c/anime-discussions

Warning about spoilers in the Crunchyroll forums last week

I was reading a thread about the new season of 'Frieren' and someone posted the entire ending from the manga... they didn't even use spoiler tags. It happened in the comments section under a post asking for episode recommendations. Has anyone else run into this kind of thing lately?

My friend tried to get me into a show by showing me the 'best' episode first

He made me watch episode 8 of a 12 episode series, which was all a big flashback with none of the main cast. I was so confused about who anyone was or why I should care, it totally killed my interest. Has anyone else had a recommendation backfire this badly, and what's the right way to do it?

Just found out how many frames are in the first episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion

I was reading an old production blog from Gainax and they listed the exact frame count for episode one. It was over 4,500 individual drawings, which seems like a crazy amount of work for just twenty minutes. Does anyone know if that's normal for a TV anime from that time?

I thought the hype around 'Bocchi the Rock!' was just typical seasonal overrating, but my friend made me watch the first three episodes and I was totally wrong.

I was reading an old interview with a key animator from 'Cowboy Bebop' and found out the iconic 'See You Space Cowboy' line was almost cut.

The director, Shinichiro Watanabe, said in a 2001 interview he fought to keep it because he felt it was the soul of the whole show, which makes you wonder what other classic moments were almost left on the cutting room floor, right?

I think the hate for filler episodes is missing the point

Everyone says filler is a waste of time, but I just rewatched the G-8 arc from One Piece and it was a fun break from the main plot. It gave the crew time to just be themselves without a world-ending threat. Do you have a filler arc you actually liked?

My neighbor thinks we should stop arguing about filler episodes

I was talking with my neighbor Dave last weekend about the new season of One Piece. He said, "Arguing about filler is like yelling at clouds. The show is a thousand episodes, just skip the list online." It hit different because I realized we spend more time debating the filler than actually watching anything. Has anyone else just given up on that whole fight?

Had to pick between finishing a show or starting a new one, and I'm still thinking about it.

Last weekend, I had to choose between finally watching the last three episodes of 'Vinland Saga' season 2 or jumping into the new 'Frieren' everyone's talking about. I went with finishing Vinland, and that ending hit me so hard I just sat there for like 20 minutes after. It was the right call, but now I feel like I'm behind on the new hot show. Has anyone else had to make a choice like that and regretted it?

I watched the same show dubbed and subbed back to back last weekend

I finally got around to 'Spy x Family' and watched the first three episodes with the English voices, then switched to the Japanese track with subtitles. The subbed version just felt way more natural, especially for Anya's character, and the jokes landed better. Has anyone else had a show where the sub was a clear winner like that?

I dropped about $60 on a limited edition Jujutsu Kaisen keychain from a convention booth

The thing snapped in half the first time I put it on my bag, and the seller ghosted me when I tried to get a refund. Has anyone else had a collectible just completely fall apart on them right away?

Vent: I was reading anime threads wrong for months

I kept jumping into the big plot debates, like the 'One Piece' ending theories. Then I saw a quiet post about how a specific scene in 'Vinland Saga' used silence instead of music. That was the real discussion. Anyone else find the small details more interesting than the big arguments?

My book club keeps calling 'Monster' a simple crime story

They miss the whole point about the gray areas in justice, focusing only on the chase. I had to pull out the manga panel where Tenma questions his own actions to show them. Does anyone else find people miss the deeper themes in slower anime?

Okay but people keep calling 'Bocchi the Rock!' a slice of life show...

It's literally a character drama about social anxiety, the music is just the vehicle. I checked the director's notes from an interview last year and he said the same thing. Anyone else get annoyed when a show gets put in the wrong box?

Got into a heated debate about filler arcs at a con in Austin

This guy in a Naruto jacket yelled 'skip the boat arc' during a panel, and the whole room started arguing. I used to watch everything, but now I just check a guide first. What's the one filler you'd tell a new fan to avoid?

Serious question, has a bad take at a con ever changed how you watch a show?

At Anime NYC, someone argued that 'Trigun Stampede' ruined the original's tone, but their points were all about the 1998 art style, not the story. It made me realize how often we judge reboots on visuals first, what's a show you gave a second chance after hearing a different view?

Hot take: I thought the hype around 'Odd Taxi' was just noise until I watched it last weekend

I kept seeing people talk about it on here, but the animal character designs made me think it was just another quirky show. I finally gave it a shot and binged all 13 episodes in two days. The writing is so sharp, and the mystery plot had me hooked by episode 3. The way every little detail connects is crazy. Has anyone else had a show they were totally wrong about because of how it looked?

I got roasted for my anime watchlist and it made me a better fan

A few months back, I posted my top 10 anime on a forum and someone replied, 'Your list is just the same five shows everyone watched in 2016, you need to dig deeper.' It stung, but they were right. I realized I only watched what was super popular on the big streaming sites. So, I made a rule: for every new seasonal show I watch, I have to pick one older or less-known title. I started with 'Monster' from 2004 and it blew my mind. Now my list has stuff like 'Planetes' and 'Mushishi' next to the usual hits. It's made talking about anime way more fun because I have different things to bring up. Has anyone else had a friend or comment push them to watch outside their comfort zone?

I used to think the 'watch order' debate for the Fate series was just for superfans

I decided to start it last month and got stuck for a solid week reading old forum threads and flowcharts. I thought I'd pick a path in an hour, but it took me seven days to finally settle on starting with Fate/Zero. The sheer number of takes on where to begin, from Reddit to anime blogs, was way more complex than I expected. Has anyone else had a watch order research spiral take that long for a single show?

Heads up about a fake anime streaming site that tried to steal my info

Three years ago, I was looking for a specific OVA and found a site called 'AnimeFluxHD'. It looked real, with a full list of shows. I made an account, but the login page felt off. Last week, I got an email from my bank about a weird charge from a company I didn't know. I checked, and that was the only place I used that password. The site is gone now, but new ones pop up all the time. How do you guys check if a streaming site is safe before you sign up?

Saw a whole shelf of 'Demon Slayer' manga at the airport in Chicago and it clicked

I was stuck at O'Hare last month and wandered into one of those big newsstands. They had an entire display, maybe 30 copies, of just the first volume of 'Demon Slayer'. It made me realize how much anime has gone from a niche thing to being the default 'cool' media you sell to travelers. When did anime merch become the new airport paperback? Has anyone else seen a mainstream spot go all-in on one series like that?

Serious question, did anyone actually like the new season of Demon Slayer?

I feel like I'm going crazy because everyone is raving about it, but I thought it was a total letdown. I paid for a Crunchyroll premium subscription just to watch it early, which was about $80 for the year. The animation was pretty, sure, but the story felt so rushed and the characters just stood around talking for three episodes straight. I kept waiting for something big to happen and it never did. The whole Infinity Castle arc setup felt like a massive info dump with no payoff. I'm honestly shocked more people aren't talking about how slow it was. Has anyone else felt this way, or am I just missing something?

Finally finished my watch list after picking between two long shows...

I had to choose between starting 'One Piece' or finally watching 'Gintama' all the way through. I picked 'Gintama' because I kept hearing the comedy gets really good after episode 50. It took me about four months, but I just watched the final episode yesterday. The serious arcs near the end were way better than I expected. Has anyone else felt totally satisfied after finishing a really long series?

I finally figured out how to get my friend into anime after like 10 failed attempts

He always said it was too weird or the subtitles were too fast, so last month I just started him on the dub of Cowboy Bebop episode 5, 'Ballad of Fallen Angels'. The noir vibe and the music hooked him immediately, and he didn't have to read anything. Now he's asking me what to watch next. What's a good second show for someone who liked that specific mood?

I don't get the hype around the new season of Demon Slayer

Last week, I watched the first three episodes of the new Entertainment District arc everyone is raving about. Honestly, I found the animation, especially in the big fight in episode 3, to be so flashy it was distracting from the actual story. It felt more like a tech demo than a meaningful scene. Has anyone else felt this way, or am I just missing something?

I tried watching an anime without reading any reviews first

I picked a random show called 'Planetes' from my list and just hit play. I expected a slow space drama, but it turned into this amazing story about garbage collectors in orbit and their personal lives. I learned that going in blind can make you appreciate a show's own pace and themes without outside noise. Has anyone else had a better experience with a series when they avoided all the online chatter about it first?