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[Jex]

Ten hours of impeccable research on youtube has revealed to me that at least this opening happened later in Maria Holic 2.

Okay, that is pretty amazing. I was not expecting a super-robot opening.

The overall flow of the storyboarding isn't great and the song isn't too catchy either, but it's still pretty intense.

 

[Erigu]

[Nisemonogatari]

It's trying to imitate the LN too hard. They should have dropped all the unnecessary dialogue and gotten to the thick of things.

Dropping the banter? Dude!
And it's not like there's much in the way of a plot anyway, this time around...

 

[Jex]

Nisemonogatari 1

There was nothing here as bad as episodes 9-10 of Bakemono. Of course there's still plenty of time for that.

Now you have to remember that that was the power of the BD/DVD release. Who knows what they might add to this episode by then?

 

[wonzo]

Although at that point Nise will just move on to the next haremette. I think this current op is here to stay.

There's always hope for the BD's.

 

[weeaboo]

Ten hours of impeccable research on youtube has revealed to me that at least this opening happened later in Maria Holic 2.

Although at that point Nise will just move on to the next haremette. I think this current op is here to stay.

As far as i remember the first OP changed three times (the second one too), Shaft love to play with the OPs.

Also runrunriru~ is amazing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZA6V-mvw1w&feature=related

 

[Crash Station]

Nisemono 1 (first 7 minutes)

Can't do it. Starts out promising with a potential kidnapping scene, but quickly falls back on typical Bakemono uninteresting dialogue that endlessly continues on a tangent which doesn't fit the situation at all. It's like stopping in the middle of an intense shootout to talk about sock puppets. Still baffles me that this is so popular.

 

[Noirulus]

[Nisemonogatari]

Dropping the banter? Dude!
And it's not like there's much in the way of a plot anyway, this time around...

It's actually fun to read all the banter in the novel, but it just doesn't feel right in the anime. :/

 

[Regulus Tera]

Senki Zesshou Symphogear 01: This is fucking Tarantino compared to Bodacious Space Pirates. If you are gonna have a rubbish stupid premise you have to fire up all the cylinders on the very first episode to hook up the audience. It had gratuitous boobies, it had gratuitous singing, it had gratuitous drama. The art is awful on every front, but Symphogear exudes bravado on every front.

Trashy fun.

Symphogear 1

How much this show will appeal to anyone really seems to be based around whether you think Nana Mizuki is the bee's knees. If you like all her very similar sounding anisong records (which a lot of people do!) then you'll probably love that all the battle sequences are set to her songs.

Nana Mizuki is the bee's knees.

Production values are merely adequate; while not completely without a style of its own, the style isn't particularly interesting (the way the show displays attack names on the screen, for instance, is not particularly clever or exciting, but I suppose it is at least a little different). The concert sequence goes for the same super-smooth animation that Haruhi, Kannagi etc. use for their dances, which I'm sure some people will like but I couldn't help wanting to see Satelight try and do something clever like their concert sequences for Macross F.

Anyway, opening "twist" aside there's little very interesting about Symphogear story-wise. The only real hook is to find out

Spoiler

how Hibiki dies and when - presumably she kills herself like Kanade did?

, but to get there you have to go through some halfway competent action sequences, a bit of fanservice and some moeblob schoolgirl hijinks first. So - an anime, then.

Symphogear doesn't do anything too interesting in terms of animation or script, but you gotta admire the intensity considering the obvious low-budget nature of the show.

I didn't like the concert scene to be honest. The camerawork was all over the place so it didn't lend itself to appreciate the choreography. Plus, CGI stadium.

Completely wrong. Haruhi and Kannagi have legit animation for their singing/dancing sequences; Symphogear's "super-smooth animation" is actually lazy CG rotoscope: the characters were animated in CG and then they had some poorly paid goons draw over the CG. It's really obvious in cuts like this. In the end, the result isn't nearly as pleasing or appealing as the concert scenes in the two previously mentioned shows.

Spoiler

And the concert sequences for Macross F are really dumb and ugly as hell. Sharon Apple remains the peak of anime concert sequences.

The real problem with that scene (besides the CGI) is that the character designs are all over the place.

Well, not really. There was certainly bountiful amounts of fanservice in the show, but it's more about the reams and reams of that dialogue which helped to define the shows handful of good characters.

I admittedly dropped the show very early, but most of the dialogue in those first three episodes seemed incredibly redundant and/or superfluous. I can't imagine most people followed Bakemonogatari because of its character dialogue, at least considering that first arc.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

It's actually fun to read all the banter in the novel, but it just doesn't feel right in the anime. :/

Cut out all the banter and nothing will be left. At any rate, I think the voice actors make it work for the most part in the anime, especially every dialogue between Senjougahara and Araragi.

 

[Regulus Tera]

Nisemonogatari - 1

Shaft with the courage to craft yet another masterpiece.

The courage to pander without shame.

The courage to cross lines.

The courage to be :firehawk.

Show of the season. Show of the all years.

oh my god he's looking at me with those eyes

i fear dresden is gonna rape me make me part of his harem now

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

So did they drop the pretense of exorcisms of the week and just focus on the true meat of Bakemonogatari - talking and molestation?

That's the vibe I'm getting here.

We know there's some stuff that's going to happen with the sisters down the line, but they've only barely hinted at that so far.

 

[Haly]

So did they drop the pretense of exorcisms of the week and just focus on the true meat of Bakemonogatari - talking and molestation?

That's the vibe I'm getting here.

There are no more exorcisms that I know of, maybe the sister is getting one.

He's just going to expand on the existing haremettes.

(And by expand I mean talking and molestation.)

 

[weeaboo]

So did they drop the pretense of exorcisms of the week and just focus on the true meat of Bakemonogatari - talking and molestation?

That's the vibe I'm getting here.

Seven minutes of verbal abuse. 10 minutes of loli molestation. The rest is a weird leg fetish.

 

[Regulus Tera]

Seven minutes of verbal abuse. 10 minutes of loli molestation. The rest is a weird leg fetish.

Goddammit I dropped it before the hot shit started going on.

Okay, that is pretty amazing. I was not expecting a super-robot opening.

The overall flow of the storyboarding isn't great and the song isn't too catchy either, but it's still pretty intense.

You should be happy we are still getting Super-Robot openings of any kind in this day and age!

 

[Steroyd]

Well...

Bodacious Space Pirates - 01

Annoying OP
Awful CG, from the cars to ships, to water, lamps, the shop, whole backgrounds dear god just make the whole series in cg!!
Chiaki goddamn Omigawa.
SQUEEEEEEE~~
Legalalised pirates WTF!?
I'll call my mum by her first name.
I'll also never ask for the 16 years of my life about my father.
Maido service.

And surprisingly it never falls below average, which would normally be a good thing, but when you look at the premise, you go all guns blazing so it'd either be epically bad or entertaiingly fabulous, like what Ben-To did.

 

[Haly]

Seven minutes of verbal abuse. 10 minutes of loli molestation. The rest is a weird leg fetish.

And about 8 seconds of Ararararararagi's washboard abs.

 

[Dresden]

Legalalised pirates WTF!?

Well, that's not too far-fetched. The other drake, etc.

 

[Haly]

He doesn't molest a sister.

YET.

 

[Dresden]

He's an equal-opportunity molester, I'm sure it'll happen reasonably soon.

 

[Steroyd]

Well, that's not too far-fetched. The other drake, etc.

I understand the concept One Piece did it with the Shichibukai, but it's still playing it safe with the premise.

 

[Noirulus]

I'm pretty sure he gropes Shinobu while she's sucking his blood too.

 

[dimb]

Nisemono 1 (first 7 minutes)

Can't do it. Starts out promising with a potential kidnapping scene, but quickly falls back on typical Bakemono uninteresting dialogue that endlessly continues on a tangent which doesn't fit the situation at all. It's like stopping in the middle of an intense shootout to talk about sock puppets. Still baffles me that this is so popular.

I have no experience with Bakemonogatari, but I thought what was here was kind of just...weirdly delightful. The dialogue isn't particularly deep or meaningful, but it feels snappy and engaging, particularly when every scene feels like it's happening on top of an art installation. I should probably go watch Bakemonogatari to understand the series better.

 

[Crash Station]

I understand the concept One Piece did it with the Shichibukai, but it's still playing it safe with the premise.

But they're based on privateers, which were legit government-endorsed pirates.

 

[jman2050]

He doesn't molest a sister.

YET.

What a glorious day that will be.

 

[Jex]

Nisemono 1 (first 7 minutes)

Can't do it. Starts out promising with a potential kidnapping scene, but quickly falls back on typical Bakemono uninteresting dialogue that endlessly continues on a tangent which doesn't fit the situation at all. It's like stopping in the middle of an intense shootout to talk about sock puppets. Still baffles me that this is so popular.

But this is clearly wrong because the dialogue is the best part. I mean, everything else is too inconsistent.

I admittedly dropped the show very early, but most of the dialogue in those first three episodes seemed incredibly redundant and/or superfluous. I can't imagine most people followed Bakemonogatari because of its character dialogue, at least considering that first arc.

That's really the main appeal anyway.

 

[Steroyd]

Neon Genisis Evangelion - 10

Now I'm genuinely curious, would thermal expansion work on boobs.

Asuka: asking the questions.

 

[Regulus Tera]

Ben-To 04:

Awesome relationship skills there, dawg.

The only way she would be hotter is if she liked Nintendo instead of Sega. Also, older cousins who try to get into your pants are not as sexy as anime likes to paint them.

...

 

[Jex]

Neon Genisis Evangelion - 10

Now I'm genuinely curious, would thermal expansion work on boobs.

Asuka: asking the questions.

Evangelion brining science to it's fanservice.

 

[darkside31337]

Sailor Moon 34

Well this is a truth teller episode.

The show finally acknowledges that Sailor Senshi outfits make it so the girls are impossible to recognize while they are disguised

Spoiler

even by the other girls.

It’s totally hokey but I’m glad they’ve established that premise for good finally, because it was a bit jarring before hand as I’ve mentioned before.

Usagi never takes off her dunce cap and

Spoiler

to figure out who Tuxedo Mask really was. She couldn’t even figure it out with all those clues.

But luckily for Usagi she’s not the only idiot to star in this episode, as Mamoru takes top billing.

Spoiler

Seriously I know Zoisite is fabulous and makes a gorgeous woman but he works for the DARK KINGDOM. Not only does he trust him once, but he decides to trust him TWICE.

How naive can you possibly be?

This entire

Spoiler

elevator

scene was completely fabulous. The entire sequence was just really pretty visually and really well done in all regards. For one of the key moments of the entire season it deserved something of this magnitude and the show certainly delivered. The entire second half of the episode was amazing. It’s right up there in one of my favorite episodes even with all the semi-derp in the first half.

 

[Jex]

He doesn't molest a sister.

YET.

He's an equal-opportunity molester, I'm sure it'll happen reasonably soon.

There's no indication that this show will have any limits. They've made that pretty clear upfront.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Fate/Zero 9:
Man, Lancer is really awesome. He's been getting more focus in some of these episodes, and it's nice to see. I'm really finding his view on the world interesting. It's nice to see Rider and Waver again, and Waver actually showed that he has some level of ability in this episode. I think this episode did a great job at including some messed up stuff without resorting to actually showing it, which made it that much more effective. I thought that stuff was handled really well.

 

[Haly]

That's really the main appeal anyway.

I thought the appeal was waifus?

Only monocles appreciate Bake for the diaogue.

There's no indication that this show will have any limits. They've made that pretty clear upfront.

It'll never tackle bromance, simply because there is no other male cast member in the Bake universe now that Oshino has left the building.

 

[cajunator]

I watched evangelion for the social commentary.

 

[firehawk12]

The Tampire Strikes!

I remember it!

I'm supposed to just take your word for it?!


Shimura angst

I absolutely have frustrations over the manga.

For like three volumes, it felt like it was nothing but "let's put on a wacky gender play/event!" The first time that happened, it felt like something really daring that the students were proposing. And then, it felt like it just kept happening and happening, almost like the creator wasn't sure what to do next. I think, as part of this, you had the students going through their school years without and huge development happening amongst them, and now they've gotten separated. I would like to have seen the dymanics in the relationships grow more than they did before that separation happened.

It's strange, because their middle school years were both eventful and completely uneventful. As short as the anime was, it pretty much ended right at the point where the manga starts entering indefinite denoument.

I also get really frustrated because it seems sometimes like she lets Nitorin and Takatsuki fall into these "oh, my gender issues don't matter anymore" periods. That can absolutely happen—you tell yourself that maybe your inner feelings are wrong, and that you need to "try harder" at being who you're "supposed to be"—but I haven't always liked how these moments were handled. Offhand, I remember one period where Nitorin seems to be totally back in "I'm just a normal boy" mode, and we weren't really given any look at him struggling with making the decision to try that, or the huge emotional toll doing so may have taken on him.

I feel like Takatsuki has probably been more underserved than Nitorin, mostly because it felt like the two would get equal time when the manga started. It seemed like after the characters, and by extension, Shimura realized/decided that it was harder for men to make the transition, Takatsuki dropped to the background and her gender confusion became a "phase". If nothing else, the author seems more interesting in shipping her with the obvious character more than anything else.

I do remember when Nitorin got that haircut... and then, that ended and he moved back into the strange place he's in now.

For as much as I think Shimura understands many of the factors to the struggle with gender identity, she also shows times when she either doesn't understand other factors, or doesn't appreciate how much they matter. So, because of this, the story can occasionally slip into points where the reader might feel like these are more of fetish-level choices for Nitorin or Takatsuki, versus deeply emotional identity issues.

And yeah, sometimes the story just feels like it's moving along and absolutely nothing is happening. Unfortuantely, I think that's part of the downside of manga when you're looking at something that needs to have a longer run but doesn't want to advance the characters too far from where people have become fans of them.

It's the exact same problem with Aoi Hana. Maybe it's as simple as wanting to keep your job by making your manga last as long as possible, because it's somewhat clear that Shimura seems to be reveling in creating "small moments" between the side characters rather than tackling the main character's various identity issues.

Perhaps if you're not at all invested in these issues and approached these texts simply as slice of life high school angst texts, then perhaps they become very considered and deliberate examinations of the uncertainties of youth.

What's frustrating to me (and maybe to you) is that she'll bring the books back to the original theme once in a while, showing that the promise of the texts remain unfulfilled. With Wandering Son, it's the current (English) chapter dealing with the middle-aged man who is trying to resolve his gender identity and with Aoi Hana, it's the staff of the school having unofficial lesbian weddings (off screen, admittedly).

At the very least, I'm interested in reading IS after the television series aired... but given that the author somehow spends 15 volumes dealing with one character's story, I almost wonder if that will drag as much as the Shimura texts have up until recently.

 

[Coxy]

Bodacious Space Pirates 1

Well that was good. Much better than I expected. All of the major characters are interesting, Ririka-san is an epic pirate whom better stay throughout the series, I hope, Kane McDougal brings me all the laughs, and Chiaki Kurihara is pretty cool.

Spoiler

banana parfait scene was awesome

. Graphics and animation were nice, and the theme song, though seemingly like a glorious mess was quite catchy. I loved it.

pic makes me think of Bayonetta eating vienetta

 

[cajunator]

pic makes me think of Bayonetta eating vienetta

Hnnnnngh.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

It'll never tackle bromance, simply because there is no other male cast member in the Bake universe now that Oshino has left the building.

There's Senjougahara's fa- on second thought, let's not go there.

 

[Jex]

I thought the appeal was waifus?

Only monocles appreciate Bake for the diaogue.

Well, I don't quite know about that. Senjoughara really wouldn't be worth anything without her dialogue.

 

[Dresden]

We'll see the value of her dialogue once her hair gets lopped off.

 

[Haly]

True true.

We'll see the value of her dialogue once her hair gets lopped off.

Dresden with the real talk.

 

[Jex]

See:

Even the waifus are inconsistent. Scratch that, especially the waifus.

That's what happens when you serve too many audiences. You gotta keep it down to a few good ones.

 

[firehawk12]

We'll see the value of her dialogue once her hair gets lopped off.

She's still a sexy troll.

 

[Solune]

oh my god he's looking at me with those eyes

i fear dresden is gonna rape me make me part of his harem now

He has experience as a butler man.

Nisemono 1 (first 7 minutes)

Seven minutes of verbal abuse. 10 minutes of loli molestation. The rest is a weird leg fetish.

Seven Minutes. Seven minutes is all Shinbo can spare to play with you.

He doesn't molest a sister.

YET.

Complete Global Molestation.

 

[Steroyd]

Neon Genisis Evangelion - 11

This like a philosophical trip, man has feared darkness which is why we chase it away with fire. DEEP.

The Rei, Shinji, Asuka trio somehow starting to gel together by some miracle of the gods.

 

[Haly]

Complete Global Molestation.

Araragi's juggle on Mayoi was pretty ridiculous.

Nerf that shit.

 

[firehawk12]

So you're saying that short-haired womens are sexy?

...were you trying to tell us something with that picture of bald Natalie Portman, firehawku~?

Sadists are sexy, irregardless of their hair length.

It's funny, because she's exactly what I thought that girl from Mirai Nikki would be like.

 

[Jex]

Neon Genisis Evangelion - 11

This like a philosophical trip, man has feared darkness which is why we chase it away with fire. DEEP.

The Rei, Shinji, Asuka trio somehow starting to gel together by some miracle of the gods.

Have you considered that there's only so much Evangelion that one should consume in such a small amount of time?

 

[Dresden]

Sadists are sexy, irregardless of their hair length.

It's funny, because she's exactly what I thought that girl from Mirai Nikki would be like.

Not sure if they've reached that point in the animu, but in the Future Diary manga,

Spoiler

the girl does exactly that, but drugs him as well while keeping him chained to a chair.

 

[dimb]

Not sure if they've reached that point in the animu, but in the Future Diary manga,

Spoiler

the girl does exactly that, but drugs him as well while keeping him chained to a chair.

The anime can't get there fast enough.

 

[Haly]

Yuno's got nothing on Sejou though.