The new anime and manga thread! [Use Spoiler Tags!]

[Jonnas]

11 hours ago, Julius said:

Last night's episode of Attack on Titan: Season 4 Part 2 was superb. Took one of my favourite storytelling tropes, which can be so easily done wrong, and executed almost flawlessly. 

I'm still reeling from how perfect that episode was. Chills, man.

11 hours ago, Julius said:

Had no idea about the changes made in Season 3 Part 1 from the manga, but from the sounds of it, I'm guessing those changes were for the better? 

It's complicated. Most of the criticisms came from the fact that said arc was a much slower burn than the frantic pace of Season 2, since it had a lot of political intrigue, cloak&dagger dealings, and just... way more setup and dialogue than anything else. It's great on a binge, but on a monthly release schedule, a lot of people got turned off at the time (yours included, I took a very lengthy pause from reading the manga at the time).

I think Isayama took the criticism of the time to heart, so things got changed around to give us more moments of action evenly sprinkled through the season. As an example of how different things were...

Spoiler

That ambush from Kenny and that incredibly hype confrontation with Levi from the first couple of episodes? If things had been loyal to the manga, that would've been like, end of Episode 4.

Before that moment, we had already seen a flashback in which Historia's mother gets killed by a bearded man in a hat, and several chapters after meeting Reeves and getting to know him, he gets caught and killed by the same man, who this time drops the bombshell that he knows Levi's last name. Only after all that do we get the ambush and Levi going "Oh, this is a guy I know: Kenny the Reaper". But in the Anime, they take advantage of that budget right away.

There were also several introspective scenes that got cut, which was the biggest shame. My favourite was a frank conversation between Levi and Reeves on top of the wall, that really made me rethink both characters. But there were also a few scenes where the gang is panicking because they're on the run, and they're pondering their various courses of action (for example, Levi and Historia get into a fight over whether she should be queen or not. That punch she threw at him at the end was supposed to be a callback to this fight). And of course, the anime couldn't fit this gem of a face (WIT Studio clearly wanted to, though)

But when you consider the great animation, and that sick opera rap song that Kenny got... Overall, I wouldn't say one version of the arc was strictly better than the other one. Both gave us great things.

11 hours ago, Julius said:

Also started Jujutsu Kaisen. 5 episodes in, fight animations are insanely good

Jujutsu Kaisen is a really fun one. It's stylish to the max, it's got an unique sense of humour (for shonen Anime, at least), and it promises some cool deeper themes from time to time. I'm hoping it can keep it up.

11 hours ago, Julius said:

Yeah, definitely got that feeling going through that it would hold up well to a rewatch. I've seen some people online (after I completed my watch) complaining about the pacing, and while I would agree that it's a bit slow early on and at other points, I was still forcing it down by the shovelful, I think the core premise and wanting to see what happens to these characters next is more than enough to have that effect.

It's part of the genres of detective noir, suspense, and psychological thriller, all of which are genres that make Monster what it is. The slow, methodical pace is absolutely one of its strengths. It's also a quality I'm seeing less of in recent Anime, which is a shame.

11 hours ago, Julius said:

It's funny, because I actually find it hard to disagree with you regarding the second half of the season being a mess, like you say the arcs themselves feel very disconnected and there isn't that flow between arcs which earlier seasons definitely had, but a lot of that could be down to them rearranging some of the arcs during the adaptation of the manga for Season 5. For example, something which is only the focus for a single episode here in the anime didn't happen in the manga until the next arc that's being adapted for the anime, and MVA was bumped up ahead of the Agency arc. I have no clue why they did that, and while I don't think the pacing of it was all that better in the manga from what I remember, it definitely wasn't quite as disjointed as I agree it was in the anime. 

The actual contents of the arcs themselves were adapted well enough from the manga I feel (*cries in Season 4*), but so much of it is setting up the scale and story of the next arc, which is why I think Horikoshi resorted to bouncing around a lot more. Which is a shame, because he now seems to be sprinting towards the end, and from everything I've heard, the quality and pacing of the manga has tanked recently. 

(...)

Honestly, I think we'll end up looking back and thinking it's probably one of the most poorly managed major manga-to-anime adaptations of the last few years

I think this is a nice way to sum everything up. Horikoshi has plenty of flaws as a writer (too much worldbuilding for relatively small storylines, an inflated cast, the lightning-fast pace that can get a bit overwhelming...), but the Anime has done very little to mitigate them lately. Season 2 gave time to fights that Hori practically skipped in the manga, and never wasted time introducing characters that were unimportant at the time (for example, I don't think they even mentioned Tokoyami's name in Season 1). In recent seasons, it feels like half the episode is spent introducing inconsequential new characters, and skipping through even more events than Horikoshi did!

I'll try to stay positive, though. And for now, I'd just like to give out my main suspicion for one of my favourite plot threads: the Class 1-A traitor.

Spoiler

 

Mina Ashido

I used to think it was Aoyama (and a part of me still thinks it's possible, he's definitely the second-most suspicious), but Mina has only gotten more red flags with time. On a rewatch, it's remarkable that a lot of bit characters are able to show their innocence with minor actions (like how Shoji, Sero, and Satou all attacked Kurogiri unprompted)... but somehow never Mina, despite her screentime. I had mild suspicions of her back in Season 3, even if nothing strong.

Then that Season 4 flashback with Gigantomachia came, and things started clicking. On the surface, it looks like she's standing up to a scary dude. But if you think about it, it's weird that this mountain monster decided to ask a couple of schoolgirls about details for his mission. Why didn't he have something as simple as an address? My theory is, his official contact was supposed to be a schoolgirl wearing that specific uniform, and that's why he approached Ashido's friends. She herself was a minute late to the appointment, but still diffused the situation by giving him the directions she was always supposed to give.

And if this is all true, then she's an agent of All For One.

Just leaving this out here, because I feel like it's a matter of time before social media spoils it for me (I have no idea if it was already revealed in the manga or not, btw). MHA has done a really good job with keeping this plot point open so far.

[Julius]

This week's episode of Attack on Titan: The Final Season was yet another 11/10. 

Spoiler

The imagery of the Season 2 ED always unnerved me, so it's awesome to finally get some context to the imagery. 

It's so weird to think that these were essentially spoilers for manga readers at the time of Season 2's release. Attack on Titan's does a crazy good job of foreshadowing (or straight up showing) stuff from so far ahead that until you start closing in on that moment, you really have no idea what's going on without the context. 

Also, Gabi needs a drink after this. Snipes Eren's head clean off and then she sees it reattach, he gets supersized, and the walls crumble for The Rumbling to start. 

Though, a growing concern I have is that I don't know how we get to a point where the show wraps up in 7 episodes from here -- well, assuming that we're only getting 12 episodes that is, because they haven't actually confirmed how many episodes we're getting in Part Two yet, despite us possibly being halfway through by the end of the next episode. I really hope that if, for example, another 6 episodes are needed, that we just end up with this being an 18 episode season: I can't stand the thought of avoiding manga spoilers for another year, and I hate the idea that this ends on a movie after they've seen what Mugen Train did at the box office. While I'm sure it would perform stupidly well, anything but a simultaneous worldwide release would probably end up with even more people having the show ruined for them than waiting for a hypothetical Part Three would, and let's not forget that certain countries didn't even get Mugen Train in cinemas, and so very likely wouldn't get a hypothetical Final Season: The Movie. 

I hope they prove my concerns wrong and we just keep going, but it wouldn't be the first time a finale is mismanaged if I do have something to be concerned about. Fingers crossed I'm wrong, though! 

Edited February 7, 2022 by Julius

[Julius]

Attack on Titan really just said "Bangers Only" to this second part of The Final Season, didn't they? Another fantastic episode. 

Spoiler

Loved getting what feels like one last nostalgia blast of first season energy with a bunch of guys in ODM gear taking on Pure Titans in a familiar location and being backed by Barricades, before things could really take a turn from here on out. 

Also, was that Nile -- the Titan that Gabi killed? The Titan looked super familiar and we got Pixis, and he's the only guy who really comes to mind for me. Shame if it was, thought he was a cool character! 

And now we finally get to see Annie emerge. With the episode being titled Thaw and her father being there at the start it was obvious that's where this episode was heading, but still, hell yeah! 

Also made decent progress with Jujutsu Kaisen, will probably finish catching up in the next day or two. Still really loving the fight scene animation, but what's really hooking me right now is just how much each we get to see each character figuring out their opponent(s) during fights, and learning about their skills – it's giving me major Hunter x Hunter vibes in that sense, to say the least. And that's before mentioning that pacts are pretty similar to Kurapika's contracts, as well as the general use of contracts/pacts in HxH. 

So what I'm saying is that it's a serious take on Mob Psycho's initial premise of exorcisms combined with some elements of Demon Slayer in its combat/general flow so far and a sprinkling of HxH. There really isn't much to complain about. 

Well, other than the fact that the second OP is clearly a massive step down from the first (it's still good though, at least the chorus), and that the second ED is left in the dust by the first. It's still good...it's just nowhere near as good! 

[Jonnas]

20 hours ago, Julius said:

Attack on Titan really just said "Bangers Only" to this second part of The Final Season, didn't they?

This chapter in the manga only felt like a bit of necessary cleanup to tie up some loose plot threads and get some characters together... but in the Anime, damn, what a difference some solid animation and inspired choice of music makes.

Spoiler

That chapter really turned into a great callback (as well as definite sendoff) to the earlier seasons of Attack on Titan. Really good stuff.

And yes, it was Nile. His face was very obscured by the shading, but it's good to know people recognized him regardless. We knew he drank the wine, so...

 

21 hours ago, Julius said:

Well, other than the fact that the second OP is clearly a massive step down from the first (it's still good though, at least the chorus), and that the second ED is left in the dust by the first. It's still good...it's just nowhere near as good! 

The second OP&ED are slow growers, I found. I was underwhelmed by them at first too, but the 2nd OP sticks with you in the long run, and I'd say that out of the four songs, right now the 2nd ED is my favourite (it's melancholic and uplifting in equal measure, ideal to reduce stress).

[Julius]

36 minutes ago, Jonnas said:

This chapter in the manga only felt like a bit of necessary cleanup to tie up some loose plot threads and get some characters together... but in the Anime, damn, what a difference some solid animation and inspired choice of music makes.

  AoT S4 Pt.2 E6 spoilers (Reveal hidden contents)

That chapter really turned into a great callback (as well as definite sendoff) to the earlier seasons of Attack on Titan. Really good stuff.

And yes, it was Nile. His face was very obscured by the shading, but it's good to know people recognized him regardless. We knew he drank the wine, so...

 

Seriously! I kind of view Attack on Titan like I do Demon Slayer -- while it would suck to get spoiled which makes me want to check out the manga (and also to know what happens next), the animation and music just elevate it so much for me that I simply can't bring myself to read the manga. 

Spoiler

Yeah, as an anime-only, it definitely felt intentional that this episode and the chapter in the manga were written in such a way. One last hurrah and look back to the old, also showing how far the characters have come since the start of the show, before it's going to knuckle down and hit us with some hard truths. It's also just really important for pacing and to give everyone a moment to breathe after the bombshells dropped in the few episodes prior. 

And okay, good! Yeah, the shading definitely threw me through a loop at first – "the silhouette of this guy's head looks familiar but I can't see his face, ohhhhhhh wait a sec" sort of thing. Then it was Sasha regen+, uh I mean Gabi, to the rescue. She's been a badass these last few episodes.

Probably traumatised from seeing everything that went down with EREN in a split second, but still, a badass nonetheless.

I know you've read the manga, but out of curiosity, where would you rank what we've seen animated so far in S4 Pt. 2 with the rest of the show?

For me, I really enjoyed S4 Pt. 1, but just because it was the first half of a season it was naturally never going to have as much tension and action compared to what we're getting right now, so for me it sat below S1 and S3 Pt. 2. 

But, just based on what we've got so far, S4 Pt. 2 is kind of just blowing them all out of the water for me. All killer, no filler. It's the first time in a long time where I'm tuning in for something the moment it drops! 

52 minutes ago, Jonnas said:

The second OP&ED are slow growers, I found. I was underwhelmed by them at first too, but the 2nd OP sticks with you in the long run, and I'd say that out of the four songs, right now the 2nd ED is my favourite (it's melancholic and uplifting in equal measure, ideal to reduce stress).

Hard to disagree with you, OP 2 has been played several times today and it kills. OP 1 is definitely more in your face, but like you say, OP 2 is just a slow grower. I really like ED 2 too, though I think I prefer ED 1 just for the funky energy it brings. 

Also gives me a heart attack every time in the latter stages of ED 2 when they start absolutely belting the lyrics 

[Jonnas]

22 hours ago, Julius said:

I know you've read the manga, but out of curiosity, where would you rank what we've seen animated so far in S4 Pt. 2 with the rest of the show?

For me, I really enjoyed S4 Pt. 1, but just because it was the first half of a season it was naturally never going to have as much tension and action compared to what we're getting right now, so for me it sat below S1 and S3 Pt. 2. 

But, just based on what we've got so far, S4 Pt. 2 is kind of just blowing them all out of the water for me. All killer, no filler. It's the first time in a long time where I'm tuning in for something the moment it drops! 

I'll just reminisce about the whole thing:

• I have issues with Season 1 (1st half). I had issues reading the manga the first time around (I started reading this before the anime was ever announced, lucky me), and they're still there in the Anime, though the music helped improve it a lot (even if they removed one of my favourite page shifts in the manga). Plenty of strong moments, but it's a messy thing overall;
• Season 1 (2nd half) is the worst in the series for me. So tense when first reading, but on a rewatch, it just drags. Not a fan of the anime-only content either (including OP & ED);
• Season 2 is the most nostalgic to me, there was so much confusion, and it felt like we were always on the cusp of answers, but never the ones we actually wanted. Unlike the previous arc, this one actually is improved on a rewatch. Plus, seeing it in animated form really allowed me to appreciate how constructed that arc was. And holy shit that Ending, somehow encapsulating the tone of the season without being in any way related to what happens there (even containing info that manga readers didn't know at the time);
• Season 3 Part 1 is schizophrenic due to the changes between adaptations, but the shift to political intrigue was much needed. Considering its contents, it's one of those where quietly absorbing the manga does wonders, but damn if I don't love that Kenny music and the Levi chase scene;
• Nothing beats Season 3 Part 2 for me. That's as perfect as an arc can be, both in the Manga and in the Anime. I still can't believe that they managed to jam all of the content that they did into "Hero", it was spectacular;
• Season 4 Part 1 brought a lot of things I was begging for the longest time, including the best mini-arc in the series. Excellent climax as well for its main arc. A lot of folk felt whiplash with the change in perspective, but I was all in for it. In the Anime, the shift to Mappa was a positive one for me, as they're better at capturing the bleak grit from Isayama's style (never liked WIT's bold lines and bright colours);
• For Season 4 Part 2... I definitely remember the current arc being an absolute nailbiter as it was coming out, so I totally understand your view, up there with the best. No comment on upcoming events as of now.

So I guess if I were to rank them (including knowledge of upcoming events this season)... S3Pt.2 > S4Pt.1 > S4Pt.2 > S2 > S3Pt.1 > S1Pt.1 > S1Pt.2

The best one and the two worst ones are set in stone, but I feel like everything in between is subject to shift around with time.

On a sidenote, I hate that Attack on Titan doesn't number its seasons properly. We're on the seventh opening after 9 years, why call this the 4th Season?

[Julius]

Finished watching Jujutsu Kaisen last night. Loved it. Stupidly good vast of characters all around (Todo, Miwa and Megumi probably take the prize for being my favourites so far). 

I'm praying the fakeout in what is shown during the first OP remains the case, because it shocked the heck out of me when that thing went down. Looking forward to 0 next month! 

Tonight, to get me in the mood for the Entertainment District Arc, I started watching Demon Slayer's Mugen Train Arc...the TV adaptation. That additional original episode at the opening felt like a great hook honestly, and I love how they've plastered Rengoku's theme aaaaaaaaall over. Having an OP but not an ED has been pretty weird, but yeah, good fun. The animation in the additional episode looked as bonkers as the film, which has me raising the bar a little for what I expect from the Entertainment District Arc  (from what I've heard, it should deliver)

20 hours ago, Jonnas said:

On a sidenote, I hate that Attack on Titan doesn't number its seasons properly. We're on the seventh opening after 9 years, why call this the 4th Season?

Yeah, I'm there with you, it is an odd choice -- but I do think it was a conscious one. I guess it could be argued that the Part 2's are continuations (in Season 4 especially so), but at the same time, you could totally count that as ending a season on a cliffhanger. Other shows have definitely done it. 

Makes me think they've pulled a very smart move and used it to lower the number of seasons you'd see when looking the show up at a quick glance, which could make it much more appealing to a potential newcomer? Then again, it's one of only a few shows I've seen very openly advertise themselves in their marketing as being seasonal and going so far as including season numbers in their titles and branding. 

[Jonnas]

4 minutes ago, Julius said:

I'm praying the fakeout in what is shown during the first OP remains the case, because it shocked the heck out of me when that thing went down.

More shows should do that. And I don't mean just in Anime.

(Also, Nanami's my fave. Jujutsu has a really nice cast)

5 minutes ago, Julius said:

Makes me think they've pulled a very smart move and used it to lower the number of seasons you'd see when looking the show up at a quick glance, which could make it much more appealing to a potential newcomer?

I think you hit the nail on the head. A lot of folk will be turned off if there's 100+ episodes to watch... but 4 seasons always feels accessible, even if the actual number of episodes is over 80 by now.

8 minutes ago, Julius said:

Demon Slayer

Speaking of which! I finished watching the 2nd Season this Sunday (I'm not a manga reader, btw, I'm savouring just the Anime here), and I can safely say that the show is going as strong as ever and doesn't seem to be slowing down. I also get the feeling that this season is better on a binge.

[Julius]

34 minutes ago, Jonnas said:

More shows should do that. And I don't mean just in Anime.

(Also, Nanami's my fave. Jujutsu has a really nice cast)

Yeah, absolutely! I'm trying to think of other examples of show's faking you out in such a way, but nothing really comes to mind. 

Other than openings which are a total mismatch with the show when it comes to time (cries in Your Lie in April and Assassination Classroom) or just straight up show stuff that doesn't happen (cries in the horse riding shot in Code Geass).

And now I'm mad about the horse riding shot again 

(Also, agreed on Nanami, another great character, his past is certainly relatable and no-nonsense characters are always a plus. Also, I know Gojo is definitely fan bait, but is it me or is he very much the spitting image of Victor from Yuri on Ice? As soon as we saw his eyes I was like "Oh, so that's what's going on here") 

34 minutes ago, Jonnas said:

I think you hit the nail on the head. A lot of folk will be turned off if there's 100+ episodes to watch... but 4 seasons always feels accessible, even if the actual number of episodes is over 80 by now.

Yeah, for sure. I'd put it right alongside Demon Slayer's move to make a canon movie as seriously one of the smartest decisions in the industry of recent times. Maybe even nudge it above that because I genuinely don't think I've ever seen it discussed, so I guess it was so smart it went somewhat under the radar! 

Some other shows definitely have the reverse problem as being advertised as one thing and then you find yourself staring down the barrel at 100+ episodes on MAL and I just...nope. 

34 minutes ago, Jonnas said:

Speaking of which! I finished watching the 2nd Season this Sunday (I'm not a manga reader, btw, I'm savouring just the Anime here), and I can safely say that the show is going as strong as ever and doesn't seem to be slowing down. I also get the feeling that this season is better on a binge.

Nice! Yeah I seem to remember getting through the first season in a few days which is why I've been patiently waiting for the second season to finish before catching up, though that was definitely made more difficult by seeing a lot of praise for its animation and ending on a double-hitter. That's how you really know something great is going down! Imagine I'll be caught up shortly 

And yeah, like with Attack on Titan, maybe even more so, Demon Slayer is something that I'll be staying anime-only for too. The music (good lord that sweet Demon Slayer music!) and ufotable's animation is absolutely S-tier. After finishing the show I had been toying with the idea of reading the manga, but I gifted my younger brother it instead for his birthday (bought the copies already out and pre-ordered all the volumes for him so he got them as they released) and he told me he was surprised by how the manga handled the shifting panels in Tsuzumi Mansion, which immediately had me backing out of reading the manga.

The anime has just set such a stupidly high bar for its fight scenes that I can't imagine going from the anime to just a couple of pages, it's weird but it'd feel like doing it a disservice, when in fact it just means the anime is doing an excellent job of adapting the manga. And long may it continue! 

Oh, and I mean no surprise that it's coming, but Season 3 confirmed with a teaser hype:

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Julius

[Jonnas]

19 hours ago, Julius said:

I know Gojo is definitely fan bait, but is it me or is he very much the spitting image of Victor from Yuri on Ice?

Handsome "Shoujo-bait" men all kinda look very similar to me. I wouldn't be surprised if the JK mangaka was inspired by Yuri specifically when designing Gojo, because what else is a straight guy to do when they don't quite know what is it that makes a man's face attractive? You take pointers from a place that knows this stuff better.

19 hours ago, Julius said:

After finishing the show I had been toying with the idea of reading the manga, but I gifted my younger brother it instead for his birthday (bought the copies already out and pre-ordered all the volumes for him so he got them as they released) and he told me he was surprised by how the manga handled the shifting panels in Tsuzumi Mansion, which immediately had me backing out of reading the manga.

The manga has seen recent publication in Portugal as well, which means I had the opportunity to check a few volumes at the bookstore. I was immensely surprised at how... wordy it is. There's so much narration explaining what's currently happening on-screen, it's kinda crazy to think that the Anime staff was confident to replace all of that with well composed visual storytelling.

Spoiler

When Tanjirou is about to kill the spider "mother" and she accepts death, we can see him switch stances and slice her neck with a graceful clean cut. The "mother" comments that it didn't hurt. In the manga, this poignant moment also gets a full exposition monologue from Tanjirou explaining that this stance is designed to be painless, that it should only work if the enemy stands still, and that yes, he noticed the girl was willing and so he switched stances at the last minute. The Anime conveyed all of this through key shots and good sense of pace.

Even more obvious: when Zenitsu first kills a demon, a box pops up, telling us that he is a coward while awake, but a fierce warrior when sleeping. In fact, it may have taken two boxes to say all that. This moment was so clear cut even in the manga, I find it bizarre that the mangaka felt the need to explain it. Maybe her real passion is writing novels?

On a lighter note, during this Season 2, I occasionally conversed with (or saw comments from) manga readers, and it went like this:

• "There's no narration to explain what happened in that moment, Anime-onlys must be so confused"
• "Well, what was it that the Anime didn't tell us?"
• "[Proceeds to explain something I already understood on my first viewing]"

I saw this precise exchange, like, 5 times through the season. It's a unique dynamic that I haven't seen happen with any other show yet

[Julius]

22 minutes ago, Jonnas said:

Handsome "Shoujo-bait" men all kinda look very similar to me. I wouldn't be surprised if the JK mangaka was inspired by Yuri specifically when designing Gojo, because what else is a straight guy to do when they don't quite know what is it that makes a man's face attractive? You take pointers from a place that knows this stuff better.

Oh yeah 100%, I mean if it ain't broke, right? Just gave me a very heart chuckle the first time we saw his eyes -- "Victor! What the hell are you doing here?!" 

If there's one thing I definitely appreciate about manga and Japanese pop culture in general it's that their idea of attractive men can oftentimes be so far out of touch with the West, with very few beards or obscenely muscular characters as you might expect over here in the typical "shoujo-bait" role, with those characters instead possessing very smooth faces and feminine looks, almost bring androgynous at times (Griffith and Septhiroth come to mind). 

And I mean, obviously I've got to mention the white hair too. It's a shame dyed white hair and white hair wigs that I've seen in cosplays never looks that good without being edited, otherwise I'm sure we'd see much, much more of it. 

31 minutes ago, Jonnas said:

I was immensely surprised at how... wordy it is. There's so much narration explaining what's currently happening on-screen, it's kinda crazy to think that the Anime staff was confident to replace all of that with well composed visual storytelling.

Overwriting and overexplaining, at least from my experience, normally stems from excitedness or nervousness on the part of the creator in wanting to impart their exact vision, or simply not trusting the audience enough to get there themselves.

Not to call out the target demographic as stupid or anything like that, but Shonen Jump's main demographic being a range of pre-teen boys through to young men, I could easily understand it being a case of both. Considering that manga is such a static form of storytelling where you're effectively given snapshots and your mind fills in the blanks, I think it can be easy to misinterpret what they were going for or to rush through -- so an explanation of what's happening can force readers to slow down and understand very clearly what it is that's being conveyed in particular panels/moments, if that's the creator's intent. 

Not to say that subtlety can't be pulled off in manga, but given how difficult it can be to put that subtlety across without the need for too much more work and/or using more space (of what is going to be very limited space anyways in something like Shonen Jump), I can kind of get it. 

At the same time, credit where credit is absolutely due to the animators. "Show don't tell" is sage advice for any form of storytelling which goes beyond the printed word and has a visual component, much more so a medium where movement and key frames can add so much emphasis and nuance. 

Anyways, I've wrapped up the Mugen Train Arc.

It's still great, I've listened to the OST a whole lot since watching the film last year but it still gave me chills despite knowing all the major tracks intimately. Rengoku is still an awesome character, his fight scenes are still something else, and the additional episode added a bit of nice context before diving into what I'd already seen.

Unfortunately by its very nature of being a film adapted to TV, it can feel very stop-start when compared with the film when you have a short recap of the final events from the preceding episode followed by an OP, and then mid-episode bumpers, etc., which is a necessary evil for such an adaptation but stalls the pacing just that little bit in a way you don't get in the film.

With that in mind, ideally I think you should just watch the additional content episode and then watch the film, but otherwise it's all there.

I loved the film, so it's not difficult to say that I loved this too. 

Now onto the Entertainment District Arc 

[Jonnas]

Today I learned that, in the 3rd My Hero Academia film, the fictional European country "Otheon" that Deku travels to... seems to be Portugal!

The proof is in the satellite dishes, which bear the MEO logo. They're cable providers who pretty much only operate here.

Spoiler

 

 

 

Here's a link to the whole Twitter thread, featuring comparison pictures. Lisbon seems to be the main inspiration, but there are several shots that resemble Porto as well.

I knew that some recent Anime (mostly obscure ones) had been using Portuguese cities and landscapes for inspiration when designing towns and backgrounds (especially for seaside towns in fantasy series), but to see the mainstream My Hero Academia do it as well for a feature film is surreal! A shame that in the film itself the local language is English, but hey, baby steps.

Spoiler

 

 

I mean... this is just great.

(The tweets with screenshots from the film have been spoilered just in case)

Edited February 22, 2022 by Jonnas
spoilering the pics

[bob]

So after Jonnas mentioned the 3rd MHA film, I realised that there was a 2nd one that I hadn't seen. Apparently, it's on Netflix too, which makes things easy.

The film is ok. Better than season 5 in that stuff actually happens to the main heroes, and you actually get to see heroes fighting villains.

The ending just makes no sense though. When Deku somehow gives Bakugo One-for-all, I was confused. He obviously doesn't have that power in the latest season, and there's no way they'd put a plot point that important in a film, especially Deku losing his powers.

How were they going to get Deku keep his powers, while not letting Bakugo become super powerful, and then somehow return everything back to normal in time for the next TV series?

Oh, they just let Deku keep his powers, and Bakugo loses his and forgets he every had them...for some reason.

Still the final battle looked badass, so who cares, right?

 

[Julius]

It's finally happening: all Funimation content is being moved over to Crunchyroll. 

Quote

Huge news: Anime just powered up! Funimation, which serves millions of anime fans in over 52 countries and 10 languages, will be unifying under the Crunchyroll brand. This move will include Funimation’s subsidiary, Wakanim, as well as Crunchyroll’s VRV to create one subscription service for our anime fans worldwide.

What does this mean? 

This means all your anime, all on one platform. Starting today, tons of shows and movies from Funimation and Wakanim will begin arriving on Crunchyroll—so you’ll get more dubs, more subs, more everything. That includes titles available now like My Hero Academia, Tokyo Ghoul and Yu Yu Hakusho alongside favorites like Cowboy Bebop and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, all under one subscription! Check out the list of new arrivals on Crunchyroll, with much more to come!

This also means new series in the upcoming Spring season (the biggest on record—stay tuned!) and beyond will only stream on Crunchyroll. Moving forward, Funimation will only add new episodes of continuing series, which means Funimation users will want to move to a Crunchyroll account as soon as possible. 

 

Edited March 1, 2022 by Julius

[bob]

Is that a monopoly then? Or is there another service? Expect the prices to go up!

[Happenstance]

I'm happy as I mostly wanted to use Funimation for dubbed shows but their streaming was some of the worst I've ever used and it didn't always show you as a premium user even though you were. If Crunchyroll works better than I'll be happy to resub.

[Ike]

2 hours ago, bob said:

Is that a monopoly then? Or is there another service? Expect the prices to go up!

Monopoly, FUNImation bought Crunchyroll and Manga UK.

Crunchyroll at least benefits the consumer, if they do increase the price, then I doubt it would cost more than subbing to both platforms?

Keeping Crunchyroll makes more sense than keeping FUNImation Now.

 

[Kav]

If you’re caught up with the One Piece manga and enjoy a theory, check this out!

Edited March 13, 2022 by Kav

[Julius]

On 17/02/2022 at 9:24 PM, Julius said:

Now onto the Entertainment District Arc 

I finished this in a day but forgot to follow up, so...

...Ufotable really are just out here setting the standard for animation in the industry, huh? 

Rewatching the Mugen Train Arc, as much as I still love it, the final fight - glorious as it is - is very stop-start, just due to the nature of the characters involved. It's not a particularly long fight, despite how intense and lustrous it is. 

But the Entertainment District Arc is all killer, no filler, and there's a fight on multiple fronts which goes on for about half of the Arc. That the animation quality, then, somehow stepped up from what they achieved in a somewhat short but very intense burst at the end of the Mugen Train Arc, is simply astounding -- the animation in a weekly show was just as good as, and perhaps arguably (I'd definitely argue this) even better than, that of the movie. 

Demon Slayer just nails the basics of a shonen. You care about these characters, the shorter arcs, the overarching arcs, and are easily invested. It's not doing anything groundbreaking for the genre in terms of writing (it's not Hunter x Hunter subverting a lot of the tropes in the shonen book), but it's writing is simple yet very effective, and that's perhaps the most important thing. It's because it isn't trying anything dangerously bold in the genre that the animation takes centre stage -- the conversations I see aren't about what happened in the final fight, but how that final fight looked and felt. The clanging sound of swords, the almost lucid slashes across a dark background, the way characters leap to and at each other, how it's all choreographed and framed, and then it's all elevated even further by the soundtrack. Look, I think it's a small step down from Mugen Train's OST, but that's not saying much when Mugen Train has one of my favourite recent anime OST's, and some incredible tracks. 

I've been weirdly inconsistent on here about scoring anime I watch, as I view it a little bit more casually than I do games or films, but I track and score every anime I watch on MAL, and finishing the Entertainment District Arc, I was stumped for the first time in a long time on how to score it. Again, the story itself isn't anything wild or a Magnum Opus of writing, but I seriously don't think I've been as hyped by, or as in awe of, an animated fight as I was watching the latter parts of the Entertainment District Arc. 

So I gave it a 10. Seriously, jump on the Demon Slayer anime bandwagon if you haven't already, because your eyes and ears are in for a treat. 

[EEVILMURRAY]

So the Funimation app will soon be redundant? If not already

[Kav]

 

[Julius]

Sigh

Attack on Titan Final Season: Part 3 has been confirmed for 2023. It will be 8 episodes. 

I mean, at least it's not a film? I've loved parts of Part 2 (first half in particular, latter half has felt like a whole lot of set-up), but still, man, waiting another year and avoiding spoilers is going to be a pain 

[Jonnas]

I felt like it would fit right as a film, but this works too (though in order to fit really well as a film, we would need one extra episode of setup for Final Season Part 2 )

17 minutes ago, Julius said:

(first half in particular, latter half has felt like a whole lot of set-up)

I've always felt like Episode 5 would've been the best way to end a season, with the following season being made of all the ominous uncertainty and setup. As it stands (with 5 of one, 5 of another), it does feel more like a lull.

[Sméagol]

I saw Belle Friday.

Film overall was slightly disappointing, but still a good watch, I just expected more of it. The problem is anything that happens inside the vitual world, which is a large part of the film.. The visuals aren't interesting, and the story is superficial. There are interesting things going on, but this is is all in the real world, and unfortunately they don't show quite enough of that until the end. The ending was pretty good though. That said, I'm increasingly growing more fond of the soundtrack, I may actually get the CD.

 

[martinist]

So i just finished reading Goodnight Punpun for the first time about half an hour ago....shit got real at the end of volume 5 and just got worse from there.

Probably going to lay in bed all day tomorrow to process what I just read....