Rage of Bahamut: Manaria Friends

I'm really looking forward to this one ven if it's completely different to Genesis and Virgin Soul
 
I think I've seen somewhere that it's gonna be in short form so I don't think there is much to look forward to, not that I would've assumed that turning a show which's main appeal is high fantasy action into a magic school would anything to look forward to anyway.
 
Loved the first episode. I get the feeling this one's gonna be overlooked because it's a bit plain thus far, but it's got good graphics and decent characters so far. Hoping the character evolution and plotline later on will make up what it's missing, but as the episodes will likely all be around 12 minutes, I don't want to get my hopes too high.
 
Episode 1

This show was pretty much a CGDCT anime but boy it sure was adorable. Also the animation was spectacular and the yrui subtext was definitely appreciated. I really looking forward to the next ep.

On a silly note, am I the only one who thought of Skyrim's trailer when Grea said she was a dragonborn? XD
 
Someone somewhere mentioned this being one of the gayest things this season by the most recent episode. Is that true?
 
Episode 1:
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First date. What a pair of cuties. Also, that glass with metal inclusions? is really cool. The first episode was pretty good, we saw Grea waiting for Anne all morning-evening which lets us know how much they value and rely on each other. We'll see this, but from Anne's side, on Episode 4.
 
Episode 2:
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I wonder what they're drinking in those glasses. Strawberry juice?
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What. a. good. illustration.
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Bad liar. Gay as fuck.
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Here, too, we are shown how much Anne cares for Grea. She went around the forbidden parts of the library and spent all day trying to find a cure for Grea's illness. After all, it wasn't an illness, she was just shedding dragonskin. She grew up. It's weird that that doesn't amount to it being her birthday? I don't know. But, anyways, Anne regretted that: "I would have stayed with you, had I known that!"
 
Episode 3:
It was fun watching Grea and Anne on a date, of course. It was also fun seeing them try new clothes. Also, Grea is a shy baby.
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But she's STRONG.
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Grea likes sweet things, so does Anne, she said in Episode 1 (and she likes Grea, so no doubt). So that won't be coffee.
Also, we see the outskirts? of town, and some scenery, which is beautiful and always welcome. More to come in episode 4! The soundtrack is really warm and calming, too.
 
Episode 4:
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The paralells were really good. Anne missed Grea a great deal, and she shows it in her emotions a lot, really a lot. She is one to speak about her emotions and feelings, too, and so she tells Grea, flustered, that she missed her. Grea, too, felt the same way. But she isn't as expressive or outgoing as Anne, and has a hard time dealing with her own emotions, choosing to re-treat to comfort sometimes. The soundtrack was soothing. Great episode.
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Bonus ship.
 
Eps. 1-6:

I have really enjoyed the anime adaptations of the Rage of Bahamut game, so when I saw they were making another, I was interested. Manaria Friends is very different story-wise than the main series, but it still has the beautiful animation and well developed fantasy setting and characters that I've come to expect. I was tempted to drop it when I realized it focused on girls (I'm not a fan of girl-centric shows, I like my boys), but it has been so adorable that I really don't mind.

One other thing that has been interesting to me is the fanservice- the male gaze is very obvious in the camera angles and how it lovingly pans up the girls bodies, and yet, somehow, I don't mind it. I'm quite used to anime fanservice at this point, but hearing a guy's ecchi voiceover gets pretty old pretty quickly. There's none of that here- the camera does its work silently, and you're left to take it how you like. If there's gonna be fanservice, this is the way I like it. It feels less forced, and much less annoying.

Anne and Grea are an interesting pair. I like both of them pretty well, and it's interesting to see how they work together. And, can I say, I just love Anne's bodyguard; it's so hilarious seeing him just chilling in the background- his silent omnipresence is both realistic, and yet, amusing.

Even with short episodes and a more relaxed and comedic tone than the main series, this show has proven to be quite enjoyable. And the music is good too.
 
This thing has some of the best animation scenes I've seen this year... but deeply lacks in character development and overall plot.
No villain? No journey? When is Anne going to throw Grea into mount Doom?

 
Yes I know. For people who do not understand german words it may be cool, but for the people who can it is a pure alienation. To give attacks German meals as a name is simply stupid. An ice prison called Eisbein (Ice leg)? An attack that summons a knight called a Schweinehaxe (pig's thigh)? Where do you see a f****** Pig? And I thought that the anime with the fight scenes could be interesting now ... This Anime is boring. I dont like the characters and i really love dragons but... no ... no. I hope the next episodes will be better otherwise the anime is unfortunately a mistake for me. But hey, the animations are great and i'm happy that it gives not a opening that steals time too.
 
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Polarfuchs said:
For people who do not understand german words it may be cool, but for the people who can it is a pure alienation. To give attacks German meals as a name is simply stupid. An ice prison called Eisbein (Ice leg)? An attack that summons a knight called a Schweinehaxe (pig's thigh)?
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Bahaha! This just made my day. I know some German, but to be honest, I wasn't really paying attention to the attack names, although I did wonder what a pig had to do with anything. However, if the attack names are all German foods, I can't help but think that the creators did it on purpose for laughs. Either that, or they just thought they sounded cool. Wouldn't be the first time that's been done in an anime. Would have been funnier if Anne was a big meat eater, though.

I do understand this not being for everyone though. There have been some anime that I found it hard to get past the ridiculous names- Japan seems to think foreign words sound cool, regardless of meaning and sometimes it just doesn't work too well.
 
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