Haikyuu!!

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I finally got around to seeing the first episode, and it's easily the best premiere that I've seen from this season so far (I'm still playing catch-up on JoJo with Part II right now, so I haven't gotten to SC yet). Whereas AoD was just too bland for my tastes (and I gave that series a good 12 episodes to make a final judgement on it), and this season's Baby Steps looks like it will probably be just as underwhelming, Haikyuu!! feels like it has the potential to become a classic much like Slam Dunk. I like how the premiere does a good job of showing you that this series will be more character-focused and not rely on the trappings other shounen sports series. For instance, while I like KnB, it has that one thing I really hate of having the opponents be 1-dimensional ass-holes until they get defeated. I like how the main character's rival in this series is someone who shows the character some respect right from the beginning, rather than being a total dick to him like you might expect (something I couldn't stand about Rukawa in the early parts of Slam Dunk).

Overall, while it's too soon to say, this could be a really fun series. The first episode was very well-animated and directed, and it has me impressed enough already to keep coming back for more.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Guess that's another Shonen Jump series I'll be reading soon.  The manga has been on my radar for a while, actually, just haven't got around to it. Your and Foggle's enjoyment of the anime (among others I've seen who dont normally enjoy sports series) so far convinces me to get to it one I finish catching up on Kuroko, and I'll try and keep up with the anime as well.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I'll probably just stick with the anime, myself, as I have too much going on in my life right now to be able to keep up with yet another manga series, and there are others that I still need to get into which take higher priority for me. Meanwhile, it's just nice to have another anime series to follow on a weekly basis ever since KLK ended  (I'm also not following any other weekly series ATM, but I should probably catch-up to Space Brothers).

[LumRanmaYasha]

I'll probably just stick with the anime, myself, as I have too much going on in my life right now to be able to keep up with yet another manga series, and there are others that I still need to get I to which take higher priority for me. Meanwhile, it's just nice to have another anime series to follow on a weekly basis ever since KLK ended  (I'm also not following any other weekly series ATM, but I should probably catch-up to Space Brothers).

You stopped watching Hunter X Hunter? 

Eh,  I personally find anime much harder to keep up with. I tried last season to keep up with 5 or so, but by the end I had dropped everything but KLK just so I could get through ANJ2 (in fact, I dropped all the live action and western cartoons I was watching as well, and it still took me so long). I'm extremely busy these days, and anime just requires too much time and attention, especially if its only subbed, for me to keep up with more than 3 max. In contrast, a chapter of a weekly manga takes only 3-5 minutes max to read, and I can squeeze it in between work or study breaks and much more easily and quickly than I can an episode of a TV show, so for me, it's a preferable experience and I don't find myself at all overwhelmed despite keeping up with 14 (and soon to be more) manga on top of other series I'm going through, something I can't manage with TV shows.

But in general, I prefer reading manga to watching anime, so maybe I'm just biased.   

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

You stopped watching Hunter X Hunter? 

No, but I'm talking more along the lines of seasonal type anime rather than continuously running ones that don't take any breaks.

Eh,  I personally find anime much harder to keep up with. I tried last season to keep up with 5 or so, but by the end I had dropped everything but KLK just so I could get through ANJ2 (in fact, I dropped all the live action and western cartoons I was watching as well, and it still took me so long).

Marathoning an anime that has already finished is not the same thing as keeping up with a currently running anime where you only have to watch one episode a week, which is basically all I'm going to be doing. Also you somehow completely missed my point. I wasn't talking about anyone but me specifically. As I am right now, I'm only keeping up with one anime series and am not playing catch-up on any (at least not until I get back into Magi and Space Brothers and JoJo). Conversely I am keeping up with multiple weekly series along with playing catch-up on 2 of them, so I'm saying that my manga plate is full right now. Hence, it is easier FOR ME to keep up with an anime than a manga, right now.

I'm extremely busy these days, and anime just requires too much time and attention, especially if its only subbed, for me to keep up with more than 3 max. In contrast, a chapter of a weekly manga takes only 3-5 minutes max to read, and I can squeeze it in between work or study breaks and much more easily and quickly than I can an episode of a TV show, so for me, it's a preferable experience and I don't find myself at all overwhelmed despite keeping up with 14 (and soon to be more) manga on top of other series I'm going through, something I can't manage with TV shows.

That's all fine and dandy, but you're forgetting a very key point in saying this: you still have to actually catch-up to a new manga series first if it's already been running for a while. So, essentially what you're saying is that it is easier and less time consuming to read dozens of chapters at a time in addition to keeping up with multiple series than it is to just watch one episode of something a week. How does that make any sense?

But in general, I prefer reading manga to watching anime, so maybe I'm just biased.   

I prefer reading manga in most cases as well (hence why I'm following multiple Armagnac as opposed to only a single anime, currently, but I fail to see why you even brought up this point. I was just saying that it's easier for me to keep up with an anime on a weekly basis since I'm not watching any other series, and somehow you take it as an anime vs. manga prompt.

[LumRanmaYasha]

You are right. I missed the point of your post and there was no need for me to make your comment and go an anime v. manga rant. I will not prompt the subject any further, though I will make a few additional comments...

No, but I'm talking more along the lines of seasonal type anime rather than continuously running ones that don't take any breaks.

Oh, okay. You mentioned Space Brothers, which like HXH is also continuously running (EDIT: it actually ended three weeks ago  ), so I assumed you were referring to currently running anime in general.

As I am right now, I'm only keeping up with one anime series and am not playing catch-up on any (at least not until I get back into Magi and Space Brothers and JoJo).

The Magi anime is over for now and probably will be so for over a year if not more since the season ended less than 20 chapters behind where the manga is, so you don't have to worry about "catching up" to that rather than just finishing it. 

That's all fine and dandy, but you're forgetting a very key point in saying this: you still have to actually catch-up to a new manga series first if it's already been running for a while. So, essentially what you're saying is that it is easier and less time consuming to read dozens of chapters at a time in addition to keeping up with multiple series than it is to just watch one episode of something a week. How does that make any sense?

It will take more time for now, but in the long run it will be much less time-consuming. It's also easier for me because I can make time to read manga more flexibly. Right now, Haikyu!! only has 102 chapters, and since I was able to get through 80 chapters of Assassination Classroom in two weeks and 200 chapters of Kuroko in six just reading at my own pace in short, occasional doses, I reckon that it won't take that long to go through the series if it stays entertaining enough to make me want to. It seems feasible for me. I mean, just reading when I felt like it in between study and class breaks, this week I managed to read 11+ new chapters of currently running manga, 3 volumes of Astro Boy, 2 volumes of Black Jack, volume 18 of Ashita no Joe, and 8 chapters of Tiger Mask. That's about 8 volumes worth of content, roughly 5 or so hours worth of time. You'd be right in saying that all this manga reading takes a considerable amount of time and is not necessarily less time than watching some episodes of a few tv shows, but I can do more of it more easily than that just because of the flexibility I have in when and how long I read it. 

[Foggle]

Yeah, this might have been my favorite premiere of the season (a toss up with JoJo's, really). I can't wait for the next episode!

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Episode 2 is out, and it was another good one. It looks like I'll be sticking with this series for a while.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Another good episode this week. It is a predictable and formulaic series, but it adds just enough of its own flavor into the mix to keep things interesting, even if you know where the story is going, just like with Kuroko no Basket, Hajime no Ippo, Slam Dunk, and various other typical, but still great, shounen sports series. In this case you initially expect that Kageyama will be an ass-hole and refuse to work with Hinata until he gains his approval, but then come in a pair of even bigger ass-holes and now it's a 2-on-2 rivalry instead, which is a bit more interesting.

[LumRanmaYasha]

I'm not sure I'd call it formulaic, since it hasn't really established one yet, but I'll agree the series has so far been a good example of how to put a fresh spin on old, familiar concepts and keep it interesting and entertaining.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I'm not sure I'd call it formulaic, since it hasn't really established one yet, but I'll agree the series has so far been a good example of how to put a fresh spin on old, familiar concepts and keep it interesting and entertaining.

I mean that it's following the shounen sports genre formula, not its own. Just like others in the genre, it starts out with some kid interested in a sport, joining a team or club, and initiating in a training arc to overcome his rival. It'll then get into tournament style matches with mini training arcs in-between. That's the shounen sports formula.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

It's still a fun show as of episode 5, despite heavily following the typical shounen sports story formula. I remember how the Nostalgia Critic did a 90's Sports Movie Montage video as one of his earliest episodes. I almost want to do something similar in the form of a blog-write-up for the shounen sports genre by pointing out and poking fun at all of the cliches, but I still don't have enough experience with the genre to really do a good enough write-up about it.

Anyways, as for this series, I'd say it's about on par with series like Kuroko no Basket and Eyeshield 21, which are also both fun series (though, I'm only 50 chapters into the latter), but don't really reach that height of excellence that makes them truly memorable.

So far, I think that the 3 best sports series which I have read are Slam Dunk, REAL, and Ashita no Joe, though one of those is in fact a seinen manga, so maybe it doesn't count.

[LumRanmaYasha]

So far, I think that the 3 best sports series which I have read are Slam Dunk, REAL, and Ashita no Joe, though one of those is in fact a seinen manga, so maybe it doesn't count.

Of course it counts. There are plenty of seinin sports manga. Most just don't get translated for one reason or another.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

It's funny. This show has been 100% formulaic and predictable so far! but oddly enough I still find myself invested in it to keep coming back each week. The stellar animation and pretty good OST may have something to do with that, but I think it's the overall execution that makes it entertaining. It's also smart enough to only focus on a few key characters rather than throwing in a bunch at a time (like what Ace of Diamond did), and it gradually introduces new characters once you've gotten more familiar with the core duo and initial supporting characters. It's not great, by any stretch, but it's certainly solid entertainment compared to some of the other currently running sports anime (IMO).

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Well, season 1 is over. While it is a pretty formulaic and cliche shounen sports series, I think that I still enjoyed it since the anime is an improvement over the manga, in terms of having actual good animation (take notes, Toei), an awesome soundtrack, and better directing than you'd expect a series like this to have any business with.

The manga is fine, but the artwork is pretty shoddy and the lack of distractingly good animation and directing highlights just how formulaic it all is. It's still an entertaining read, though. It's about as good as Kuroko no Basket was before it went to shit with the final game.

I'd still probably watch the second season since I'd like to see how the anime improves on the source material, even if it doesn't change that much up.