The "late to the party" thread

[Leemaster777]

So, there's alot of media out there right now. ALOT of it. And no matter how much we try, we can't watch every show, or read every book, or play every game, etc.

But sometimes we hear nothing but good things about a particular movie/game/etc, but for one reason or another, we never get around to experiencing it ourselves.

This thread is talking about times where you experience something that everyone's been raving about for ages, but you feel like you're the last person on Earth who's seen it.

I'll admit, I'm only making this thread because this JUST happened to me. See... I just finished watching Gurren Lagann for the first time. I consider myself an anime fan, but I just never got around to Gurren Lagann for some reason.

I tried to start watching it a few months ago, but I got up to episode 5, and stopped (I really, really didn't like episode 5).

But last week I gave it another go, and just finished it this morning. That ending you guys... that ending. It caused me cheer with awesome, gave me feels, and made me manlier just by watching it.

I wouldn't say that Gurren Lagann is my favorite anime ever (if we're talking giant robot anime, I still prefer G Gundam, and if we're talking Gainax, I still prefer Panty and Stocking), but Gurren Lagann is definitely not an anime I'll be forgetting about soon.

What about the rest of you? Seen/played anything recently that everyone experienced forever ago, that you only JUST got into?

 

[shrekfan246]

A Song of Ice & Fire. Not even the show; The books, which have been out forever. Of course, I most certainly wasn't old enough to understand anything about them when the first three or so were published, but there we go. Also 1984, because my high school class had Animal Farm instead.

And too many video game franchises to name, really. Metal Gear Solid, Jet Set Radio, Legend of Grimrock, Saints Row, Starcraft... I do happen to be one of the people who actually bought Okami and Shadow of the Colossus back on the PS2 though.

 

[tippy2k2]

The Shield (and many other shows but right now The Shield)

This show has been off the air for five years now. I have owned the entire series on DVD for about two years and only now have I finally opened it up to watch it. I cut through Season 1 in about a week and I fully expect for this pace to continue as this has been an absolutely excellent show.

 

[Little Woodsman]

Well not just recently, but last summer I was talking with a friend and she mentioned re-watching something called 'Firefly', which I had only been marginally aware of......I watched it spread out over the next two months or so... I really liked it but I still say it is what we get after Joss Whedon marathons his way through Outlaw Star.....

 

[shrekfan246]

Well not just recently, but last summer I was talking with a friend and she mentioned re-watching something called 'Firefly', which I had only been marginally aware of......I watched it spread out over the next two months or so... I really liked it but I still say it is what we get after Joss Whedon marathons his way through Outlaw Star.....

Nah, I think it's more Cowboy Bebop than Outlaw Star. Even the ship layouts are pretty similar in places.

Considering how rare proper space westerns are though, I don't think there's really anything wrong with comparing it to either of those shows, as they're both pretty good in their own rights as well.

 

[SoranMBane]

I just finished Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines for the first time a couple days ago. The boss fights were obnoxious, but otherwise it was pretty much as amazing as all the praise I've heard for it would indicate. I especially loved how satisfying the ending was; LaCroix's reaction to seeing what was in the sarcophagus was pure gold. Now I've already started on my second playthrough as a Malkavian and I'm loving it even more, although I am going to miss being able to blow people up in a shower blood and giblets with my original Tremere character.

 

[Little Woodsman]

Well not just recently, but last summer I was talking with a friend and she mentioned re-watching something called 'Firefly', which I had only been marginally aware of......I watched it spread out over the next two months or so... I really liked it but I still say it is what we get after Joss Whedon marathons his way through Outlaw Star.....

Nah, I think it's more Cowboy Bebop than Outlaw Star. Even the ship layouts are pretty similar in places.

Considering how rare proper space westerns are though, I don't think there's really anything wrong with comparing it to either of those shows, as they're both pretty good in their own rights as well.

Not saying you're wrong, but look at the moment when Melfina first appears, then look at the moment when River first appears.....
Also there's the whole aesthetic, despite it's name Cowboy Bebop didn't have much of a 'western' feel to it other than a few cowboy-styled costumes. The feel seems much more Outlaw Star to me.
Of course YMMV.

 

[shrekfan246]

Well not just recently, but last summer I was talking with a friend and she mentioned re-watching something called 'Firefly', which I had only been marginally aware of......I watched it spread out over the next two months or so... I really liked it but I still say it is what we get after Joss Whedon marathons his way through Outlaw Star.....

Nah, I think it's more Cowboy Bebop than Outlaw Star. Even the ship layouts are pretty similar in places.

Considering how rare proper space westerns are though, I don't think there's really anything wrong with comparing it to either of those shows, as they're both pretty good in their own rights as well.

Not saying you're wrong, but look at the moment when Melfina first appears, then look at the moment when River first appears.....
Also there's the whole aesthetic, despite it's name Cowboy Bebop didn't have much of a 'western' feel to it other than a few cowboy-styled costumes. The feel seems much more Outlaw Star to me.
Of course YMMV.

Outlaw Star seemed like Cowboy Bebop meets Dragonball Z to me, and it front-loaded the plot without too much padding after everything actually started going, whereas Bebop and Firefly were a bit more grounded in their universes and a bit more disconnected in their narrative pacing between episodes; They had an overarching plot of sorts, but it wasn't ever really the priority story to tell when they could focus on the greater adventures of the cast instead.

If anything, I'd say Firefly kinda lifts equally from both series.

 

[Mocmocman]

I'm just playing through an old Valve game called Half Life for the first time after getting on sale some weeks back.

 

[piinyouri]

I just saw the ending to Portal 2 for the first time.
Marvelous job there Valve.

 

[Darks63]

The Shield (and many other shows but right now The Shield)

This show has been off the air for five years now. I have owned the entire series on DVD for about two years and only now have I finally opened it up to watch it. I cut through Season 1 in about a week and I fully expect for this pace to continue as this has been an absolutely excellent show.

It only get better as the show gets more polished.

OT:The mass effect series and lost are the 2 things im working on atm liking em so far

 

[leviathanmisha]

Supernatural. I didn't start watching it until after the sixth season and the only reason I started watching it was because my mom had deleted the Castle season three finale off the DVR. Looking back on it now, I can easily say that I regret that decision and I should've just stuck to re-watching the Tudors a million and one times.

 

[Karoshi]

I played Half-life 2 just a year ago and loved it so damn much.

4-5 years ago, there was such a massive Half-life fandom and I missed it all. I find this fact incredibly frustrating, although I am glad that I skipped 5 years of wait time for HL3.

 

[Easton Dark]

I've still never played Persona 4, but I've seen the animation of it, and it's really good. I actually haven't seen the last two episodes of it I think, I haven't watched any in over a month, but I should at some point.

 

[Godhead]

I have never played Shadow of the Colossus, I have never read or watched Game of Thrones thanks to /tg/ and two friends completely telling me off, and I have never seen either of the Battlestar Galactica.

 

[NearLifeExperience]

I'm playing Transformers: Fall of Cybertron at the moment and by god where has this game been all my life? I blame you guys for not beating me over the head with it. It's so good!

 

[Nouw]

I recently watched Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I never did understand why it popped up in so many 'stuff you've cried watching' threads but after watching it and crying more times I can count with my fingers I think it's safe to say that yes indeed, it has many tear-jerking moments. I always thought that the more sad stuff I watched the less I'd cry but I've learned otherwise.

 

[Garyn Dakari]

Basically any game I've played. I've only ever played 3 games while they were new, and those were Portal 2, Arkham City, and Mass Effect 3. With most new games I'll wait 6 months to 2 years before buying it, while mostly playing decade old games like Half-Life. I still haven't played Skyrim or Shadow of Colossus, though I hope to play both soon, either later this year or next year. I recently started System Shock 2, and I'm quite enjoying it so far.

I'm pretty much Mr. Late to the Party

I'm not usually that late when it comes to movies, and I'm generally up to date on those, but I did just see both John Carpenter's Escape From movies for the first time earlier this week...

 

[Anachronism]

I finally got round to buying BioShock in the Steam sale, finished it a few days ago. 6 years late, but I can see what all the fuss was about. Even if the final boss was one of the stupidest things I think I've ever seen in a game, or at least in contrast to what came before. I like to imagine the devs' conversation went like this:

"So, we have here a game of incredibly rare intelligence, which spends most of its length deconstructing both Objectivist philosophy and the gameplay conventions of first-person shooters. How are we going to end it?"

"With a big huge musclehead who you have to shoot until he dies!"

"BRILLIANT!"

 

[NerfedFalcon]

I'm currently watching Puella Magi Madoka Magica with my family, and I already know almost all the major plot twists because everyone but me on the entire Internet has already seen it. Then again, I guess there are still some people, so if you are one of those people, then watch it before you look up any plot details.

The only condition I have on my recommendation is that it's probably not one to show young children, but everyone else should watch it, even people who normally hate anime. Give it at least three episodes. I promise it'll suck you in by then.