What anime are you currently watching?

[Kimiko]

Hmm, I don't think that genre has ever been 'dead' or even dormant since Azumanga Daioh. Lucky☆Star and K-On! are just two of the highlights of that genre. Hidamari Sketch is also there, Pani Poni Dash, Negima!?, etc. etc.

As for iDOLM@STER, I highly recommend the Xenoglossia anime if you like the characters and would like to see them in something like My-HiME (giant mecha, not fanservice) / Stellvia (save the Earth). It's not about singing/music, but it is good.

[scy]

None of those are quite like K-On, though, outside of slice of life stuff. I'm thinking of GA whatever-it-was that Art K-On and other "so basically K-On but X club instead" that started popping up. Slice of life has always been around but the style has shifted more towards what K-On brought forth in terms of presentation, scenario, etc. Really though, it's mostly just because it's been the most recent "big thing" of the genre so it just gets pointed at a lot.

Basically, this:


And Xenoglossia is going to get an inevitable watch, but I may wait for iDOLM@STER to finish airing before then.

Also ... was Negima!? really just a slice of life show? Hah, wow. Then again, I guess the fact that Negima "proper" went into battle manga shounen style was probably unsettling to a lot of people. I mean, he had to bill it as "yup, another romcom harem thanks assholes I really want to write more Love Hina" to even get it started originally >>

[Kimiko]

You mean GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class? That's from 2009 actually. You're probably thinking of Sketchbook ~Full Color'S~, from 2007. Those two likely imitated Hidamari Sketch though, which started early in 2007. Bamboo Blade is another 'X Club' anime, as is Saki. Those two have a slight sports/tournament feel to them. Like I said, the genre has been around for years. Different anime just have a slightly different take on it.

Hmm, Negima!? had some minor plot, but if memory serves, it was mostly overwhelmed by slice-of-life/comedy. It was a lot like Pani Poni Dash. That many cute characters together was probably too much to resist for the folks at Shaft. That was an anime-original thing though, the mangaka of Negima had little to do with it. I know of the story behind that, but all Negima!? has to do with it is taking the characters and setting really.

[scy]

And (Summer) 2009 is after K-On aired (Spring 2009), hence my point. GA banked itself on it being a moeblob 4-koma adaptation, much like K-On and other shows since then. Though, to be fair, if not for K-On the season right before it it probably would have been more of a "so a newer Hidamari Sketch?" instead since it is an art-based moeblob 4-koma adaptation.

Which is what I'm talking about; the moeblob 4-koma shows that have basically come out one per season since K-On. They're very distinctly within the K-On style of presentation. A-Channel, YuruYuri, Morita-san wa Mukuchi, and those are just one season ago. They're more prevalent now than before.

...not that I really have a problem with it except that most are low budget and animated poorly and are basically mediocre through and through. I'm not saying K-On started the genre or anything stupid like that, just that there's been some bland moeblob 4-koma anime every season (or more) since K-On and they're all more in the presentation of K-On rather than Lucky Star or Hidamari which at least "stood out" for the different art style. Basically, just trying to ride some coattails of success.

Edit: Basically, when people do quick summaries of the shows for the season and what to expect, there's always that "This season's K-On clone" in there and the PV or images surrounding it don't help their case any. 10 seasons later and they're still K-On clones. I'll say the same thing if in 10 seasons we still have "this season's Gosick" or "this season's iDOLM@STER" or something. Though, I may be down for more Gosick-esque stuff every season...

Besides, I'm really looking forward to K-On.

As for Negima!? ... yeah, I know he has nothing to do with it (or the manga for it, for that matter). I started the manga when it came out and expected it to follow more closely as a romcom but never followed through reading it. More of a surprise it went slice of life route than typical romcom that I figured it would have went.

[Weeaboolits]

I liked Sketchbook.

[zamisk]

The Iron Man anime premiers tonight. May watch...

[Trifkin]

Just finished episode 9 of Hanasaku Iroha. Poor Ko-chan! Aaaah, the heart breaks for that guy in this episode! > 3< It was like two ships passing in the night, except instead of ships one was a train and the other was a motorcycle. AUGH!

EDIT: Episode 10 made me laugh and nearly made me cry. And, whoa whoa whoa, Tohru? Really?

[scy]

Mayo Chiki 4

I told myself I wasn't going to be doing ItL blog posts anymore so I can watch without mass screencaps. I got 15 seconds in before this happened:



fffffffffff.... Subaru-nyan.



THIS ANIME.



Mawaru Penguindrum



...

Yup.

[Kimiko]

Well, you don't have to include screenshots all the time. Or comment on every episode separately for that matter.

We do appreciate your thoroughness though.

Except I don't understand that Pengudrum comment.

[Trifkin]

I'm officially caught up on all episodes of Hanasaku Iroha, as of last night.

[scy]

[Trifkin]

When I watch things, I do tend to "fest it up!" And by fest it up I mean marathon. And by marathon I mean ohgod did I really just watch two whole discs of X-Files in one sitting JEEZUS my entire body is stiff and somewhat numb. @.@;

[Yoonah]

just finished Mawaru Penguindrum ep 4
LET'S DESTINYYYYYY!!!

[fauxsquared]

I watched the first three seasons of Ranma 1/2 on of my favs.

[scy]

Mawaru Penguindrum 4 - too tired to do anything tonight for it but all I have to say is dat .