Geek Babble- The Big Anime Queue Purge, Part Three
The chronicling of my Crunchyroll queue purge continues with a deeper look into the shows I’ve finished and or dropped. We’re back after an unplanned break on Saturday to post today instead. I’ll be posting on Tuesdays which has been a clever way to take over “Drewsdays” while Drew recovers from the unpleasant process of long-distance moving. As for the meat of this article, we’ll firmly be in finished shows territory for quite some time before I continue on to untouched recommendations.
Finished or Removed:
The shows in my queue that I’ve either watched to completion, dropped, or I was too slow and the streaming rights expired.
Blood Blockade Battlefront– One day a strange anomaly opened the world between humans and demons in New York City, and the city’s name was changed to Hellsalem’s Lot. Libra, a secret society of superhumans keeps order. Comedy ensues. Think of this show as the action anime version of Ugly Americans and you’re good to go. Recommended.
Gate– This show happens when a military otaku imagines what would happen if the modern day Japanese Self-Defense Force could suddenly fight against ancient Rome complete with fantasy monsters. Needless to say the JSDF wins handily. The pro-military, anti-bureaucrat, and anti-media vibes are strong here, but the show was still fascinating. Recommended for military buffs.
The Heroic Legend of Arslan– An ancient military drama inspired by the Persian Empire and the East Roman-Persian Wars. Pars fights against Lusitania and King Adragoras III falls in battle against the invading forces. Arslan, the crowned prince is forced to flee. With his noble retainers, he devises a plan to slowly take back Pars. Recommended.
Dragon Ball Super– I never got around to seeing the last slate of Dragon Ball movies (Battle of the Gods, Resurrection ‘F’). So I thought the Super anime would be a good way to catch up. Except I never watched the early episodes and only saw the series’ final arc. I might watch the movies, but due to the sheer number of episodes I probably won’t stream the show. Recommended.
ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.– I’m not sure what drew me to ACCA, but a show about inspecting territories as a government bureaucrat sounds dull. Nevertheless, I found a great series here filled with appealing character designs, colorful animation, and dark political intrigue just under the surface. Although it was a slow burn, unraveling the mysteries of this show was a fun watch. Recommended.
Fate/Grand Order –First Order– Unknown are forces interfering with the Holy Grail Wars and attempting to end humanity. A society of mages sends a master and servant back in time to stop the interference. I enjoyed this twist on the Fate series, but it’s a shame this one off was just a promo for the mobile game.
Blue Exorcist– Blue Exorcist was one of the first shows in my CR queue (in 2011) and was removed because I purchased the DVDs. (At $130 for the 25 episode series, it wasn’t too expensive for an Aniplex title.) It was put back in my queue for the Kyoto Saga. The new season effectively rewrote the latter half of the anime original story, putting the series in a strange place. Still, it was nice to see Rin grow as a character. Recommended, but only if you’ve seen the original show or read the manga.
Bloodivores– A strange anime production based on a Chinese comic bearing the same name. This vampire story was a badly animated Battle Royale type show. Vampires exist in this society along with regular people, but vampires who commit crimes are exiled to an island to fight to the death. Something about time travel, super-powered vampires, and bomb collars. I checked out after six episodes. Avoid, avoid, avoid!
The Rose of Versailles– This classic anime first aired in 1979. It is one of the most popular shojo titles around, so I had to check it out when it arrived on CR. While the story of pre-revolutionary France is interesting, I had a hard time getting into some of the elements and norms found in 1980s anime. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to finish this on CR, as the rights to stream it expired earlier this year. Recommended for shojo fans.
Yuri!!! on ICE– This ice skating anime took 2016 by storm. It was easily the biggest show of the fall season, and received shout-outs from the world of ice skating and even South Park. I hadn’t originally intended to watch it, but the hype was so intense that I couldn’t resist. I’m glad I gave the show a chance because it was an excellent sports anime and love story. Recommended.
Tiger Mask W– While everyone was busy with Yuri!!! on Ice, Tiger Mask W quietly did its own thing. This was actually my first pick for a sports show of the 2016 fall season. I already enjoyed watching professional wrestling, so a guy wrestling in a cool-looking tiger mask was a must watch and did not disappoint. This show is New Japan Pro-Wrestling rather than WWE, and the likeness of several wrestlers were used, especially from New Japan. Recommended.
Images courtesy of Random Curiosity and L’Anthro Atomico Del Dr. Manhattan.
About The Author
Angela
Executive Editor | Angela has had an addiction to video games and cartoons since she was young and impressionable. She enjoys writing long articles about these subjects and whatever else catches her eye. Mastodon
