Needless

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/1244/60090484.jpg

Plot Summary:

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In the near future, mankind has suffered from a Third World War, leaving extreme damage all over and forced mankind to become even more distinct from their species. The world was at chaos and from this chaos comes a new species: “Needless”. The Needless are humans who have contracted a “disease” as humans may call them, and allow them to wield extraordinary powers far superior to any mankind. Their abilities include Telekinesis, elemental powers, gravity control, adaptation, radioactive release and all manners of scientific impossibility.

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Genres: action, comedy, science fiction

Official website:
NEEDLESS Official Website (Japanese)

ANN - AniDB

I recommend you get the releases from [Ayako-Himatsubushi]

Oddly enough in the past 3 days I've been watching this series. Up to episode 11 or so, so far? It's playing off on a little of the TTGL craze. It's got quite a bit of humor, over the top action, and gratutious fan service. So far, I wouldn't say it's better than TTGL, but it's pretty good in it's own right.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/420...rrenlagann.jpg

Well that image settles it, i'm so watching this.

Looks fairly entertaining. I'll pick this up next season, since I'm already loaded.

Woot! Other people are into Needless. I was pretty sure no one from this forum would care about it since there's no tsundere romance and the moe characters can kick ass instead of trip under their own feet.

Needless is what I consider good old fashioned fun. The jokes are slapstick and accessible, the action is insanely over the top and completely unrealistic, but each battle is more fantasmagoric than the last and the characters fill out their roles well and manage to be entertaining as long as you are content to let them be what they are.

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Originally Posted by Yukimura

there's no tsunere romance and the moe characters can kick ass instead of trip under their own feet.

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I actually find these the good qualities of this anime. Action packed show filled with bad ass lolis (about 90% of the female cast btw) FTW.

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Originally Posted by Yukimura

The jokes are slapstick and accessible, the action is insanely over the top and completely unrealistic, but each battle is more fantasmagoric than the last

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These I find to be its negative aspects at most times. Sometimes it does work though, and I get a good laugh. I just hope they stop making 5 minute long speeches when the situation should only allow for 3 seconds of free time. Meaninglessly waiting for the enemy during battle is a scenario for (really young) children, and this show could be much better without it.

Over the top really worked well in Guren Lagann, but Needless has way to many logical mistakes despite its attempt at sounding logical. GL never even tried to be logical, with the random sudden power-ups, "shouting makes you stronger moments" and whatnot. Needless tries to add a hint of logic (such as having only 1 power per Needless, having a wussy pivotal character that is only good for thinking and strategy) but fails at it. If you even stop to think about the events, you will be asking "why???" each time.

I still like it though, since I always turn my brain off when watching it. The loli pantsu is more than enough to keep me watching this.

Awesome show is awesome

Just don't over think it and enjoy the over the top aggression, fanservice and overall stupidity

When everything else fails just go like this:

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/3535/23739081.gif

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Originally Posted by shinta|hikari

Over the top really worked well in Guren Lagann, but Needless has way to many logical mistakes despite its attempt at sounding logical. GL never even tried to be logical, with the random sudden power-ups, "shouting makes you stronger moments" and whatnot. Needless tries to add a hint of logic (such as having only 1 power per Needless, having a wussy pivotal character that is only good for thinking and strategy) but fails at it. If you even stop to think about the events, you will be asking "why???" each time.

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Lol this whole paragraph is demonstrative of why I didn't expect people here to like this show (I'm not at all surprised it was written by fiction expert and local hero shinta|hikari). Somehow a few events that seem logical on the surface mean the entire show is trying to be logical? Classic. I think you're confusing introducing boundaries for the sake of creating 'drama' with purposefully trying to follow some sort of internal logic in order to create a sense of actual drama.

In Gurren Lagann there were no effective boundaries to what could be done so any semblance of logic quickly went out the window as all the drama came from the two sides constantly one uping each other in audaciousness. With Needless boundaries exist only insofar as they facilitate the tension during fights and pump up the audaciousness factor when they are subverted. These boundaries are discarded just as readily as they are introduced once they have served their short term purpose so I don't ever pay them any attention. Blade already blows the one fragment per Needless element away, Eve's energy dependence is solved later in the show, and none of the characters can die no matter how hurt they are.

Finally caught up

So my impressions so far is that this is just a fantastically over the top on shonen anime that you will most certainly appreciate for its action, comedy, plot and characters if ( and this is a big if ) you don't over think it and just enjoy the bumpy ride of awesome and GAR as it goes on

Particular thoughts ( this is gonna be messy, just work with me for a bit )

- Blade was already awesome with his ability and overall attitude of "too cool to give a shit" but then they went ahead and made him a lolicon... thumbs up on that one, hope the lolis will keep coming so comedy can ensue

- First i thought Eve was there to look pretty and (fan)service our needs but for a airhead character she's surprisingly likable. It's probably because she's not shy on using violence and manages to hold her own pretty well on a fight without outshining the main character

- So... yeah Cruz is a wimp, i can't make excuses about that. But if i were to make TTGL comparisons there's only one character who would fit him, and i think he turned out pretty well in the end wouldn't you all agree?

PS: I bet he'll have some Uber destructo fragment in the end, he's just too young and a pussy to use it yet

- So i'm not the only one thinking that this Saten fellow is also a part of the Adam cloning line right?

- The sis being a bitch was completely ruined by the fucking OP and coloring ( having her hair green ), but it was still a nice twist when she went all evil on... well, everything. The over the top bitchiness makes her appealing in a disturbing way

I'm sure i have other things on my mind, but after 18 episode it's all a huge clausterfuck. As discussion continues i sure i'll come up with more, so start posting peeps

The soundtrack is quite good too, feels a bit more western than usual when it comes to anime

PS: For those still on the fence about this

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6131/25750164.jpg

And it gets better you pervs!!

I vote yes on all points Archie. I didn't even think about the sister until they confirmed that we still hadn't seen the 4th strongest but I immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was her once I saw the hair and the mask. I was expecting her to be at least somewhat conflicted about beating up her own brought though so it was interesting to see that she seems to have completely cast her brother aside for the sake of Simeon.

Eve is currently one of my favorite action girls. From the first fight I was impressed at how she didn't need Blade to save her constantly and she's just gotten more hilarious and awesome from there. Her default attitude is about as feminine as a rabid dog but that makes her occasional moe-esque moments hit me even harder for laughs and cuteness.

I never gave much thought to Saten's motivations but I guess he has been going pretty far out of his way to help out the good guys. At first I thought he just wanted a good fight with Blade and had been manipulating things to he could get one but it would also make sense that he sees Blade and his band as a chance to break free of Arclights control if he is there against his will. Whatever the case my be I don't really care as long as it's epic.

It actually hadn't crossed my mind until i saw the opening, i hate it when that happens

Eve is indeed awesome, she's both badass and funny, sexy and cute ( body and face wise ), stupid and stuupider... she's the whole package for what one would look for in an anime girl

The first thing that caught my eye was the design but then i figured that the creator could simply just not be that good if an artist. Then we were informed about the Adam clones, how all of them were somewhat similar ( being clones and all ) and how he was constantly helping them out when they needed it the most. The chance that he was one of those guys who just wanted to fight the main protagonist at full force went out the window too when he switched to fight Eve instead

PS: There's Yuri too faggots!!

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Originally Posted by Yukimura

Lol this whole paragraph is demonstrative of why I didn't expect people here to like this show (I'm not at all surprised it was written by fiction expert and local hero shinta|hikari). Somehow a few events that seem logical on the surface mean the entire show is trying to be logical? Classic. I think you're confusing introducing boundaries for the sake of creating 'drama' with purposefully trying to follow some sort of internal logic in order to create a sense of actual drama.

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I'm sorry, but I never said anything like that. I said that the show is trying to "sound" logical, not be actually logical. Super powers are not logical in the first place. I really just like shows that make sense, so that is my personal preference. I am not saying Needless sucks because it doesn't, but there are points that are just too absurd and that drags it down.

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Originally Posted by Yukimura

With Needless boundaries exist only insofar as they facilitate the tension during fights and pump up the audaciousness factor when they are subverted. These boundaries are discarded just as readily as they are introduced once they have served their short term purpose so I don't ever pay them any attention.

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I said the same thing, albeit not in the same detail or seriousness.

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Originally Posted by shinta|hikari

If you even stop to think about the events, you will be asking "why???" each time. I still like it though, since I always turn my brain off when watching it.

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GL didn't have boundaries (as can be seen in its title), while Needless does, but they throw them out all the time. I generally don't like that, and it is not the best storytelling method, but if one ignores it this show is quite enjoyable.

Look Shinta, look!!!

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/4120/25001431.jpg

( Trying to distract him with shiny lolis so we can move on with the anime discussion )

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3 <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

My thoughts turned into subtitles!

People really should start watching Needless. If people are watching Kampfer, they should have enough free time to get a dose of that.

If this show had better art, it would be awesome.

It does have some nice animation and the character design isn't half bad ( a bit repetitive but very GAR )

I'm sure those TTGL wannabe moments are a poor excuse for cheap animation but i'm willing to let those slide for the greater good

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7606/84329416.jpg

Last image, if this keeps up i'll spoil something eventually

And no, that's not a montage

Don't get me wrong, I love the character designs (for obvious reasons). It is just that animation quality tends to drop sometimes, and looks sloppily drawn (bad proportions and facial/body shapes)

Rushed edit after checking GW control panel:

I really liked the fact that the sister is evil. The moment I saw the green haired enemy, I thought that they reused the mind control plot again, but when it was revealed that she was on Arclight's side from day 1, I was very pleasantly surprised. A sister killing her brother with very little hesitation rarely happens.

I absolutely laughed my ass off at the preview comment last episode, when Cruz begged his sister to stop fighting because she was not wearing underwear. What sold the joke was how his sister said "I don't care" and he replied "Please do!" or something like that.

Enough propaganda, lets discuss the actual episodes

This is interesting, have you guys noticed it yet?

http://www.onemanga.com/Needless/9/08/

http://www.onemanga.com/Needless/9/15/

The scientists considered Blade to be a success but he claims to be a failure? Maybe the experimentation process failed further down the line?

Did they also say that in the anime?

I think they did

Based on that i have come up with yet another theory:

- The Second's power is just too great for their bodies to handle so all of the clones ( or most of them at least ) are defected, should it be physically like Arclight or mentally like blade who seems to suffer from some sort of amnesia