Author Topic: Does "Lucky Star" get better over time? (Read 3539 times)

KyraMaverick · « **Reply #20 on:** November 21, 2009, 09:35:25 PM »

I'm pretty sure Funimation licensed RomeoxJuliet, but I don't know if they've released anything yet.

Shows my parents sat through/enjoyed:
Fullmetal Alchemist
Cowboy Bebop
Fruits Basket
Rune Solider
Rurouni Kenshin
Inuyasha
Haruhi
Samurai Champloo

Zalis116 · « **Reply #21 on:** November 22, 2009, 08:56:04 AM »

Romeo X Juliet has been released in R1 already.

Goroshi-sama · « **Reply #22 on:** November 22, 2009, 09:07:28 AM »

NO! dont say you actually watched LUCKY STARS with your mom?!

Smokeyjr2 · « **Reply #23 on:** November 22, 2009, 09:44:56 AM »

I hope no one watches anime with their mom/dad thats an epic fail @ life right there...

Neco · « **Reply #24 on:** November 22, 2009, 05:46:52 PM »

Oh I see.. its Ok for adults to do it in Japan, but its not for everyone else

Sounds like some of you are insecure

DaggerLite · « **Reply #25 on:** November 22, 2009, 06:12:32 PM »

No, I doubt many adults/parents watch anime on a regular basis in Japan either. Just those especially interested.

A funny mod apparently changed the poll slightly, but I agree with whoever did it. ;p I liked Lucky Star, but I wouldn't say it gets 'better' over time. You either like the silly random stuff, or you don't. And themes of lolicon and references to other anime and such is not especially good for anyone new to anime to watch. Though, I'm sure you've understood this by now.

If you're going to introduce an adult, who don't normally watch/like cartoons, to anime, pick something that has a good story, I'd say. I showed my parents Kigeki, the 10 minute short, and they thought it was a nice watch. Though, even if good, I doubt they'll like something long like Fullmetal Alchemist. I've thought about trying to get them to watch something else, but I'm not really sure what to show them. I'm thinking Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Ghost Hound or other semi-realistic anime like that. Perhaps a good avant garde like Kaiba also.

It's not so much that I'll force them to watch anything. If I show them two episodes and they don't seem interested (even though they'll say they are), I won't force them to watch any more. It's just nice to show them that not all anime is childish, though I think they understand that already. My mom loves Disney movies for instance, but I think a great deal of that is owed to the high quality along with the songs. It's just not a thing for them.

lStealtherl · « **Reply #26 on:** November 22, 2009, 06:29:26 PM »

Wise words from DaggerLite, he just phrased it better than all the rest

My mom actually watched Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 some weeks ago, and she liked it. But then again she's not completely ignorant and new to anime, so it might not say anything. You know your own parents best

Neco · « **Reply #27 on:** November 22, 2009, 07:35:38 PM »

My mom says its OK for the most part. She likes that they are just short clips and kind of random I guess.

I have been watching Anime since I was 11 or 12, so they have been around it a while and have randomly dropped in to watch it. It's just another entertainment medium for me. I don't know why I particularly like Anime, other than it just seems you get stories and stuff that can be done in Anime that you just won't see in TV shows or Movies, or effects wise is just too expensive to produce I guess.

I think the animation medium lends itself to all the usual stuff because you are locked into a specific art style, and when it comes to effects and stuff it all looks much more natural than the cheesey CGI stuff in most low budget entertainment (although BSG / Stargate Atlantis really pushed the limits, which I wish more shows would do).

And I would assume since it emerged/boomed in Japan post WW2 due to its cheap production cost, lots of people are just more open and accepting of it, no matter their age. Sure some folks will grow out of it, or never like it. But I would presume to believe its not the big "embarrassment" to watch it with your parents/the family there, as it is seen over here.

And no I didn't find the edit too funny, it was a serious question. I don't run around doing that kind of junk on forums I moderate, for good reason. But w/e I guess.

Thanks for the suggestions from those who were serious.

Neco · « **Reply #28 on:** November 25, 2009, 01:47:13 PM »

We finished it last night.

It's over, now I'm bummed. They could have gotten a couple seasons more out of the show with the format they were using.

Drew · « **Reply #29 on:** November 25, 2009, 02:25:10 PM »

Watch Darker than Black.

Fun for the whole family!

(Not really, it's pretty dark, but it should hold an adult who isn't acclimated to anime more captive than Lucky Star, something for people who watch too much anime, would.)

Neco · « **Reply #30 on:** November 25, 2009, 06:33:44 PM »

I've been meaning to ask also.

What about School Rumble? It seems like its supposed to be a pretty good series

Smokeyjr2 · « **Reply #31 on:** November 25, 2009, 06:56:48 PM »

I dont think you should be watching anime with your mom....

lStealtherl · « **Reply #32 on:** November 25, 2009, 07:21:28 PM »

I wouldn't recommend Darker than Black as a good family series if you're new to anime (even though I agree it's a better alternative than Lucky Star for someone new to anime, but that doesn't say much since the moe otaku reference animes are among the worst I can think of). It seems interesting but goes nowhere. I'll give it started good and original, but it became very hard to connect the plot (which is seemingly very important) and the story stagnates. Not a bit better when you reach the incomplete ending, which makes you wonder if anything that happened before has a meaning at all (no I haven't watched the ongoing DtB II yet). Hei, the main character seemed interesting, but he quickly became dull when nothing about him was revealed, and almost no noticable character development either. DtB did it very well in animation, music and also atmosphere for most of the time, but the two most important aspects, story and character, failed in my eyes.

If you're familiar with BONES works and have liked them, I think basically any other choice of their "serious animes" are better.

As for School Rumble, as anything with comedy, it is very subject to taste. Some things make you laugh, some doesn't. Personally it's one of my favourite comedies. It's quite shounen in its style and spins around misunderstandings all the time. Only way to find out if it's for you is to try a couple of episodes out.
Only slight problem is that if you aren't familiar with Japanese at all a lot of humour is lost since you can't get the feeling. Studies show than around 60% of the information in words are conveyed in how you pronounce, stress and intonate words. This is especially critical when conveying funny one-liners rather than a longwinded logical speech. I have no idea how good the English dub is.

Neco · « **Reply #33 on:** November 25, 2009, 07:39:18 PM »

Yeah I have heard mixed things about Darker than Black, so I've never really been interested in it..

I do think she would like Blood+ though, because it does have a pretty decent dubbing, and the overall story elements from several different genre are there. Was thinking of picking up Haruhi as well as the littered lampoons throughout Lucky Star now have me more interested just to see what the deal is about..

Only thing I really didn't like about the show was Patricia... I mean what the hell? They couldn't find a better voice actor? I could barely understand half of what she was saying. Other than that, the scene with Konata's Mother visiting her and her dad while pretty humorous, felt kind of out of place for the series. And I was a little let down that Kagami's meeting with the guy ended up being a guy, instead of Konata yanking her chain, but still humorous I guess.

On the subject of good dubs, I'll have to digress a little..

I find English dubs to be pretty good, pretty much for the same reason that a lot of people hate dubs.
Because a lot of the times, the dialogue is outright changed. Now in some situations this is purely unfortunate and there are plenty of changes to dialogue that have no logical relevance or reason.

But as for dubs in general, well I was listening to NPR the other weekend between work locations, and a caller called up during the "A Way with Words" show (a pretty good show where they discuss the meaning and origins of everyday words and slang), and the caller asked about the term "A whole new ball game" because he heard a translator for someone say this on another program, and wondered if they actually have that expression in whatever language it was (I can't remember what language).

One of the hosts made a good point IMHO. A translators job is to translate so that you can understand. Not word for word verbatim, but to translate the actual meaning the speaker is trying to convey. So in respect to a lot of Anime people think have "terrible" dubs because the dialogue doesn't match the original Japanese, or a joke was changed and localized - I don't see what the big deal is.

I know some stuff in Lucky Star I didn't get, but overall I thought the dub was excellent. There were plenty of funny moments and jokes that I could understand outside my own Anime/culture knowledge. And I think my mom would say the same. So as for School Rumble, as long as it has a good localization, I am thinking the dub would be just fine.

Neco · « **Reply #34 on:** November 25, 2009, 07:55:07 PM »

Quote from: Smokeyjr2 on November 25, 2009, 06:56:48 PM

I dont think you should be watching anime with your mom....

I think you said that already

lStealtherl · « **Reply #35 on:** November 25, 2009, 08:03:59 PM »

Well yeah, I'm totally with you on the translating part (and I know many others are too, even though there are a lot that bashes dubs because everyone else do). Proverbs are often better translated/localized, just like a common "drinking tea" means "going to café", "to play" is usually "to hang out" unless it is small kids (and lots of other things that I can't think of now). The big problem is puns and other kind of wordplay, like saying one thing actually hints two things (both the word itself meaning two things, or the intonation), one more apparent and one more subtle. These can be hard nuts to crack and some of the nuances in the language are lost.

But professional dubs are often better than fansubs for those ignorant about Japanese and its culture, but people bash them because you translate it "soft" rather than "hard" or "literal".

As for English anime dubs I don't know, I have hardly seen anything except small bits, and since I'm comfortable enough with Japanese it will stay that way. Being knowledgable about South-East Asian culture and languages enough, I prefer more literal subs since it's easier to read what you hear, and you learn a bit on the way.

Smokeyjr2 · « **Reply #36 on:** November 25, 2009, 08:37:36 PM »

Quote from: Neco on November 25, 2009, 07:55:07 PM

Quote from: Smokeyjr2 on November 25, 2009, 06:56:48 PM
I dont think you should be watching anime with your mom....

I think you said that already

Im making sure you get my msg

Drew · « **Reply #37 on:** November 25, 2009, 09:15:38 PM »

Can't believe I didn't think of it earlier.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC.

Both seasons are awesome, and while it can get a little philosophical at times, I think that your parents would be able to handle it. IIRC, both seasons are pretty serious through and through, neither containing any filler eps or anything like that.

Neco · « **Reply #38 on:** November 25, 2009, 11:24:57 PM »

Yeah I liked it too, although I think it may be a little too tech-y for her taste. She's not a real big Sci-Fi fan on the whole. But she'll sit there and watch LOTR or something, so I was thinking if I could find Romeo x Juliet, or something along the lines (I heard Magic Knight Rayearth was remastered?) she might go for that a little more too.

Loddoss War was kind of slow going for me, so I don't think she'd sit for that either.

zat0x91 · « **Reply #39 on:** November 26, 2009, 12:17:02 AM »

I've watched Serial Experiments Lain and Boogiepop Phantom with my dad. My mom liked Inuyasha, lol.