Forum - View topicThe Anime Back-Scratch.
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John Casey
 Posts: 1853 Location: In My Angry Center |
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A recent question I asked in another thread threw into shock one thing that I tend to experience once in a while, and mostly everyone experiences it: Viewer insecurity.
There's a show you want to check out, maybe your friend recommended, or perhaps you saw really good reviews. However, something's buggering you about it - something's keeping you from plunging in. Could be a nit pick, or it could be something major. Maybe you see a fanbase broken up in half over it. The thing is, you want to check it out, but you're just not feeling the groove to do it for whatever reason. So I figured...maybe someone can scratch my back over it? Give me a good reason to dig into it, or to stay away from it. And it's not recommendation, nor a review. Just sort of...easing the insecurity - something you're afraid might waste your time. So in that sense, we've all seen a lot of stuff that other's haven't and might be hesitant for whatever reason. So, why not scratch each others backs? XP Anyways, some stuff that I'm piqued in, but not feeling the groove: -The Gundam SEED Franchise - The only real time I've seen a fanbase so broken in half over a series was Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Well, that one might be a bit extreme since it escalates violence... But yeah, it's one giant tug of war, and I'm not entirely sure which side I'll end up on afterwars. I certainly don't want it to be a waste of time. -Madlax: - I've seen Noir. It was pretty nifty, albeit it's pacing was kind of annoying. So far, I'm hearing that Madlax is nothing more than a carbon clone. -Darker Than Black - I've seen this series get compared to so many things, it makes less and less sense with each comparison I see. So, I'd like a clear shout-out for once. So yeah, that's it. I've got a lot of stuff on the table to see, but these three shows are kind of buggering me, and I'm not entirely sure. |
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7994 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Solution: Free Legal Streaming
Gundam Seed: Available right here at ANN Darker Than Black: Available at Funimation.com It'll work for those two at least. |
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The Dreaming Void
 Posts: 69 Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
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You can find Madlax at {Nix. -- abunai}, but i don't recommend it, the story is very slow, and even if a fight happens, it doesn't make you feel like: "shoot him!" or "Watch out" etc.
Not really the best story either... you can find Darker than Black at the same site, and i really recommend that one  , interesting story, blood, violence, what else can you ask for?
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lesterf1020
 Subscriber Posts: 295 Location: Trinidad and Tobago |
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I am sure you mean well but I don't think that is a legal streaming site and if I am not mistaken it is against Teh Rules (Rule 10) to link to sites like that.
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FaytLein
 Posts: 1260 Location: Williamsburg, VA |
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The Gundam SEED franchise is pretty much hinged on one singular character, Kira Yamato and how the fanbase views him. One side dislikes him because he is portrayed as a physical and moral ubermensch, that does very VERY contrasting things based on his philosophy. He also steals the sequel show from the new main character as soon as he shows up. And the fighting hinges around this character, so if you don't like infallible heroes, you might want to pass on SEED/DESTINY.
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John Casey
Posts: 1853 Location: In My Angry Center |
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Wouldn't that be considered a form of consistency though? |
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Dorcas_Aurelia
 Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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You can try Darker than Black on Funimation's YouTube channel. I know that doesn't exactly help with the question of whether or not you should, though. However, the show's format of 2-episode arcs means that you can try just the first two and figure if you like it enough to sink your time into the rest of the series.
It's a good action series that slowly, almost frustratingly slowly, builds it's fictional universe while the questions of what exactly the situation is will probably keep you intrigued throughout. The plot starts to pick up a little about halfway through, but doesn't fully take off until the last three episodes. |
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Spastic Minnow
 Bargain HunterExempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4630 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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I for one preferred Madlax to Noir, mainly because I liked the characters more, with Noir I thought Mireille was rather useless and I had no idea how an assassin that made that many mistakes stayed alive and only finished the show because I thought Chloe was interesting.
Madlax is slow and it's frustrating how long it takes the main characters to even get in the same country but I found the mystery of the book and Margaret's frayed memory very intriguing. It's not the best series but better than Noir. |
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egoist
 Posts: 7762 |
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Besides what everyone else said, there's the fact that only about 6.5%(or 160) out of 2500(rounded) voted for it as decent or bellow. While Gundam Seed had about 300 out of 2700 voting for it as decent or bellow, and Destiny had about 400 out of 1700. So, after all, having someone confirm a series for you will never end up really well, since the experience clearly varies from one to another. Use the ratings plus free streaming to check out one or two episodes sounds more of a reasonable option. As for me, I'd say go ahead with DTB, chances are high that I'd turn out to be an excellent blind buy. As for the rest I can't really say much(though I did see Seed). |
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Mr Adventure
 Posts: 1598 |
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I have something like this, basicly I am completely leery of anything with a massive a vocal fan following. Because 9 time out of 10 I hate X popular show, usualy for the same reasons. There are very rare exceptions to this rule (Gurren Lagann springs to mind) in my anime viewing experiance. So if something is extremely popular yet seems like it might be in a genre I like, it'll take great effort on my part to take the plunge in to actually watch it. Usually it's the obscure show or the one with a quiet but strong grassroots fandom that I'm more inclined to actually go out of my way to check out, because I can feel confident that the aspects that make it a hard sell to the masses will be the reason I enjoy it the most.
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eyeresist
 Posts: 995 Location: a 320x240 resolution igloo (Sydney) |
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I must've missed that debate. I wouldn't say he's an ubermensch, he just, er, fails to lose his battles. I like and recommend SEED. The ending's a bit lack lustre, but overall it's a worthwhile, quality experience. Good music, too. I only watched the first volume of Madlax. The plot seemed to hold some intrigue, but the deathly slow pacing, for which studio Bee Train is famous, turned me off. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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There is no broken fanbase over Gundam SEED, certainly not to the extent that you are claiming John Casey. Sure, most of the elitist UC snobs hate it, but that is a wider schism in the Gundam franchise.
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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I agree with dtm42 that the bulk of the SEED hate seems to come from UC fans. People complain that it's just a flashy rip off of older Gundam series and stuff like that. Even some of the more reasonable haters will admit though that it's not a bad show when taken on it's own merits and they just find it inferior/redundant because of other Gundam series and that's why they can't stand it.
I personally like it a lot, (better than most UC stuff) so I'd certainly recommend checking it out. I would warn people though, SEED does have some problems. The character designs are all identical and there is a lot of reused animation and the last 3rd is perhaps not as good as the rest. Still, I think it's a fantastic show and if you're not a long time Gundam fan you will probably like it a lot. DO NOT see SEED Destiny though. It is almost universally agreed that it is an absolutely awful show. Just watch SEED. |
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IzanaginoOkami
 Posts: 55 Location: USA |
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Gundam SEED is good, retelling of the original gundam for a modern audience but Gundam SEED Destiny is terrible lots of stock footage and caving in to the fanbase taking existing characters and warped them into sub par, flat versions of their former selves, or else twisted them so badly that they were hardly recognizable
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RHachicho
 Posts: 897 Location: Essex, UK |
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Gundam Seed/Destiny - Far from the best Gundam plot wise there is however something about the characters and the world that draws you in. I know a total Anime hater that watched this entire 100 episode duo series. And has not been interested in much Anime before/since. The plot however cliched it is though is still well told and the musical score is awesome. Combine these factor's with the before mentioned likeable characters. And you pretty much are onto a winner. I can understand why some hate this as with more attention the the plot and a little more depth out of the main character. This could have been an all time great. It's still entertaining though. Less so in destiny where about half the plot falls down the toilet. But the better mecha action may keep you watching.
Darker than Black - I have not as yet finished this show I am up to episode 15 or so. So far it gives the feeling of trying a little too hard to be edgy and dark. Very good action and some quite interesting moments. The plot sometimes feels like it's dragging though which is the reason I have not finished it yet. Youre mileage may vary but something about this show feels decidedly ... emo. And by that I do not mean genuine well told angsty story. I mean the kind of contrived angst you get from people who listen to alot of Cure, Muse or Papa Roach. It all feels a bit too forced for my tastes. But bear in mind I have not yet seen the end. I hope that was usefull for ya bud. |
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