Judas Priest

Judas Priest is one of the good classical metal bands. Painkiller is a good example of the sound of that beloved genre of music. Edgy and angsty, yet still melodic enough and pleasant to hear.

On Hayayo Miazaki and Generations of People Who Make Anime

I checked various directors and other personal of the animes I liked and find out that they all are at least Gen X or younger.

Oldest is Ikuhara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunihiko_Ikuhara He is kind of on the border between boomers and Gen X.

Perhaps people older than him do not do anime.



Then I remembered than Hayayo Miazaki from Studio Ghibli is very old. Technically he is part of Silent Gen rather then a boomer. However there is a huge gap between Hayayo's old style anime and newer anime done by younger people.

Hayayo is often described as feminist. His shows push for much more conservative ideology and world view. I used to like them for good art and well made backgrounds. Cat-but is also cool and original. However rewatching Totoro I noticed this strong family and duty focus, kids always obey parents and they all care for women. All that rather spoiled the impression for me. Not the kind of world I want.



Also are all boomers like Hayayo and believe the same thing? Isn't their ideology spoils the world for all of us?



One final question: are boomers the only generation that cannot into making anime? Gen X and earlier can do it. Even Silent Gen managed to get on the hype train.

How I Value Code Geass Characters As Well as Waifu Tiers

 

On Hateable Code Geass Characters

As a response to this picture:

On Nina: I pity small weak easily frightened girls, an unpopular opinion here but still. She is also a legal loli. Also she is smart, people decry Fleija, but I do not see weapons as bad per se. So I would rather praise her for building it. Not enough to redeem her completely to the level of waifu material, but still.

On Luciano: He was like specifically made to be hated by everyone. However he has a harem of subordinate girls and overall savvy guy to join military in order to kill legally. I once applied to join ADF for much of the same reasons, and for good pay as well.

I can partly excuse him because I can relate to him, but only partly. I do not provoke people to fight deliberately as he does. 

On the rest:

Suzaku: I once wrote a lot about him. I understand where he is coming from. I guess I can understand every character in Code Geass. However understanding does not mean acceptance in my case. He is more of a enemy to Lelouch, as determined to foil all of his plans as a gadfly. I still hate him overall.

He did reached a compromise of sorts with Lelouch at the end, the Zero Requiem plan. However that compromise required a lot of tradeoffs from both of them.  Neither really got completely what they wanted, yet they managed to get some form of common ground, despite their rather irreconcilably different worldviews. They temporarily put their differences aside the get it done and did parted in the end not as friends.

I wrote on my interoperation of Zero Requiem before, but will repeat again. Both Lelouch and Suzaku are officially or legally dead. Most of the world only knows that much. 

Suzaku officially died in a battle with Schneizel. His grave was shown in anime, with only Arthur(cat), mourning his demise. Those who hated Suzaku got their revenge and feel vindicated even if he lives on secretly.

Suzaku lives on as Zero, but no one is suppose to know who is behind the mask. Suzaku has to keep this secret forever, so as legend of Zero as Lelouch established it lives on, even with a different guy behind the mask.

Lelouch is officially killed by Zero. Those who knew that he was Zero is puzzled, but most of the world will never believe that he was Zero. Because of that they all can view Zero as a good guy and savior of the world, just as Lelouch intended it to be. People would not accept that Suzaku is Zero if he ever reveal his real identity, so he will have to stay behind the mask forever.

Those who hated Lelouch are also feel vindicated that 'evil Emperor' they hated so much is no more and killed by a good guy Zero. That includes Suzaku himself, who gets his revenge against Lelouch for killing Euphemia.

Much like Suzaku, Lelouch too survives secretly. Emperor Lelouch is no more, but LL (new Lelouch) with Code of Immortality will continue to live on together with CC. He probably not intend to give Geass to anyone, but will instead, unknowingly for everyone, live forever with CC alone. 

I would say that only Jeremiah and Sayako would know that Lelouch really is alive. If I were him, I would not tell that to anyone else, including Suzaku. It is better if Suzaku thinks Lelouch is dead.

Rolo: He is loyal to Lelouch, but he wants to monopolize him to himself and kills anyone without hesitation, if he feels that his place is threatened. He is danger to other people Lelouch cares for and want around.

One good thing about him is that he did opted to save Lelouch in the end, despite knowing that Lelouch lied to him about caring for him as for his younger brother.

I have mixed opinion on him overall.

VV: He is totally behind that Ragnarök Connection plan, as far as I can understand it, I do not support Charles plan.

He caused Lelouch a lot of trouble simply out of his own jealousy. Both when he assassinated Marianne and later in the story. He hates Lelouch only cause he is Marianne's son. Kind of utilitarian guy who uses people like chess pieces.

No too strong feelings but I rather hate than like him. I always hate people back. That is I cannot like people who hate me, or if I perceive them as hating me.

Schneizel: I do not support his worldview and believe that 'people want to be controlled'. I think his world, where people live in fear of Damocles and Fleija would be worse that Lelouch's world. 

Sure Lelouch used these very same things to forcefully unite the world under the same government, but he also planned on future development: on where this world will go forward from there on. UNF and its structures will be there to let world go forward, rather than just stagnate in fear of Fleija. Black Knights and Zero are also there to safeguard this new order from others who would want to change it by force.

Of course, we cannot say what Schneizel planned for the future, but probably nothing. 

Overall, he is much drier that Lelouch: Lelouch may be wears mask both physically and metaphorically, but there is a person behind it. Schneizel is all mask with basically no person behind it all all.

I mostly view him as opponent than hate him per se.

Oghi: He is not hate-able per se, but his idiotism and simpness does fucks things up. Lelouch kind of miscalculated with him, it was a smart choice at that time in season 1, it is only later on it became a problem. 

On one hand his simple mind-ness and innate loyalty makes him good as second in command, since he will not betray Lelouch or try to take over. He will also protect Lelouch position as leader.

On the other hand, he is easily swayed by women and that gets in the way to his loyalty to Black Knights and Lelouch. For Viletta/Chigusa he fucked it all up. He is an example why simpness is always a path to ruin. 

Charles: I probably hate him most. I think he is a liar. I do not believe that he done it for Lelouch and Nunnally as he claims. He, Marianne and VV had this Ragnarök Connection plan, that they tried to implement. They did not really cared for anything else, including Lelouch and Nunnally. No matter what they told him then in C World when they needed him to accept that plan.

All that applies to Marianne as well.

Overall I agree with how Lelouch summarized it at the very end of C World sequence, before he said he rejects them. (TV version (version I watched) in case this scene is different in other versions)

Chiba: She was the most mistrustful of Zero, even when most other Knights were loyal, and was very eager to go against him when they all betrayed him.

She and Asahina only sticked around because of Tohdoh and were never loyal to Lelouch and Black Knights.

They are unlike Urabe who actually grew loyal to the Black Knights. Genba never questioned Lelouch personally, so hard to analyse his loyalty.

Lelouch knew that these two of 4 Holy Swords are disloyal, but kept them around because of their abilities on the battlefield. They will not betray him so long as Tohdoh stays loyal, but without Tohdoh they will become a problem. It would be wise to tell Diethard or Rolo to assassinate them both discreetly if Tohdoh dies in action.

Finally she not that nice of a woman either. Not because she is boring, but because she is rude. The only good thing going for her is loyalty to Tohdoh.

Kanon: Kanon, aidie to Schneizel in matters public and personal. He described himself something like that, like they are both gay.

He also guilt tripped Suzaku into fighting during Second Battle of Tokyo. 

Worst qualities of Schneilzel are present in him as well. As well as those of Rolo. He is like Schneizel/Rolo hybrid. Mask (pleasant outward appearance and manners) of Schneizel and ruthless nature of Rolo. 

He is also kind of ruthless guy with plain pleasant face, who will do anything to advance Schneizel's interests and plans.

Little more to say about him. Overall I think he is very unlikable. I think he is less likable than Rolo and probably even more ruthless than him.

May be it is good to have someone like him of your side (that is if he is as loyal to you as he is to Schneizel), but I will be even more wary than with Rolo.

Overlord Review

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Very relatable wish fulfilling story for gamers.

I recommend watching for every gamer or those who want to understand gamers.

[Breaking]Author stole the idea of Nazarik from Naxx (Naxxramas from WoW), Ainz is Kel'Thuzad, Cocytus is Anub'Rekhan and so on[/Breaking]

However we are better off from it. This is actually one of the better isekai, made by actual gamer. It understands gamer's soul well and cares it gently. Unlike you, Konosuba and Re:Zero.

Sure you cannot play as raid's final boss and have other bosses of your instance as subordinates. However the whole idea of a raid instance of MMO is recreated here almost perfectly. What other anime could do that.

I has other small details that show that author actually plays MMOs.

However the most important part of this show it the core fantasy of being the big boss of something and have plenty of loyal followers. This anime caters for it perfectly.

That is why people play WoW and other MMO, to beat some big boss, such as Illidan and then name yourself new Lord of Outland, just like he (and you if you played it) did back in Warcraft III The Frozen Throne.

Aniz does behaves like an actual MMO player, particularly when he is acting as Mamon of Darkness.

This is why Overlord consistently getting more and more seasons and huge fan base.

Another important aspect of this show is maids. Ainz got a lot of them, some are battle maids and others just ordinary ones. Maids are awesome and any shows that feature them has higher chance of getting a better score from me. Here I particularly like Delta CZ, the best girl of the show and my waifu. Evil Eye is also not too bad.

Flaws of the show include pointless story, since Ainz is so OP he can just conquer everything in one episode and be done with it. However show drags its runtime with side character development and smaller stories around what not. While story is not perfect, it is hard for me to imagine what I could have done to make story more engaging. 

I also do not like the cross-dressing elves. Author could have created something more likable instead.

To sum it up, if you play video games, than watch it. It is the best isekai.

Seasons are rather different from one another based on content and side characters each season chooses to develop. However they all have consistent tone and feel to them. You do not feel like director, screenwriter or studio changed like with some other stuff (Jigoku Shoujou 3rd season).

Here I can recommend all seasons.

Nichijou Review

Overall rating 8.0/10 - Great, One of Big Four Comedies of Anime

I recommend for all fans of good comedy.

'Riding to school on a goat does not violate any school rules.'

Internet troll, the anime.

This comedy is rather different in style from Gintama, but it is about as funny as 'Silver Soul/Balls'.

Instead of over the top madness, rude humor and stubborn preservice despite all common sense of Gintama, this show has subtle trolling, exaggerated actions that become absurd and plenty of bad luck humor. 

It somehow manages to exacerbate mundane events to the level of epic things. Even a sketch about a piece of sausage that was accidently dropped on the floor becomes a funny showdown against gravity itself.

Main cast is dvided in two distinct groups. First school trio consists of common sense girl Mio, funny girl Yukko and no-common sense troll Mai. Yukko tires to be funny and often angers Mio, while Mai often puzzles both of them and everybody else around her. For Mai I particularly like the Mayantera Buddha scene.

Second group is 10 years old genius girl, called Professor and an adult robot Nano. Professor is so smart she can even build humanoid robots (she built Nano) and other tech gismos, but otherwise acts like a spoiled 10 years old kid. Nano kind acts like a parent to her, but often trolled by Professor.

Other characters are no less funny, and each of these rather ordinary people have some crazy quality about them. Sasahara rides to school on a literal goat, has butler and dines in school like an aristocrat. Sakurai teacher is too shy and embarrassed to talk to anyone, despite working as a teacher.

It has less references that Gintama so it is easier to understand for the beginner.

All in all I can recommend this show to everyone who likes comedy. It is as good as Gintama and somewhat better than Excel Saga or Puni Puni Poemi

Strike Witches Review

Overall Rating 7.7/10 - Great and fun show.

I recommend watching.

 Girls und Panzer but Air Force. 

This one not as polished as GuP, but that is because it came out earlier that it. Somewhat GuP beta.

This is about girls who fly striker units and fight alien invaders named Neuroi in the alternative reality WWII. Even more twisted than GuP

It has good, well written, war story. That involve both war effort and internal politics within the military. Couple of story twists here and there to prevent you from getting bored.

Much like in GuP there is huge selection on waifus, here they do not wear pants because that is how strikers work. One of the better examples of justifying fan-service story wise.

While they fly fictional striker units, other equipment is actually based on real life stuff. They have real WWII battleships, couple of planes and even weapons, that witches use are actually real life machine guns or anti-tank rifles (for example Boys rifle that Lynne uses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_anti-tank_rifle).

They have fictional countries based on real ones, however each country has proper military insignia, such as Air Force roundels that are painted on each striker unit. Red crescent moon on black circle for Fuso(Japan) for example. Battleships of Fuso also fly Rising Moon flag.

Battles are smart, fast paces and often require some tactics to overcome enemies. Strategies are not as sophisticates as in GuP, but still interesting.

Slice of life moments are funny, they are not as cozy as in GuP but nice enough. They are rather comedic instead.

Overall I can recommend both the original and the second season to everyone. Victory Arrow and the Movie is worse somewhat, but not dramatically worse like Kaiji second season. Still watchable.