What Anime are you Currently Watching?/Anime Recommendations

[Sasha_Blue]

My favorite Tenchi version is the original OVA Ryo-Ohki continuum, though the Tenchi movies are pretty good and almost redeem the lackluster original Tenchi Universe TV series.

Really? OK then. I like Tenchi Universe, I thought it was good. Although the only one I didn't like was Tenchi in Tokyo, I though that one was lackluster.

[Nemoide]

I feel like Tenchi Universe cleaned up the humor a bit too much, exaggerated the characters in a way I wasn't wild about (most obviously, Mihoshi goes from "clumsy but effective cop" to pretty much drooling in her stupidity), has a total cop-out ending, and just struck me as a lot less interesting than the OVA. I'll agree with marurun that the exception to this continuity are the two movies based on it, with Tenchi Forever taking things in a TOTALLY UNIQUE direction for Tenchi: pretty much nothing but serious, sad drama.

I guess Tenchi Universe is okay for a Tenchi-fan who really wants to up the Tenchi in their life? IMO it's not worthwhile, but hey if you like it, more power to you. All I'll say about Tenchi is that calling it lackluster is being overly generous.

I haven't seen El-Hazard but it's on my list just because of the Tenchi connection. Same thing with the less-known anime "Dual" which I've heard described as being TENCHI PILOTS THE EVA.

[Sasha_Blue]

You are talking about Dual Parallel. I seen it, although I don't remember much of it other than being good. I vaguely remember it because I saw it over 10 years ago. I gotta rewatch it again after I'm done with Tenchi GXP

You should saw the rest of Tenchi Muyo, they made a continuation of the OVA if you don't know about it. I actually didn't know either. It's 20 episodes in total.

[marurun]

The must later-released OVA sequels are not as good as the originals. I picked them up on sale from RightStuf because I wanted to have all the Ryo Ohki material, but it was unimpressive.

I really think the reason the original OVAs work so well is because Tenchi is both a sweetheart AND a badass (if unwitting and unwilling, at times). In fact, the power levels and threat levels start pretty high in Tenchi Muyo, but the series remains short enough that they don't run into the problem that, say, the original Slayers had, where half-way through the first season the main character had used the most powerful spell in the world to defeat a godlike being, but the series had to continue to top itself.

My problem with Tenchi Universe is that it just seemed muted. Tenchi was important, but not powerful. The relationships were toned down even as certain character traits were exaggerated. It just felt like Tenchi diluted, stretched out to cover a little too much space and time.

In case anyone is wondering, the El-Hazard OVAs are AWESOME, and better in English than in Japanese (the voice acting is incredibly interesting). The TV series is like Tenchi Universe, weak-sauce compared to the condensed awesome of the OVAs.

There's even an awesome drinking game you can play with the El-Hazard OVAs that's just about guaranteed to put you under the table.

[Xeogred]

I don't know if I'd pass up El Hazard in Japanese, the guy who played the evil teacher is like the best thing next to Mark Hamill's Joker... his laugh was freaking hilarious.

[brunoafh]

I've been watching Dragon Ball Z in Japanese for the first time, and I've gotta say, I am surprised by how well it holds up.

My memories of watching it in the Toonami days have never been overly fond. Although I've always thought it was pretty cool and was really into it at one point, mainly what I remember about the series is Goku sounding and often acting like a retard, and the pacing being horribly slow at times. The part where Goku fights Freeza... pretty sure it took like half a year to get that over with, and every episode was the same thing after awhile.

Watching it at my own pace though and with the original voice cast has all but completely changed my view on the series. Not only is Goku's original voice several times better and more fitting, the actors for the entire cast give great and memorable performances that give everyone a unique personality as opposed to the cast in the dub being that one guy for almost everyone (seriously, I looked it up and Christoper Sabat voices 22 characters in Dragon Ball Z alone, many of them major characters). The pacing and several episodes of people talking and powering up in a row can still be boring, but overall I'm really enjoying it and I'm glad I decided to watch it again. Being able to just truck through the slow parts instead of watching it once a week makes it a lot less dragged out. I'm at the part with Cell now and I'm totally addicted.

I can't totally knock the dub and the US version though. I mean, it was good enough to make a ton of Dragon Ball fans in the West. But it's pretty bad in comparison.

[marurun]

I can't totally knock the dub and the US version though. I mean, it was good enough to make a ton of Dragon Ball fans in the West. But it's pretty bad in comparison.

Most of what is dubbed into English is "good enough" but not particularly impressive. I find watching anime streamed on Netflix (in most cases only the English dub is available) to be largely uninteresting to me. And when I have a chance to watch something in Japanese, I suddenly find myself interested in the genre again. There are those few dub jobs that are as good or better than the Japanese, or at least different enough to stand on their own, but by and large, whatever English dubs offer in accessibility they remove in quality.

Great English dubs include the following:

Macross Plus
Cowboy Bebop
El Hazard

There are more, I'm sure, but these are the ones that leap immediately to mind as gaining as much or more than they lose in the translation, so to speak.

[Xeogred]

Here's a great video showcasing the various dubs for DBZ, when Trunks appears:


Worth noting it's the English dub that gave the series the "constipation" image and it's ludicrous how much extra dialogue they throw in.

Count me in as one who can't go back, lol.

[SamuraiMegas]

Watching Kill la Kill. Prettying interesting.

[ZeroAX]

Here's a great video showcasing the various dubs for DBZ, when Trunks appears:


Worth noting it's the English dub that gave the series the "constipation" image and it's ludicrous how much extra dialogue they throw in.

Count me in as one who can't go back, lol.

1)German dub is alright, I usually cringe at listening to German

2)That background music is hooorrible.

3)You guys had the best narrator voice at least .

4)At least you guys don't have the constant stuttering of the Greek dub .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4irZH19Jl1Y
Seriously the voice actors could never do a believable or at least not-annoying moan. Not to mention the voices were way off.

At least we still have the best cover of the original Dragonball opening, better than the Japanese original too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GrFtgY6Ke0




In general I believe that action anime doesn't benefit from being dubbed. Comedy anime on the other hand....many times it ends up being a completely different thing which can be really good ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxJ4VWoeOzs )