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[LordCanti]

Episode 12 of MPD was the breaking point for me. Retreading events with heavy handed, but ultimately non-existent emotional tension due to the fact that they've played with the same card multiple times prior

Spoiler

Only to bring her back in the very next episode, again.

. Horribly grandeur nonsense (Mary had a pretentious lamb), and all around bad direction with a lol worthy disconnect that still hasn't been explained--speaking on the seizon senryaku, which just reeks of convenience at this point.

On that note, you can say 'lol anime, inconsistencies are the norm!,' And I'll just ask you why.

I'm confused. What is the inconsistency? That they

Spoiler

talked in the world of the hat?

Spoiler

Himari dying and being brought back in kind of important to the story at this point. Her life or threatened lack thereof is being dangled in front of the brothers as a means of causing them continued misery. Like the goddess said, "It wouldn't be fun if the punishment ended now" or something along those lines.

I agree that it loses some of its

Spoiler

impact, every time it happens, but her coming back to life this time has such vast potential implications. Himari herself, or maybe the hat, sends her heart beat rapidly into reverse right before the "medicine" is injected, showing that it's not necessarily a good thing for her anyway.

She could have

Spoiler

stayed dead for a couple of episodes I guess, which would have made the impact greater

but I'm not sure there was enough time left to fit that in. It's pretty clear that they've got to spend a few episodes

Spoiler

endearing Sanetoshi to Himari, and getting Kanba deeper into financial trouble

which they couldn't have done without the motivation provided by

Spoiler

Himari coming back to life, and needing the "medicine"

Hahaha, very true!

Spoiler

I wonder how much that scene will progress before/if something breaks it up? Next week is going to be very good.

I'm hoping that it's something really out there, and not just

Spoiler

Lesbian rape.

I don't think straight up

Spoiler

rape

would add anything to the story, and really I'm hoping that this is the point where

Spoiler

Tabuki finally makes a move into being plot relevant

by

Spoiler

rescuing her.

I don't think it's going to actually happen and even if it does they could just find a way to

Spoiler

make her forget or something

. Plenty of ways to go about doing that. And really, "abuse" is pretty much a theme they've got going so I don't know if it really came out of left field as so many people claim. I mean, the moment she

Spoiler

signed in Ringo as her sister you pretty much knew some shady shit was gonna go down

.

I thought

Spoiler

Himari coming back to life so quickly

was a wasted opportunity but apparently a lot of people didn't see it that way. But now that we learn that

Spoiler

not only is Yuri connected to Momoka in some way, like pretty much every single character in the show, but she is keeping up with the theme of refusing to let go and being defined by someone who meant so much to her, not to mention the role reversal situation she has put Ringo

in some people haven't taken kindly to that and I just don't see it that way.

And also, really, this is Ikuhara so

Spoiler

lesbians

had to happen in some capacity at some point or I would have been sorely disappointed.

I've been rewatching earlier episodes, and for the life of me I can't figure out where people are finding any foreshadowing that

Spoiler

Yuri was troubled in some way.

I mean, you could reason it out by noticing that

Spoiler

Tabuki and Yuri had nothing in common, and that something had to be going on there

but nothing out of the ordinary seemed to happen involving

Spoiler

her until this episode.

Some thought she was the

Spoiler

person on the bike, but that didn't say anything about her being a Lesbian rapist, obsessed with Momoka.

 

[trejo]

Unless we're being completely trolled, and

Spoiler

she's going to dress Ringo up like Momoka, and not rape her or something

it was oddly

Spoiler

lighthearted for me, in terms of it being a potential rape scene.

Contrast it with the time

Spoiler

Ringo tried to rape Tabuki, where the lighting was all ominous, and Ringo clearly looked out of her mind. This time, Ringo is all flushed, and they take great pains to show us every inch of her body. It was just weird in terms of the tone. Are we supposed to be afraid for her? If so, they didn't create a sense of foreboding

I don't think it's going to actually happen and even if it does they could just find a way to

Spoiler

make her forget or something

. Plenty of ways to go about doing that. And really, "abuse" is pretty much a theme they've got going so I don't know if it really came out of left field as so many people claim. I mean, the moment she

Spoiler

signed in Ringo as her sister you pretty much knew some shady shit was gonna go down

.

I thought

Spoiler

Himari coming back to life so quickly

was a wasted opportunity but apparently a lot of people didn't see it that way. But now that we learn that

Spoiler

not only is Yuri connected to Momoka in some way, like pretty much every single character in the show, but she is keeping up with the theme of refusing to let go and being defined by someone who meant so much to her, not to mention the role reversal situation she has put Ringo

in some people haven't taken kindly to that and I just don't see it that way.

And also, really, this is Ikuhara so

Spoiler

lesbians

had to happen in some capacity at some point or I would have been sorely disappointed.

 

[Jex]

Episode 12 of MPD was the breaking point for me. Retreading events with heavy handed, but ultimately non-existent emotional tension due to the fact that they've played with the same card multiple times prior

Spoiler

Only to bring her back in the very next episode, again.

. Horribly grandeur nonsense (Mary had a pretentious lamb), and all around bad direction with a lol worthy disconnect that still hasn't been explained--speaking on the seizon senryaku, which just reeks of convenience at this point.

Your name isn’t Firehawk! But as your responding directly, I guess I can’t be accused of being a ‘defender’ if I simply reply in kind? I’m actually interested in a discussion of these issues.

I feel that, for

Spoiler

Himari, she’s actually only ‘died’ once, so I don't really think they're abusing it's impact. I certainly felt pretty bad because I didn't know she'd be coming back, that wasn't revealed untill episode 13. Now, if they were to fake-out the audience again then yes, that would probably be too many times.

I don’t really see why the story Shouma tells is horribly pretentious nonsense either. At various points in the show you see characters talk about/visualize events in their life through the lens of some story or fiction, as a way of distancing themselves from painful events.

On that note, you can say 'lol anime, inconsistencies are the norm!,' And I'll just ask you why.

Are you actually asking why inconsistencies in anime TV productions occur? Well, in most cases, you have a variety of different directors/writers/storyboarders/animators working across your series and they aren’t all as good as each other. In a few shows they achieve a much ‘smoother’ overall feel to a series, for example, in Mushi-Shi, where most of the show feels the same quality. Sadly it seems that most anime productions don’t exist in a space where they have enough time/money/talent to get the whole show up to the same level.

 

[firehawk12]

Episode 12 of MPD was the breaking point for me. Retreading events with heavy handed, but ultimately non-existent emotional tension due to the fact that they've played with the same card multiple times prior

Spoiler

Only to bring her back in the very next episode, again.

. Horribly grandeur nonsense (Mary had a pretentious lamb), and all around bad direction with a lol worthy disconnect that still hasn't been explained--speaking on the seizon senryaku, which just reeks of convenience at this point.

On that note, you can say 'lol anime, inconsistencies are the norm!,' And I'll just ask you why.

For the most part, that describes my reaction to those episodes. I really don't mind mythology episodes per se, even if they are necessarily men talking at each other in order to get some kind of world building point across, but given all the - in my view- wasted episodes previous to these ones, I feel like that information could have been conveyed in a much more palatable manner.

The only thing I can say is that, hey, at least they weren't as bad as Fate/Zero 1.

 

[Jex]

For the most part, that describes my reaction to those episodes. I really don't mind mythology episodes per se, even if they are necessarily men talking at each other in order to get some kind of world building point across, but given all the - in my view- wasted episodes previous to these ones, I feel like that information could have been conveyed in a much more palatable manner.

The only thing I can say is that, hey, at least they weren't as bad as Fate/Zero 1.

Ah, okay, fair enough. Thanks for explaining it.

Disagree with everything but the last bolded thing, because I don't even know what that is supposed to mean in connection with anything else you've said.

That's my fault!

 

[iavi]

Disagree with everything but the last bolded thing, because I don't even know what that is supposed to mean in connection with anything else you've said.

Hmm, 'Inconsistency' may have been the wrong word.

But to clarify, coming from the position of a realist, I'm saying that plot conveniences such as the Seizon Senryaku existing without a logical explanation irk me. And the fact that a move like that seems to be considered acceptable in anime irks me all the more. Hell, even in series like MPD that practically demand that you take their narrative to heart! With that said, the series was always goofy with it, imo, but the scene in episode 12 with Shouma

Spoiler

reciting this needlessly wordy nonsense while looking in on a seemingly normal Kanba/Himari, while they got their figurative fuck on at the 'end of fate' really sat wrong with me.

It's far too convenient.

Though, one thing I can concede on immediately without debate is that MPD is still going. I'd still say that it should've been structured much better than it has, but I'd agree that my blanket statements may be a bit premature. As time goes on, that element could very well be given a logic that realizes it, but I just don't see that happening, really. It happens so infrequently in the medium.

For the most part, that describes my reaction to those episodes. I really don't mind mythology episodes per se, even if they are necessarily men talking at each other in order to get some kind of world building point across, but given all the - in my view- wasted episodes previous to these ones, I feel like that information could have been conveyed in a much more palatable manner.

The only thing I can say is that, hey, at least they weren't as bad as Fate/Zero 1.

My complaint in a nut shell.

I don’t really see why the story Shouma tells is horribly pretentious nonsense either. At various points in the show you see characters talk about/visualize events in their life through the lens of some story or fiction,

Spoiler

as a way of distancing themselves from painful events.

That was the only moment that I saw done in that manner, and frankly; that there statement is you filling in the blanks. It's not even an issue of being open to interpretation. I'd agree if you say that its written to be consciously theatrical. I'd even further that notion by saying a poetic use of metaphors can really spice a scene up, but that scene was hardly poetic.

 

[Andrew J.]

Steins;Gate 04-07

If Okabe is supposed to be

Spoiler

the messiah

then the universe in this series is even more boned than I thought.

 

[Articalys]

Who stole my job? You can't just post that shit at 384x288, you gotta make it stand out, how are people going to know who to vote for if they have to squint to read it?





Though I will concede the idea to post the results outside of a quote block.

 

[trejo]

Sket Dance 28

Kind of a throwaway episode, really. I don't mind that they dedicate some eps here and there to flesh out some of the characters it's just that I don't care about this particular one very much.

 

[Lafiel]

Generally, if you compare the first half of SKU to the first half of MPD the latter is arguably superior or at least more consistent. Better animation, possibly better music (don't kill me), less dithering, a lot less pretense to normality. I will happily (actually, sadly, because I'll totally be crushed if this happens) eat crow on this point if the second half of the series tanks and sinks the whole enterprise but honestly some of y'all (I'm thinking of haly's reaction to one of the more recent episodes) are either being unrealistic about Revolutionary Girl Utena or unfair to Mawaru Penguin Drum. Not that I am qualified to judge such a thing of course!

I've actually re-watched Revolutionary Girl Utena recently alongside watching MPD every week so my memory is pretty fresh on this, and I haft to disagree that MPD is more consistent. I think the weakest utena episodes were significantly better than 10, 7 and 14 of MPD, and i never felt any of the arcs dragged as badly as the ringo arc did, that said I'm not being unfair to MPD as i genuinely think the best episodes of MPD are easily on-par with the best of Utena.

Another thing about Utena is there was a greater sense of pay-off and climax between the arcs, although that's a pretty pointless criticism since I'm pretty sure MPD isn't aiming to replicate utena story structure, but one thing Utena has over MPD indefinitely for me is better characterization and more memorable characters in general.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

Hmm, 'Inconsistency' may have been the wrong word.

But to clarify, coming from the position of a realist, I'm saying that plot conveniences such as the Seizon Senryaku existing without a logical explanation irk me. And the fact that a move like that seems to be considered acceptable in anime irks me all the more. Hell, even in series like MPD that practically demand that you take their narrative to heart! With that said, the series was always goofy with it, imo, but the scene in episode 12 with Shouma

Spoiler

reciting this needlessly wordy nonsense while looking in on a seemingly normal Kanba/Himari, while they got their figurative fuck on at the 'end of fate' really sat wrong with me.

It's far too convenient.

Though, one thing I can concede on immediately without debate is that MPD is still going. I'd still say that it should've been structured much better than it has, but I'd agree that my blanket statements may be a bit premature. As time goes on, that element could very well be given a logic that realizes it, but I just don't see that happening, really. It happens so infrequently in the medium.

So you hate magical realism, I take it?

Spoiler

The Crystal World is a parallel dimension, just like Sanetoshi's library. I don't think some complicated explanation for how the laws of physics allow their existence would help the show.

I don't see what's unduly "convenient" about this; MPD's world isn't the real world and is structured the way it is for the purposes of the story the author wants to tell. All authors of fiction do that to some extent or another.

I will agree that MPD could have been structured better. It is by no means a perfect show, but I feel it aspires to more than most anime do.

 

[Thoraxes]

I'm hoping that it's something really out there, and not just

Spoiler

Lesbian rape.

I don't think straight up

Spoiler

rape

would add anything to the story, and really I'm hoping that this is the point where

Spoiler

Tabuki finally makes a move into being plot relevant

by

Spoiler

rescuing her.

I think as of now, he's really the only one who hasn't had any depth added to him yet. The crow behind him in the OP seems ominous, and i'm pretty excited to see what he will become in future episodes.
As for Yuri, I think

Spoiler

maybe she needs parts of souls or something to feed on to live or she's splitting her soul into different people because of something written in the diary. I don't think she'll be a trap like some people think, but hell, who knows. Also, her statements about how she feels about Tabuki and her relationship with him... She was intentionally confusing, and I really wonder about why their relationship exists now. There's definitely more there, that's for sure.

 

[iavi]

So you hate magical realism, I take it?

Spoiler

The Crystal World is a parallel dimension, just like Sanetoshi's library. I don't think some complicated explanation for how the laws of physics allow their existence would help the show.

I don't see what's unduly "convenient" about this; MPD's world isn't the real world and is structured the way it is for the purposes of the story the author wants to tell. All authors of fiction do that to some extent or another.

I will agree that MPD could have been structured better. It is by no means a perfect show, but I feel it aspires to more than most anime do.

See, that's the thing! Himari was

Spoiler

in a dream/her subconscious when visting Sanetoshi's library

It wasn't needlessly wordy, it didn't take any measurable amount of time to convey that, but they did and did it well. It's one of the reasons I consider ep 9 to be the only real highlight of the show.

 

[firehawk12]

So you hate magical realism, I take it?

Spoiler

The Crystal World is a parallel dimension, just like Sanetoshi's library. I don't think some complicated explanation for how the laws of physics allow their existence would help the show.

I don't see what's unduly "convenient" about this; MPD's world isn't the real world and is structured the way it is for the purposes of the story the author wants to tell. All authors of fiction do that to some extent or another.

I will agree that MPD could have been structured better. It is by no means a perfect show, but I feel it aspires to more than most anime do.

It's the balance between theatricality, heightened performativity and consequence. I think Ikuhara or whomever has set up enough ground rules for us to know that the heavy plot elements will have a fairly strange but expected outcome. An emotion version of Lucy's football, as it were. The problem is that when the show tries to get people to care about what happens to a character or characters, it completely loses some members of the audience. If you are constantly undercutting the tension, don't expect me to be tense when you really mean it.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

See, that's the thing! Himari was

Spoiler

in a dream/her subconscious when visting Sanetoshi's library

It wasn't needlessly wordy, it didn't take any measurable amount of time to convey that, but they did and did it well. It's one of the reasons I consider ep 9 to be the only real highlight of the show.

And Kanba wasn't?

Spoiler

We see him kneeling by Himari's bedside at the same time he's in the Crystal World talking with the princess, so it's clear that's also a subconscious world.

 

[Instro]

Fate/Zero 3

Continues to impress me. I love how this is playing out so far, they've really nailed how to effectively incorporate all of the cast, giving us some time each week to look at how each character is planning their operations. It's a well directed show, they manage the material well to keep us engaged in the overall plot as well as the individual character dramas. The difference between this and Fate/Stay Night is literally night and day. It's not just because Fate/Zero is better on every technical level, but it correctly portrays how a war between a big cast of heroes should play out. Combine that with a story that is a more mature occult/scifi drama, and it works out very well(or at least it has so far). Of course it helps that the characters are infinitely more interesting than the MC of FSN!

 

[BluWacky]

Another thing about Utena is there was a greater sense of pay-off and climax between the arcs, although that's a pretty pointless criticism since I'm pretty sure MPD isn't aiming to replicate utena story structure, but one thing Utena has over MPD indefinitely for me is better characterization and more memorable characters in general.

Utena's formulaic/ritualistic structure certainly helped, both in the sense of pay-off you speak about but also characterisation.

MPD is so much more serialised than Utena was. Although we feel as though we can identify a "Ringo arc", she's not Mikage; she's going to be in every episode and have a pivotal role to play in the overall story throughout the show.

Utena was able to drop characters in and out of prominence in the story far more easily than MPD can because each episode in Utena was "same structure, different character". You could basically forget about Miki for a few episodes while the show dealt with Jury/Saionji/Touga/Nanami, and I think this meant you got great big dollops of character in one go rather than being drip-fed development like MPD does.

I would say, however, that Utena perhaps de-emphasised its "mysteries" compared to MPD. The Student Council arc is devoted almost entirely to establishing the characters and what they seek at the End of the World, and only gently teases at Utena's past. We don't even meet

Spoiler

Akio

until the Black Rose Arc, after all. MPD has thrown mysteries after answers after back story at us - it may never give the audience time to breathe (except perhaps in episode 7 which is probably my least favourite so far) but it has far more things to puzzle out than I felt Utena did at this stage.

 

[iavi]

And Kanba wasn't?

Spoiler

We see him kneeling by Himari's bedside at the same time he's in the Crystal World talking with the princess, so it's clear that's also a subconscious world.

Is he though, really? The brothers have been

Spoiler

dragged into the Seizon Senryaku regardless of their respective circumstances at that whatever moment

Even further than that, using

Spoiler

Himari's dream as a device to dive into her psyche

works just fine, involving multiple psyches, on the other hand, opens up a whole new can of worms.

...THAT'S where I was getting the 'inconstancy' from, lol. I've been sitting here wondering why the hell that was the first word to my mind this whole time. It took a while to get back around to that train of thought.

 

[shintoki]

Set Hak 02

Onedara is such a Tsundere!

 

[firehawk12]

Set Hak 02

Onedara is such a Tsundere!

Boys are still loving each other?

 

[shintoki]

Boys are still loving each other?

BL is BL.

Basically the same as every other episode. Onedara is Tsun-Dere for Takano's Love.

 

[InfiniteNine]

BL is BL.

Basically the same as every other episode. Onedara is Tsun-Dere for Takano's Love.

So it's like Shounen Maid Kuro-kun without the sex?

 

[Trojita]

Siri needs her own Tan.

You can even tell her to call you master.

There should be a Tsundere voice pack released.

"I didn't get that info for you or anything. I just happened to be looking it up myself! D-d-d-don't get the wrong idea!

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Fate/Zero 3

Waver is really getting the majority of screentime amongst all the master and servants, he is so funny. The episode could have used more action instead of pushing it to the final 10 seconds of just powering up. Saber and Irisviel von Einzbern conversation in the car and beach was nice to see.

 

[PdotMichael]

Siri needs her own Tan.

You can even tell her to call you master.

There should be a Tsundere voice pack released.

"I didn't get that info for you or anything. I just happened to be looking it up myself! D-d-d-don't get the wrong idea!

http://www.pixiv.net/search.php?s_mode=s_tag&word=siri

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

Is he though, really? The brothers have been

Spoiler

dragged into the Seizon Senryaku regardless of their respective circumstances at that whatever moment

Even further than that, using

Spoiler

Himari's dream as a device to dive into her psyche

works just fine, involving multiple psyches, on the other hand, opens up a whole new can of worms.

...THAT'S where I was getting the 'inconstancy' from, lol. I've been sitting here wondering why the hell that was the first word to my mind this whole time. It took a while to get back around to that train of thought.

My impression was that

Spoiler

the Crystal Princess had the power to draw people into her world at will, where they have what for lack of a better term I'll call psychic bodies, while their physical bodies still existed in the real world. See what happened after Ringo pulled the hat off Himari in Episode 5. Both the Crystal World and Sanetoshi's library exist on another plane than the "real" world; neither of them are just symbolic representations of character's psyches. So I don't see why multiple characters entering into either one poses an inconsistency.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

Indeed. I also think I like it so much that I'm getting irrationally upset at other people not-liking it, so it will be good to disappear for a while. :/ Japanese cartoons are hella srs bsns.
First of all, Utena is much more clearly broken up into arcs and episodes-of-the-week, where pengu is more continuous, so it is going to be more satisfying when you have some amount of closure every week. I'm not even sure I can readily identify arcs, because like Ringo is the main character (imo) so it makes no sense to call something her arc whereas once the Black Rose is gone it is gone and never to be spoken of again. The structures aren't directly comparable, but I feel like we've gotten more development for everyone (and the plot) in MPD if only because in SKU everyone gets hermetic episodes of character development but never in the same episode as another character (you aren't going to learn anything about Saionji in a Miki episode, so you'd better wait for the next Saionji episode). Episode 9 being an exception as "the Himari episode," I suppose. I understand some people here apparently feel that pengu has little character development outside of Ringo, though, so I'll concede that point if only because I don't care to argue it further.

Second, you know exactly where Revolutionary Girl Utena is going, so it's still unfair to claim the arcs are more satisfying or whatever when both shows rely so much on misdirections and revelations regarding the 'main' plotline, yeah. Do you think Anthy is as interesting a character the first time round as the second, after you know her deal? No, because her character is continually redefined right up until the last episode. Etc.

Also, and I can't believe I'm really arguing against Utena here (there's a first time for everything), I think you're full of shit if you think there's anything worse than Touga boxing a kangaroo or body switching curry or Tsuwabuki's diary in MPD, but whatever, I'll drop it. This is going to be like episode 3 of HanaIro and I'm just going to get myself worked up over nothing again.

And haft is not a word.

Personally, I feel that the main character

Spoiler

is Momoka

.

 

[iavi]

Spoiler

Both the Crystal World and Sanetoshi's library exist on another plane than the "real" world; neither of them are just symbolic representations of character's psyches. So I don't see why multiple characters entering into either one poses an inconsistency.

I guess, but to go out of your to make sure that it does have a reasoning of sorts behind it, then toss it all away when you're unable to arrange a situation where it's equally plausible kind of sucks.

Maybe this is just me hoping that the series introduces psychological elements, only to eventually unveils itself as one big metaphor for

Spoiler

the mental turmoil in forbidden love--Himari's life & death representing Kanba's on & off feelings of love/lust or something cool like that.

E: actually, if it does turn out to be that, I'll take back just about everything I said but the structure/inconsistency complaints. That'd be pretty fucking clever.

e2: ep12 would still be hot nonsense though.

 

[Reknoc]

Majin Tentai Nougami Neuro 1

So disappointed by another more recent detective show reminded me; I hadn't bothered to check out the anime adaption of Neuro yet, despite enjoying the manga quite a bit. So far so good I guess. Though it's doing that thing where it just starts further into the series so all the characters are already together. Which, I don't know, I'm not really a fan of, but at least the case it started on was a pretty good one. What makes Neuro enjoyable is that even though most of the cases are solved with Batman's Computer level magic, it still goes into detail of how all the tricks and stuff were set up. Then ends with the culprit doing some crazy transformation of some sort when they get revealed. Maybe it's supposed to symbolic or something, or maybe the author was just mental.

 

[MotionBlue]

Guilty crown 01

Some of the animation was beautiful. I enjoyed that greatly, and look forward to more. Gave off a GITS/Darker Than Black vibe.

Tomodachi 02

PSP and monster hunter shenanigans. Awesome.

 

[shintoki]

So it's like Shounen Maid Kuro-kun without the sex?

There has been some hanky panky, but unlike Junjou. They really haven't showed any of it. Its definitely been a big downgrade when most episodes of Junjou had some action going on between the first two couples, and in this case. Its most been some kissing with some implied contact.

GODDAMN, I WANT MY SEX.

2nd, Shounen Maid Kuro-Kun is a full blown Porno. This is a TV.

On Utena vs PenDrum. If I had to pick each series were it stands at about the half way point. I'd say PenDrum has been the better show, but the Othori/End of the world arcs really blew the previous two arcs out of the water. The best was yet to come with Utena, with the Black Rose arc being the weak point. PenDrum's quality has been far more varied. A lot of question decisions and sloppy execution. But when it really hits it, it knocks it out of the park. I know a lot of posters here disliked the Ringo episodes, but each one felt very fulfilling. It give hints to the overall plot, developed her completely, while adding on more to Shoma, and were genuinely enjoyable episodes. The gags and parodies were fantastic.

 

[InfiniteNine]

2nd, Shounen Maid Kuro-Kun is a full blown Porno. This is a TV.

Kuro-kun is so tsundere before he takes it though!

 

[Lafiel]

First of all, Utena is much more clearly broken up into arcs and episodes-of-the-week, where pengu is more continuous, so it is going to be more satisfying when you have some amount of closure every week. I'm not even sure I can readily identify arcs, because like Ringo is the main character (imo)

Actually the series is apparently split into 4 arcs with the first 9 episodes forming the first arc, and is the series of episodes that clearly has the most focus on ringo, which is why most people refer it as the "ringo" arc!

That said I might be completely wrong, and the series could possibly not have a arc structure at all and is just the way they are apparently dividing the four novel adaptations of the series.

Also, and I can't believe I'm really arguing against Utena here (there's a first time for everything), I think you're full of shit if you think there's anything worse than Touga boxing a kangaroo or body switching curry or Tsuwabuki's diary in MPD, but whatever, I'll drop it. This is going to be like episode 3 of HanaIro and I'm just going to get myself worked up over nothing again.

What?! you are seriously disappointing me right now, because those episodes were awesome, and I'm sure other Utena fans would agree with me here.

 

[Black Republican]

whats the best website to stream anime on an ipad/tablet?

 

[Risette]

whats the best website to stream anime on an ipad/tablet?

crunchyroll

 

[iavi]

whats the best website to stream anime on an ipad/tablet?

Hulu+/Crunchyroll. I don't think Nico has an app yet, and the browser doesn't allow for their flash player.

 

[shintoki]

Kuro-kun is so tsundere before he takes it though!

Onedara took it, liked it, then turned into a Tsundere.

Its always the same

Tsun Tsun, Don't do it.

Dere Dere, Feels Good.

Tsun Tsun, OMG I can't believe we just did it.

They are lucky I'm a whore for this shit or I'd be out.

 

[flawfuls]

Chrin no Suzu

WTF Sanrio.

I heard this movie was dark, but I wasn't expecting it to quite go that far. It's pretty damn good though. It's pretty powerful stuff especially for a kids movie.

 

[iavi]

That's not psychological, you're just asking for moar symbolism. It's also kind of silly imo because it doesn't really fit what we know of Kanba.

...That ultimately deals with the psyche, which would ultimately unveil a wholly psychological component of the show. So yeah, I am. Semantic arguments be damned. Also, how does that not play into what we know of Kanba? I can't stand too certain here because I haven't seen the last two eps, but it's not as if that progression would play against the themes established prior to ep twelve.

 

[firehawk12]

There has been some hanky panky, but unlike Junjou. They really haven't showed any of it. Its definitely been a big downgrade when most episodes of Junjou had some action going on between the first two couples, and in this case. Its most been some kissing with some implied contact.

GODDAMN, I WANT MY SEX.

There's porn for that! Besides, from last season, the guys are all fairly generic.

First of all, Utena is much more clearly broken up into arcs and episodes-of-the-week, where pengu is more continuous, so it is going to be more satisfying when you have some amount of closure every week. I'm not even sure I can readily identify arcs, because like Ringo is the main character (imo) so it makes no sense to call something her arc whereas once the Black Rose is gone it is gone and never to be spoken of again. The structures aren't directly comparable, but I feel like we've gotten more development for everyone (and the plot) in MPD if only because in SKU everyone gets hermetic episodes of character development but never in the same episode as another character (you aren't going to learn anything about Saionji in a Miki episode, so you'd better wait for the next Saionji episode). Episode 9 being an exception as "the Himari episode," I suppose. I understand some people here apparently feel that pengu has little character development outside of Ringo, though, so I'll concede that point if only because I don't care to argue it further.

Taking the show in its own terms, it's because of the same ideas being over-represented that I think people see Ringo's arc as an arc. It's been too long for me to remember if any significant

Spoiler

Yuri

moments were revealed in that run of episodes, but it was a run of episodes that felt like it should have been reduced to one or two episodes.

 

[Haly]

It's not just sex firehawk, it's sex between characters you care about!

 

[firehawk12]

It's not just sex firehawk, it's sex between characters you care about!

Haha. It's really too bad that fujyoshi character types are as boring as the otaku ones. There's almost no difference between these gay couples and the boring straight couples that litter the rest of animu.

 

[shintoki]

Haha. It's really too bad that fujyoshi character types are as boring as the otaku ones. There's almost no difference between these gay couples and the boring straight couples that litter the rest of animu.

But they have sex!

 

[Haly]

Yeah that's the main thing.

It's like watching harems without the blueballing.

Formulaic, but at least you can fap to it.

 

[firehawk12]

Yeah that's the main thing.

It's like watching harems, without the blueballing.

Formulaic, but at least you can fap to it.

That's true. Then again, it's also because the Setokai guys are adults and not virginal teens being frustrated virgins.

 

[Lafiel]

Regardless of whether or not you think they are awesome, none of those episodes contribute anything of worth to the series except as pure comic relief. Throw in Cowbell of Happiness too. I would love for you to demonstrate otherwise. Also, the episode about Tsuwabuki's diary (24) not only adds nothing and isn't terribly funny, it's a recap episode, which is sort of unforgivable considering the other two recaps in the series and their relevance; so it's probably the worst episode in the whole entire show.

Err, I think their overall importance to the plot is a pointless debate, they were great episodes because apart from the overall "funny" factor they were entertaining well-made episodes with great direction which is more than i can say for episodes like MPD 10 in some cases. I also think the transition from comedy episodes to srs business stuff is one of the many aspects that makes utena great, considering those "nanami" episodes embodies Ikuhara's strange sense of humor.

I don't even know what you are talking about really. What does a novelization have to do with what we're talking about? Why does forcibly shunting an arc structure on pengu via an adaptation make it an arc show? Can you not bring up irrelevant supplemental material that has not a thing to do with the discussion?

The whole arc thing is a assumption based on how the novels are structured which are a 1:1 adaptation of the anime. you probably don't understand because you weren't following the show on a week-to-week basis, but it was a common discussion point during ep6-9 airings.

Is Ringo even in episode 1? Or (most of) 9?

Ringo appeared in the first episode. Also in episodes 2-8 of MPD she clearly had the most focus in comparison to the other characters that has changed since episode 9 and onwards.

And great, I fucking hate looking at your avatar and it makes all of your posts a chore to read, so we're even in terms of disappointments I s'pose.

Well the avatar is getting changed when 7th ban is lifted...

Spoiler

to a asuka avatar

.. nah j/k, I have no idea yet! (but it won't be im@s or nge related)

MPD is so much more serialised than Utena was. Although we feel as though we can identify a "Ringo arc", she's not Mikage; she's going to be in every episode and have a pivotal role to play in the overall story throughout the show.

Yeah that's a another thing about MPD vs Utena. MPD feels clearly like more of a plot-driven show than Utena ever was which was more character-driven by comparison i suppose, that's probably why i prefer Utena over MPD at this stage.

 

[Zoramon089]

I think Un-go is the lamest new show I've watched. The premise is just silly and...I don't see myself watching any more of it unless I hear of it getting much better

 

[trejo]

Personally, I think constantly comparing Utena and MPD is doing both shows a disservice.

 

[jman2050]

I haven't even seen all of Utena yet so these comparisons mean nothing to me.

 

[Ezalc]

I haven't even seen all of Utena yet so these comparisons mean nothing to me.

I haven't even started it at all so these comparisons are even more worthless for me.