What Are You Watching?

[gunswordfist]

Time to catch up on Ushio & Tora episodes.

[gunswordfist]

I watched episode 7 or 8. Yep, the main story has started. I went back to watch the end of episode 6 to watch when that sea youkai was first talking about youknowwho. Things got pretty serious in 7 and 8 was kind of a fun episode. Both had some pretty funny moments.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Those were probably my favorite episodes so far. The journey is just getting started, though, so who knows how good i'll get. But I'm really liking it.

[gunswordfist]

I'm liking it as well. I might watch 9 tonight.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The fiinal episode of Blood Blockade Battlefront will air on October 3rd.

46 minutes.

Yikes.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Finally! With that big a runtime, it should prove to be one hell of a finale. I'm looking forward to it.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Saw the first Attack on Titan live-action movie tonight. Though I'm not enthusiastic about AOT, I genuinely thought and still think it could be a great LA film if done right, and I had heard promising things about the films in the reviews I'd skimmed that made me optimistic. The movie was, instead, about what I expected. Though boy oh boy, it has some bizarre and problematic moments and adaptation choices that really make me incensed to give it a review, but I think I should wait until I watch part 2 in three weeks before I do so to avoid redundancy.

I will say, though, that the most disappointing thing about the movie for me was the crushing disappointment and bafflement of the audience I was with about the movie they had just witnessed. At best, some found it amusingly bad, but no one, and I mean NO ONE, walked out of that theater satisfied, much less did they consider the movie good. Honestly, that bums me out. Even though I'm not a big AOT fan, the reason I decided to go see the movie, and most anime-related movies, is the enthusiasm of the audience watching it. It's really fun to be surrounded by a group of people who are all big fans of a niche series, actively enjoying and engaged in the movie they're watching. But the AOT movie left the audience totally cold, outside of two particularly bizarre moments that got laughs for how unexpected, surreal, and stupid they were. Even if I personally didn't enjoy the film, I would have still enjoyed the experience if it was satisfying for the fans, at least most of them. Like, there were people who didn't like Madoka Magica 3 when I saw it, but I didn't hear anyone say they regretted seeing the film, or that they felt like they wasted their money. Add the fact there weren't any give-aways to fans, the waiting line for the movie was long, the movie started late, the theater room was too small, and it just wasn't a good experience, sadly. Though it certainly didn't help that things have been kinda shitty for me lately, and I made it through this week in particular with the hope that seeing the film would give me a nice pick-me up that'd set the month off on a good start for me. I'll still be seeing the second AOT movie, as well as Boruto, at the same theater later this month, so hopefully they'll be better experiences.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

You heard/read a lot of positive reviews about it? I honestly heard that it was shit from most sources, myself. I'm supposing that it's hardcore AOT fans giving it the positive reviews. Just like people said for the Death Note movies, which surprised me when I actually watched them and saw how awful they were (though, at least amusingly bad, for what that's worth).

[LumRanmaYasha]

Well, I didn't read "a lot" of reviews; I came across a couple, and read through most of the non-spoilery ones to see if the movies had anything to interest or offer me. Most of the negative things I head about the movie going into it were from hardcore fans nitpicking the changes from the source material. There are many, and they are BIG, but I don't give a shit about movie adaptations being perfectly faithful or 1:1 retellings of the source material. Changing things in and of themselves are not why bad movie adaptations tend to suck, imo. The positive reviews of the movie were favorable about the changes, and praised them for working as a stand-alone horror/action movie (put together), with a distinct tone and satisfying plotting that made it a unique experience form the original. In particular, I was interested in how many reviewers commented that it was like classic kaiju movies in feel and tone, and I thought if anyone would be able to make AOT work as a really good kaiju movie, fucking Toho productions of all studios was be a pretty good bet.

In the end, the movie was the level of quality I expected it was going to be, and not better like I was optimistic it would be. I actually think a lot of the changes it makes to the story and characters were good ideas, and the feel of the movie is distinct from the manga and is of how the reviews I read described it to be, which was neat. The problem is that while there's a lot that's interesting about what they've done with the series and concept to make it work as a it's own thing, the execution of it just doesn't work in any regard whatsoever, which completely wastes what is and could have been good about the film. The reviews of the film that I read were clearly enthusiastic about what the film was trying to do and found that in of itself commendable and worth recommending, but having seen just the first one (the second one could improve upon things, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt at least in terms of the story), I can respect that well and fine, but I don't think it works, and I don't think it translated into an effective, quality film. I have a tempered opinion of AOT as a series, so I wasn't going to have strong or bitter feelings about the film being bad like a fan would. If I end up reviewing it, it's probably going to be a fairly balanced review; I do think there are merits to it that are worth highlighting.

Honestly, I left the theater with a bitter taste not because I was bothered that the movie wasn't good, but that it disappointed pretty much everyone that went to see it. An audience that, before the film, was very excited and enthusiastic about it. Like, even if I don't like the Boruto movie when I go see it, I'll still be satisfied if the people who are big fans of Naruto come out of that film happy with the film on some level, and can articulate to me why they found it entertaining. It's the fact that no one came out of the theater liking the AOT that kinda bums me out, since at the very least, the movie should've done something for at least the hardcore fans that they could get behind. The sheer lack of enthusiasm from the audience during and after the film, and the mood of frustration about it, is what really colors the experience for me more than anything else.

[Spark Of Spirit]

With episode 48, the World Trigger anime has just run out of adaptable canon material. Starting week it's the beginning of the filler season. For those curious, it ended with Mikumo beginning his training.

[Lord Il]

Heard that episode 1 of One Punch Man came out recently and gave it a go. I... don't know what to think of it to be honest.

I know very little about the source material. I'm curious if any substantial plot is going to happen.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The first episode literally adapted all the early episodic chapters together into this one episode. I would give it a few more episodes after this if you're still not sure. Next week is the addition of one of the series most popular characters, so it already will be a bit different.

[LumRanmaYasha]

OPM has an overarching story. The first major story arc will properly begin in the next episode, which will also introduce the secondary lead of the series.

[gunswordfist]

I forget, will this/is this on CR?

[Spark Of Spirit]

I forget, will this/is this on CR?

No, it's on Daisuki with its crappy player that never works for me.