What Are You Watching?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I should probably get around to checking out the anime. From what I hear, the first season ends after a certain plot-twist around chapter 30-something from the manga, meaning that it basically covers the best part of the series. Personally, I think the story and characters become progressively more stupid as it goes on from there, so that's not a bad spot for the first season to end on.

[Dr. Insomniac]

But how can it be stupid with the intelligent plot twist where Armin crossdresses and gets fondled by some guy?

[gunswordfist]

Just got done watching episode 112 of HXH. I need to give this series a break until I can watch like 10 episodes in a row because this waiting is killing me. I want to see so much more.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

112 Episodes, the same amount as Yu Yu Hakusho, and by next week, it'll officially surpass it as the longest anime adaptation of a Togashi series. I just had to mention that for some reason.

Anyways, putting my gripes with the narration working better in manga form aside, I do really love the actual content of these episodes. It shows you just how carefully and precisely these characters act in the heat of the moment. That scene with The King and Komugi at the end was a thing of beauty. It was something that was built up to gradually, but he is clearly not the same character that he started out as. Were this to happen earlier in the arc, the King would strike back at Netero and Zeno without a second thought (and keep in mind, these are 2 of the strongest guys in the entire world), but his priority here was clearly to bring Komugi to safety and have her revived. Yet all the while, Meruem is none the less more menacing than he ever was, which is a true testament to how good Togashi is at writing villains. This is on par with someone like Sensui from Yu Yu Hakusho in terms of overall quality and memorability, IMO.

[gunswordfist]

That's right, 112 episodes. Amazing.

[gunswordfist]

That episode of Fist Of The Northstar I watched last week was DBZ-esque. I watched a few more sense then.

[gunswordfist]

Finished episode 1 of Space Dandy about 10 minutes again... The hell was that?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Just watched Hunter X Hunter episode 113....and this is why I say the 1999 anime is better as an adaptation. It changes some things around from the manga to better fit a TV show that you want to watch, not just listen to. In the manga, Togashi could get away with the narration because it's meant to be read and using narration to tell a story in comic book format isn't that uncommon. In an anime, though, it tends to feel rather awkward. It's still good stuff that's unfolding on screen, mind you, but we're getting it at the pace of about a chapter's worth of story stretched across an entire 22-minute episode, which is the exact same shit that Toei did with Dragon Ball Z and One Piece to make them so goddamn boring. And the worst part is that the common HXH fans will praise this over the 1999 anime for the producers just being lazy fuck-holes and just copying and pasting the original work without any thought put into trying to improve upon the source material by using animated visuals to its advantage. As it is, it's still a good anime to watch, but I'm severely disappointed in the lack of effort put into adapting the Chimera Ant arc, on the whole.

Anyways, other than that I've watched a bit more of Ashita no Joe recently. The anime is continuing to prove my counter-point to the HXH anime that I just talked about. This actually makes changes from the manga, and SENSIBLE ones at that, in order to further flesh-out the story and characters. One caveat is that it does feel a bit slower-paced at times, and really choppy and disjointed at other times, so it's certainly not perfect, but I definitely respect the effort, and it feels worth experiencing as a legitimate companion-piece to the manga, even if the manga is the superior version, IMO.

I also skipped ahead and watched the first episode of Ashita no Joe 2, which as it turns out picks up right where Part 2 of the manga does, so it's still material that I've already read, but I have to say that it was a really well-directed episode that shows a ton of respect and admiration for the source material. I couldn't help but notice that this anime pretty much proves my point of how the time-period that a series comes out in is mostly pointless. This series is timeless. It quite honestly trumps almost any current cartoon series that I'm keeping up with, both on a level of simple entertainment value as well as in terms of having genuinely good drama and insightful character-development. If anyone has heard of this series and just assumed that it was something that was significant for it's time but probably won't entertain you as much as modern series, trust me when I say that a good chunk of modern anime that you like probably owes something to the vast influence of this series, and at that it still trumps a ton of them in terms of general quality. It's really just so well-written that it's practically immune from the effects of aging. And, I'm saying this about a series that was created more than 20 years before I was even born.

[gunswordfist]

Watched episode 113 of HXH last night. Again, I can't wait to see more.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Watched episode 113 of HXH last night. Again, I can't wait to see more.

I just wish that we were getting more from each episode. They easily had enough time to cover another chapter in this episode. But, yeah, pacing aside, this is the most exciting part of the Chimera Ant arc.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

So, I'm kind of conflicted, here. I watched episode 2 of AnJ 2 and the first episode was no fluke, this is a QUALITY anime adaptation and unlike the manga, I believe the subs for this are already finished. That said, I started this series with the manga, and I kind of want to finish that version first. That said, the releases for it are slow and it could take years before the rest of it is translated. Meanwhile, the story is so damn good that it's just so damn hard for me to resist completing it via the anime, so I'm definitely going to have to ponder this one over.

But, yeah, remember how I said that the anime adaptation for part 1 is good because of the appreciated and sensible changes it makes from the manga, while still essentially being faithful to it, yet it's not quite as great if only because of the pacing problems? Well this anime has all of those strengths and completely fixes the problems of the first one. Now, mind you, this is only based off the first 2 episodes, but the presentation and clear respect for the source material from just that was enough to convince me of this show's quality, which is honestly even superior to the manga for the part that it adapts (and that's saying A LOT). One scene at the graveyard, which wasn't even present in the manga, was just so well-done that it felt like it always belonged there, and didn't feel like filler in the slightest. It figures, too, since the author of the manga had heavy involvement with both anime adaptations.

Man, this anime is making me realize just how long it's been since I've seen another anime that constantly wows me at every turn through genuinely good writing and memorable characters. Don't get me wrong, I've seen plenty of great ones like Hajime no Ippo, Kaiji, and the currently airing Kill La Kill, which are all some of the best things I've seen out of the medium in recent memory. But this series is one of those rare gems that I can really connect to and enjoy on a whole other level like I can with Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, or Monster. So yeah, when a series that good comes to my attention, you can bet your ass that I'll get excited about it.

[LumRanmaYasha]

I have six volumes to go, myself, but my plan with Ashita no Joe is to finish the story via the anime. If it's as good as you're saying then I especially see no reason to wait. Listen, I've been waiting for fan translators to translate the final arc of Bobobo for 6 damn years, and they still aren't even farther than the parts Viz translated. The fan-translators have lives and do this for fun. They aren't in any rush and they'll take their time. Who knows how long it'll take for them to finish Joe, if they ever do? Why wait when there is another, maybe superior way to experience the story available? Just my thoughts on the subject.

Anyways, I've watched a lot of anime in the last month. So much this'll have to be a double post...

MOVIES:

One Piece: Strong World - I was excited to get this movie on blu ray. I hadn't seen it before, but I had been hyped for it for nearly 4 years, so I had high expectations. What I got...was a fun movie, don't get me wrong. Oda wrote the story, and it shows since it certainly feels like truer to the tone of the manga than most shonen movies do. I adored the animation in this. Probably the best I've seen in the franchise to date. Probably my favorite thing about the movie is Shiki, though. He's just another one of Oda's quirky villains that always finds the balance between silly and threatening, and a lot of fun to watch. It's too bad he;s only a movie character, since he could have made for an excellent recurring antagonist in the manga.  There was honestly a lot to like in this movie, and I did like it. But plot-wise I didn't think it was that special or atypical of what I would expect from a Shonen Jump series-based anime film. I didn't expect anything that would explore an reveal things about the characters in a unique way with some interesting themes like Beautiful Dreamer or Lum the Forever or anything, but I did expect something along the lines of a solid mini-arc that could have been in the manga. I guess it's that typicalness, and the general meh-ness of the antagonists besides Shiki that weakens it for me.

But I will say one thing I loved was Luffy's reaction to Nami's goodbye message. He rarely gets worked up like that. In the Arlong Park arc he just firmly told Nami he wouldn't leave until he get her back, but he didn't get upset over it. But her, it makes so much sense for him to be hurt and pissed when one of his friends, who's seen and knows what he can be capable of, doubts him. It's probably my favorite scene in the movie since it does do something new with a character that plays on elements from the series and creates a really meaningful moment there. Overall, while I think this is a fun movie I do think One Piece fans overrate it. It's got moments of greatness but isn't as good as I think it could have been. Ian Sinclair as Brook in the dub was worth purchasing this on blu ray, though. He should turn out a fine performance as him in the main anime as well.

Lupin the Third: The Secret of Mamo - I actually found this a little boring. There's interesting stuff involving Mamo that I felt I should have been more into, but compared to Cagilostro this left little impression on me after I finished it. Still, the dub was the Geneon/Pioneer voice crew, and that's by far my favorite Lupin voice cast, so that made it a bit more enjoyable for me.

Redline - REDLINE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BADASS GORGEOUSLY DESIGNED AND ANIMATED ANIME FILM EVER MADE.

... So yeah, basically, I loved it. It's not a complicated film. It's all style. And it does style, so, so, so so so so so so so so so well. There should be more animated films as bombastic and creative as this. I hope Takeshi Koike makes another film soon.

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey - ...Well, it was slightly better than the first film. The battle for Doldrey and the confrontation between Griffith and Guts and the end of the movie were done well. I can't say I liked much of everything else. The CG still looks cheap and ugly, and doesn't blend in with the 2-d animation at all. Casca's backstory was told though that god-awful incoherent blurred stills montage that was used for Guts' in the first movie, and it's just as terrible here as it was then. Guts and Casca's growing relationship did not develop as strong here as in the manga, and the other Band of Hawk members barely get any scenes so I couldn't imagine someone who hasn't read the manga caring about them. I won't say I found this movie as god-awful as the first, but it was still mediocre and a poor telling of the story. I hope the third film will be better, since that will cover "some" material that has not been animated before, though from the clips I've seen I'm not holding up much hope for that.

Gintama: The Movie -  I've seen some Gintama eps and chapters over the yeas, but I really have only read the first three volumes of the manga, all of which I only read about a day before I decided to watch this movie. I was pleasantly surprised. This was a really entertaining film; funny, action-packed, the works. The story is actually an arc from the manga, but since most of the characters besides the villain had already been introduced in the three volumes I had read, I had no problems following or enjoying it. I do think it got too serious at times for it's own good. I like this series best when it's funny, not when it tries to be semi-serious battle shonen. But it didn't get too bad in this movie and it certainly got me interested in reading more Gintama. I will also say that the dub was really good and it's a shame that Sentai won't dub more of the series, since I would think I'd enjoy watching it on Toonami. Overall, I actually enjoyed this movie more than Strong World. I told it's story well, with good character moments, and while it wasn't necessarily fresh material it was still entertaining. One of the better shonen anime-based films I've seen in a long while.

Re-Watches:

Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine - Me and Vlord marathoned through the dub of this one glorious sunday afternoon. It is SO good. I loved how they brought back Michelle Ruff to play Fujiko. Whenever I think of Fujiko I associate it with Ruff's vocal performance in the red jacket series, and she does an extraordinary job here capturing her. While it's a shame they couldn't get Tony Oliver to reprise Lupin as well, Sonny Strait does such a good job I don't think Oliver would have made it any better. And of course, I love, love Richard Epcar as Zenigatta. He's been Goemon and Jigen, now Zenigatta. Next time they should let him be Lupin, or failing that, Fujiko.  But yeah, since this is a serious incarnation of Zenigatta it only makes sense for him to have a voice you can take seriously, and Epcar was awesome. Admittedly, I would have loved for him to reprise Jigen instead, but Sabat is so good that I don't mind. Really, the FUNimation dub is a dub of love. The blu ray comes with a bonus interview with the dub cast, and you can tell they really do love this franchise and Ruff and Epcar specifically took time off from their busy schedules just to play these roles because they love them so much. I'm really grateful that this excellent series got dubbed and it sits on my shelf as a valuable part of my collection. And of course, the series itself makes me yearn for more Lupin in it's vein. Or just more Lupin in general. 

Lupin the Third (Red Jacket) - And it was in my yearning for more Lupin that I decided to re-watch the second series. I gotta say, while I still firmly believe Fujiko Mine is the best Lupin series, I no longer think that by a wide margin. The second anime is just so consistently awesome. It's such an episodic show, but every episode is a mini-adventure and chock full of fun. Some of my favorites are the more character focused ones (though Jigen's episodes always end with the woman he loves betraying him, poor guy), but the more ridiculous adventures are always a blast too. And, of course, the Pioneer dub is fucking hilarious and it's a shame they only dubbed half the series and not the whole thing. They are my favorite Lupin voice cast by far. There's a reason that when I think of this series that I think of the Red Jacket anime first, and that's because it's a combination of style, fun, and cool that really can only be attributed to the name Lupin the Third. Really, we all need more Lupin in our lives. We really do.

Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail - Dub for this was excellent as fuck too. Toonami really should air this when they are done with the main series, since it's some of the finest Black Lagoon material, at least in the anime. Although, the final episode of this OVA was not really quite as excellent as I remembered it. It's still great, of course, but I wouldn't call it one of my favorite anime episodes anymore. I think the ending of the Tokyo arc was much stronger after all. Still, I fucking love this OVA and arc, and Ocean and FUNi did a damn great job in making it an even better experience dubbed. I'm glad to have this on blu ray, though I really must look into getting the series for my collection as soon as can as well.

Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo - As it often does, my umpteenth re-watch of this happened by accident just by hitting up a random episode when I felt like watching nothing else. I focused only on the second half of the series this time, since I re-watch the first half five times more often since those are my favorite parts of the anime, so it's been a while since I've actually watched the Third Baldy Bald Empire and Chrome Dome Empire Playoff arcs in full. Toei cheapness being at it's worst aside, I no longer dislike the anime's version arc as much as I used to. The first half isn't great, and they ruin some good jokes with poor timing, but once they hit the Coin Machine arena battles the classic Bobobo hilarity shines through. Still a series I can watch whenever and bring a smile to my face and brighten up my day. It's no wonder why it's my favorite anime.

FULL SERIES:

Tiger and Bunny - I've been meaning to watch this series for a long time, and wow, was it good! To be honest, it doesn't feel much like an anime, but more of a U.S. superhero series. But it really does well with playing off the concept of superheroes as television and media celebrities, and has fantastic character and plots arcs through and through. Though, I will say that I'm not a fan of how some stuff still isn't resolved at the end, like Lunatic and the Ouroboros society. Still, a great show, one of my favorites now, and boasts the single best dub Viz media has ever put up to date. Really, I cannot fathom how Toonami and [adult swim] have passed on this series for so long. It really does have a lot of casual appeal.

Silver Spoon - I watched the first season in order to watch the second season airing now. I marathoned through it. This series is a wonderful, a light-hearted feel-good story that makes you laugh while teaching you a bit about the world of agriculture as well. I found Hachiken to be very relatable and refreshing as a protagonist, and the other characters were introduced and integrated into the narrative so seamlessly it was quick for me to like them as well. This is just a great slice-of-life series and a far more likable high school anime than most of what I see coming out these days. I honestly like it more than FMA already. Arakawa has pulled off another great series.

Psycho-Pass - I only watched the second half of it because that's the part Vlord was on and we ended up watching it together. But it was really damn good. I plan to go through the series from the beginning before the second season starts up in April.

[LumRanmaYasha]

I am also watching a shit-ton of currently running anime. This is very, very new for me. A year ago I was not watching ANY running anime. Before last year the only anime I ever kept up with as they came out in the past were One Piece, Pokemon, Naruto Shippuden, Bleach, and Toriko...the last three of which I eventually found to be utter shit and dropped accordingly, Pokemon I dropped when Black and White turned out equally terrible, and One Piece I stopped watching after Fishman Island proved even more unbearable in Toei's bloated version that it was in the manga. So, in January 2013 I was not watching any new anime at all. Then, of course, this fall came Kill la Kill, Samurai Flamenco, etc. that I found to be absolutely excellent series, and that's what started my return to watching anime as they come out. However, I only decided to watch those shows from recommendations. As such, I decided that I would try discovering which new anime to enjoy on my own. Here are my thoughts on the shows I've tried:

Still Watching: (in order of how much I like them)

Silver Spoon 2 episodes 12-14 - Yeah, a no-brainer since I loved the first season. The second season has been just as fun so far and that's a really good thing. This might be an unpopular opinion, but this honestly my favorite of Winter 2014 season as of right now.

Space Dandy episodes 1-3 - While it's no surprise that I like it, it may be a surprise I like it less than Silver Spoon. Well, I AM more invested in the characters since that series had, y'know, an 11 episode first season and all that. But really, it feels more "whole" an experience to me than Dandy right now, which really hasn't quite put forth an episode I haven't "seen before" yet. The second episode felt like a mix of an Urusei Yatsura and Sgt. Frog (immediately episode 99 of the former came to mind when I was watching it), while I swear that I've seen the plot of episode three a dozen times in various different shows. This sense of "been there, done that" just makes it hard for me to unconditionally love the series as of right now.

Don't misunderstand. I think Dandy is amazing. What it lacks in the originality of it's plots it's more than made up for in it's sheer animated excellence, with some of the most mesmerizing trippy scenes I've seen. Humor is a bit more hit and miss, but I do laugh quite a bit. It's just a hella fun show. I'm disappointed that so many people seem to have a negative opinion of this. All Dandy is trying to be is silly fun and a throwback to 70s/80s anime like Lupin and Cobra (some of the promotional images even reminded me of some Cobra artwork I've seen). And the jokes, for the most part, do work for me. It's along the lines of the Urusei Yatsura anime's understated character jokes and weirdness to me combined with a Lupin sense of fun, and otherwise just reminds me of a combination of Sgt. Frog and Level E's humor (especially since the alien designs remind me a bit of both shows). I can see how that may not be some people's cup of tea, but to see so many people HATE this show is bewildering and saddening. But whatever the reactions of others, I'm personally very happy with this show so far, and  for the 23 weeks of fun there is still to be had. And I've been waiting to see the zombie episode tonight ever since the first Toonami trailers showed scenes from it. It should be fun. 

Noragami episodes 1-3- Man, I really hate ghost-fighting shonen series. Not Yu Yu Hakusho, I'll always love that, but stuff like Bleach, D.Gray-Man, Blue Excorcist etc. are such poorly plotted and contrived crap and it feels like they are EVERYWHERE these days. So I wasn't expecting to like Noragami, but surprisingly, it's really, really fun so far. Granted, it boasts a pastiche of cliches I've seen in other ghost-fighting shonen, but the thing is, it mixes them up, and puts out enough twists and likableness  that it makes for a pleasurable viewing experience. Also the production values, animation, and OST are top notch. That's expected of Bones, but still, it helps make the show fun to watch, and hopefully it continues to be for the rest of it's run.

Nobunagun episodes 1-3- This is just pure dumb fun, nothing more. But I like fun, so I'm enjoying this show.

World Conquest Zvezda Plot episodes 1-2 - First episode was terrible, but then I was informed the second was hella better, and it was. I do enjoy the ridiculous concept and quirky villain protagonists, so if the show is more like the second episode and not the first, I'll be quite pleased.

Nisekoi episodes 1-2 - Man, this series is terribly unoriginal. Shafts production values almost single-handedly make it worth watching. Otherwise, I might as well watch Ranma 1/2 or My Bride Is A Mermaid since the premise is essentially like those series (arranged marriage between two characters who can't stand each other) but nowhere near as funny or clever. But...it's a romantic comedy, so until I can discover something better I could do worse than this one. Sigh... I wish there were more Maison Ikkoku's out there, not more Ranma 1/2's. I really do. 

Now, of course I wouldn't like everything I tried to watch...

Dropped:

D-Frag episode 1 - Okay, I did laugh at some of the jokes in this and I don't think it's bad in the slightest, but I'VE SEEN THIS SHOW BEFORE. So many times before. And I didn't care for a lot of them, and I'm not particularly interested in more of the same. Maybe D-Frag will prove to be something truly wonderful, and if that happens I will try it again. But for now, I have other shows to watch that I find more worthy of my time.

Wake Up, Girls movie and episodes 1-2 - I thought the movie was okay. But then the series gets into rather depressing territory right off and it isn't pleasurable viewing. And then the second episode... Nope, not interested. Fuck you ANN and JO. Of course, after Aku no Hana, I don't know why I decided to check out a series they recommended in the first place. That is a mistake I won't make a third time, I will tell you that.

Hamatora episodes 1-2- First episode was decent enough mystery stuff. The second was poorly written and contrived Angel Beats-esque over the top sob story with a stupid ending. Yeah, no. Fuck that shit.


Overall I only found three shows to really get into this season, but the others I'm still watching aren't too bad either, so this experiment of mine is off to a good start. Of course, these are only the Winter 2014 anime. I have leftovers...

Detective Conan 701-724 - I haven't tried keeping up with the Conan anime...ever, for some reason. I just kind of never got around to it. I decided, since I was watching all these anime anyway, why not just watch this too? I am kicking myself for not doing so earlier. I've always preferred the anime over the manga, and the first episode of this year, the first part of the "Kaitou Kid and the Blush Mermaid" story, was more enjoyable to me watching it than reading it! So I was happy to see that the anime was as good as ever, but then unfortunately the fansubbers didn't put up part two in time the week later. So I decided to just check out some earlier episodes, so I started from 701, which, to my pleasure, was the first part of the anime's adaption of the "Raven Train Murder Case" arc, the final part of the Bourbon storyline which I extremely enjoyed reading in the manga. And the anime made it, surprise surprise, even better! Maybe it's because Aoyama's manga is so wordy, but the series really does feel more exciting to watch than to read a lot of the time. The anime also surprised me in that it paced the arc really well. No one chapter an episode pacing, but legitimately well-thought out and paced episodes that made for an optimal execution of the story. The episodes afterwards, some of them filler, were all highly enjoyable too! God, after 700+ episodes this series still manages to be consistently entertaining! No wonder it's still one of the highest rated anime in Japan. I should have never waited so long to keep up with the anime. I'll probably go back sometime an run through the series fully, at least from Ai Haibara's introduction onwards. Before that I will probably finally watch the "Confrontation Between Red and Black" arc since EVERYONE says that's the best part of the series so far but I have yet to read or watch it yet. I expect it to be truly as awesome as everyone says. 

Also, FUNi should dub the Lupin/Detective Conan crossover movie, if only to throw a bone to fans of both. I don't think the movie is anything fresh as far as crossovers go, but really, more dubbed Lupin and Conan is always a good thing, so why not? 

Oh, and this opening is totally badass. Watch it. .

Kill la Kill - This show is pure awesome. Best anime currently airing, no contest.

Samurai Flamenco - This show is....well, it's still really watchable. But where's the heart? It's just a bunch of sentai cliches now, and the only thing holding the series together is Masayoshi's internal struggles of whether he's doing the right things/whether he's capable of being a leader, etc. I miss the old Flamenco. Still, I've stuck out so far, I might as well see where they are going with this. But I'm no longer in love with the show like I was with the earlier episodes. Sigh...

Magi: The Kingdom of Magic - Nothing much to say, it's as great as ever and now it's covering the best story arc in the series yet, the Magnostadt arc. Well, there are a few missteps so far that make me prefer the manga's version. Especially the ending of episode #15, where they used the ending song to close the show while Mogamett was still finishing his backstory. Total tonal disconnect, and weakened a powerful, revelatory scene as I had read in the manga. Hopefully this is a one-off mistake and they do better with the remaining material, because this arc is truly fantastic and deserves as great an anime adaption as Balbadd received.

Hunter X Hunter episodes 111-113 - I timed the time to start watching the anime pretty well I'd reckon. Though, the anime's decision to use the narration instead of rework it as silent scenes and dialogue disappoints me. Pacing is also slower than it probably should be. I have to say, they are really handling a lot of great scenes well. Sometime I will watch the Chimer Ant arc from the beginning and see how they handled the material there too (although, I have seen a few eps here and there already with Vlord, like the episode Kite died).

One Piece episode 729 - I decided to start watching One Piece again now that Dressrosa has started. Despite only adapting one chapter, I was very entertained by this episode. Maybe it's because there is so much content crammed into Oda's chapters these days, but this episode felt fine in pacing and I got some laughs out of it, especially with the bit of filler involving Buggy. Very hopeful to see some more good episodes from the anime as the year and arc progresses.

Oh, and I love the new opening.

Gundam Build Fighters episode 1- So I FINALLY watched this...only one episode right now, but still. As someone who knows next to nothing about Gundam, I did enjoy this show quite a bit. It's like a mon show with Gunpla models, but it's very well done and better than most of recent memory. I look forward to catching up as soon as I'm able too.

If I had to rank all the anime I'm currently watching in order, it'd look like this:

1. Kill la Kill
2. Hunter X Hunter
3. Magi: The Kingdom of Magic
4. Silver Spoon 2
5. Space Dandy
6. Detective Conan
7. One Piece
8. Noragami
9. Samurai Flamenco
10. Gundam Build Figthers
11. Nobunagun
12. World Conquest Zvezda Plot
13. Nisekoi

Well, that about does it. With all this new anime I watching now, I wonder just how I will find the time to watch Mushi-shi before the new anime comes in April, much less the other series I've been itching to get too. Looks like I'll be busy this Spring Break. 

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

For AnJ2, my only reservation is because it's different from the manga in more than just a few ways, and from what I hear it kind of alters the ending a tad to be more ambiguous than the manga's ending, which itself was supposed to be more definitive (sort of like how the ending to DN was changed in the anime and could be interpreted in a number of ways, as opposed to the manga's more set-in-stone type of ending). I want to be able to compare the anime to the manga, but I'll still probably finish this series via the anime, since as you mentioned it'll take forever for the rest of the manga to be translated. Still, I fully plan on finishing part 1 of the anime first before continuing on any further with part 2, and I suggest that you do the same since the first anime is much like Dragon Ball, in that it has a lot of really thoughtful filler material and changes that can actually enhance the experience more than hinder it.

As for One Piece: Strong World, it's by no means a great movie, but it's pretty much the best that you're going to get out of a shounen movie that doesn't have the ability to take the risk of telling canon stories and take the characters to new places in terms of their development.

And yeah, my problem with SF is not that all of a sudden Sentai stuff is real. That twist could have worked. It's that there is also no heart to the story anymore, and now it basically only IS a cliche Sentai show. It's almsost as if they just completely changed the team of writer's after episode 7 of the show. That said, I did kind of enjoy the most recent episode in which Samurai Flamenco gives that speech to Japan to take care of each other and work together in the time of crisis. That was the closest this series has gotten to having some heart in the story since the plot-twist happened.

And as for KLK, it's definitely getting better with each new episode. I can't wait to see where it goes next. This is something that TTGL never really managed to do for me, personally.

[LumRanmaYasha]

For AnJ2, my only reservation is because it's different from the manga in more than just a few ways, and from what I hear it kind of alters the ending a tad to be more ambiguous than the manga's ending, which itself was supposed to be more definitive (sort of like how the ending to DN was changed in the anime and could be interpreted in a number of ways, as opposed to the manga's more set-in-stone type of ending). I want to be able to compare the anime to the manga, but I'll still probably finish this series via the anime, since as you mentioned it'll take forever for the rest of the manga to be translated. Still, I fully plan on finishing part 1 of the anime first before continuing on any further with part 2, and I suggest that you do the same since the first anime is much like Dragon Ball, in that it has a lot of really thoughtful filler material and changes that can actually enhance the experience more than hinder it.

Sounds good. I'll make sure to watch the first anime as soon as I'm done with the manga translations.

As for One Piece: Strong World, it's by no means a great movie, but it's pretty much the best that you're going to get out of a shounen movie that doesn't have the ability to take the risk of telling canon stories and take the characters to new places in terms of their development.

The Urusei Yatsura movies say otherwise...but those are lightning in a bottle, I suppose. 

And yeah, my problem with SF is not that all of a sudden Sentai stuff is real. That twist could have worked. It's that there is also no heart to the story anymore, and now it basically only IS a cliche Sentai show. It's almsost as if they just completely changed the team of writer's after episode 7 of the show. That said, I did kind of enjoy the most recent episode in which Samurai Flamenco gives that speech to Japan to take care of each other and work together in the time of crisis. That was the closest this series has gotten to having some heart in the story since the plot-twist happened.

Yeah, that was a good scene. It's just too bad that the series seems to care only about twist after twist at this point, which the ending of the episode hammered home enough.