Supernatural! :D (except it's not what you think it is. well, it kinda is. but not.)
I’m several episodes behind in Supernatural. It wasn’t that the season was driving me batty... it’s just pretty much exactly what I expected would happen when they moved to Friday nights. I couldn’t catch it every week, and I fell out of habit of making myself catch it every week, and I haven’t felt inspired to pick it back up again.
I’ll probably wait until just before the season ends and gobble up everything I missed in one swoop.
In the meantime I wanted to chill my brain tonight, so I instead decide to watch the... well, this:
No, I dunno why I went to the anime before actual show-show.
You all know about it by now. It’s another example of the USA material/Japanese animation blending that’s becoming more common these days. It’s just following in the footsteps of Animatrix and Afro Samurai. I haven’t read my flist in months, so I have no idea who’s seen it or not. I know a lot of people were/are waiting for the dubbed version, but I kinda came across it by accident and decided to give a shot. (I have no idea what versions I have, guys. There are more than a few typos in the subtitles so I really hope they're not official.)
So let me offer an abridged, spoiler-free review of the first bit of the SPN anime: IT’S ACTUALLY ENTERTAINING. It’s cute. (The script is cute, anyway - I don’t mean to say it’s “cute.” Uhh.) Since they’re adapting a 40-minute live action drama that’s primarily targeted at American audiences into a 20-minute animation that’s somewhat targeted at Japanese audiences, it’s understandably different. However, those differences aren’t worth cringing over, and I WANT IT TO BE DIFFERENT. I don't want to watch the same show again in a different format. Some of the differences are interesting and/or hilarious, and it means there are surprises tucked into familiar storylines.
Disclaimer: I am a casual anime fan, so I can stomach some of the typical anime hooks thrown in. I am also a fan of over-the-top everything.
Slightly less abridged spoiler-lite review:
I tried to stay away from any of the ‘major’ changes to the plots, so this is pretty damn general.
Title screen is pretty much S2-era before morphing to S1-ish.
Most of the complaints I’ve seen have been about the character designs. Honestly, I was used to the character designs by the end of the conversation in the Impala.
Yanno, it might be lacking in a couple of certain 1st season vibes that people have been missing.
NEEDS MOAR ASS.
I do like the coloring. I'm also a dork.
Um, Shifter. It's the same feeling, but also... not. This is not even the beginning of the O____o ness. (I'm tempted to say "picture Akira," but that's probably just me stretching to find something people have seen. Just... dude.)
Notice a certain three four-letter word on the map, just SW of the middle.
C'mon, guys. I am still me, after all.
Overseas interpretation of Sam-n-Dean dynamic is marginally accurate.
Also, bowleggedness is slightly more than marginally accurate.
AND THE ANIME OFFICIALLY MADE ME BELLY LAUGH RIGHT HERE. THREE TIMES. Twice when watching it, and again when I imagine Jensen's interpreting this on the dub. (Did he dub this ep?)
WHAT. IS. DEAN'S KEYCHAIN.
AMULET. \O/ Also, this is probably better out of context. Or maybe it isn't... :D :D :D
Even if you're opposed to watching the subbed version for whatever reason... certain parts of it might still be worth it. LIKE THIS.
The Impala animation seems mighty gratuitous compared to the rest. Definitely NOT seamless.
KANZASU. Annnd... that's about all I can get. (Uh... aside from the English, that is.)
Nrrrr, okay, I'll finally admit something buggy about the character designs: Sam is finally starting to not look like Spike Spiegel to me. :D
I'll also admit that the animation seems lazy at times, as evidenced by both Sam and Dean having magical color-changing hair, and the fact that Dean's amulet has apparently temporarily transformed into a Starfleet communicator.
But it still gives us familiar sights. <3
Over the top?
NEVER.
I’ll probably wait until just before the season ends and gobble up everything I missed in one swoop.
In the meantime I wanted to chill my brain tonight, so I instead decide to watch the... well, this:
No, I dunno why I went to the anime before actual show-show.
You all know about it by now. It’s another example of the USA material/Japanese animation blending that’s becoming more common these days. It’s just following in the footsteps of Animatrix and Afro Samurai. I haven’t read my flist in months, so I have no idea who’s seen it or not. I know a lot of people were/are waiting for the dubbed version, but I kinda came across it by accident and decided to give a shot. (I have no idea what versions I have, guys. There are more than a few typos in the subtitles so I really hope they're not official.)
So let me offer an abridged, spoiler-free review of the first bit of the SPN anime: IT’S ACTUALLY ENTERTAINING. It’s cute. (The script is cute, anyway - I don’t mean to say it’s “cute.” Uhh.) Since they’re adapting a 40-minute live action drama that’s primarily targeted at American audiences into a 20-minute animation that’s somewhat targeted at Japanese audiences, it’s understandably different. However, those differences aren’t worth cringing over, and I WANT IT TO BE DIFFERENT. I don't want to watch the same show again in a different format. Some of the differences are interesting and/or hilarious, and it means there are surprises tucked into familiar storylines.
Disclaimer: I am a casual anime fan, so I can stomach some of the typical anime hooks thrown in. I am also a fan of over-the-top everything.
Slightly less abridged spoiler-lite review:
I tried to stay away from any of the ‘major’ changes to the plots, so this is pretty damn general.
Title screen is pretty much S2-era before morphing to S1-ish.
Most of the complaints I’ve seen have been about the character designs. Honestly, I was used to the character designs by the end of the conversation in the Impala.
Yanno, it might be lacking in a couple of certain 1st season vibes that people have been missing.
NEEDS MOAR ASS.
I do like the coloring. I'm also a dork.
Um, Shifter. It's the same feeling, but also... not. This is not even the beginning of the O____o ness. (I'm tempted to say "picture Akira," but that's probably just me stretching to find something people have seen. Just... dude.)
Notice a certain three four-letter word on the map, just SW of the middle.
C'mon, guys. I am still me, after all.
Overseas interpretation of Sam-n-Dean dynamic is marginally accurate.
Also, bowleggedness is slightly more than marginally accurate.
AND THE ANIME OFFICIALLY MADE ME BELLY LAUGH RIGHT HERE. THREE TIMES. Twice when watching it, and again when I imagine Jensen's interpreting this on the dub. (Did he dub this ep?)
WHAT. IS. DEAN'S KEYCHAIN.
AMULET. \O/ Also, this is probably better out of context. Or maybe it isn't... :D :D :D
Even if you're opposed to watching the subbed version for whatever reason... certain parts of it might still be worth it. LIKE THIS.
The Impala animation seems mighty gratuitous compared to the rest. Definitely NOT seamless.
KANZASU. Annnd... that's about all I can get. (Uh... aside from the English, that is.)
Nrrrr, okay, I'll finally admit something buggy about the character designs: Sam is finally starting to not look like Spike Spiegel to me. :D
I'll also admit that the animation seems lazy at times, as evidenced by both Sam and Dean having magical color-changing hair, and the fact that Dean's amulet has apparently temporarily transformed into a Starfleet communicator.
But it still gives us familiar sights. <3
Over the top?
NEVER.