[Official] Anime/Manga Thread


Recommended Posts

+1

The movie wasn't depressing. It's a fantastic suspense thriller.

Well, some parts of it are depressing, specially if you want the girl to do well lol. I mean, ya, great suspense thriller/horror, but sad as well I always thought.

About that Link on the previous page and it dealing with "stealing" of anime. Maybe they should not worry about stupid "dubbing", and actually release the anime with subs only. Also, it might help their industry if they get their animes over to the west in the first place. Tell me where I can get naruto shippuuden or bleach? I can't find it, except maybe for episode 1 and 2, on a dvd. Also, they charge way too much for animes. A series consisting of 150+ episodes, being sold by 2 episodes per dvd for $25, would end up putting most consumers bankrupt trying to just get a full series. They need to rethink how they distribute their product, as well as how much they are charging for it. Hell, its even harder to find the manga's of these anime.

So is it our fault we "have" to download our anime because it is not available for us to purchase?

What a joke. Who does this guy think he is? He wants us, western customers, to stop pirating? Fansub group and volunteer manga translators provide a better product that the rubbish these guys put out. Yellow subtitles? Can this company even match OZC's 1080p translations of Code Geass, Ghost in the Shell and Black Lagoon? Dropping a mainstream Japanese manga mid way through the whole serious? That's exactly what these guys do. Bang Zoom! isn't even a Japanese studio. It's a Californian dubbing company. They can go die off. The dubs might as well be spoken by people who perfectly enunciate the American English dictionary. The president even has the audacity to pander for sympathy by mentioning that families will starve because they won't get paid for their awful dubbing. He should review the product he's selling rather than cry about piracy.

Anime is never going to die off. It's simply going to become more and more popular since it hasn't even tapped into the western market as thoroughly as they can.

Yeah, the guy is definitely way too over the top, but still if something were to happen to the licensing and dubbing companies here, wouldn't that still affect the industry in Japan too? Of course it won't die because of it, but wouldn't it still create a bit of an impact?

Also, what's wrong with dubbing? There are some series that have worked pretty well dubbed you know. And sometimes, dubs are good for those who want to check out anime or get into it because it's easier to take in at first. At least, that's how it was with me and also, it's usually nice to be able to occasionally enjoy a series in a language I can actually understand. Gotta mix it up sometimes.

Guys, sorry but I have seen everything that has been recommended so far. But I admnit that your recommendations are great.

Except Dog of Flanders, are you talking about the 1999 version? That didnt depress me at all.

Yeah, the guy is definitely way too over the top, but still if something were to happen to the licensing and dubbing companies here, wouldn't that still affect the industry in Japan too? Of course it won't die because of it, but wouldn't it still create a bit of an impact?

Also, what's wrong with dubbing? There are some series that have worked pretty well dubbed you know. And sometimes, dubs are good for those who want to check out anime or get into it because it's easier to take in at first. At least, that's how it was with me and also, it's usually nice to be able to occasionally enjoy a series in a language I can actually understand. Gotta mix it up sometimes.

I have seen maybe 1 or 2 anime in which the dubbing was decent. There have been a few movies that have celebrity voice overs, which do justice to the movie since at least they can act. But most dubs are horrible. They will lack emotion, urgency, or just totally be off voice and tone for what the character should be. Even if I can not understand the language spoken, I can still understand the emotion put through, which is what most dubbing lacks.

Also, what's wrong with dubbing? There are some series that have worked pretty well dubbed you know. And sometimes, dubs are good for those who want to check out anime or get into it because it's easier to take in at first. At least, that's how it was with me and also, it's usually nice to be able to occasionally enjoy a series in a language I can actually understand. Gotta mix it up sometimes.

I can count the number of anime series that had amazing dubbing with my fingers. All of Miyazaki's movies had top notch voice acting. Howl's Moving Castle even managed to get Christian Bale and Billy Crystal! My favorite series of all time, Ghost in the Shell, features mediocre voice acting. Motoko sounded like a boring monotone character who didn't deserve being the main lead.

Guys, sorry but I have seen everything that has been recommended so far. But I admnit that your recommendations are great.

Except Dog of Flanders, are you talking about the 1999 version? That didnt depress me at all.

I'll give you one that actually made me shed manly tears. Rurouni Kenshin's OVAs. Both of them are absolutely tragic. I read the manga series and watched the long TV series, then picked the OVA's up... My heart was in my throat the whole time because I finally understood the duality of Kenshin. </3

Check out Berserk and Basilisk too. It's not depressing but they all have tragic figures. The two anime series seem to pay homage to Shakespeare's Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet, such as the symbolism of blood, main characters contemplating on their duality and weaknesses.

Even though the following series aren't my cup of tea, I thought they would have been highly rated anime series better than any of the silly drama of Clannad.

Myself;Yourself (Drama that uses the boring archetypes but takes a serious tone quarter of the way into the series. Suicide, depression)

The first three episodes of Aoi Bungaku (Rape, suicide, clinical depression, dependability issues) <-- One of the only anime series that made me feel sick to my stomach

Speed Grapher (not exactly drama but features horrifying, sickening scenes that made me start thinking of how dark human beings can be. (Child abuse, sadism, rape, child prostitution)

Note: If you read manga from the Seinen genre, they almost always feature depressing stories that make you feel gut wrenched.

Ergo Proxy

I'm sure you've seen it though

Yeah, in fact it surprises me you find it depressing? :unsure:

As a reference, for me depressing is something like Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, Saikano or School Days

@Sanctified

If you're into the sappy stuff like KGNE, then check out Ef ~ A Tale of Memories.

Ergo Proxy

I'm sure you've seen it though

Ergo Proxy isn't depressing. It's just a woman with childhood issues dressing up as a goth while her loyal servant tags along chasing around a man struggling with existentialism.

I can count the number of anime series that had amazing dubbing with my fingers. All of Miyazaki's movies had top notch voice acting. Howl's Moving Castle even managed to get Christian Bale and Billy Crystal! My favorite series of all time, Ghost in the Shell, features mediocre voice acting. Motoko sounded like a boring monotone character who didn't deserve being the main lead.

So if I wanted to check out some of Miyazaki's movies, would you recommend I watch them subbed or dubbed?

@Sanctified

If you're into the sappy stuff like KGNE, then check out Ef ~ A Tale of Memories.

Sappy?? :angry:

Nevermind, just remember we had this exact same debate months ago? :laugh:

P.D. Already saw Ef.

So if I wanted to check out some of Miyazaki's movies, would you recommend I watch them subbed or dubbed?

When it comes to Miyazaki films, there is no significant difference between the two different audio versions. The only reason is because they are feature length movies and not 13, 26, 52 or even 76+ episode anime series that depend on the viewer understanding the context.

It depends on what standards and expectations you have before watching any anime series/movie. The only series I have watched dubbed the first few time was during my first real exposure to anime are Spirited Away, Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Princess Mononoke, Kare Kano and Howl's Moving Castle (in that order).

Spirited Away, being the first time I watched something dubbed in its entirety, was amazing. I never knew how cool animation could be (both Western and Eastern). I watched it the first time and was completely immersed in the movie's world. (Explains why I hold anime to very high standards).

Yu Yu Hakusho and Rurouni Kenshin (when they aired on Cartoon Network) sounded silly at first but it was never annoying enough to fail my suspension of disbelief. In fact, I actually watched them both in English first because of nostalgia.

Princess Mononoke was the first time I started noticing how "perfect" the English sounded. It was like I was listening to people who mastered the American pronunciations of each spoken world. Again, it didn't stand out too much that I was bothered by it.

I never managed to complete the anime series but a few years later I did (thank gawd for fan subs). I immediately noticed the emotional tones in the voices of each character that were missed by American voice actors. The hesitation, the urgency, the slight sense of anger that sounds urgent in the American context but more subtle in the Japanese context... It was a very different experience.

Watch them dubbed first then watch subbed. You'll understand exactly what I'm talking about when you pick up the missed undertones the Japanese voice actors delivered that failed to translate over into English.

As an anime fan who has watched a lot of anime, the subbed vs. dubbed debate should simply be rested on this argument:

If you're not interested in finding out about the cultural differences depicted in anime, then dubbed is the way to go. If you want to continue to watch anime series and notice every detail as you watch them, then subbed is the way to go.

Food for thought:

For all of you who have watched Sayanora Zetsubou Sensei, could you have understood the Japanese jokes if you watched it dubbed?

Sappy? :angry:

Nevermind, just remember we had this exact same debate months ago :laugh:

P.D. Already saw Ef.

:p They are sappy. The shows rely on excessively sweet, emotional scenes trying to play to the viewer's emotions. It's not like it's a bad thing. It's just a different genre that is not my cup of tea.

(/troll: It's the kind of tea I would chuck out of the window. :D)

I strongly recommend Myself;Yourself if you liked KGNE and Clannad. It's quite depressing. (enough to make me feel bad even though I dislike the genre)

Food for thought:

For all of you who have Sayanora Zetsubou Sensei, do you believe you can understand the Japanese jokes if you watched it dubbed?

Hell no. It's safe to say that none of Akiyuki Shinbo's dark humoured work will be dubbed, that's best left untouched from the world of dubbing :p

When it comes to Miyazaki films, there is no significant difference between the two different audio versions. The only reason is because they are feature length movies and not 13, 26, 52 or even 76+ episode anime series that depend on the viewer understanding the context.

It depends on what standards and expectations you have before watching any anime series/movie. The only series I have watched dubbed the first few time was during my first real exposure to anime are Spirited Away, Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Princess Mononoke, Kare Kano and Howl's Moving Castle (in that order).

Spirited Away, being the first time I watched something dubbed in its entirety, was amazing. I never knew how cool animation could be (both Western and Eastern). I watched it the first time and was completely immersed in the movie's world. (Explains why I hold anime to very high standards).

Yu Yu Hakusho and Rurouni Kenshin (when they aired on Cartoon Network) sounded silly at first but it was never annoying enough to fail my suspension of disbelief. In fact, I actually watched them both in English first because of nostalgia.

Princess Mononoke was the first time I started noticing how "perfect" the English sounded. It was like I was listening to people who mastered the American pronunciations of each spoken world. Again, it didn't stand out too much that I was bothered by it.

I never managed to complete the anime series but a few years later I did (thank gawd for fan subs). I immediately noticed the emotional tones in the voices of each character that were missed by American voice actors. The hesitation, the urgency, the slight sense of anger that sounds urgent in the American context but more subtle in the Japanese context... It was a very different experience.

Watch them dubbed first then watch subbed. You'll understand exactly what I'm talking about when you pick up the missed undertones the Japanese voice actors delivered that failed to translate over into English.

As an anime fan who has watched a lot of anime, the subbed vs. dubbed debate should simply be rested on this argument:

If you're not interested in finding out about the cultural differences depicted in anime, then dubbed is the way to go. If you want to continue to watch anime series and notice every detail as you watch them, then subbed is the way to go.

Food for thought:

For all of you who have watched Sayanora Zetsubou Sensei, could you have understood the Japanese jokes if you watched it dubbed?

I usually tend to watch things in whichever language seems to have the voices that fit the characters best or if I prefer a certain set of voice actors. Kind of how I immediately switched to the Japanese version of Shakugan no Shana after noticing how odd it sounded in English, or how dubbed Baccano! is great because of the accent the VAs add in to match the time period and locations.

And I haven't watched SZS but I have seen random episodes and clips and it is definitely is one of those shows where a dub would never work.

And also, I'll keep those points about the films in mind when deciding how to watch them (if I ever get around to it lol).

Really? The summary made it sound like a generic school anime, which I am not a fan of. Seems to have good review on MAL though...

The main girl looks like a Haruhi rip-off as well. :laugh: :laugh:

Yeah, it does have Haruhi traits but it's somehow different :laugh:

Since when is it okay to watch a series called Angel Beats emblazoned across the front of a magazine in pink? Standards, people!

E6L5j.jpg

Who really cares about the magazine? I sure as hell don't :rofl: Jun Maeda/Na-Ga + P.A. Works = quality animation (Y)

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Signal accuses UK government of using child safety as cover for mass surveillance by David Uzondu Recently, the UK's Home Office announced a sweeping set of proposals to make Britain the "first country in the world" where children cannot share or view nude photos on their smart devices, an initiative that authorities claim will protect children from online predators and combat pornography. In response, Signal believes that while the government must keep children "safe" and "protected," it should do so through social services and education, not by "surveillance, funding cuts, and cover-ups." The company called the plan "dystopian" and warned that it violates everyone's fundamental right to privacy, arguing that scanning on the presumption of nudity will only strengthen the market dominance and data control of giant corporations like Apple and Google. The statement continues by accusing the government of hiding its true intentions under the guise of child safety. Signal argues that the Home Office is building an invisible surveillance infrastructure that remains ripe for exploitation by future administrations and authoritarian regimes. According to the company, this aggressive approach completely ignores the actual needs of young people, such as properly funded schools and mental health services. Tech companies like Apple and Google have a three-month window to implement these mandatory device-level filters across the United Kingdom. If these tech firms refuse to comply with the mandate, the government will pass emergency legislation to force them to comply, threatening massive fines and even going after the CEOs of these companies with criminal charges. The technology will work by blocking explicit images directly on the operating system of all smartphones and tablets by default. This system monitors the device camera and third-party apps to intercept nudity before anyone can upload or send the image. Adults can still view explicit content, but only after completing a strict age verification check to unlock their devices. Several bodies like the NSPCC and Barnardo's praised the Home Office's decision, arguing that device-level intervention stops the cycle of grooming before it starts. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) also supported the policy, claiming that tech companies can implement on-device checks "without threatening privacy or collecting any data."
    • Did you watch the keynote? It is way beyond what is described in this article. Looks interesting. Now it is time for them to deliver unlike what happened in 24.
    • It pretty much has to be compatible with MS Office or it is going nowhere. The rest of the world runs office including Europe. If it is not compatible it will not survive.
    • Incredible deal gets you free NVMe 512GB SSD with AMD AM5 B850 motherboard for only $150 by Sayan Sen Earlier this week we covered the story of an interesting PC case wherein you can build two full-size computers inside it as in it can house and run an AMD and an Intel system simultaneously. Speaking of building PCs, these are hard times to make one for sure as prices are often very high except during flash sales or discounts. If you are in the market for a 1080p gaming PC then Nvidia's 8GB RTX 5060 Ti is currently on sale for just $330 and you get the latest James Bond game too, for free. Speaking of which, right now there is another incredible sale going on as we can get a free 512 GB NVMe SSD from TeamGroup in the form of the G50 alongside the purchase of an AMD B850 socket AM5 motherboard for only $150 (purchase link under the specs table down below). Getting an AM5 motherboard now in 2026 will be a wise investment for sure, especially since AMD confirmed its commitment to support the socket till at least 2029. The MSI PRO B850M-P WIFI is a micro-ATX motherboard that is compatible with AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors. Since it is AM5, the motherboard works with DDR5 memory and includes MSI’s Memory Boost technology, along with EXPO and XMP support. Connectivity features include built-in Wi-Fi 7 paired with a 5G LAN solution. The board offers a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot with MSI’s EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II thermal solution, that is said to help maintain SSD performance by providing ample cooling against overheating. The technical specifications of the MSI PRO B850M-P WIFI motherboard are given in the table below: Specification Value Form Factor Micro-ATX (mATX), 243.84 × 243.84 mm Chipset AMD B850 Socket AM5 Supported Processors AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 Series Desktop Processors Memory Slots 4 × DDR5 UDIMM Max Memory 256 GB Memory Speed DDR5 8200–5600 MT/s (OC), DDR5 5600–4800 MT/s (JEDEC) Display Outputs 1 × HDMI 2.1 (up to 4K 60Hz) 1 × DisplayPort 1.4 (up to 4K 60Hz) PCIe Slots 1 × PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU) 3 × PCIe 3.0 x1 (Chipset) Audio Codec Realtek ALC897 Audio Channels 7.1-Channel High Definition Audio M.2 Slots 3 × M.2 slots M.2_1: PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU) M.2_2: PCIe 4.0 x4 (CPU) M.2_3: PCIe 4.0 x2 (Chipset) M.2 Device Sizes M.2_1: 2280/2260 M.2_2: 2280/2260 M.2_3: 2280 SATA Ports 4 × SATA 6Gb/s RAID Support SATA: RAID 0, 1, 10 NVMe: RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 Rear USB Ports 4 × USB 2.0 2 × USB 5Gbps Type-A 1 × USB 10Gbps Type-A 1 × USB 10Gbps Type-C Front USB Headers 4 × USB 2.0 4 × USB 5Gbps Type-A 1 × USB 10Gbps Type-C LAN Realtek 8126VB 5Gb Ethernet Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) Tri-band 2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz MU-MIMO, MLO, 4KQAM Up to 2.9Gbps Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.4 Internal Power Connectors 1 × 24-pin ATX Power 1 × CPU Power 1 × PCIe Power (8-pin) Cooling Headers 1 × CPU Fan 1 × Combo Fan/Pump 3 × System Fan RGB Headers 3 × Addressable RGB Gen2 (JARGB_V2) 1 × RGB LED (JRGB) Additional Internal Headers 2 × Front Panel (JFP) 1 × Chassis Intrusion (JCI) 1 × Front Audio (JAUD) 1 × COM Port (JCOM) 1 × JDASH Tuning Controller 1 × TPM 2.0 Header The free TeamGroup T-FORCE G50 NVMe SSD is a PCIe Gen4 and as such it promises to deliver sequential read speeds of up to 5,000 MB/s, helping accelerate game loading, file transfers, and everyday computing tasks. The SSD features an InnoGrit controller and SLC caching technology to support consistent performance. An ultra-thin, patented graphene heatsink is included to aid in heat dissipation. The NAND flash is based on TLC which means it has plenty of endurance up its sleeve. The random performance may not be as amazing as other drives with DRAM though. Still it should be very good since it can access system memory via HMB to use it as its DRAM cache. The technical specifications of the TeamGroup 512GB G50 NVMe SSD are given in the table below: Specification Value Model / Part Number TM8FFE512G0C129 Form Factor M.2 2280 Interface PCIe Gen4x4 with NVMe Sequential Read Speed Up to 5,000 MB/s Sequential Write Speed Up to 2,500 MB/s Endurance (TBW) 325 TBW DRAM Cache No Cache Technology SLC Cache Controller InnoGrit Controller Solution Operating Temperature 0°C to 70°C Storage Temperature -40°C to 85°C Weight 7 g Dimensions 80.0 × 22.0 × 3.7 mm Vibration Resistance 80 Hz ~ 2,000 Hz / 20G Shock Resistance 1,500G / 0.5 ms MTBF 3,000,000 hours Get it at the link below: MSI PRO B850M-P WIFI AM5 AMD motherboard + Team Group T-FORCE G50 TM8FFE512G0C129 512GB SSD (free gift): $149.99 (Sold and Shipped by Newegg US) This Newegg deal is US-specific and not available in other regions unless specified. This is a first-party seller link (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you also purchase from a first-party seller link only. If you don't like it or want to look at more options, check out the previous deals that we have covered, OR you can also visit Amazon US deals page. Get Prime (SNAP), Prime Video, Audible Plus or Kindle / Music Unlimited. Free for 30 days. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • RapidRAW 1.5.7 by Razvan Serea RapidRAW is a beautiful, non-destructive, GPU‑accelerated RAW image editor designed for speed and simplicity. It uses a lightweight (~30 MB), efficient code base built with Rust, React and Tauri. Ideal for Lightroom workflows, it offers rich editing tools—exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites/blacks, tone curves, HSL mixer, dehaze, vignetting, film grain, sharpening, clarity and noise reduction—processed in real-time on the GPU. Features include intuitive masking (brush, linear, radial, AI-powered subject and foreground detection), generative edit layers (via ComfyUI), 32‑bit precision, and full RAW format support through rawler. RapidRAW also provides library management (folder navigation, ratings, metadata, EXIF viewer), batch operations, export presets (JPEG/PNG/TIFF), sidecar editing (.rrdata), undo/redo history, customizable UI themes, smooth animations, resizable panels, and preset copy/paste. A modern high-performance Lightroom alternative with polished UX and creative tools, RapidRAW brings powerful photo editing to photographers seeking speed, responsive GPU feedback, and streamlined workflows. RapidRAW v1.5.7 release notes: This update serves as a direct follow-up to the core architectural migration introduced in v1.5.6. While the transition to a more modular state management system marked a significant step forward for RapidRAW's stability and long-term maintainability, it also introduced several edge cases and regressions within the library and editing workflows. This release focuses on addressing those issues, with a particular emphasis on a complete overhaul of library performance to ensure smooth and responsive browsing following the refactoring. It also resolves inconsistencies in the copy-and-paste workflow and expands RapidRAW's accessibility by adding support for eight additional languages. [full changelog] Download: RapidRAW 1.5.7 | ARM64 | ~20.0 MB (Open Source) View: RapidRAW Home Page | Screenshot | Other operating systems Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
  • Recent Achievements

    • Very Popular
      Captain_Eric earned a badge
      Very Popular
    • One Month Later
      amusc earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      DJC50PLUS earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      DJC50PLUS earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Proficient
      Eric Biran went up a rank
      Proficient
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      504
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      223
    3. 3
      ATLien_0
      87
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      80
    5. 5
      +Edouard
      80
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!