What series are people currently watching?

[ER-nut]

Originally Posted by SUPERFISH5000

Indeed, it seems to command relatively high prices these days (£25 for the UK release on amazon :/ ). I managed to pick up the Shinkai collection right before it went OOP. Fanatastic set of movies

The prices right now is ridiculous, but they are terrific movies as you say

[Psychojon]

Originally Posted by silentNate

Finally caught up with Another... I just don't get why people aren't raving about this more!

After a slow start it has really ramped up the ante!!

Oh my surprise of the season right now has been Another!
Thinking it was just going to be some slice of life anime with some horror-fan kids, I was completely knocked for six by what it acutally is: It's pure terror!

To compare it to existing horror movies would probably do it a diservice and also spoil things that develop further down the line but needless to say this is a form of Japanese horror that really benefits from being an on-going series.

You see, there's normally a few things that get in the way of most horror films from being truly horrible and most of them have to do with the limitations created by the runtime.

1) Character development:
Normally films don't have enough time to flesh out all the characters that take part.

That usually means that screen time is taken away from those who aren't going to live later on and a disproportionate amount goes to those that will.

This reduces most of the cast then to fodder-class characatures, archtypes and stereotypes. How many times have you seen a character introduced and within one bad line of dialogue figured out "Yeah, you're going to die horribly soon"?

At the same time the extra limelight the survivors get tends to take away any suspense over their life expectancy. Also if you're spending any of that time on fleshing out the big bad then the good guys can be reduced to bland mary sues who you wish did die.

2) Build up:
Whether it is for the ultimate big reveal regarding the big bad or the big secret of the story, there is only so much time you can afford to give to the build up of these and normally one has to take priority over the rest.

It's a double-edged sword since the more build up you have the better the payoff has to be to match it and also if a major development doesn't have a fitting build up it doesn't work either.

Individual deaths require a build up time too. While there can be some shocks gained from sudden deaths, normally a death scene for a character requires some dramatic build up (possibly foreshadowing) and then payoff

The more personality a character has been afforded the more build up tends to be require for their death whereas the cattle-class fodder characters I mentioned before can be culled at the drop of a hat... often stupidly too.

3) Closure:
Horror stories also tend to lose their terror-inducing qualities once the story finds some resolution and a return to the normal world.

Some films play on this fact by adding an extra twist in the ending or by otherwise deliberately denying closure and often it is these films that are the most well remembered.

In an episodic TV format you can keep the audience hanging maintain that tension by just leaving things open till the next chapter.

Cliff-hangers are okay for one episode but often come with closure when it is answered by the next ep whilst drip feeding story revelations keep up the tension and expand the story universe in the Mystery Box style favored by JJ Abrahms.

In short: NAIL BITING SUSPENSE, ATMOSPHERE AND TENSION.

As for Another, I'd have to say the thing that really gets me right now is the sound. That background noise! It's like a little Japanese school has landed in Silent Hill.

[silentNate]

Nice post Psychojon, glad to see I'm not the only one loving Another this season

[Ogriv83]

Currently watching both Clannad and Naruto Ship. and rewatching FMA:Brotherhood.

[Necro]

yay for clannad love

Only a few more episodes left of Geass R2 to go (still loving the suspense even though I know what's gonna happen) and then I'll (finally!) watch Madoka.

[Ogriv83]

Clannad has really captivated me. Can really see the similarity in story telling to Air. I'm yet to watch Kanon but assume as its by the same guys will be up to the same high standard.

[Necro]

It's a beautiful series drenched in sadness come After Story.

Finished R2 and started with Madoka. Protip: don't watch it with a headache, the visuals will just screw with you and make it worse.

[ussjtrunks]

Clannad is the only tv series to ever make me cry lol , Been re-watching fairy tail on BD and its so awesome

[silentNate]

Originally Posted by Ogriv83

Clannad has really captivated me. Can really see the similarity in story telling to Air. I'm yet to watch Kanon but assume as its by the same guys will be up to the same high standard.

Air is such a sad series

Not seen Clannad but if it's anything like Air I'll have to check it out

[SUPERFISH5000]

Finished Gasaraki, it was a good little mecha series but nothing mind blowing.

Started watching Freedom on BD. It's pretty damn cool.

[Psychojon]

If you liked the story telling of Key works like Clannad and Kannon then you should get a kick out of Angel Beats since it had the same writer.

As for Gasaraki, the military focus on mecha is great and the mysticism makes things quite uniquely Japanese but there is a little bit left to be desired about the characters since they don't have too much personality-wise. The last episode was also a bit underwhelming in a "post Evangelion" sort of way.

Code Geass had similar mechanical designs and tactics (at least at the start) but has a really colourful cast. Both shows had Goro Taniguchi on board but I think in Gasaraki he was only assistant director.

[ER-nut]

Watched Summer Wars, was absolutely fantastic. Worth watching for the art along... but that would be highly under-estimating the film.

Basically, if you ain't seen it yet, go fix that as soon as possible

[Necro]

I was very pleasantly surprised by Summer Wars. I got the blu-ray alongside The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, as the dual pack was only available at the time, and I didn't particularly know or care about it. The picture of King Kazuma put me off as well (look odd). However I watched it for the hell of it and really, really enjoyed it. Brilliant film.

In other news, I'm slipping behind due to a mix of "CBA Syndrome" and Katawa Shojou.

[ER-nut]

I was aware of Summer Wars but I only picked it up because I found it cheaply online, very glad I made that order. I could go on for hours about it.

Anyway, i've been lagging behind on Nichijou, so I watched a few more episodes today and thought to myself "and why did you leave this for some days? It's brilliant!"

[silentNate]

I've had Summer Wars for awhile but for some reason it will play on our main puter but not on the one I use most of the time

Watching the highly recommended Ben-To and I have to say I haven't laughed so much for a long time. Waiting for episode 11 of Another and still slowly plodding through the awesome Mirai Nikki