It almost feels like I am writing the whole show off after one awkward episode, which feels a little unfair to the guy. It's certainly worth talking about the background of the director in reference to how impressive the first three episodes were.
It's interesting that the director decided to make that the first three episodes should all have a particular tone, one different from the source material. This seems to imply that he, or someone that he's working with, has an ability not just to adapt a manga conventionally but to see the potential that a manga might have if the same material was framed differently.
We can definitely attribute that ability to the director - it's clear that's he's taken techniques picked up from the time he spent at Shaft and figured out how to use them in a purposeful way that serves the narrative. The fourth episode does try to imitate some of those "Shaft" techniques - the slow-motion pans over a character, the Araragi-style face fault - but the overall direction is too lame to make good use of them. I'm sure Omata would have liked to have had better staff to work with, but I doubt he has the industry connections to be able to pull in a bunch of people who don't normally work with DEEN.
Don't just assume that Sankarea will stay the same tone as it is in episode 4... but yes he did change the tone for the opening a bit.. a definite improvement.
What I can see happening is episode 4's tone being carried through much of the rest of the show, then Omata coming back to storyboard the final episode(s) to connect things back to how he started.
No, it's the same transformation as the first two, but they definitely included a 'panty shot' for some reason (even though it's a leotard or whatever).
Unfortunately, if I post a picture to prove my point I'd become some kind of pervert.
Actually, noticing this in the first place puts me in a bad position. I've seen that transformation countless times, of course, but that particular video allowed me to notice the subtle differences between them for the first time.
We can definitely attribute that ability to the director - it's clear that's he's taken techniques picked up from the time he spent at Shaft and figured out how to use them in a purposeful way that serves the narrative. The fourth episode does try to imitate some of those "Shaft" techniques - the slow-motion pans over a character, the Araragi-style face fault - but the overall direction is too lame to make good use of them. I'm sure Omata would have liked to have had better staff to work with, but I doubt he has the industry connections to be able to pull in a bunch of people who don't normally work with DEEN.
^ Thanks hosannainexcelsis, K-ON! is the lynchpin of the KyoAni lineup and they seemed to have turned a niche manga into a massive multimedia franchise... and while KyoAni obviously benefited from their partnerships with KEY & Kadokawa... K-ON! is all on them. Of course you could say without the Kadokawa and KEY properties to make them a powerhouse they could never done what they did with K-ON!...
Going by this massive sales compendium from Animesuki, I extracted the numbers for the relevant series and threw them here: http://pastebin.com/fVVmMTMs
Going by this massive sales compendium from Animesuki, I extracted the numbers for the relevant series and threw them here: http://pastebin.com/fVVmMTMs
Haruhi was pretty popular before the anime started, with about 1.5 million sold by the time the anime started airing . . . of course after the anime, by 2007 it had sold 4.5 million or so and by the time Endless Eight occurred it was up to about 10 million or so.
I'd agree with the statement that the success of KyoAni is due to the choice of their adaptations, which are almost sure-fire hits due to the inherent popularity of the source material. Their chosen works play to their strengths and they make sure to exploit that well with their talent. Added to the strength of the visual direction, along with impressive production values, they're certainly built up a name and reputation for themselves.
I'd also argue the fact that they've adapted FMP brings more credence towards them as a strong studio; It demonstrates that the studio is quite versatile and don't just make cute "moeblob" shows.
I haven't seen Munto, so I can't comment on its quality, but from a cursory search, it seems like an original work. Probably due to the fact that it was an original work and without the established fanbase of the source material, it bombed. Not to mention it seems KyoAni just started up. Then again, Nichijou bombed too and that was based on a manga.
It's probably true that much of KyoAni's brand strength can be attributed to fans of a certain demographic. The difference in sales for Munto and Nichijou vs the slew of Key works and Haruhi/Lucky Star/K-ON, which all include female protagonists with moe appeals, certainly points to an unrefutable conclusion. Their brand strength has certainly grown from when they made Munto and people will be more inclined to watch a show with their name attached to it. However, it ultimately depends on whether people are interested by whatever appealing elements are within the show and this is reflected in the sales.
tldr; KyoAni's studio brand isn't as strong as they seem. Their brand is certainly stronger than when they made Munto but not enough to carry a show all by itself and guarantee high sales. Their choice in works of a certain demographic have determined their sales success so far, and history would suggest it would continue to do.
I have a sneaking suspicion Hyouka is going to bomb pretty hard.
Just checked the manga, and while a similar thing occurs there, the art style the anime uses to elaborate that face and the enclosed reverberant space Chihiro's voice is placed in to show his internal thoughts do show some Bakemonogatari influence.
The first arc in the manga is like that, though. It does grim dead-girl/pedo-dad stuff to open and then you have zombie-moe hijinks before it wraps up with srs-business stuff.
This is a good KyoAni discussion. I think there's a lot of truth that they really made K-On their own, and elevated the material into what it is right now. But they've definitely used popular adaptations as a crutch before that though, and Nichijou calls into question whether they can really turn anything into gold.
Nichijou is structured in such a way that with the exception of one maybe two gags, you can't take it out of context because all the jokes are condensed into their specfic shorts so when you show people a youtube clip or an animated gif of a certain gag, there is literally no reason to go out there and buy the DVD/BD of it.
It never helped that most episodes in the first half had 1 maybe 2 select gags per episode that were worth watching either, which as I mentioned are able to put into gif form and be done with it.
It solves the problem by making them dumb? They weren't already?
But yes, "the answer is that they are stupid" is one the show uses a whole lot. I find it does get a little old after a while, but hey, it actually works out for them once in a rare while, so it's not all bad...
Like, that S2 episode where they did the right thing and saved the day completely on luck!
Natsuiro Kiseki 1+2: So this is the four girls show with Sphere. It's not bad but feels a little bland. Not particularly impressive production but not obviously bad either. I can see some fun things being done with the rock similar to the acts of god in Kamichu. I don't know if they'll get inventive with it but they certainly should. I don't really like Natsumi or Saki but Rin and Yuka are cool stuff. The pursuit to idol status seems like a superficial aspect and it's probably better that way. The long running scenes in episode 2 was pretty amusing though it was Yuka and Rin making most of it though. I'll probably end up enjoying this somewhat at least if the aforementioned two are entertaining along with some fun wish granting rock hijinks.
Bland? I guess it's not the most original thing ever, but what it does do is have a good story and characters, unique or no. Oh, and I think I prefer Natsumi and Saki, myself, though the other two are funnier, sure. And yeah, that chase was pretty good stuff.
Apparently the show's name means "A summer-colored miracle", and I guess that describes one element of the show well, though it doesn't really give you a hint that it's a funny show too.
Nichijou is structured in such a way that with the exception of one maybe two gags, you can't take it out of context because all the jokes are condensed into their specfic shorts so when you show people a youtube clip or an animated gif of a certain gag, there is literally no reason to go out there and buy the DVD/BD of it.
It never helped that most episodes in the first half had 1 maybe 2 select gags per episode that were worth watching either, which as I mentioned are able to put into gif form and be done with it.
But if you like the gifs, or certain skits, I'd think it would make sense to maybe buy it, given that every episode has at least a skit or two in it that are pretty funny, and most have more than that... not all comedy series can say that, certainly.
...I... still don't get it, where'd the crippleness come from!? D:
I think it did another 9k the week before that... than add sales from when it was restocked... so maybe it sold 60kish back in the day? Or even less? Seems like Kadokawa will at least get some novel sales out of this (lol), still strange to adapt these novels if a new one in the series isn't in the pipeline.
I think it did another 9k the week before that... than add sales from when it was restocked... so maybe it sold 60kish back in the day? Or even less? Seems like Kadokawa will at least get some novel sales out of this (lol), still strange to adapt these novels if a new one in the series isn't in the pipeline.
Well, it certainly looks like they took a kind-of-liked work and really made into something hugely popular. Of course, it helps that it's the kind of material that can appeal to otaku, as well as more 'normal' people.
This is a good KyoAni discussion. I think there's a lot of truth that they really made K-On their own, and elevated the material into what it is right now. But they've definitely used popular adaptations as a crutch before that though, and Nichijou calls into question whether they can really turn anything into gold.
I'm no expert on the subject, but my impression is that's a complete unknown, not popular at all. I believe zeroshiki said something to that effect.
I think KyoAni is trying to make works that have mainstream appeal, considering the direction they took K-ON in and their decision to adapt Nichijou, which has a certain old-school cartoony aspect to it. Hyouka appears to be a compromise between that and trying to stay within a safe and comfortable kind of story that won't alienate the otaku who have given them their financial success. We'll see if that ends up working out.
At first I thought Rideback had a chance of being good, but it just didn't happen, and from what I read about where the plot goes after I dropped it, I was glad I did...
I'd agree with the statement that the success of KyoAni is due to the choice of their adaptations, which are almost sure-fire hits due to the inherent popularity of the source material. Their chosen works play to their strengths and they make sure to exploit that well with their talent. Added to the strength of the visual direction, along with impressive production values, they're certainly built up a name and reputation for themselves.
I'd also argue the fact that they've adapted FMP brings more credence towards them as a strong studio; It demonstrates that the studio is quite versatile and don't just make cute "moeblob" shows.
I haven't seen Munto, so I can't comment on its quality, but from a cursory search, it seems like an original work. Probably due to the fact that it was an original work and without the established fanbase of the source material, it bombed. Not to mention it seems KyoAni just started up. Then again, Nichijou bombed too and that was based on a manga.
It's probably true that much of KyoAni's brand strength can be attributed to fans of a certain demographic. The difference in sales for Munto and Nichijou vs the slew of Key works and Haruhi/Lucky Star/K-ON, which all include female protagonists with moe appeals, certainly points to an unrefutable conclusion. Their brand strength has certainly grown from when they made Munto and people will be more inclined to watch a show with their name attached to it. However, it ultimately depends on whether people are interested by whatever appealing elements are within the show and this is reflected in the sales.
tldr; KyoAni's studio brand isn't as strong as they seem. Their brand is certainly stronger than when they made Munto but not enough to carry a show all by itself and guarantee high sales. Their choice in works of a certain demographic have determined their sales success so far, and history would suggest it would continue to do.
I have a sneaking suspicion Hyouka is going to bomb pretty hard.
You're right, the fact that Nichijou didn't do well does show that KyoAni can't make anything they make sell; instead, it's when they make things that hit the "moe girls shows" audience, that their stuff really sells. That does seem to be true, yes.
I'm no expert on the subject, but my impression is that's a complete unknown, not popular at all. I believe zeroshiki said something to that effect.
I think KyoAni is trying to make works that have mainstream appeal, considering the direction they took K-ON in and their decision to adapt Nichijou, which has a certain old-school cartoony aspect to it. Hyouka appears to be a compromise between that and trying to stay within a safe and comfortable kind of story that won't alienate the otaku who have given them their financial success. We'll see if that ends up working out.
Yeah, the old-school cartoony aspect of Nichijou was one of the best things about the series. As I said, it's quite unfortunate that that doesn't sell in Japan anymore, obviously. We'll see if Hyouka's more what the audience wants.
What makes the case of Nichijou interesting is that, unlike most of their other works, it's a straight up old fashioned sketch comedy. It isn't even really concerned with otaku in-jokes like Lucky Star. It's nothing but a series of brief sketches created for the purpose of engendering an amused reaction in the audience.
This seems slightly more prone to failure than their other titles because if you really don't find the show funny (as many people in this thread didn't) than it's literally a waste of your time as a viewer. The girls in the series aren't the kind of creatures that otaku want to fawn over either, so it doesn't even appeal to them on that front, nor it based on a hugely popular work (as far as I know).
It's success or failure was entirely down to the ability of KyoAni to make a show that could appeal purely on the basis of doing one thing very well (e.g. comedy) without trying to appeal to a variety of inbuilt audiences, unlike there other works. It's complete failure is therefore very telling. Nobody cares about the amazing animation, effects work on cinematography in that title (besides the obvious people). That's clearly not the only reason people buy this stuff and neither is the KyoAni name (although I think you could have worked that out before watching this series bomb so hard).
Damn 100k+, I can see why people thought they were just adapting safe stuff. I assume Little Busters is around the same mark? Lol if J.C Staff turns out a flop.
Damn 100k+, I can see why people thought they were just adapting safe stuff. I assume Little Busters is around the same mark? Lol if J.C Staff turns out a flop.
It's a pretty poor indication of the quality of the franchise as a whole (not that they could easily convey that in one episode), it feels extremely generic.
It was very disappointing, because it had almost reached the point where I thought it might go somewhere interesting. Instead it turned into what we had feared, a boring and weird fetish show with a wildly inconsistent tone. And I really hate that cousin character.
What do you have against beautiful women who have nothing to do all day but follow the main character around all the time with the hope that, maybe one day, he'll decide that they're worthy of bedding?
What do you have against beautiful women who have nothing to do all day but follow the main character around all the time with the hope that, maybe one day, he'll decide that they're worthy of bedding?
Hey she plays tennis. They even change the "Prince" brand to "Princess" on her backpack, although they somehow get away with using the "P" logo on the racquet.
What do you have against beautiful women who have nothing to do all day but follow the main character around all the time with the hope that, maybe one day, he'll decide that they're worthy of bedding?
This talk of music design reminded me that everyone should watch the incredible 10-minute short, Mars of Destruction, if you truly want to know the meaning of sound design. It will change everything you thought you knew about sound effects.
But if you like the gifs, or certain skits, I'd think it would make sense to maybe buy it, given that every episode has at least a skit or two in it that are pretty funny, and most have more than that... not all comedy series can say that, certainly.
Not if the gif is all the episode has going for it, or it's enough to satisfy the person out of watching the whole thing.
I'm of the firm belief that there's just too much downtime and disposable jokes (another thing Nichijou has going against it) in each episode for most episodes, and I feel the show works better when edited down to something somewhat similar to what you'd find on youtube, which actually happened and that speaks for itself.
Really enjoying Eureka Seven Ao thus far, but the shipper in me (the ugly little beast that it is) weeps at how Ao already has a waifu. Fleur never had a chance.
Hmm. Some blogs I follow occasionally write about a show on an episode by episode basis, but the vast majority of them do not because they prefer to devote their time to more lengthy essays or series write-ups. I don't know how many 'good blogs' do an episode by episode approach because most of the one's that I have come across tend to be nothing but screenshots.
I am a little out of the loop on this subject though.
I'm a fan of Tenka Seiha. His sneering has an undeniable ounce of truth when you deconstruct the show in question at its most basic form. It makes for good reads. Don't go there if you're easily butthurt.
Accel World ep 4
Yuki Kaji doing what he does best, acting like a spineless wimp. Oh well love is blind.
I really like Accel world's ED for a reason. Although it's sung by kotoko but the instrumentals are from fripside who have done railgun's openings, I love their futuristic theme music.
I could never skip openings for anything, never mind One Piece. The only time I broke this rule is when I was watching through the Arabasta arc with a friend. I skipped past Hikari E each episode, because fuck Toei's ridiculous spoiler in that one.
I skip openings all the time. By the time you've skipped 60 openings you've already saved yourself over an hour of time to watch more anime (or do something more productive).
I, er, don't think it's possible to exaggerate all the out-of-nowhere creepy fanservice which was only present in extremely small doses earlier on.
I think some small portion of it can be explained through placing the audience in the eyes of the character. For example, when Furyua is looking at Rea we get a POV shot to confirm that he is trying to check out her ass. This is pretty tame stuff. So is a number of shots of barely-covered up naked Rea.
Towards the beginning of the episode there's a really stupid sequence where a women is bending over and her breasts are literally bouncing all over the place in an unrealistic and wacky fashion.
I guess the important sequence is the unnecessary shower scene which starts off like all gratuitous sequenced. The main characters takes off their clothes for a shower, just because and manages to cover themselves just enough for the show to be aired. However, Sankarea goes that extra, crucial step of having the girl pick up a loofah, describe it as "hard and flexible" and then squeeze it between her breasts (for no reason) so that it bounces up and down in a very phallic manner until liquid is squirted from the top of it into the girls face.
But goddamn, these numbers would make Media-CreateGAF go insane (I know, different mediums).
