August 2022 pickups

Promare

Promare is the new Trigger movie, its worth your time no matter who you are. Its Imaishi unleashed that wraps up really nice. My only complaint is that were are seeing the same designs at this point. Everyone looks too similar to other characters from the past.

Sword Art Online

                                                                    Sword Art Online

I didnt get around to SAO until the first series ended. At the time I heard from the community that you were supposed to hate this light novel abomination for reasons like bullshit damsel in distress and anime sister tropes and had two MCs were perfect and you can only aspire to want to be them I had to take a look for myself. The first series had a sort of stuck in the game feel that i remember from greed island in HunterXHunter. You are stuck in the game and need to get out. Long story short Kirito meets Asuna in a game where you wear VR headsets and the unthinkable happens, They get stuck in the game. What a concept..... Kirito and Asuna end up joining together to find their way out of the game and meet IRL. They meet and Kirito has to fend off a would be suitor to the bed ridden Asuna. SAO is now defunct and a second more SAFE ver is released

                                                                            SAO 1.2

The second half of the first season shows Kirito, Asuna with a new crew existing of the sister tropes and people they met at the end of the first game. Instead of a multi level dungeon were are now show big fantasy mountains and floating vistas. Their char models have move elven qualities as well as a new threat. Asuna's would be suitor somehow gets into the game and ends up capturing her making Kirito and crew work together to save Asuna. Its some of the most basic light novel storytelling ever. You just need to hang with it and let it play out. This show was popular as hell and many in the community couldn't understand why? The masses just want a simple anime.

                                                                             SAO 2 GGO

The follow up to the popular Sword art online was an even bigger success. Kirito jumped into the new Gun Gale Online and tried to import his character in. He ended up with a fem looking character. The game was about Gun combat a straight up war game. The first thing Kirito goes for is a sword and of course since he is the chosen one he ends up wrecking house in the world of guns. Anew threat called DEATHGUN can predict your death of in game character, with the point of a gun finger he can kill indiscriminately which also ends up taking the user out in the real world. Its a cool idea at first but of course in anime explain-a-thon fashion the premise itself is lame. Deathgun actually has to find your location while someone in the real world unplugs you from life itself. The sea green haired girl is the best take away from part 2 Sinon ended up being my favorite. The bullying was yawn inducing but I somehow got through it and was happy i did. The show wraps up with them defeating Deathgun and adding another friend to the Kirito Asuna crew.
                                                                 
                                                                         SAO Movie

The SAO movie picks up after Sinon becomes friends with the main cast. This time SAO goes from VR to AR sort of like pokemon go where SAO can be played by large groups outdoor. Its a cool idea and not sure how close it was to the novel but it ends on a cliff hanger when they drop the name Alicization project

                                                              SAO Gun Gale Online Alternative

This is about where i stopped. This spin off wasnt on my to watch list though I did start the show. I learned the main character is a tall girl with a bunch of body issues that wants to play but the the character has to be what she wants, no exceptions. The little pink girl with the FN P90 ends up being her choice and its her time with Gun Gale Online. She becomes something of a legend on the battlefield. I stopped when she met the experienced woman who befriends her. I'll be picking it back up from here.

                                                                    SAO Aliczation

This is what the movie lead up to. I have been wanting to watch from here but I havent had the time.

                                                         SAO Aliczation War in Underworld

This is where the current season is. I'll make it my business to catch up in 2020.

ANNs Editor Zac Bertschy has passed May 22 2020

Part 1

Ive been lurking on ANN since 2004, at first it was all encyclopedia then i became addicted to the forums. I learned a ton from ANN from the handful of shows I had seen to where the fandom stood at the time. 2004 was a bad time for the industry. Torrents and P2P networks were discovered by the masses. New people that had no concept of worth nor value had everything for free with no consequences. It was a sight to behold, ignorant anon that fought against the industry without any idea how niche it truly was. Anime News Network was such a different place at the time, a place that where most forums were screaming teens still finding their way ANN was a mature bbs. A place that welcomed all, structured discussions that would turn intense with mods that were fair even when Sub vs Dub debates were at their hottest. It was entertaining. Zac entertained us all when he put on the Answerman mantle. Hated and loved he was blunt and to the point, some were also made example of depending on the mood. Camerons ALITA was still a running joke. Anime on DVD still existed as well as ADV and ANNcast was still far off.

 Picked up Maquia on BD, Excellent movie. I highly recommend it.

Trade in 2015 old

Your Name

Pretty good Shinkai film