Animu

Being a place for the planning of communal anime viewing.

Autumn 2017 Planning

• Action: Kekkai Sensen & Beyond
• Sci-fi & General 1 & 2: (in some permutation yet to be determined)
  • Children of the Wales / クジラの子らは砂上に歌う
  • Houseki no Kuni - 宝石の国 - Land of the Lustrous
  • Made in Abyss
• Comedy: ???
• Drama: March comes in like a Lion S2
• Extras: Fireball Humourous (Only 3 episodes, 5 minutes each)

Other ideas discussed:

• Seiren - セイレン
• Ancient Magus' Bride - Mahoutsukai no Yome - 魔法使いの嫁
• Urahara
• Girls' Last Tour - 少女終末旅行 - Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou
• Food Wars - Shokugeki no Soma
• Kobayashi-san's Dragon Maid
• Non Non Biyori
• Minami-ke
• Barakamon
• Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru
• ...?

End of Summer Plan

• Nov 29th: No "March comes in like a Lion", double up Princess Principal
• Dec 13th: Start next season of March, final episode of Bahamut
• Dec 20th: Final episodes of slot 2-5, including doubled up ID-0

(Meaning slots 1-5 start simultaneously in the new year, running alongside 20 remaining episodes of March S2)

Informal planning principles

• None of this is absolute. These are guidelines only and if following them would mean watching bad shows and not watching good shows then we will overrule them
• We watch about 2:30 each week - normally 6 normal-length TV episodes from 6 different shows (watching each show from start to finish at one episode per week)
  • If a significant number of attendees will miss one or two meetings (e.g. during holiday periods) we set aside the regular schedule and show "specials" instead.
• We try to group the schedule into "seasons" (i.e. start and finish a group of shows at the same time) to provide some structure and (at least theoretically) to give newcomers a reasonable point at which to join.
  • Seasons are long enough to complete a "short" show (i.e. 12 or 13 weeks) and do not necessarily align with calendar seasons
  • We aim to start shows when they are still airing, but after enough episodes have aired to reasonably evaluate them (usually three or four)
  • Seasons are named on this page after the "anime season" from which shows could have appeared in that season
    • i.e. if we start a season just before spring ends and summer begins (or even after a few summer episodes have aired, but not enough for summer shows to be considered for the schedule), we will call that season "spring"
    • i.e. at any given time we may be up to a season "behind realtime"
• Avoid falling into a rut
  • We try to enforce a mix of genres by using "slots"
    • Approximate slots
      • Action and/or general fast-paced
      • Sci-Fi
      • General, faster and/or more serious
      • General or sports, slower and/or more lighthearted
      • Comedy
      • Romance and/or drama
  • Slot order is so that the tonal arc of the evening makes some sense
    • This sounds really wishy-washy, but at the same time it genuinely is surprisingly important - we've had meetings where we watched things in the "wrong" order for technical reasons and it didn't go well
  • We can skip, reassign or "fudge" a slot if there really are no good shows in that genre that season, but we should be very wary if we find ourselves repeatedly skipping the same slot
  • "Current" shows generally take priority over older shows
    • If there are not enough schedule-quality shows then we look to recent shows that we considered schedule-quality but did not make the schedule in a previous season, and/or to "classic" shows
• Try to reach a consensus but also to broaden our horizons
  • We largely rely on attendees watching at least the first few episodes of a show and then proposing it for the schedule
  • We try to avoid scheduling a show that any attendee strenuously objects to
    • This is not absolute, particularly if there are enough "vetos" to make it difficult to assemble a schedule at all
• We would prefer to air a show that some love and others dislike (though not hate) than one that everyone is "meh" about
  • This is not to say that shows have to be controversial or provocative (though at the same time we don't shy away from such shows)
    • There is plenty of space for a well-crafted "safe" show, just not for a mediocre one.
    • Shows that are ambitious will ideally be given slightly more leeway regarding weaknesses in other areas.
      • But only slightly.
  • Conversely shows that are content to remain within their genre ("if you want x you know where to find it") will ideally be held to a slightly higher standard.
• We call shows that two or more people supported and no-one strenuously objected to "schedule-worthy" and list them separately below
  • Experience suggests that we will most likely air them sooner or later
  • This is solely as a matter of practicality; it doesn't imply any firm commitment
• We can and do drop shows partway through, even partway through a season, but only when there is a firm consensus for doing so
  • Generally if even one attendee was still enjoying a given show we would not drop it
• The host retains an absolute veto over anything they find genuinely objectionable
  • i.e. not just shows I don't like

Future possibilities

Shows that we considered schedule-worthy

• Minami-ke (not exactly supported per se, but a fallback comedy option)
• The Legend of Korra
  • Mixed feelings. Episode 1 was painful, Korra is like another Subaru at the beginning. Fortunately they ease off the "this character is naive due to her upbringing and we need to show it" pretty quickly. Seems like it could have some promise, but the plot development seems very formulaic ("Introduce Heroine. Introduce Teacher. Inevitable heroine/teacher conflict. Introduce allies. Introduce nemesis.") - does it manage to grow beyond this? Also a bit wary of another year-long show. --maxb
    • Does it ever cease being a fantasy adventure show? No, at least not in the part I've seen. Does it get into more complex/ambiguous territory, develop meaningful longer-term arcs, and go beyond simplistic good vs evil? Yes, absolutely. (And Korra does suffer for her mistakes and start to learn from them - she'll always be headstrong but not to the point of incompetence the way she is in the first few episodes)
• Have some reservations about immediately diving into this right after FMAB but I could be persuaded. -MP
  • Have already seen season 1, but would be super enthusiastic for this. - maria
• Ore Monogatari (24)
  • An unconventional romance, with lots of storytelling to do along the way, and some comedy moments. Though the subject matter is completely different, the viewing experience feels a bit like Shirayuki-hime - there is a continuity, but it's very episodic. --maxb
• Gundam Unicorn (7) (really awkward to fit in a schedule, but I've heard so much good about it)
• Chihayafuru S2
  • How many of us have seen S1? I support Chihayafuru as a great show, but feel that people watching S2 without having seen S1 would be missing out on a lot. --maxb
  • I have not seen Chihayafuru and am unlikely to watch it in my own time. --YYY
• Hellsing Ultimate
  • Almost-veto from Mark, and awkward to fit into a schedule. (10 x double-length episodes)

Proposals which have not been fully evaluated

• Barakamon (12)
  • Original suggestion was from YYY, I believe
    • Slice of life/comedy/drama about Tokyo calligrapher sent to live in remote Japanese island. --YYYY
• Seems promising, based on reading a review. --maxb
• White Album 2
  • The "2" refers to it being the second anime in that setting, but the storyline is entirely independent. The extent of the overlap is that the protagonists like the same pieces of music.
  • Caution: Mild spoilers exist in some episode titles.
  • A difficult show to comment on without spoilers. I watched it after having its soundtrack turn up on Google Play Music, and then seeing it turn up in an "if you liked 'Your Lie in April' you might like". In retrospect I should have thought a little more about why it was there. Let's just say the ending isn't all sunshine and happiness and leave it at that. I really liked some parts, and the bits I didn't like I still found sufficiently compelling that I stayed up way too late watching the second half of the series all the way through to the end. Whilst I'm not happy with the chosen direction of the plot, I admire the narrative craft. In the words of http://kotaku.com/white-album-2-is-one-of-last-season-s-hidden-gems-1541072591 (which, if you read, you really need to obey the instructions to skip sections containing spoilers): "If you need a serious romantic drama in your life, there are few better emotional rollercoasters in recent anime than White Album 2. Just don’t expect to come out of it feeling happy and fulfilled." --maxb
• Sabagebu!
  • Comedy about high school survival game club. -YYY
  • Watched episode 1. Feeling mostly neutral about it: it was kind of amusing at times, but sometimes felt like just a bunch of gags pasted together into makeshift plot. --maxb
  • Started episode 1, it didn't really hold my attention --lmm
• Non Non Biyori
  • I enjoyed the first episode up to a point, but don't really feel the need to see more - it was somewhat amusing but ideally we'd find better things for the schedule --lmm
    • Oh, it's not your suggestion originally (as the wiki history would imply) ? --maxb
      • I suggested when we were brainstorming at dinner, on the grounds that CUAMS had watched it.
• Very much iyashikei but has some comedic moments. I loved it but I don't think it's everyone's cuppa. --YYY
  • I watched season 1, it was pleasant. --maxb
  • I don't think Non Non Biyori should go in the comedy slot because half of the audience will be bored to tears. - YYY
  • I feel that after two seasons of Rabbit, we're due a change of pace from "girls do everyday stuff in their picturesque town", but that Non Non Biyori could still be a good slot 5 in the future. --maxb
• Kaiba - older but it seems most of us haven't seen it, and I could stand to watch it again --lmm
  • Watching that scene once in company was enough. It's a good show but I'm not super enthused. - MP
  • The art style leaves me deeply unenthused. (Watched PV and a few minutes of ep 1) --maxb
• New Game! (ニューゲーム Nyū Gēmu)
  • Cute girls designing cute vidya characters. -YYY
  • Seen, liked, would watch again. --maxb
  • Watched one episode - seems fun, would watch more. - maria
  • There are now two seasons, but season 1 comfortably stands alone. Season 2 was a fun chance to revisit the characters, but would probably seem a bit same-y if watched consecutively with season 1. --maxb
• Poco's Udon World (うどんの国の金色毛鞠 Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari)
  • Another propaganda anime for raising birth rates in Japan. Guy from Tokyo goes back to hometown, finds and takes care of a young boy who is actually a tanuki. Hijinks ensue. Also, first anime I've seen with a Maserati in it. -YYY
• Mirai Nikki
  • Apparently, not enough people in this group have seen it. - AIM
• Seiren セイレン
  • A school rom-com on the silly side. More amusement than actual romance. The male protagonist is a bit of a bland nothing character, but I think that's basically the point - he's just there to enable the shenanigans. This is the show doing three 4-episode arcs each with a different girl - though, it seems the girls are going to occasionally cross into each other's stories. To my mind this is more slot 4/5 material than slot 6. --maxb
    • Retrospective thoughts: Male protagonist did actually turn into some semblance of an actual character by the end. This was a very fun series. The final episode ended up more in the romance genre, but I'd still try to get this into the comedy slot if we don't have a better contender.
• Made in Abyss
  • A journey by two children into a seemingly bottomless pit, with danger increasing with depth.
  • Seen it, liked it. Not suitable for young children. -- AIM
  • Final episode is double length
• The Ancient Magus' Bride / Mahoutsukai no Yome
  • 24 episodes
  • Current season
  • Fantasy storytelling
  • Bit too early to tell how well it's going to turn out, but seems potentially promising. --maxb
• Kobayashi-san's Dragon Maid 小林さんちのマイドラゴン
  • A light-hearted series with an underlying theme of interpersonal relationships improving people's (and dragons') lives. Best last episode that I've seen for a long time. --maxb
• Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma - 食戟のソーマ
  • An all time personal top 5 favourite. The protagonist attends a school of gourmet cookery... except it's a wild hyper-competitive school where much of the class isn't even expected to make it to graduation, and disputes are settled with cooking duels. Fun characterization. Slight issue with pacing, in that season 1 ends after the preliminary rounds of a tournament arc, leaving the finals to happen in season 2 - that was a bit of a shock on first watching, but having re-watched it, I think it does work OK. --maxb
  • Fun tournament-type show. Some fanservice kind of grates. Not as keen as Max is myself. -MP

Special candidates

• Gunbuster
• Garakowa: Restore the World - a 1h film from Winter 2016, pretty, good music, and interesting enough, though did leave me questioning why they handled the pacing the way they did. --maxb
• Initial D Legend (a reboot/retelling of the start of the story with better animation - first one watched already)
• TO 2 (Symbiotic Planet) since we watched the first? --lmm

History

Animu/History