Making a general statement when you're clearly talking shit about a specific person is pretty passive-aggressive in my book. But if my understanding of the term is faulty, then I apologize profusely for not caring.
Making a general statement when you're clearly talking shit about a specific person is pretty passive-aggressive in my book. But if my understanding of the term is faulty, then I apologize profusely for not caring.
It occurs to me that [From the New World] - 6 has aired and I'm still not clear what, exactly, happened at the end of the last episode. For those who can't/don't want to remember:
Satoru is poking the ceiling to find a way out:
He discovers...something. Some liquid:
Apparently it's sticky:
They both know what it means to have discovered this substance:
Then this happens:
So there was a cave-in, I guess, for some reason. But what did he poke with his spear? It's not water, because it's sticky. Was it blood, that they coloured in white for some reason?
Nope. Seems like some SAO fans think it is actually well done and has solid writing. I don't recall Nyaruko fans having any delusions that the show was anything other than light-hearted, reference porn.
This was a really good episode, and a considerable improvement over the previous, but, unfortunately, it still feels noticeably lacking in comparison to the initial four episodes, due, in large part, to flawed, inconsistent execution. As such, the indistinct, surrealistic touches within the last two episodes, such as
Saki's brief hallucination
here and the
collapse of the cave
in the previous episode, disrupt the coherency of the narrative, creating, in effect, a disconnected sort of storytelling.
Saki's
brief hallucination
was interesting, but ultimately confusing, particularly
Shun's transformation into a minoshiro
, which, though it seemingly held some importance, there wasn't any indicated meaning behind that portion of
her bizarre vision
. I quite liked how she used her
memories to realize Satoru's mantra
, though this moment would have likely been a bit more effective if this scene had occurred in a previous episode, rather then it being first mentioned by way of a
newly discovered memory
. My favorite sequence involved
Saki opening Satoru's Cantus
, as
she recited the ritualistic words, while he began to scream in pain
. It was a superbly realized sequence, and extremely atmospheric. I also like that, following
his unexpected freedom, Satoru displays a temporary affinity for brutality, as he seemingly relished the ability to inflict violence
, while also displaying a certain naivety, due to his unceasing desire to
It was quite surprising to find out that the Ground Spiders can
assume different forms
, which might potentially infer that their original
form
was that of a
human
. Squealer remains a complex, thoroughly mysterious character. The strange, foreboding framing within his brief appearances and the final, disturbing reaction he provided upon becoming
suspicious of the possibility that Saki may not, in fact, currently wield the powers that they so fear and revere
, indicates that he could be much more knowledgeable of their situation than he's willing to admit. He definitely seems to have
slight ulterior motives
, since he purposefully
led them down a dangerous path for his own selfish gain
. The ending alludes to
further deception from him
, since Saki and Satoru
find themselves surrounded by the enemy, and, for whatever reason, the queerats appear to be unafraid
. As such, the cliffhanger at the end was terrific in establishing the tense, unsettling tone for the next episode, and I'm really looking looking forward to seeing how they
survive their imminent, extremely dangerous struggle
.
Satoru and Saki's interactions are great and increasingly engaging, since they've both gradually developed into a calmer understanding of one another and their emotions, rather than the innocently volatile interactions of their former youth, illustrated excellently in the brief opening, in which
they confess to one another that they wouldn't have survived without the other
, subtly, but effectively highlighting the gradual change in the nuances of their dynamic. Aside from the opening sequence, Saki's characterization was rather weak and repetitive in comparison to previous episodes, since, throughout the latter half of this episode, she was essentially a
perpetually voiced plea for restraint and nothing more
. Satoru was greatly intriguing throughout, as,
following his Cantus returning, he begins to display a sort of ruthless, yet understandable, savagery towards the Ground Spider colony
. It will be interesting to see what sort of consequences await his character; whether, due to human nature, he was
predisposed to an inevitable lust for chaotic bloodshed or was it simply a direct result of his sudden energy and awakened focus
The production values, for the most part, remain excellent, but, though quite improved over the last episode, the direction was disappointing and thoroughly unspectacular, and the editing was middling and occasionally disconcerting, due to it's haphazard manner of complicating the intended meaning behind several moments. Musically, this episode was quite good, but somewhat inconsistent. The musical selection that was used during the scene in which
Saki reawakens Satoru's Cantus
was particularly beautiful, illuminating a distinctly wistful melancholy, which contrasted the painful process within the moment in a wonderfully complementary manner. There were a few selections though, such as the majority of those used during the few action sequences, that weren't nearly as effective or suitably atmospheric as the others. The scene transitions were far better throughout, allowing for a more comprehensive, understandable view of the situation, rather than the chaotic uncertainty derived from the poor transitions that plagued the last episode.
This episode was visually subdued, since, above all, there was a noticeable lack of striking imagery, which typically suffuses each episode. I love that the original character designs have returned, since the altered versions were much less impressive and they certainly weren't well-suited for extended movement. The animation was, thankfully, much improved over the last episode. The CGI, on the other hand, was quite jarring and far too prevalent, distracting most notably during
one of the final attacks, as boulders flew towards Saki and Satoru
.
All in all, despite several flaws of a, hopefully, temporary nature, From the New World contiues to excel with a considerably intriguing narrative and increasingly interesting characters, as well as it's excellent depiction of a desolate, seemingly abandoned society. Although the writing and, by extension, the story, continues to be fantastic and endlessly compelling, the mediocre direction has, over the last two episodes, diminished the satisfaction of several important moments, essentially faltering, if only slightly, in an area that was one of it's strongest elements before the last two episodes.
Nope. Seems like some SAO fans think it is actually well done and has solid writing. I don't recall Nyaruko fans having any delusions that the show was anything other than light-hearted, reference porn.
I just noticed that they had to edit the ending of episode 5 when they re-used it for the beginning of episode 6. They clearly realised there was too much clutter in the last shot and no-one could work out what was going on. See:
SAO is easily the best show of the year. It has harem. It has plot. It has plot armor up the wazoo. It has a dreamy protagonist. A lovable female lead. Two badass dudes just in case the harem doesn't work out. It has boobshots, assshots and other shots. (Gunshots reserved for season 2) It has incest, cyber incest, cyber sex. This show is clearly the best.
SAO is easily the best show of the year. It has harem. It has plot. I has plot armor up the wazoo. It has a dreamy protagonist. A lovable female lead. Two badass dudes just in case the harem doesn't work out. It has boobshots, assshots and other shots. (Gunshots reserved for season 2) It has incest, cyber incest, cyber sex. This show is clearly the best.
SAO is easily the best show of the year. It has harem. It has plot. I has plot armor up the wazoo. It has a dreamy protagonist. A lovable female lead. Two badass dudes just in case the harem doesn't work out. It has boobshots, assshots and other shots. (Gunshots reserved for season 2) It has incest, cyber incest, cyber sex. This show is clearly the best.
SAO is easily the best show of the year. It has harem. It has plot. It has plot armor up the wazoo. It has a dreamy protagonist. A lovable female lead. Two badass dudes just in case the harem doesn't work out. It has boobshots, assshots and other shots. (Gunshots reserved for season 2) It has incest, cyber incest, cyber sex. This show is clearly the best.
This is true. However, when the Eva girls dress up in bunny outfits as a NERV public relations stunt in Rebuild 3.0, Misato will be the one true bunnygirl to rule them all.
Making smug, barely relevant quips about a show people are enjoying is dickish behavior, regardless. And Nyaruko was shat on quite a bit from what I remember. Besides, these are just examples I can remember from my short tenure here. While my divine radiance may inevitably cast numerous shadows, I kind of doubt that there aren't a bunch more shows that received this treatment prior to my arrival.
Not enough grey for that. We don't have colours in the sky here.
Anyhoo, hyperbole aside, while I appreciate Jex's point, I thought it was supposed to convey the passage of time - clearly
Satoru and Saki's near-sexual moment
was supposed to take longer than was shown. Plus I don't think the difference in lighting conditions is actually that extreme for end-of-day into early-night.
I'm not defending the artistic missteps in episode 5 by any means, but those particular shots were the least of my worries.
I thought so to, but then I rewatched the scene. Unless neither of them moved for like, half an hour, I'm pretty sure it all happened in the space of a few minutes because they held their positions exactly. It's really hard to tell because the episode does a really terrible job at conveying the passage of time.
SAO is easily the best show of the year. It has harem. It has plot. It has plot armor up the wazoo. It has a dreamy protagonist. A lovable female lead. Two badass dudes just in case the harem doesn't work out. It has boobshots, assshots and other shots. (Gunshots reserved for season 2) It has incest, cyber incest, cyber sex. This show is clearly the best.
This is true. However, when the Eva girls dress up in bunny outfits as a NERV public relations stunt in Rebuild 3.0, Misato will be the one true bunnygirl to rule them all.
Making smug, barely relevant quips about a show people are enjoying is dickish behavior, regardless. And Nyaruko was shat on quite a bit from what I remember. Besides, these are just examples I can remember from my short tenure here. While my divine radiance may inevitably cast numerous shadows, I kind of doubt that there aren't a bunch more shows that received this treatment prior to my arrival.
I thought so to, but then I rewatched the scene. Unless neither of them moved for like, half an hour, I'm pretty sure it all happened in the space of a few minutes because they held their positions exactly.
A show like SAO... Look, listen... I know why you choose to have your little, ahem, "group therapy" therapy sessions in the cold night: the Batman. You see, Batman has shown AnimeGAF your true colors, unfortunately. Kayos? He's just the beginning. And as for, uh, cajunator's so-called hatred - Batman has no jurisdiction. He'll find him and make him believe in SAO. I know the believers when I see them, and...
SAO is easily the best show of the year. It has harem. It has plot. It has plot armor up the wazoo. It has a dreamy protagonist. A lovable female lead. Two badass dudes just in case the harem doesn't work out. It has boobshots, assshots and other shots. (Gunshots reserved for season 2) It has incest, cyber incest, cyber sex. This show is clearly the best.
What about: I wanna fuck my brother (from the spring), I wanna fuck my brother (from the summer), I hope I don't accidentally fuck my sister (from the summer), and I wanna fuck my brother (from this fall)?
A show like SAO... Look, listen... I know why you choose to have your little, ahem, "group therapy" therapy sessions in the cold night: the Batman. You see, Batman has shown AnimeGAF your true colors, unfortunately. Kayos? He's just the beginning. And as for, uh, cajunator's so-called hatred - Batman has no jurisdiction. He'll find him and make him believe in SAO. I know the believers when I see them, and...