DAT: People were not joking when they said the censorship in World's End Harem was horrendous: Spoiler I've seen bad censorship before, but this is easily the worst thing I've ever seen, even worse than Terra Formars. It's like someone went into MS paint and scribbled over everything.
This is opportune for me to ask if you don't mind me asking because I brought G Gundam out of my stalled list just last night to finish and it's my first Gundam. What are some other good Gundams for me to sink my teeth into as a Gundam newbie? I know G is really its own thing separate from the rest of the franchise and I've been advised before that 00 and Iron-Blooded Orphans are good standalone entries, but wasn't sure if there were better places to start. I doubt I'll ever watch the whole franchise between the two timelines but I'd definitely interested to see some of the best there is to offer. I just learned this recently as well when Youtubers were busting out new Bebop analyses in lieu of the Netflix series. One detail I didn't pick up on is most of Watanabe's anime all use wulongs as the currency. So I think Space Dandy was also in like the far future of Bebop's universe or something like that. EDIT: DAT: Scott Pilgrim is getting a Netflix anime >Bryan Lee O’Malley, Pilgrim’s artist-creator, is writing and executive producing >Anime house Science SARU on tap to provide the animation work. OH MY GOD??
IBO and 00 are good entry shows but to be honest any Gundam show that's not part of the UC timeline is a good starter. I made a Gundam guide for someone not too long ago. Maybe it could help: Spoiler
The galaxy is a big place man. Though I don't really call any direct connections besides use of the same currency.
DAT: I learned yesterday that 'ecchi' is the Japanese way of saying 'H' as in hentai. In hindsight, that makes perfect sense, and I feel stupid for not realizing it, but I had always thought that ecchi was separate from hentai somehow. As in, ecchi anime is perverted, but not pornographic. Anybody else have this impression? I suppose it might be due to anime not having mature ratings as such, but I also know that there's plenty of ecchi anime on this site, but A-P does not list hentai works.
I'm pretty sure ecchi does imply lighter content, even in Japanese. It's more playful? Sort of like calling something naughty can mean something like... sensual or something hardcore. You see it used a lot more teasingly, for example, rather than as a straightforward category. I think slang diverges a bit
When I think about it, you hear characters call each other jokingly "hentai" just like we would call a buddy "perv" and you also hear them say "ecchi!" like "that's so naughty!" so this explanation makes sense to me.
It's one of those situation where how the terms are defined and used in the west are different from Japan. In Japan, it's more of a sliding scale between the two rather than porn or not porn. The same applies to yaoi/yuri vs BL/GL. When defining the tag guidelines we found it was better to have clear distinctions in how we were defining them so we could consistently apply the tags. The definitions aren't exactly how they would be thought of in Japan, but we were trying to get the correct spirit and using the more understood western definitions of these terms.
This is a great guide. For my own opinion on what are the best things to watch, from the non-essential UC Gundam shows my favourites are 08th MS Team, War In The Pocket (but you should watch this at christmas), Stardust Memories and The Origin movies. As for AU, I've yet to watch IBO myself, and I can't say I'm a fan of SEED or 00, which are two of the biggest Gundam AU shows, I am a huge fan of Gundam Wing though. Wing is melodramatic, has loads of reused animation, and some characters that are more like caricatures, but I can't help it. I love the sincere idealism at the heart of it, and how it can occasionally falter into ridiculous nihilism. I love the warriors spirit it tries to convey and how meaningless it becomes throughout. I also love the arc based on drone warfare which feels very ahead of its time. It truly isn't for everyone though, as a mecha show, it has more in common with something like Dear Brother than it does Gundam 0079.
Oh yeah you're a big fan of Wing. Have you read the Glory of the Losers manga? It's a manga remake of the TV series ala Gundam The Origin that incorporates elements from the various side-story materials hence making it a more complete re-telling of the series. Some fans consider it the definitive version of the Wing TV series. The art is great too.
That's because it's all of them. Japanese is a heavily context- and tone oriented language. How you say a thing and in what context and to whom you say it is practically more important than the actual word used. It's the basis for many translators being very... liberal with their translations.
DAT: Finally, a show I actually liked watching this season! Damn did CloverWorks blow the budget HARD on My Dress-Up Darling, I could stare at these facial expressions all day. This adaptation literally could not be anymore perfect. Also props to Hina Suguta, first real major VA role in anime as Marin, and she's absolutely killing it. Can't wait to see Marin in all her different cosplay outfits.
DAT: I had way more fun with Miss Kuroitsu From the Monster Development Department than I expected which I checked out on a whim. Tokusatsu spoofs are my SHIT. Also me every day on my job:
Joins the 'classic anime with a Canadian core' along with Anne of Green Gables and that one anime where a Canadian skater dies and the protag is haunted by him and constantly going 'Why! WHY A CANADIAN ghost!'
DAT: I like it how Sasaki to Miyano and Requiem of the Rose King air on the same day. It's a good day for the gay, god bless gay Sundays.