimited Bladworks movie and the first three seasons Prisma Illya.
They have Engaged to the Unidentified, a personal favorite of mine. And they got Flip Flappers which makes me happy. And Kampher, something I've been writing a piece on but keep putting off. And Clannad which I've enjoyed so far.
And all that's just the tip of the Iceburg, lots of stuff I haven't heard of before which I may use this site to check out for the first time.
They also have some Live Action stuff. Including 4 Godzilla movies (Smog Monster, Sea Monster, Gigan and 1984).
Current Simulcasts include Action Heroine Cheer Fruits.
Akko isn't as Sexy in the series as she was in the movies
It can be difficult to explain what I mean by that, all incarnations of Little Witch Academia are free of the Anime style fan-service that I've complained about before. And Akko's character design and wardrobe are at first glance identical. I think a lot of it has to do with how her Legs are animated, I'm a Leg Man so maybe most viewers aren't paying as close attention to that as I am.
This isn't a criticism, I liked the LWA movies and I'm enjoying the series so far (I'm 9 episodes in as of deciding to make this post).
The theory I'm going to present here, that many may find truly shocking, is that the reason for this is that the TV series is more concerned with appealing to Male Otaku.
The way Akko is sexy in the original movie is kind of like how Sailor Moon was sexy, and other Shoujo Anime. LWA may not be officially marketed as a Shoujo Anime, but it feels more like a Shoujo Anime then an Otaku anime. In other words, yes Women do like being Sexy in their wish fulfillment fantasies, just as male leads are generally attractive in stuff marketed to men.
Meanwhile Enchanted Parade was crowdfunded mainly by Western fans which is why it actually premiered in America first. So it was made perhaps more so then most Anime with a concern for appealing to a Western audience. Really playing up how the premise is basically Harry Potter meets My Little Pony.
But the TV series aired on regular Japanese television. And so had to be concerned with keeping actual Otaku hooked more then any prior incarnation. Hence getting in episode 8 the first really blatant Yuri Bait moment.
And here is the fact so many critics of Cute Girl shows and their fanbase overlook. For better or for worse, stereotypical Otaku actually don't want their Cute Girls to be Sexy, they want them being Cute but totally pure and non-sexual. Contrary to what you may have heard, including from Otaku themselves when we're making fun of ourselves, most Otaku consider sexiness and cuteness mutually exclusive. Even Digibro included no "Lolies" in his list of the Hottest women in Anime.
This isn't a criticism, I liked the LWA movies and I'm enjoying the series so far (I'm 9 episodes in as of deciding to make this post).
The theory I'm going to present here, that many may find truly shocking, is that the reason for this is that the TV series is more concerned with appealing to Male Otaku.
The way Akko is sexy in the original movie is kind of like how Sailor Moon was sexy, and other Shoujo Anime. LWA may not be officially marketed as a Shoujo Anime, but it feels more like a Shoujo Anime then an Otaku anime. In other words, yes Women do like being Sexy in their wish fulfillment fantasies, just as male leads are generally attractive in stuff marketed to men.
Meanwhile Enchanted Parade was crowdfunded mainly by Western fans which is why it actually premiered in America first. So it was made perhaps more so then most Anime with a concern for appealing to a Western audience. Really playing up how the premise is basically Harry Potter meets My Little Pony.
But the TV series aired on regular Japanese television. And so had to be concerned with keeping actual Otaku hooked more then any prior incarnation. Hence getting in episode 8 the first really blatant Yuri Bait moment.
And here is the fact so many critics of Cute Girl shows and their fanbase overlook. For better or for worse, stereotypical Otaku actually don't want their Cute Girls to be Sexy, they want them being Cute but totally pure and non-sexual. Contrary to what you may have heard, including from Otaku themselves when we're making fun of ourselves, most Otaku consider sexiness and cuteness mutually exclusive. Even Digibro included no "Lolies" in his list of the Hottest women in Anime.
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