What Anime are you Currently Watching?/Anime Recommendations

[samsonlonghair]

I've been watching a bunch of Inu Yasha lately.

[darsparx]

I've been watching a bunch of Inu Yasha lately.

Yes!!!! I freaking need to go back and finish that one. They played it too late on Toonami for me to watch it fully. I'll finish it one of these days though one of many series I love especially for the fact it doesn't shun from the culture even in the NA releases...

[Exhuminator]

Master Keaton | 1998-2000 | 39eps | 10/10

Taichi Hiraga-Keaton is an insurance investigator working for Lloyd's of London. He has some unique qualifications that make him an ideal candidate for the job. A degree in archeology from Oxford University, and a stint in the British Army as an SAS survival instructor. Considering Keaton often has to investigate dangerous situations and unsavory characters, involving archaic treasures, these skills come in handy. But sometimes his investigations take him on more personal and low key journeys. No matter what the case, Keaton's adventures are always, without fail, entertaining and a joy to watch.



The recipe for success starts with Keaton himself. A very well defined character, the viewer is given just enough backstory to make him believable. He's half Japanese, half English. He's divorced with a young adult daughter. He has a strained but amusing relationship with his father. And so it goes, with further details making Keaton seem like a living breathing person, and not just another anime stereotype. And the same goes for all the regulars in his world. This is an involving and wholly realistic anime.



It's also an extremely well written one. Every episode is unique, meaning each episode tells an individual story*. Having to tell a complete self contained tale in one episode alone means all the fat is cut. The pacing of each episode is therefore tight and fluid, with each tale intriguing on its own. Dialogue flows naturally and believably, with an English dub that is astronomically well done. This is the best dub for an anime series I've ever heard, and I've been watching anime for almost thirty years.



Keaton's investigations occur throughout Europe and the Middle East. Each locale feels legitimate, with fine attention to detail and local customs. The show's animation is clean and hand drawn, animated well. Backgrounds are painted with distinguished effort, making each a wholly palpable set-piece. Every time you watch Keaton go on an adventure, you feel like you're right there with him. The sense of immersion and atmosphere in Master Keaton is second to none.



If you can't tell by now, I absolutely LOVED this show. Master Keaton is 39 episodes long, and I watched all of them in less than four days. I haven't binged on a series like that since I watched Berserk back in 2008. Master Keaton is top tier, masterpiece 10/10 anime. For me it's life affirming stuff. Holy shit balls did I adore this show. And it doesn't even have one drop of the usual guilty pleasures I seek like panty shots and crazy gore. This is a family friendly show, and I would let kids watch it in a heartbeat. Yes there's something for everyone in Master Keaton, a master class of the anime medium. It reminded me why I still love anime after all these years. Bravo.

More information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Keaton

*Except for the final two episodes.

[Xeogred]

10/10? Wow.

So if you like episodic stuff, you should check out Golgo 13 (the TV series) and the whole City Hunter franchise. I'd personally put those both above Master Keaton. Doesn't get much better than City Hunter!

And you've seen Monster right? Same creator as Keaton, far more serious though. He also did Yawara... about judo haha. That one was okay, took me awhile to finish.

[Michi]

Naoki Urasawa does good stuff. You guys read 20th Century Boys? I'm working my way through the books. I'm really enjoying it. Kind of mind blowing he was working on 20th and Monster at the same time.

[Exhuminator]

So if you like episodic stuff, you should check out Golgo 13 (the TV series) and the whole City Hunter franchise. I'd personally put those both above Master Keaton. Doesn't get much better than City Hunter!

I've seen the Golgo 13 movies, but not the TV series. I plan to check it out. But I guess I'll get into City Hunter first. I've seen one of the City Hunter OVAs, but not any of the TV series. I'll have to give the series a shot too.

And you've seen Monster right?

I have seen the entirety of the Monster anime. I enjoyed it, but I enjoyed Master Keaton more. I should point out that Master Keaton was mostly written by Hokusei Katsushika and Takashi Nagasaki. Naoki Urasawa was responsible for the artwork primarily.

[strangenova]

Found the original Ghost in the Shell at Walmart today in the 5 dollar rack. It's been a decade since I've watched this movie. About to pop it in.

[darsparx]

@strange huh I really ought to start doing that too...I keep forgetting about that rack there. It's not like many anime shows and movies are on itunes or google play >_>

(unless you want to talk about stuff funimation owns the rights to)

[strangenova]

@strange huh I really ought to start doing that too...I keep forgetting about that rack there. It's not like many anime shows and movies are on itunes or google play >_>

(unless you want to talk about stuff funimation owns the rights to)

Yeah sometimes I find worthwhile dvds at walmart. I found Summer Wars a few years ago on the shelf and thought it looked interesting, was not disappointed.

[samsonlonghair]

OK, I'm burned out on Inu Yahsa. I've been watching for weeks now, and the show is seriously starting to drag. This happens to me every time. I love Inu Yasha at first. It seems so fun and fast-paced with plenty of interesting characters... who never change. It's outrageous the first time Miroku the perverted monk grabs a woman by the ass; it's droll the hundredth time.

There's a problem with long anime series that I call the "Yu Yu Hakusho" effect. The series starts out with a lot of story arcs that tell a concise story. Then things slow down. Anime time decompresses. It's the fourteenth round of the dark tournament. The Planet Namek will explode in five minutes. Let's go searching for Sasuke. Darn, Naraku got away again.*Yawn*.

The story of Inu Yasha has remained stagnant for the last twenty episodes. Naraku is on the move. He sends one of his minions to fight Inu Yasha et all. Kagome feels jealous of Kikyo. Miroku feels Sango's butt. Inu Yasha uses the Wind Scar. Naraku's henchman retreats to fight another day. Lather; rinse; repeat.

This is anime ennui.

I'm taking a break from Inu Yasha.