Free!

[Kött]

Don't watch an anime labeled Free! Don't do it nigga!

[Kött]

Animation's pretty damn superb... other than that it looks like it's going to be a typical shouned sports anime.
Friendship breaks due shark guy moving away. Shark guy comes back and turns out to be the rival. Group wins in the end (probably because of some freestyle technique of dolphin guy/row, row, fight the power) and they somehow make up.

My conclusion is: Fuck dolphins

Why, kyoani?

[BluPhoenix]

every time i try to watch the first episode on crunchyroll, the thing freezes at 10 seconds where the shot is positioned right at the swimmer's crotch

i have reason to believe this show is trying to tell me something

[rtil]

http://www.nyaa.eu/?page=view&tid=448961

[rtil]

episode 2 explained a lot stuff that seemed ridiculous in the 1st episode. it seems to be going in a good direction

[lasse]

did it explain why they made free instead of something worth watching?

[BluPhoenix]

because all of the other summer slots were already taken by tits

[rtil]

did it explain why they made free instead of something worth watching?

2 episodes in free! already has more of a plot than tamako market in its entirety so technically yes

[lasse]

yeah this really hasnt been kyoani's year

[rtil]

yes they have set one up that has potential. but knowing kyoani i will hold my judgement on that until they actually flesh out the rest of the season. it could end up going absolutely nowhere.

[Kött]

Just watch their old Stuff... Kanon 2006, Clannad, Nichijou, FMP Fumoffu and Haruhi are amazing for very different reasons. They have shown more than once that they can produce a good show... it's just that most of their recent stuff has been pretty mediocre due to the lack of certain elements...

[rtil]

haruhi was profoundly mediocre, except for the movie. first season was good.. not great. can't even imagine anyone defending the 2nd season in their right mind. what a waste of time.

haven't seen kanon or clannad, but nichijou is pretty funny although the humor doesn't translate well to other cultures sometimes. fmp fumoffu is the only season of fmp worth watching but that's not saying much.

tamako market was a let down, but chuunibyou and hyouka are good examples of more recent successful kyoani shows - especially hyouka. their animation, atmosphere and storytelling all came together, and it felt like kyoani finally perfected what they're good at.

hyouka tends to get overlooked and i think that's a mistake. i'd like to see more hyouka material as there are more LN's that have been written. but i know kyoani has a reputation for never going back to old material so i guess 2 seasons is all we'll ever get.

[lasse]

kyoani has a reputation for never going back to old material

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! season 2 Teaser

[rtil]

kyoani has a reputation for never going back to old material

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! season 2 Teaser

pls read

old material

chuuni s2 & the movie were announced ~5 months after it aired. i wouldn't consider 2 seasons ago "old"

[Kött]

haruhi was profoundly mediocre, except for the movie. first season was good.. not great. can't even imagine anyone defending the 2nd season in their right mind. what a waste of time.

It's one of the most elaborate trolls ever... but essentially you are right.

haven't seen kanon or clannad

To be perfectly honest, Kanon is corny as fuck but it has some nice twists and some lovely heartwarming/sad moments.
Clannad is one of the most epic animes ever made and probably the best VN adaptation so far. It needs quite a while until it gets to the really interestinhg points/picks up the pace but when the time comes it will be one of the most impressive emotional roller coasters in form of a tv series you will ever have watched. Just believe me, it's fucking worth it.

Nichijou is pretty funny although the humor doesn't translate well to other cultures sometimes.

Ye

tamako market was a let down, but chuunibyou and hyouka are good examples of more recent successful kyoani shows - especially hyouka. their animation, atmosphere and storytelling all came together, and it felt like kyoani finally perfected what they're good at.

hyouka tends to get overlooked and i think that's a mistake. i'd like to see more hyouka material as there are more LN's that have been written. but i know kyoani has a reputation for never going back to old material so i guess 2 seasons is all we'll ever get.

Still need to watch that one...

fmp fumoffu is the only season of fmp worth watching but that's not saying much.

It's not my favorite KyoAni work either but it's one of the very few if not the only spinoff that is rated way better than the original in several communities. If that's not much then I dunno...

Bottom line: Fucking watch Clannad!

[BluPhoenix]

i tried watching clannad

but then the eyes

[lasse]

bottom bottom line: clannad is really bad

[rtil]

i will at least give clannad the three episode rule

[Kött]

i tried watching clannad

but then the eyes

i will at least give clannad the three episode rule

Clannad and Kanon both were shows that I was extremely skeptical about in the beginning and they do need time to reach their climaxes. Especially the introductory phase takes its time and the character design (freaking big and sparkling eyes) is for some reason one of the biggest turn-offs for most people who drop it, which I honestly don't get since it's nothing but a visual detail that does not tell anything about the quality of the story or the show itself. There are way worse flaws regarding character's appearence in other relatively popular shows such as the almost anorexic and extremely androgynous male heroes in Code Geass, but that's just my opinion.

However, the animation is just lovely and in terms of romance, drama and character development, it's definitely one of the best shows ever and I'm not just saying this because I feel that way but because it's one of the best rated titles on the top-lists of nearly every large online communities (and by that I am especially referring to After Story). And that has its reasons...
Besides, considering how much you enjoyed Katawa Shoujou, I'm pretty sure you won't dislike the way Clannad (and Kanon, but fuck that for now) are built up on separate arks while still advancing the main story.

I don't even know why I'm telling you this as three episodes should be enough to convince you, considering you somehow made it through Tamako Market... but ye, ignore the eyes and watch the whole thing. It's pretty good.

[rtil]

visual details are a big deal in animated features because they're animated. the art is an important part of telling a good story. if the art sucks, you lose visual impact. that's half of the battle.

and it doesn't help that the eyes are the "key to the soul". eyes are the first thing people tend to look at in a character. in clannad, their eyes are not only abnormally large, but are wilted to the side and extremely far apart. it's unintentionally funny looking to say the least. i think it would be more acceptable if the overall style was more exaggerated and silly (like shin chan or something), but it comes off like a failed attempt at sickening cuteness.