What Are You Watching?

[Avaitor]

I stopped watching UBW after episode 7, like I do with pretty much every anime I try to get into during the season. Did it drop in quality? It was pretty good beforehand.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I enjoyed the first season in its entirety, myself, so if it did drop in other people's opinions I can't help but feel like it has to do with some comparison to the visual novels.

[LumRanmaYasha]

All the Rumiko fans I follow on tumblr are getting desperate for those Rin-ne subs. Apparently, no fansub group has said anything about translating it as of yet. I have to wonder if a subbed version will even be out in time for the Clusterfuck.

Meanwhile, Blood Blockade Battlefront and The Heroic Legend of Arslan had pretty good premieres. The former has probably my favorite premiere of the season so far, and I feel like I'm going to enjoy the latter more as an anime than I have as a manga.

[VLordGTZ]

Dammit, I really want to watch that Rin-ne premiere.  I wish Viz had picked it up... 

[LumRanmaYasha]

Yeah, while I'm sure Viz'll license it at some point, the fact they haven't picked it up for simulcast is a bit frustrating. The Rumiko fandom has to have someone in it who is willing to translate the script, and another willing to edit in the subs, so it's bound to happen eventually even if an official fansub group doesn't get around to it. I just want it to happen soon. 

In the meantime, I shouldn't have much problems watching the raws myself, since I've read the manga and know the jist of the dialogue enough to enjoy it.

[Dr. Insomniac]

No matter how many times I watch this, it never gets less stupid.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Looks like the subs'll come out soon after all. I knew the Rumiko fandom wouldn't let me down. 

[goody2shoes]

People don't like UBW? News to me.

Especially considering the positive reception that everyone was giving the first season....

I enjoyed the first season in its entirety, myself, so if it did drop in other people's opinions I can't help but feel like it has to do with some comparison to the visual novels.

You guys didn't notice the huge backlash it had on /a/ for instance? Well maybe I'm the only one stupid enough to browse that board.

I can only speak for myself. UBW feels neither well written nor directed. It feels too much like a visual novel, with all its pointless scenes, fanservice, expository dialogue and so on. Much like in the VN, there's a jarring lack of tension considering there's a battle royale going on.

Good for some casual entertainment maybe, but I can't take it seriously. To me, it got extra tedious near the end of the first season, when Shirou and his harem went for shopping and a nice picnic. These characters are horrifically stupid.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Last time I checked /a/, it was just people talking about Rhino Tohsaka and the non-porn reason for why Caster bound Saber up in a wedding gown.

[Foggle]

I can only speak for myself. UBW feels neither well written nor directed. It feels too much like a visual novel, with all its pointless scenes, fanservice, expository dialogue and so on. Much like in the VN, there's a jarring lack of tension considering there's a battle royale going on.

Good for some casual entertainment maybe, but I can't take it seriously. To me, it got extra tedious near the end of the first season, when Shirou and his harem went for shopping and a nice picnic. These characters are horrifically stupid.

Maybe it's because I've actually suffered through the original VN, but compared to that, the UBW anime's pacing is akin to a summer action blockbuster. The writing is also greatly improved from the source material, and the characters are a lot less stupid. Seriously, if you feel this way about the anime, the visual novel would break you...

[Spark Of Spirit]

Meanwhile, Blood Blockade Battlefront and The Heroic Legend of Arslan had pretty good premieres. The former has probably my favorite premiere of the season so far, and I feel like I'm going to enjoy the latter more as an anime than I have as a manga.

Sounds good. Hopefully I'll be able to watch it soon.

[gunswordfist]

It seems like forever since I've seen Spark. Hey man!

Watched [up to] The Devil (Episode 7?) of JoJo right before I went to sleep early last night. It's surprising that I didn't have a nightmare. In fact, I had a pretty good dream. Maybe that's even more disturbing.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I don't know, I didn't get that sensation from the anime, really. I mean, yeah, it has its slow bits, but so did Zero in the first half, and I can't help but feel like I've seen worse when it comes to stuff like harems and characters acting stupid. And on that end, Shirou strikes me as naive and inexperienced as opposed to flat-out stupid.

[Foggle]

I don't know, I didn't get that sensation from the anime, really. I mean, yeah, it has its slow bits, but so did Zero in the first half, and I can't help but feel like I've seen worse when it comes to stuff like harems and characters acting stupid. And on that end, Shirou strikes me as naive and inexperienced as opposed to flat-out stupid.

I agree with this. Again, my view may be colored by comparisons to the original work, but your opinion is pretty much the same as my own.

[goody2shoes]

Thing is, I read the Fate route. The VN is lousy, for sure, but that doesn't excuse a lazy by-the-books adaptation. Judging by the prologue I know that ufotable trimmed a lot of the flab in terms of dialogue, but there are larger problems than that. The story should probably have been restructured completely/recut/told a different way for the animated medium. It just doesn't flow well. Just my feeling.