What Anime are you Currently Watching?/Anime Recommendations

[Sano]

Anyone have the Funimation video streaming service? If so, what do you think of it?

[Gunstar Green]

I watched the Patlabor movies and the "Early Days" OVA and really liked that show. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't much mech combat but that'd be a minor gripe.

Well that's what makes it different, it's not about the mech combat but the characters. The TV series has a bit more mech action (especially with episodes that are part of the main story arc) but labors operate more realistically than most anime mechs. No Gundam-style gymnastics here, you're more likely to see Patlabors acting as linebackers than graceful angels of metallic death.

It's often a major plot point that they're not super robots and treating them as such will end in disaster because they're complicated, breakable machines. They can't do crazy things like zip around and fly (except for one... but it's more like taking a giant rocket-propelled leap before smashing into the ground a few miles away than it is flying.)

The TV show also relies more on humor with serious moments sprinkled throughout.

If you go in expecting the usual rock'em sock'em robots anime it's going to leave you disappointed. It's more of slice of life show about a police division that happens to operate very expensive robots. There are entire episodes where the labors aren't even a part of the plot.

The movies take a much darker turn than the OVA and the TV show and Mamoru Oshii's philosophical ramblings work their way in. The second movie is especially deadly serious and is kind of a remake of final OVA episodes.

I like both Patlabor timelines but I find the TV series to be more entertaining for me personally. The original OVA (The Early Days as you put it) is a little weird in its presentation since the episodes don't really tie-in meaningfully with each other, but it's a great starting point. The movies are excellent but focus more on their own plots and philosophies than the excellent characters who get tossed into the background excepting Captain Gotoh. While the TV show is a bit cheesier there's a lot more character development and it's just a lot of fun.

There was a second OVA that follows up on the TV series but that one's hard to find.

It's one of the most unique mecha anime of the 80's because it avoids many of the cliches. It was deconstruction of the genre years before newer shows would take credit for that.

I wouldn't recommend any of the dubs though, they're early 90's ones and for the most part awful. The special edition dubs of the first two movies aren't bad.

[CavZee]

NEEDS MOAR EXPLOSIONS!

No but seriously it was really cool and kept me interested throughout.

While we're on the topic of mecha shows, what would be some other recommendations? Full Metal Panic! good?

[isiolia]

Full Metal Panic was pretty decent, though I only watched the first series.

If you haven't seen it, but have seen enough mecha anime that you can pick up on some parody, then Martian Successor Nadesico is a good one (well, it's good on its own merits too, but it pokes fun at the genre at the same time, kinda like Slayers for fantasy stuff I guess).

[catnip]

Anyone have the Funimation video streaming service? If so, what do you think of it?

Seconded. I'd like to know what this is like.

[Fragems]

Just started the King of Thorn. Noticed it on sale over at funimation and was checking out youtube trailers when I noticed it was free with ads on hulu. About half and hour in but I have to take a break so far it looks very interesting. Well worth checking out.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/446626

Actually haven't been on hulu in a while looks like they acquired quite a few more anime movies and shows .

[Gunstar Green]

NEEDS MOAR EXPLOSIONS!

No but seriously it was really cool and kept me interested throughout.

While we're on the topic of mecha shows, what would be some other recommendations? Full Metal Panic! good?

It's a fun show, and it's another one where the focus isn't heavily on the mechs. I only ever watched the first series of it too.

Speaking of mecha parody, Dai-Guard is hilarious. It's by the same studio as Nadesico but parodies super robots instead of stuff like Macross. The plot is sort of, "What if you actually had to fund a super robot operation?"

[Sano]

Anyone have the Funimation video streaming service? If so, what do you think of it?

Seconded. I'd like to know what this is like.

I went ahead and subscribed. Its a good service so far.

[Fragems]

Finished King of Thorn pretty crazy movie . Got really crazy and twisted at the end and I really bent my mind out of shape trying to figure out wth was going on before the ending revealed everything. Kind of felt like a mash up of a really twisted Sleeping Beauty and something along the lines of Pandorum. The ending was good but left me wishing for something better which ties into the story pretty well so maybe that feeling is what they were shooting for.

Worth checking out I watched the subbed version but their is a dub as well.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/446626

trailer

[darsparx]

Anyone have the Funimation video streaming service? If so, what do you think of it?

Seconded. I'd like to know what this is like.

I have it and it's definitely worth it. I bought it a long time ago because I'm getting to that age(even at 19) where I try to stay up to watch it but it seems on those nights in particular I can't stay up when stuff airs on toonami. So funimation elite is the next best thing especially if you're in to fairy tail or one piece(which luckily I'm into both and i don't mind the dubs even after watching the subs, the dubs don't bother me and I like being able to understand what's going on without having to constantly glance at the screen. Now the only thing it's missing is a decent free app(i should be able to log in and not have issues since I'm a paid user) but *sigh* that's not the case. I'm really hoping however that they finally release a better app if they haven't already and do something to convert videos/login stuff to html5 or something, I really want to watch on something that doesn't have a funimation elite app yet *cough* ps4 or wii u*cough*. Other than that it's worth it. Sure they don't have everything but for the stuff they do have I've got more than enough to keep me interested. Just need a tv device so that I can watch on my monitor or something....