It is strange that we don't have a Heike Monogatari thread yet... though I guess there generally isn't too much to discuss week-to-week, generally?
It's been fun.
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Maybe I'll look at the manga then, but I have no interest in continuing the anime, it's a bit of a slog in its current state.
Yeah I wouldn't be sure what to discuss. It's a very straightforward story, and while well-made it doesn't do anything exceptionally well, nor does it have any glaring flaws.
I dunno, I'm enjoying it for what it is. It's cool hearing what I think is the proper text of the Heike Monogatari in places, too.
It's been fun.
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
I find it interesting how they've depicted Kiyomori as a guy who plays the same game as everyone else but plays it better, rather than the uniquely monstrous villain he's generally infamous as. Like, yeah, he's not a good person, but he's very much of the system rather than an outlier.
What's precedent ever done for us?
It is interesting seeing him as someone who does seem to genuinely care for his family, in addition to just doing things because they benefit him. I expect we'll see more of a turn in the next two episodes, though.
It's been fun.
i'm watching Ganbare Douki-chan, Tawawa on Monday Season 2, Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu and Isekai Shokudou Season 2 this season
i'm also watching Jahy this season and is planning on watching Fena and Duke of Death too
Bumbleby is best ship. busy spending time on r/RWBY and r/anime. Unapologetic Socialist
You know, all this talk about Heike Monogatari reminds of a manga about the Minamoto-Taira conflict called Shanaou Yoshitsune. Has anyone read it? The manga actually shows the Minamoto as not being exactly squeaky clean in terms of morality, while showing that the Taira is not without honor or love, as well.
Edited by jun_kagami on Oct 18th 2021 at 6:56:32 PM
I haven't seen that manga, but that's not an uncommon take, I think. The original Heike Monogatari isn't meant to portray the Taira as evil and the Minamoto as the heroes who saved the day. For the Taira, it shows that even the prosperous will fall (which is accelerated by Kiyomori's greed and his attacks on the temples), while the Minamoto are also shown to be falling apart tragically, with Yoshinaka barely managing a somewhat heroic suicide after plotting to kidnap the Emperor and usurp his cousins, while Yoshitsune is betrayed by his own brother, and his story became a favorite tragedy for centuries.
There's also the Noh play Atsumori, which specifically focuses on the grief of an older Minamoto warrior for cutting down a young, refined Taira warrior in his prime.
It's been fun.
There's a bit of alternate history bent to Shanaou Yoshitsune though. In this case, the protagonist isn't actually Yoshitsune. His name is Hyouta, a traveling orphan who earn his living on the street and looks exactly like Yoshitsune. While Yoshitsune was actually a weak, sickly boy. Being physically stronger, Hyouta was led to become a replacement for Yoshitsune, eventually claiming the name as his own.
Anyway, if anyone want to check it out, I recommend you do so. It's good but also quite large in scope. Shanaou Yoshitsune (22 volumes) covers the period before Genpei War, while the sequel Shanaou Yoshitsune: Genpei no Kassen (29 volumes) as indicated by the title, covers the actual Genpei War.
Edited by jun_kagami on Oct 18th 2021 at 10:52:25 PM
Already the second episode of Ousama Ranking, and I'm already super close to bawling my eyes out! First Kage's backstory, and then, Bojji losing after Domas broke him emotionally by telling him straight that he wasn't fighting regally... And then, Bojji after the fight... It was so much to bear dammit!
It's great. Kage went through some tough times, no wonder he's so bitter now, and also explains why he can't leave Bojji alone. I was also hoping that Domas would get a bit of a bad rep for beating on Bojji even though he was already down on the ground.
I will admit, I'm having a bit of difficulty of keeping track of who's who in Heike Monogatari, though I am engaged nonetheless. Did the emperor actually want that exiled dude to rebel against the Heike?
Muv-Luv is actually kind of bad, in an amusing way. More BETA-killing would do it good.
Also dropping takt.op, but I will be watching the cool fights on YT or something.
Edited by fillerdude on Oct 22nd 2021 at 1:57:47 AM
Yeah, holy crap, everyone in Ousama Ranking sucks except Kage and Bojji.
As for Heike, if you mean Go-Shirakawa, the old ex-Emperor who loves songs, then yes, he wants the Minamoto to destroy the Heike.
It's been fun.
As no more titles come out, I'll put some mid-season impressions.
I'm watching 12 series + 4 short series. It's really a lot comparing to the last few seasons. Though, I can't say that any series this season I can mark as super-good. There is a bunch of higher than average titles but nothing I am waiting super eagerly each week (even 86 part 2 seems quite slower than the first one despite them adapting almost twice as much material).
Also, all 3 mecha shows I chose (Sakugan, MLA and Garandoll) are in the various degree of being close to drop.
The only takeaway from the previous season is Aquatop. A pretty underrated show, IMHO, though, I get why people do not like it much.
There is a couple more shows I might watch later if Winter season will be meh. But we'll see.
I'm having a hard time finding anything that stands out this season. The most recent I tried was Komi-san, which turned me off with the ever present narration from both the boy and the narrator. It was like trying to watch a movie while someone was explaining everything happening on the screen next to me. Even without that, the story is so done already by a bunch of other shows. I find that I'm more unforgiving on retreading well trod ground every year.
The best thus far is Sakugan, which is nice but nothing stellar and its fourth episode was quite bad with unfortunate stereotypes and cheap looking action. Father-Daughter shows aren't unheard of but it's fresh enough a configuration and while the characters lean into stereotypes, they have enough personality so it doesn't bother me too much.
I tried to make Shin no Nakama into my "turn off brain, watch chill mediocre fantasy"-series this season but I think it's failing to even meet that low bar. The writing is just sad and the places they're trying to mine drama from just don't work.
My watching list is pretty bare right now, so if there has been standouts I've maybe missed, from this season or the last, I wouldn't mind a recommendation.
Ranking of kings is great
86 second cour is great
Mushoku is kind of lesson in patience and I'd more advice you to just download the OST rather than having to deal with watching it like I did because I've realized that I legitimately cannot in good faith subject anyone but my closest friends to it.
You're better of reading the blue period manga over the anime.
My Senpai at work is annoying is pretty chill fun if the size difference doesn't turn you off.
Faraway paladin is pretty good.
I absolutely cannot help but adore handsome 2D boys
I think I feel similarly about Mushoku Tensei. At the end of the last season I realized, aside from people online, I only know one person IRL who watches anime to whom I could suggest watching it. Specifically because I know they've seen enough trashy Isekai to understand the context. It's just not something I think can be suggested without a massive asterisk, no matter what some people think note
x2 I've heard good things about Tsuki to Laika, I personally haven't watched it yet, but it looks pretty fun. But I do plan to once it hits 8-9 episodes.
I'll also agree with Faraway Paladin being good, although it is a shame the animation so far has been fairly lackluster. But its doing something pretty different to most Isekai when it comes to the tropes used being much less modern "anime" and more "fantasy novel". Which is the most common thing said about the show, but it is true.
I thought Love Live Superstar was a really solid show from last season, your taste seems a bit varied from the shows you mentioned, but it is an Idol show with all that entails, so YMMV on if you'd enjoy it. Also despite being the third main title in the Love Live franchise, previous series don't need to be watched at all.
Edited by 32ndfreeze on Nov 3rd 2021 at 12:15:37 AM
"But if that happened, Melia might actually be happy. We can't have that." - Handsome Rob
Sure, GabrieltheThird
, here are some recs.
As Mami said, Ousama Ranking and 86 are the indisputably great shows of this cour. Ousama Ranking could be described as a classic Ghibliesque fantasy starring a mute kid with big dreams. The MC is an instantly likable underdog, and a few episodes in all the characters have displayed a surprising amount of depth. Don't let its children's show aesthetic fool you— this show is not afraid to show the dark and bloody aspects of its setting. Meanwhile 86 is just a flat out incredible war drama. The battles with the spider-mechs are top-class CGI; you can feel the weight of the metal as they scurry along the battlefield. The direction is great too, almost every single shot has a meaning attached to it. And the story, man, they nail the gravitas of the human cost of war.
I would say Mushoku Tensei is also one of the great shows this season, but it comes with a caveat. It has one of the most well-realized fantasy worlds out there. The attention to detail in the art and animation is exemplary. The big issue is that it's too horny. The sexual harassment is rampant. If you don't wanna deal with that degeneracy, Saihate no Paladin this cour is another good isekai that does away with the video game elements and focuses more on building a fantasy world. It's not as well-animated or directed as Mushoku Tensei (to be fair, few are) but it is solid throughout, and there's none of the offputting sexual harassment crap.
There's also Heike Monogatari, which has been a pretty good adaptation of the classic Japanese folk story from what I can tell; Isekai Shokudou which is a Food Porn anime that's secretly a fantasy worldbuilding series; Kyoukai Senki for classic 2d mecha action with a story cobbled from previous Sunrise mecha shows; Selection Project though having a mediocre story has topt-tier CG performances (you can check out on Youtube); Rumble Garanndoll is about mecha powered by otaku culture and that's just a premise I can't hate; and Lupin is still the wacky heist series it's popular for.
I actually am going to read the Blue Period manga now. The anime is decent by all means, but I can tell the manga will be something special, especially since this is a series that focuses on art and introspection. I still will continue the anime to its end, though. For My Senpai at Work is Annoying, that's one of those shows where I'm far more invested in the beta couple than the main one. Seriously, the main girl could be a high school girl and no one would bat an eye.
About Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu: There's touches of Critical Research Failure but for the most part the depiction of astronaut training is satisfactory. The real star of the show though is the tsundere vampire girl. She's really cute, and the show wants you to know it. The directions will often focus on her quirks and mannerisms. I rather like it, as a low-key romance.
Oh, and I've also dropped Shikizakura. Decent for what it is but ultimately nothing special for an action anime. The CG for the fights could use some work, and the characters are shallow.
From last season (Summer 2021):
- Sonny Boy: The surreal thinkpiece. A high school gets transported to another world, which apparently has qualms with standard reality. Watch it if you want something to chew on. Don't watch it if you want characters who act like people and not philosophy mouthpieces.
- Idaten Deities: Another rec with a caveat. Suffers the Mushoku Tensei problem— legitimately awesome action and story but riddled with various counts of sexual assault.
- Vanitas: I personally thought this was middling, but there's no denying this is polished Bones work.
- Kageki Shoujo: Follows a group of girls who enter a prestigious school for a theater troupe. Nice look into a Broadway-esque industry. Has lovely classic shoujo vibes. The main girl is a riot.
- Love Live Superstars: Falls a bit short of being my favorite Love Live, but nonetheless a fun romp of song and dance. Limiting the group to five girls also helps the story flesh them out more. I ended up loving the whole group instead of picking out two or three favorites.
- Realist Hero: Guy gets isekai'd and becomes ruler of the country. A very disorganized country, so he has his work cut out for him. Nice to watch even if the socioeconomics and politics are a bit dumbed down. Better than the usual power-fantasy mush.
- Kanojo mo Kanojo: Didn't actually watch this anime, but I hear it's a boisterous adaptation of the manga, which is a hilarious harem rom com between people with one brain cell per head.
- Aquatope: Middle of the pack as far as PA Works coming-of-age dramas go, but still might be worth a watch if you dug Hanasaku Iroha, Shirobako or Sakura Quest. This time around it's about an aquarium. My favorite part is seeing the animals. The fishies are adorable.
Edited by fillerdude on Nov 2nd 2021 at 9:53:10 AM
I'd recommend reading the kageki shoujo manga after the anime. The anime is a pretty good adaptation but for a lot of the early episodes the manga conveys things better and there a lot of cuts. Especially Sarasa's flashback episode, Akiya really suffered in the adaptation
I absolutely cannot help but adore handsome 2D boys
The i. one.
Only show I found not worth continuing was the assassin one, and picked up Kaginado since I somehow missed that and I'd hate to not see more Key Clannad and Kanon content. Still sticking with some bad shows, but at least those are entertainingly bad. Or it's Jobless Reincarnation, but I'm sure the fabled redemption that makes up for the rampant shittiness is coming any week now.
It's hard to pick a clear favourite this season. Komi and Annoying Senpai are both cute and funny, Digimon Ghost Game has been great and surprisingly creepy at times (how did they go from 66 boring episodes of a badly remade show, straight to actual effort?), Sakugan's been a wild, fun ride, Faraway Paladin has been surprisingly engaging... and then there's long-runners to consider.
Judging by the post, most of your recommendations won't fit in this case.
I personally stopped recommending anything myself. When you have a pretty specific preferences, it is hard to suggest something to other people.
I initially dismissed it for looking like yet another op potato-kun gets kicked out by irrationally assholish party members when he's actually the best thing ever and all the girls want to ride him and all the guys love him type story (and to an extent, it is) but banished from the heroes party seems to actually be more thought out story wise than I initially assumed.
I absolutely cannot help but adore handsome 2D boys
Mid-Season Reactions:
86 2nd Cour: It's mostly the usual since last season except the stakes have expanded.
Blue Period: When fine art meets a coming-of-age story. I would pick up the manga, but maybe after this is all done and only if i have any free time... Must it suck to be an anime-only? Also, it's pretty hard to talk about Ayukawa...
Jahy-sama: New OP and ED, new charas, but it's the usual hijinx. Nice to wake up to, I guess...
Mieruko-chan: The start may have been iffy, but it was able to deliver some scary moments.
Sankaku Mado: A bit iffy BL-wise, but supernatural-wise, it's pretty decent. The recent episode has given out a lot on Hiyakawa, so it looks like things are gonna get more interesting soon.
Tsuki to Laika: Vampire anime with drama not really close to the Cold War but instead is closer to a slice-of-life bordering on mystery.
Edited by thuse on Nov 8th 2021 at 2:25:51 AM
It is pretty strange when your most enjoyable series in the season are 3 sequels (one of which is a food-porn and one is a short ecchi romcom), one take-out So L from the Summer season and one isekai.
Talking about myself just in case.
Edited by Nachtwandler on Nov 7th 2021 at 4:17:41 AM
Mid-Season Reactions:
Denchi Shoujo: Mecha dystopia with Japanese Pop Culture as the resistance. I mostly liked Rin's part while Yuki's part was rather tame; though at least I see the power of idol culture. Can't wait to see the last battery girl in the trio!
Sugu Shinu: A vampire anime that really got me laughing, especially in the first episodes (even if the jokes get stale by the episode).
takt op.Destiny: A music anime that's really taking its time...
SCARLET NEXUS 2nd cour: The plot seems to be converging towards the end already, though that's all I can say about that...
Aquatope 2nd cour: Adventures in Tingarla! New charas, new setting, but the same slice of life as the last cour. Thank heavens shipping couldn't be at issue here!
Ousama Ranking: Easily the Dark Horse of Fall! Plus, with manga scans behind the anime as far as I know, I believe the hype would continue on for a while!
Platinum End: It may not be Death Note, but it still packs the ethics questions as hard as DN had!
Visual Prison: At this point, I'm staying for the aesthetic since the music is a fundamental Pandora's box of controversy.
Isekai Shokudou 2: It's the usual but wih more charas.
Saihate no Paladin: So far, it's been pretty calm on my end... I really don't get how this has the potential of a tearjerker...
Edited by thuse on Nov 14th 2021 at 2:47:32 AM
You'd be completely incorrect, but the story does adhere to the suffering Miko formula the first few parts. I won't try to convince you to keep watching week by week because I certainly wouldn't but I also feel it's best for me to at least clarify that it very much does get an overarching story outside of its gimmick.
I absolutely cannot help but adore handsome 2D boys