Anime and Manga Thread.

[Geek]

No football. No School. Not even the draft to look forward to anymore. I guess that means it's time for a

TOP 5 ANIME FIGHTS OF ALL TIME

list

Note: These are just from shows and movies I've watched. I haven't watched some mainstream shows like Naruto or Bleach so even though I've seen some fights from them, I'm not adding them to the list. Also, you might need to turn on the subtitles/closed captions for some of these videos. 

Honorable Mentions (no particular order) 

       Deku vs Muscular- My Hero Academia Season 3: This episode only aired a few weeks ago (so spoiler warning!) but this fight is too sick not to include. I usually hate Shounen fights, but My Hero Academia has a ton of good ones.

 

 

      Ryuuko vs Satsuki- Kill la Kill: This show is sooo lit. It’s kinda hard to explain to people that a show about half-naked anime girls fighting each other is honest to God not as bad as it sounds. In fact, I cried a bit at the end. This fight is one of the many kick-*** ones in the series. The show is just ridiculously over the top and fun, I mean just look at the very first scene. This show is just filled with moments and fights like these.

 

 

        Mami vs Homura- Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion: Two Magical girls who everyone’s wanted to see face off since the start of the show gun-fuing each other in mid-air with time stopping powers? Count me in.

 

The Best of the Best

 

     6.  Deku vs Todoroki- My Hero Academia Season 2: I know this is supposed to be a Top 5 but I couldn’t leave this one off the list. So far everyone on this list is trying to kill each other. Unlike the rest of this list at no point in this fight is anyone in mortal danger, it’s just two friends fighting each other to prove their worth. Despite that, they’re both putting their all into this fight. Deku, in particular, is such a badass for breaking his fingers to counter all Todoroki’s moves and still fighting on. I really appreciate how this fight was set up. It’s part of a tournament arc where we’ve seen both contestants fighting all the way up to the semifinals, so we have a great sense of their power levels and motivations. It also helps provide tension because unlike most shows, it’s difficult to tell who is going to advance to the finals. I also think that Todoroki’s story was beautifully handled. We get to see his relationship with his father and why he refuses to fully use his quirk, while also seeing Deku force him into using that same quirk if he wants to win.

 

    5. Araragi vs Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade- Kizumonogatari: Part 3: A battle of two superpowered, immortal vampires that is as fun and weird as it is gory. Since they both immediately regenerate, they can just kick and punch each other’s limbs off to their heart's content. It’s so unique and weird but oh so satisfying to watch. Add in Monogartai’s usual first-rate cinematography and this fight is one to remember. Here's a 4k version for eye-candy.

 

    4. Spike vs Vincent- Cowboy Bebop: The Movie: God damn I love this fight. Spike and his smooth Jeet Kune Do versus Vincent and his brutal Krav Maga/ MCMAP. As precise and technical Spike is, Vincent is just a god damn tank who absorbs all those blows like it’s nothing.  The animation is real smooth and doesn’t miss a beat. You get to see all the punches and kicks land in detail, it’s super satisfying. The music, in typical Bebop fashion, does this scene justice too. The rest of the movie (and rest of the series for that matter) has a bunch of other kickass fights, this is just my favorite one.

 

    3. Kerry vs Kotomine- Fate/Zero: No words. No Hype. Just two ice-cold **** tryna kill each other in the Bat Cave. It always bothered me in other media why people never used more conventional means to kill magic users (looking at you Harry Potter), apparently, Kerry and I think alike. I love that it’s magic and kung-fu versus guns, knives and a little bit of speed magic. The tactics are well done and it really feels like two lifelong assassins are fighting to the death for what amounts to being any singular wish they could think of. Since there is no singular main protagonist, it’s difficult to tell who is going to come out on top adding tension and intrigue to the fight.

   

  2.  Asuka vs The Eva Series- End of Evangelion: This fight is the best example I’ve found of how emotions can impact the viewing experience of a fight. This fight goes from being disturbing (Asuka screaming she doesn’t want to die) to cathartic (Asuka realizing what the Eva really is) to triumphant (Asuka kicking ***) back to downright horrifying. I just go through so many emotions while watching this fight it’s hard for it not to stand out. It’s pretty wild that this movie only just gets crazier and more intense after this fight. And the emotional part isn’t all that makes this scene great. For one the sense of weight is great, it really feels like 10 enormous monsters are going at it with everything they got with the environment getting crushed and Asuka getting swung around in the cockpit. Plus the gore is crazy detailed and intense helping with the huge monster battle feel. The last thing I want to mention is the Eva series themselves. I have not yet seen any foe more fear-inspiring than those 9. With their huge grinning mouths and eyeless faces, they look more like some nightmare fuel than the man-made angels they are. And the scene where they are dropped from those planes and circle overhead is equal parts ominous and awe-inspiring.

Note: The video is hella long and cut with other scenes that are occurring during the fight. And there are hugeeeee spoilers in this video.  Without context, this scene loses some of what makes it great. Do yourself a favor and watch Neon Genesis Evangelion and End of Evangelion.

 

1. Nanashi vs Luo- Sword of the Stranger: Everything about this fight is just superb. The atmosphere and music are beautiful and really lends itself to the fight with all the snow swirling about and the soft but epic music playing. The animation is buttery smooth with a fantastic and realistic sense of speed and momentum. I love seeing both of them sliding across the snow while trying to get their feet underneath them.  But what really makes it interesting is the fight choreography between the two contestants. They both are expert swordsman, but both have different unique fighting styles. Lou (Blonde Chinese) relies on his momentum to spin around and strike with force while Nanashi tends to take a defensive approach luring his opponent into disadvantageous situations. The rest of the movie is pretty good too and I’d recommend checking it out, but this fight is worth the price of admission alone.

 

 Let's be real, one of the best parts of anime as a medium are the fights so it was a ton of fun to rank all my favorites against each other. I hope y'all enjoyed watching and reading this list as much as I enjoyed making it!

 

 

Edited May 16, 2018 by Geek
formatting

[MikeT14]

I guess the fights in DBZ are too long

[Geek]

On 5/16/2018 at 9:02 AM, MikeT14 said:

I guess the fights in DBZ are too long

I actually was going to put Goku vs Frieza in the HM but I cut it at the end along with a few other fights.

[Malfatron]

okay, i finished death note.

i agree that season 1 was 10/10

s2 was disapoint

what other animes have similar protagonists/story/feel of death note.

im a super anime noob

[Xmad]

8 minutes ago, MathMan said:

okay, i finished death note.

i agree that season 1 was 10/10

s2 was disapoint

what other animes have similar protagonists/story/feel of death note.

im a super anime noob

Death Parade as a spiritual and thematic successor to death note is pretty close (12 episodes) 

If you want something more recent, B: The Beginning is a pretty solid show. 

 

[Geek]

2 hours ago, MathMan said:

okay, i finished death note.

i agree that season 1 was 10/10

s2 was disapoint

what other animes have similar protagonists/story/feel of death note.

im a super anime noob

Code Geass is 100% what you're looking for. Unlike Death Note, it focuses on wartime strategy but the protagonists (Light and Lelouch) are incredibly similar.

A lot of people think Code Geass is the best anime of all time and if not for Evangelion I wouldn't be inclined to argue that point. Unlike Death Note there is never a drop-off in story quality, it remains captivating throughout. IMO it is even vastly superior to DN. It's also getting a third season within the next year. The last season kinda ended definitively and it's been 10 years since the second season ends so I'm skeptical it'll be any good but the original 50 episodes are absolutely top notch even for people who aren't fans of the medium. If you loved Death Note, Code Geass is what you're going to want to watch next.

[Geek]

2 hours ago, OleXmad said:

Death Parade as a spiritual and thematic successor to death note is pretty close (12 episodes) 

If you want something more recent, B: The Beginning is a pretty solid show. 

 

Death Parade? Are you sure your thinking of the right show? Death Note is an intense cat and mouse game between two geniuses. Death Parade is a study of morality and humans willingness to harm others through the use of bar games. It's a great show but not remotely close to Death Note thematically or otherwise IMO.

[Xmad]

44 minutes ago, Geek said:

Death Parade? Are you sure your thinking of the right show? Death Note is an intense cat and mouse game between two geniuses. Death Parade is a study of morality and humans willingness to harm others through the use of bar games. It's a great show but not remotely close to Death Note thematically or otherwise IMO.

That's exactly what death note is more or less only Light and L are the focus of the show while they battle over the morality of it not exactly the same but close enough, plus they're both done by Madhouse. But your recommendation of Code Geass probably works a lot better coming off of Deathnote.

[Geek]

1 minute ago, OleXmad said:

That's exactly what death note is more or less only Light and L are the focus of the show while they battle over the morality of it not exactly the same but close enough, plus they're both done by Madhouse. But your recommendation of Code Geass probably works a lot better coming off of Deathnote.

Yea after posting that I thought about it a little more and it has more in common than I first thought. The whole passing judgment and themes of death are quite similar. I initially thought they were nothing alike due to the story structure (narrative vs episodic) and a different core cast of characters. But IIRC Death Parade even has a cameo with Light in it. Crackpot theory but maybe the bar is where everyone who's been killed by the notebook is sent. Anyways Death Parade is still worth a watch either way.

[Tetsujin]

Death Parade (A-) This is one of the smaller % of anime that DIDN'T start as a manga. As mentioned, it's the spiritual successor to Death Note. I don't think it needs a second season because doing these bar games a second time takes the novelty away from the series. This and No Game No Life would be the two series I'd recommend for those new to anime and want to take in a single short season (12-episode) series.

Assassination Classroom (B+) I can see why some, especially those who like more violence in their shounen given the title of the series, might not like this one. It wouldn't be surprising if the person who created this story was a former educator, or had educators in his family. There's a lot of profundities about teaching and life in general here. It's a also a nice commentary on the student-teacher relationship and the Japanese school system (which I may do some teaching at in 2020). It got better in the second season and really good as it went along towards the end, IMO. First season a B, second a B+. Ending an A-. So B+ it is for the series.

FLCL (B) This one also didn't start as a manga. "When the three powerhouse creators of Eden of the East, Gurren Lagann and Neon Genesis Evangelion bumped heads, they spawned the series that broke all the rules - then broke the mold." Oh boy. So much has been said about this one and I was excited to watch it. I actually ordered the Bluray from Amazon. It's the subject of much debate about what this somewhat ambiguous story is actually about, although puberty, sexuality, and growing up are three generally agreed-upon themes. There's surely a lot to explore in these short 6 episodes, but FLCL is so loud, obnoxious and offputtng that I don't care to examine this story any further - a story I didn't find too interesting in the first place. I won't be watching the new series.

[Thelonebillsfan]

 

 

 

[The Gnat]

I've been watching Saiki K with my wife the past few evenings. I'm debating how much I like the show. It is a lot of fun/silly vignettes, but sometimes I wish there was a tiny bit more going on as a through story line, or that the whole episode was tied together instead of being 4 vignettes a lot of the time. But it is super absurd, fourth wall breaking, and I've enjoyed it a lot.

[The Gnat]

Without my wife around I've been watching Blood Blockade Battlefront. The first season is really really well done on that show. A good amount of depth to that is going on, and a lot of really interesting moments. The characters are well done and it has a nice balance of action, drama,  and humor mixed together. The second season I feel like they've lost a little bit of that and are going too heavily into the humor side of things or sex joke side of things that they weren't before and it's kind of clouding the focus of the show.

Also had a friend led me the original Dragon Ball manga, started reading that last night. So far it's silly and funny. There are a solid number of low brow humor jokes that feel like it's a bit overboard to start out with, but not horrible. 

[DoleINGout]

Dragonball Super.

 

I’m just going to leave this here.

[Tetsujin]

Starting Psycho-Pass next week. S1, S2 & movie.