Series which are not anime which i watched in 2011

[salinea]

err, yeah, I guess that's the best encompassing descriptors for them?

The Awesome
The Good Wife - Continues to be one of my favourite show and a pleasure to watch every weeks. Love what they do with all their female characters.

Hwang Jin Yi - Did a review here.

The Good
Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes S1 - An excellent fun series. Love the way it handles plots from one episode to the next, there's some excellent build up from previous stories while keeping well contained episode. Also they play very fair by every one of their main characters. It isn't strongly focussed on character development or depth, but it doesn't really need to be. However, I do dislike how few main female characters (although at least the show writers seem aware to it and try to compensate with a few awesome regular guest stars).

White Collar - Continues being pretty fun, although I'm starting to be a bit disapointed with it. The season long plots never seem to work well, and the fact they keep trying to do them is starting to mess up with my enjoyment of the characters interplay.

Wakfu S1 - That's a French fantasy cartoon for those who've never heard of it. Very solid storytelling and sense of fun, and often amazing art and animation (once you get used to the style of it). Kind of dislike how video game-y it is, and sometimes how very... generic fantasy the plot is. Love the strength of the two main female characters relationship A LOT though

Farscape S4, Peacekeeper Wars - Oh yeah, I finally finished watching Farscape this year. I briefly talk about it here. Very worth soldiering on.

The Game of Thrones S1 - A solid start for the ASOIAF adaptation; there are a few areas of weaknesses, and some stuff where they lost quite a bit of the subtlety of the story/characterisation, but it's definitely worth watching overall. Check my asoiaf tag for my on going impressions for this one ^^

X-Men the Animated Series (the one for the 90's) S1, S2, and I'm still in the middle of watching: Actually I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying this one. The animation is not very good, the dialogue is often very cheesy; and yet the stories and characterisation definitely are spot on and entertaining.

The Okay / Average
Leverage S4: Keeps on being the same, I guess? Fun, I do like most of the characters despite how frequently silly the plots get.

Teen Titans S2, S3 (in the middle of watching): I have a hard time with this one, actually. Love the characters and their interplay, but the stories tend to put me to sleep. Also I often realise in the middle of action scenes that I'm daydreaming of something else >_>; Being stuck with this has sadly slowed down my checking any other DCAU shows, which is probably a tragedy ;)

Mixed Feelings
Misfits S1, S2: Talked about the first two seasons here. Watched the first episode of S3 at some point, and it strongly irritated so I stopped then. Misfit is overall a pretty good show which nonetheless leaves me with a worst aftertaste than it should. Still brilliant premise and some brilliant characterisation, especially on the start. I feel like the plotting has been a bit... plotholed at time, however, by S2. And the characters are frequently aggravating.

Damo: The other historical Korean drama I watched this year! Damo is a strange mix of things I really adore with things that frustrate me. There's some wonderful stoic angst and female characters kicking ass and more angst and cool battles and duty vs love angst; but I felt it was... well calling any work of art manipulative is a bit silly I guess, but you know, back and forth in term of teasing the audience with characters realising something they know to the point where it just got wearying.

Being Human S3: I can't say this lattest season was bad, and yet it kind of thoroughly irritated me anyway. I don't think I even want to check what they have next.

Comments

[elle_white]

I've watched most of Wakfu's first season and I enjoyed it! The characters are likeable and I also love the relationship between Amalia and Evangeline. And the opening song is awesome!

I really need to see The Good Wife!

[salinea]

Yeah, the characters are a solid draw, especially Evangeline and their relationship is ♥

Yes, yes you do :D

[nicole-anell.livejournal.com]

I didn't dislike S3 of Being Human, but at the same time not feeling enthused for the next season at all, especially with the news that Mitchell *and* Nina are gone.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

NO NINA? Okay, that makes it certain I won't bother.

[nicole-anell.livejournal.com]

Yeah, just saw that news today! Boo.

[citizenjess.livejournal.com]

X-Men: The OAS is really hit and miss, IMO, just in terms of episode quality. Season three's focus on the Phoenix (TWO five-part mini-series, egads) makes it hard to get through, but there's some good stuff in season 4/5 to be had. Are you planning to watch "Evolution" or "Wolverine and the X-Men"? Apparently, there's also an anime series wherein Charles has a kid with a Japanese woman who turns out to be a giant headcase who's going to destroy half of the country, which ... seems about right, actually.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I went through all the Phoenix episodes (I think) already so, that's done with XD it was a bit much but not that wasting to me, because it's a pretty cool epic story.

I've watched W&XM already; although I might start rewatching it sometimes now that I've got so much more background on X-Men comics.

Evolution... I'm not certain. I'm not overly tempted by the premise, and since it's one in which Magneto is mostly portrayed as a rat bastard, my motivation is low. OTOH, there are probably some cool things in it as well, so from times to times I am tempted :)

I did watch the X-Men anime (I mention it in my anime I watched in 2011 post ;)) - it was crap.

[citizenjess.livejournal.com]

Re: "Evolution": I mean, in the first season, he basically hangs out in Mystique's office and floats paperclips, but he outright teams up with Charles in season three, and it's heavily implied that he basically moves in at the end of the series and helps train the students. I actually really like the various Magneto arcs in the series, and the focus on his kids, etc., etc.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmm, with a focus on his kids, well, given how much the Magnus Family Melodrama has eaten my brain, there is much more motivation for me to bother ^^

[citizenjess.livejournal.com]

It's sort of a high school AU (which isn't my usual repertoire), so there are the younger Brotherhood members (Pietro, Blob, Toad, Avalanche, eventually Wanda), and then Colossus, Gambit, Pyro, etc. being a little more worldly and capable of doing Mags' dirty work. That they make an effort to resolve the family drama in some way deserves props, IMO. It leaves a lot of loose ends still, but the family melodrama is still very much there. ♥

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

yeah, the high school au part was the reason I was a bit leery of the premise ;) but good family melodrama will get everytime!

[trobadora]

Being Human lost me too. It's a good show, yes, but it's veered drastically away from the things that drew me to it in series 1, and I'm just not interested any more.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

YES! Exactly! It's not what the story they told in S3 was bad, it's that it was straying from the initial premise I was into, the "a werewolf, a vampire & ghost living together and trying to be human". In a way I guess I can appreciate going to the end of it with Mitchell's storyline and not try to whitewash him after all that he's done; but well; then it wasn't anymore the story I wanted the watch(also the move from Bristol played in a negative way I think).

[trobadora]

Exactly! It's just not what it promised in series 1, and since I was very invested in that, it lost me when it turned away from those themes. It's a different show now, about different themes, and while I can appreciate it intellectually it's just not one that speaks to me in the same way.

[haremstress.livejournal.com]

I think Misfits is the kind of show that works in part because the main characters are so aggravating. It's a "scream at the screen" kind of deal. XD

It is also Refuge In Audacity personified. (Or... showified.)

It is very frustrating.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but sometimes I minded the main characters being so aggravating and the refuge in audacity, and sometimes I didn't.

Definitely frustrating.

[q99.livejournal.com]

-
X-Men the Animated Series (the one for the 90's) S1, S2, and I'm still in the middle of watching: Actually I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying this one. The animation is not very good, the dialogue is often very cheesy; and yet the stories and characterisation definitely are spot on and entertaining.-

It's very classic X-men stuff :)

My intro to them.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Yeah, i guess it was mine too, since I had some very fuzzy memories of them from my childhood :D

[angerfish.livejournal.com]

The season long plots never seem to work well, and the fact they keep trying to do them is starting to mess up with my enjoyment of the characters interplay.

Mmmmm yes. White Collar's main problem in a nutshell. :\

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Sadly!

[dizilla.livejournal.com]

White Collar - Understand about the season long plots but I'm still loving this show. I think I liked the beginning half of the season more when Peter was all "GRAH" suspecting of Neal and actually being smarter than him at times. Love it when Peter shows off his badassness.


Farscape - One day I shall finish that series.. Will prolly have to watch from the beginning as I don't remember much past first season I think?

Game of Thrones - Still need to finish watching the last two eps. Got spoiled about the deaths as it is the internet lol. Plan to catch up before new season begins tho. As someone who hasn't read the books, I am enjoying it.

X-Men: TAS - Ah what started it all for me! I hearts it so much! The music, the bubblegum coloring, and yeah the meh animation. XD That along with having a comic book store between home and school, got quickly interested into the Universe (collected the cards and started into the comics). Did you know that the trucker who picked up Rogue in the first X-Men movie was Beast's VA? XD Still my fave ver of the X-Men animations... Didn't like that gothicy version they made after as it was a bit too emo for my liking but I did like the plotline of Gambit & Rogue there.

Leverage - I think there's been chara developments. It's just a bit more subtle than most. Though yeah, I am tired of Nate's descent into madness but man that ep last night... Season finale's gonna be gooood.

Misfits - I have a friend who fell in love with this show recently. And the fandomsecrets that pop up seem interesting enough. XD One day soonish, heh. Sucks that the plotting hasn't been too good.

Being Human UK - One day I'll watch this version. Only reason I stayed away was when the pilot had completely diff actors than what they chose to have for the series.

I'm really enjoying the US version. While a lot of obvious story parallels, I do think it's unique enough as it's own. Though it helps that the actors have fantastic chemistry on this show, including the baddies. =D

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Oh, I definitely still enjoy White Collar for the characters as well!!

lol that's what I ended up doing for Farscape... but why it took me several years to complete.

GoT aww, too bad you got spoiled. And yeah, the last couple of episodes are some of the best, I'd definitely rec them to you.

Oh that's so sweet for the VA.
Gothicy version? Which do you mean, Evolution?

I have some knee jerk hatred for all US remake from another countries. It just... PISSES ME OFF SO MUCH that they don't deem foreign made movies & tv shows worthy of directly showing to US audience. The xenophobia of it. I'd refuse to watch any such show.

[dizilla.livejournal.com]

the thing is. for being human, the uk creators went to syfy and ASKED for an american version. syfy wasn't the one that approached them, though i'm sure eventually they would have. the creators wanted a syfy production cause they enjoyed syfy's other original works.

and honestly, it really has to do about the accents, if they're too heavy. cause sadly majority of america isn't refined enough to be able to understand it. at sdcc, my mom worked the being human uk panel, and while she did love the actors and the scenes they showed, she could only understand a tenth of what was being said in their brit accents.

and other countries make remakes of US and of other country shows too all the time. Ugly Betty is just one of 20 remakes from the original Venezuelan. In the spanish language there was ten diff ones alone. The one I fell in love with was the mexican version as that was what aired on our spanish channel.

now movies, that's a whole nother matter and more to do with hollywood being idiots. but they're idiots with racism all the time too.

brit shows are shown in america all the time: dr who, torchwood original, downton, merlin and they do fine.

[imadra-blue.livejournal.com]

Oooh, television. See a couple things in here I'd like to try, like The Good Wife and The Avenger's.

Farscape S4, Peacekeeper Wars - Oh yeah, I finally finished watching Farscape this year. I briefly talk about it here. Very worth soldiering on.

I'm in the middle of the second season and enjoying it. I just never had time when it was on air before, but now it's on Netflix, so. I like it a lot, even if it's not always gripping.

The Game of Thrones S1 - A solid start for the ASOIAF adaptation; there are a few areas of weaknesses, and some stuff where they lost quite a bit of the subtlety of the story/characterisation, but it's definitely worth watching overall. Check my asoiaf tag for my on going impressions for this one ^^

I kinda resented the upped sex scenes and the constant parade of female parts (not that Martin is particularly good at this, either), but I agree it's a great start and had enough strengths to compensate for its flaws.

X-Men the Animated Series (the one for the 90's) S1, S2, and I'm still in the middle of watching: Actually I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying this one. The animation is not very good, the dialogue is often very cheesy; and yet the stories and characterisation definitely are spot on and entertaining.

That's the very series that got me into the comics many, many years ago, which I was just an impressionable brat. The animation is not fantastic, and the plots are weak in many areas, but yeah, it's the characterization that makes the series. And it's a great introduction, too.

Give X-Men: Evolution a chance. I'm not finished with the series, either, and I'm not thrilled with emo!Rogue, but there's lots of great moments and shout-outs in the series. And the high school AU is not so bad as you would think, actually. They somehow manage to pull it off.