_:ndeedba4b10d74f79b5a6dc5614343ee8xb14
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"\n\tI've watched some great anime over the last couple of weeks. \n\n\n\n\t\n\n\n\tFirst, I finally watched Cowboy Bebop. I've tried to watch the series several times now (think this was my fourth attempt?) but for whatever reason, it just never clicked. I would really enjoy the first episode but then my enjoyment of it would just slowly peter out by the time I got to Episode 3 or 4, and while I did feel a little similar this time around, getting to Episode 5 (Ballad of Fallen Angels) and being introduced to Vicious was when I finally found myself hooked.\n\n\n\n\tSurprised by just how many standout individual episodes there are, by how much I loved the whole cast (I was worried Ed would be annoying, but she was anything but, and there were several times where I'd burst out laughing at something her or Ein did), and the way it managed to blend so many different genres - of music and storytelling - into its web of episodes. Mushroom Samba and Cowboy Funk were downright hilarious, but then on the flip side of that, the show deals with so many heavy topics - existentialism, loneliness, dealing with your past and what defines family - in such a unique and ultimately relatable way that it plays your emotions like a damn fiddle by the end. I was on the verge of tears at the end of Hard Luck Woman. \n\n\n\n\tMusic is spot on, I knew that would be the case going in anyways as I love myself a jazzy soundtrack, but man the vocal tracks well and truly surprised me too - I've been listening to them a lot since finishing the show. Call Me Call Me is definitely my favourite, but shout out to tracks like Fantasie Sign, Rain, and Words That We Couldn't Say. And obviously goes without saying that Real Folk Blues is top tier too. \n\n\n\n\tFreaking loved it. Got to pick up the film so I can give that a watch! \n\n\n\n\t\n\n\n\tI also finished the first season of Kaguya-sama: Love is War. Incredibly endearing cast and just an overall fun time and take on high school romance, really looking forward to checking out the second season. There are naturally some heartfelt moments, but if anything it feels like a parody of just how stupid some romantic comedies can be, and it takes it all the way. \n\n\n\n\tLove Dramatic describes the show perfectly and is a great OP \n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t \n\n\n\n\t\n\n\n\tLastly, I got around to watching Millennium Actress after it's sat on my shelf for around a year now (there was a new release early last year with a new dub, which was the first time it came to Blu-ray over here).\n\n\n\n\tMy experience with Satoshi Kon is kind of limited - got about halfway through Paprika at one point before I ended up dropping off (which to be clear wasn't the film's fault, I started it stupidly late and like what I've experienced of his other works, it kind of needs your full attention to be completely enjoyed) and watched Perfect Blue for the first time a few months ago, which is probably one of the most intense animated anythings I've watched. \n\n\n\n\tI'd heard good things going into Millennium Actress...and boy did it live up to the billing, I think I even prefer it over Perfect Blue, which I thought was great. Without spoiling anything, Millennium Actress tells the story of a retired actress as she reflects on her life and years in the film industry, and it leans on a similar editing style to drive the story and film forwards as seen in Perfect Blue (if you've seen them both you'll probably know what I mean), which like with Perfect Blue takes a little while to adapt to I found, but what amazed me was the execution of the editing, especially in its transitions. I lost count of the number of shots where I was stunned, and two scenes in particular which blew me away were...\n\n\n\n\n\n\tNot for the first time watching a Satoshi Kon film, I found myself with my jaw agape in total awe of some of the things achieved in this film, not just on a storytelling level - which I think was great - but specifically on a technical level, too. \n\n\n\n\tI know I've got more films (and a show) from him to watch, but this is going to be a tough one to top. Highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't watched it yet! \n\n"
<https://forum.n-europe.com/topic/29346-the-new-anime-and-manga-thread-use-spoiler-tags/?page=90&tab=comments#comment-1883977>