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Spring Anime 2012 II | Welcome Home Eureka

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Tsuritama 5

I was worried that the fishing lessons would be dull, but the character interactions carried the weight, as they have for the entire show. Now that our four main characters are becoming comfortable with each other, the chemistry they have is really shining. Haru is a great foil to the others, and Yuki is an intensely relatable character. The joy he and the others found in fishing almost convinces me to give it a try; it looks much more exciting here than I've found it to be in real life. I liked the storyboarding better than last week; it felt more on point, even with the relaxed atmosphere.

Akira's character is beginning to be fleshed out and it looks like he should be going through an arc soon, which I look forward to.
 

madp

The Light of El Cantare
Foojie Co. 06:

5OTSel.jpg

THAT is the Fujiko I've wanted to see for the entire series. It was only a glimpse, but greedy, worldly Fujiko is so much better than the nihilistic blow-up doll that only steals out of a compulsion created by a traumatic past. The series still seems unsure about how much regarding Fujiko's past it wants to explicitly divulge, as evidenced by
the trippy and fairly disturbing "owl" scene
in this episode. The fact that it
was ambiguous in terms of what Fujiko was remembering but was rather straightforward in the effects of the event on her psychology
would seem to indicate that
the depiction of particular events will be deemphasized in favor of general introspection
. In keeping with the fact that
Lupin, Jigen, and the others all have ambiguous origins
, this seems only right and is in line with
the OP's establishment that the show is an examination of Fujiko's compulsions
.

The episode itself was probably the second-best yet, particularly because of
the several layers of deception and counter-deception and the multiple parties involved
. It really made events livelier and more unpredictable and felt closer to classic Lupin than the past couple of episodes have. The one real unknown at this point is
Oscar's purpose
; I assume that
he exists to be for Fujiko what Zenigata is to Lupin, however he lacks the intertwined fate that Zenigata and Lupin share and seems, instead, only to be so intent on capturing Fujiko because his uptight morality causes him to see her as a sinful whore. Of course, the show hints that he's repulsed by female sexuality in general, so his hatred of Fujiko likely stems partially from that
.

Good stuff this week. I certainly hope that it wasn't an anomaly.
 

Makoto

Member
Cowboy Bebop 1-26 (FINAL) + Movie

I think I’m ready. I think I’m ready to talk about Cowboy Bebop. I didn’t know what to expect coming into this. I had always stayed away from Cowboy Bebop thinking it was some of kind of playful shonen meant for kids or young teens. What I got was a mature, episodic assortment of stories in the vein of sci-fi, westerns, gangster flicks and film noir. And its execution was amazing. The structure of the show, untethered by any of the main plot lines, is pleasingly effective. Given the 22 minutes per episode, it impressed me that Bebop was able to tell some very solid stories with such little time. Whether it’s the tale of some kid who wants to learn to defend himself and
restore his sister’s vision
or Bebop’s pilot
looking to settle the score with the man who took away his arm
. I usually don’t like
drug-related
humor but I found Episode 17 to be hilarious and it has since become my favorite Bebop episode. Episode 11 I also enjoyed as a love letter of sorts to popular American sci-fi.

Bebop oozes style. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to digest the older look of it all but I think it still looks brilliant given when it was aired. I loved the art direction and it didn’t impede on my enjoyment of the series at all. Everything is grimy, aged and rusted. It compliments the world that the creators were trying to establish and just about everything was a pleasure to see in motion. The aerial battles in particular are incredible to watch, not because of loud fast-paced music, or methodical orchestral scores but because of its slow jazz pieces. It creates a new tone for these skirmishes in the skies. They become awesome and tragic, enthralling and melancholic at the same time. Watching the Bebop, Swordfish and Redtail outgunning or outrunning their targets of interest is so mesmerizing. The locales they fight over are fantastic. I enjoyed the vision that the creators had of the future and mankind’s expansion from Earth.

Nothing overstays its welcome. In fact, I’d say nothing stays long enough and I will say that I was disappointed characters like Ed didn’t play a larger role in the show. But maybe that reluctance to stick around too long is in line with its theme. It’s a show about characters trying to find their place in the universe. The journey the crew goes through varies. Sometimes it’s hilarious, sometimes it’s ridiculous and sometimes it’s very human. The delivery never fails miserably and it never teeters to the point of sophomoric. It just leaves me wanting more and the way the show throws so much humor and adventure at you only to slap you back into reality when it wants is great. It doesn’t feel forced. I might be in the minority in this but I thought the first couple of episodes were really great and I was hooked on Bebop from episode one. I liked that the main-arc didn’t kick in until several episodes later as I could latch onto these characters as they were without clinging to their backstories. The main arcs were downplayed and in my opinion that was the right thing to do. The episodic nature of it all is like a reflection of life itself. Sometimes your baggage of the past catches up to you but most of the time, you’re engaging in other crazy, exciting adventures that are completely unrelated. Bebop overall has some of the strongest writing I’ve seen in an episodic anime yet.

Let me be honest, the reality is… I actually finished Bebop over a month ago and I so was overwrought with positivity for the series that it seemed irrational. So instead, I did something rational: I let it sink it before I said anything. I just recently watched a random episode and yup, still amazing. It continues to make me disappointed in shows like Bodacious Space Pirates which can’t even wrap up an arc without needlessly bloating it over several episodes. The majority of this review remains unchanged with the omission of a section where I seriously believed every anime I had ever watched before Bebop was utter crap. I was convinced that I would no longer be able to enjoy anime after Bebop. Of course, a week or so later, I was back to watching shows like Infinite Stratos so obviously the honeymoon was over though my praise for Bebop remains the same. It was one of those, “One more episode,” shows that I couldn’t put down. Despite its age (not to imply that a little over a decade is old or anything), it certainly never stopped me from enjoying every aspect of it. This show stands the test of time. Cowboy Bebop gets a 5 out of 5. At a time where I didn’t really have a favorite anime series, I think Cowboy Bebop will occupy that spot.
 

Envelope

sealed with a kiss
Cowboy Bebop 1-26 (FINAL) + Movie

I think I’m ready. I think I’m ready to talk about Cowboy Bebop. I didn’t know what to expect coming into this. I had always stayed away from Cowboy Bebop thinking it was some of kind of playful shonen meant for kids or young teens. What I got was a mature, episodic assortment of stories in the vein of sci-fi, westerns, gangster flicks and film noir. And its execution was amazing. The structure of the show, untethered by any of the main plot lines, is pleasingly effective. Given the 22 minutes per episode, it impressed me that Bebop was able to tell some very solid stories with such little time. Whether it’s the tale of some kid who wants to learn to defend himself and
restore his sister’s vision
or Bebop’s pilot
looking to settle the score with the man who took away his arm
. I usually don’t like
drug-related
humor but I found Episode 17 to be hilarious and it has since become my favorite Bebop episode. Episode 11 I also enjoyed as a love letter of sorts to popular American sci-fi.

Bebop oozes style. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to digest the older look of it all but I think it still looks brilliant given when it was aired. I loved the art direction and it didn’t impede on my enjoyment of the series at all. Everything is grimy, aged and rusted. It compliments the world that the creators were trying to establish and just about everything was a pleasure to see in motion. The aerial battles in particular are incredible to watch, not because of loud fast-paced music, or methodical orchestral scores but because of its slow jazz pieces. It creates a new tone for these skirmishes in the skies. They become awesome and tragic, enthralling and melancholic at the same time. Watching the Bebop, Swordfish and Redtail outgunning or outrunning their targets of interest is so mesmerizing. The locales they fight over are fantastic. I enjoyed the vision that the creators had of the future and mankind’s expansion from Earth.

Nothing overstays its welcome. In fact, I’d say nothing stays long enough and I will say that I was disappointed characters like Ed didn’t play a larger role in the show. But maybe that reluctance to stick around too long is in line with its theme. It’s a show about characters trying to find their place in the universe. The journey the crew goes through varies. Sometimes it’s hilarious, sometimes it’s ridiculous and sometimes it’s very human. The delivery never fails miserably and it never teeters to the point of sophomoric. It just leaves me wanting more and the way the show throws so much humor and adventure at you only to slap you back into reality when it wants is great. It doesn’t feel forced. I might be in the minority in this but I thought the first couple of episodes were really great and I was hooked on Bebop from episode one. I liked that the main-arc didn’t kick in until several episodes later as I could latch onto these characters as they were without clinging to their backstories. The main arcs were downplayed and in my opinion that was the right thing to do. The episodic nature of it all is like a reflection of life itself. Sometimes your baggage of the past catches up to you but most of the time, you’re engaging in other crazy, exciting adventures that are completely unrelated. Bebop overall has some of the strongest writing I’ve seen in an episodic anime yet.

Let me be honest, the reality is… I actually finished Bebop over a month ago and I so was overwrought with positivity for the series that it seemed irrational. So instead, I did something rational: I let it sink it before I said anything. I just recently watched a random episode and yup, still amazing. It continues to make me disappointed in shows like Bodacious Space Pirates which can’t even wrap up an arc without needlessly bloating it over several episodes. The majority of this review remains unchanged with the omission of a section where I seriously believed every anime I had ever watched before Bebop was utter crap. I was convinced that I would no longer be able to enjoy anime after Bebop. Of course, a week or so later, I was back to watching shows like Infinite Stratos so obviously the honeymoon was over though my praise for Bebop remains the same. It was one of those, “One more episode,” shows that I couldn’t put down. Despite its age (not to imply that a little over a decade is old or anything), it certainly never stopped me from enjoying every aspect of it. This show stands the test of time. Cowboy Bebop gets a 5 out of 5. At a time where I didn’t really have a favorite anime series, I think Cowboy Bebop will occupy that spot.

More importantly, did you notice all the shitty CG in Bebop the Cowboy? So disgraceful!
 

dimb

Bjergsen is the greatest midlane in the world
Foojie Co. 06:



THAT is the Fujiko I've wanted to see for the entire series. It was only a glimpse, but greedy, worldly Fujiko is so much better than the nihilistic blow-up doll that only steals out of a compulsion created by a traumatic past.
Interesting choice of clothing here. It's like a jail uniform.
 
Cowboy Bebop 1-26 (FINAL) + Movie

I think I’m ready. I think I’m ready to talk about Cowboy Bebop. I didn’t know what to expect coming into this. I had always stayed away from Cowboy Bebop thinking it was some of kind of playful shonen meant for kids or young teens. What I got was a mature, episodic assortment of stories in the vein of sci-fi, westerns, gangster flicks and film noir. And its execution was amazing. The structure of the show, untethered by any of the main plot lines, is pleasingly effective. Given the 22 minutes per episode, it impressed me that Bebop was able to tell some very solid stories with such little time. Whether it’s the tale of some kid who wants to learn to defend himself and
restore his sister’s vision
or Bebop’s pilot
looking to settle the score with the man who took away his arm
. I usually don’t like
drug-related
humor but I found Episode 17 to be hilarious and it has since become my favorite Bebop episode. Episode 11 I also enjoyed as a love letter of sorts to popular American sci-fi.

Bebop oozes style. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to digest the older look of it all but I think it still looks brilliant given when it was aired. I loved the art direction and it didn’t impede on my enjoyment of the series at all. Everything is grimy, aged and rusted. It compliments the world that the creators were trying to establish and just about everything was a pleasure to see in motion. The aerial battles in particular are incredible to watch, not because of loud fast-paced music, or methodical orchestral scores but because of its slow jazz pieces. It creates a new tone for these skirmishes in the skies. They become awesome and tragic, enthralling and melancholic at the same time. Watching the Bebop, Swordfish and Redtail outgunning or outrunning their targets of interest is so mesmerizing. The locales they fight over are fantastic. I enjoyed the vision that the creators had of the future and mankind’s expansion from Earth.

Nothing overstays its welcome. In fact, I’d say nothing stays long enough and I will say that I was disappointed characters like Ed didn’t play a larger role in the show. But maybe that reluctance to stick around too long is in line with its theme. It’s a show about characters trying to find their place in the universe. The journey the crew goes through varies. Sometimes it’s hilarious, sometimes it’s ridiculous and sometimes it’s very human. The delivery never fails miserably and it never teeters to the point of sophomoric. It just leaves me wanting more and the way the show throws so much humor and adventure at you only to slap you back into reality when it wants is great. It doesn’t feel forced. I might be in the minority in this but I thought the first couple of episodes were really great and I was hooked on Bebop from episode one. I liked that the main-arc didn’t kick in until several episodes later as I could latch onto these characters as they were without clinging to their backstories. The main arcs were downplayed and in my opinion that was the right thing to do. The episodic nature of it all is like a reflection of life itself. Sometimes your baggage of the past catches up to you but most of the time, you’re engaging in other crazy, exciting adventures that are completely unrelated. Bebop overall has some of the strongest writing I’ve seen in an episodic anime yet.

Let me be honest, the reality is… I actually finished Bebop over a month ago and I so was overwrought with positivity for the series that it seemed irrational. So instead, I did something rational: I let it sink it before I said anything. I just recently watched a random episode and yup, still amazing. It continues to make me disappointed in shows like Bodacious Space Pirates which can’t even wrap up an arc without needlessly bloating it over several episodes. The majority of this review remains unchanged with the omission of a section where I seriously believed every anime I had ever watched before Bebop was utter crap. I was convinced that I would no longer be able to enjoy anime after Bebop. Of course, a week or so later, I was back to watching shows like Infinite Stratos so obviously the honeymoon was over though my praise for Bebop remains the same. It was one of those, “One more episode,” shows that I couldn’t put down. Despite its age (not to imply that a little over a decade is old or anything), it certainly never stopped me from enjoying every aspect of it. This show stands the test of time. Cowboy Bebop gets a 5 out of 5. At a time where I didn’t really have a favorite anime series, I think Cowboy Bebop will occupy that spot.

See this is how you review Cowboy Bebop. Glad you loved it. Still my favorite show after all these years and I try and catch it any time its on Adult Swim.
 

Envelope

sealed with a kiss
See this is how you review Cowboy Bebop. Glad you loved it. Still my favorite show after all these years and I try and catch it any time its on Adult Swim.

That sounds like you're insulting my reviews of Bebop the Cowboy. :(

You wouldn't be that cruel, would you?
 
Lupin III: A Woman named Fujiko Mine 6
Yo checkeredknight, are butterflies representing Fujiko anything you have seen in other Lupin works? Or is this a new link from this new series all together?

I honestly don't remember. I seem to think I have seen one at some point within one of the TV Specials, but I'm not sure if it was associated with Fujiko at all. Even so, butterflies certainly don't show up as much in the series / specials as they do in this spin-off. The same goes for owls. I think it's a new thing. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to represent something, they're trying way to hard to go "symbolic" and "deep" IMO...

In the Japanese culture butterflies are thought to be representative of young maidens and marital bliss. Many Japanese families use the butterfly in the family crest design.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_butterfly_represent#ixzz1uUgUK3cl

Also, I agree with your post about this episode. I don't hate it, it was pretty good, but it just wasn't what I want from Lupin. It's not what I watch the series for and it just isn't the same. It's not bad, just not to my tastes.
 

Jex

Member
Cowboy Bebop 1-26 (FINAL) + Movie

I think I’m ready. I think I’m ready to talk about Cowboy Bebop. I didn’t know what to expect coming into this. I had always stayed away from Cowboy Bebop thinking it was some of kind of playful shonen meant for kids or young teens.

I don't know who you're listening to, but they're bad people!
 

Jex

Member
I'm going to cheat and repost this on the first post of the new page. :D

http://weekly.ascii.jp/elem/000/000/087/87932/
http://www.ntv.co.jp/tokusatsu/english.html
http://www.goodsmile.info/product/en/3548/Giant+God+Warrior+Statue+Replica.html
http://www.goodsmile.info/product/en/3549/figma+Giant+God+Warrior.html

Hideaki Anno is hosting a Special Effects Exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo this Summer. As part of the exhibition, they will be screening a short film produced by Studio Ghibli, planned by Hideaki Anno, and directed by Shinji Higuchi. It is a live action special effects short film called 'Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo'. It features a live action recreation of the Giant God Warrior from Nausicaa, imagined as a threat to the modern world.

For those unaware, Ultraman and the Giant God Warrior are the two source inspirations for Anno's Evangelion. He is paying homage here to both the effects industry that created Ultraman, and the design of the God Warrior from Nausicaa, with Ghibli's blessing. Good Smile Company is also cashing in on this with a Giant God Warrior Statue Replica and a Giant God Warrior figma, also linked above.

Enjoy. :D

i9EDB.jpg


7Jwkj.jpg
That's totally awesome. Approved.
 

Envelope

sealed with a kiss
You lose points for not including this image of Bebop in your reviews.

I was planning on using that, but since I watched Bebop the Cowboy on the plane, I wasn't able to nab the screenshots I wanted. :(

What got into you today? Envelope's Bebop trolling is annoying, but you're better than this.

Please point out an instance where I have trolled Bebop. :(

And I think it's been shown many times in the past that Hosanna isn't really any better than that.
 

/XX/

Member
Yo checkeredknight, are butterflies representing Fujiko anything you have seen in other Lupin works? Or is this a new link from this new series all together?
Do fairies count? Because the first thing that came to my mind seeing your question was the ending of the Part III series, along with its song 'Fairy Night'.

I still haven't seen the latest episodes of this new series so I can't comment on further resemblances.
 

Lain

Member
Why not just not make anything.

But that would be no fun! Well, not like watching the first episode of Eiken was any fun, except maybe from finally seeing the scene from which that gif came from, but that was more curiosity quenching than fun.

Why is this a big deal at all?

And they have a poll there with other names

I laugh at this, and I'm disappointed they don't have a "Bodacious Space Pirates" option to troll people (and make me happy, Bodacious Space Pirates is perfectly fine for me!).
 

Envelope

sealed with a kiss
Ojamajo Doremi 3

lP9Vj.jpg

Ahegao? In my Doremi?


Best character appears!

A transfer student arrives at Doremi's school, and of course she is subjected to the hazing that occurs at every school.
Hence the Ahegao- wait, this isn't that kind of show.

qlltL.jpg


Of course, upon hearing her glorious KANSAI-BEN, everyone falls on their knees and worships her.

As an aside, I find it quite exciting that I'm able to distinguish between some of the various dialects now. ^^

Anyway, the only 2 people who are apprehensive of her are Hadzuki and Doremi, both of whom were "accidentally" insulted by Aiko upon their first meeting. Doremi in particular is unhappy with her treatment, and so she gets wasted on wastes some magical pills to turn into a butterfly and follow Aiko around.

vsyBm.jpg

That's such an Usagi face right there

Of course, by the end of the episode, everything is resolved, happy endings for everyone
including Doremi, despite her annoying "I'M THE MOST UNFORTUNATE PRETTY GIRL IN THE WORLD" schtick.

Back to the faces, it's interesting being able to spot both Umakoshi's and Sato's influence on them.

SvsYr.jpg

Sailor Moon face

FVbjL.jpg

Umakoshi face

Now that the three heroines are introduced, I guess it's time to start the main plot for filler episodes.
 
Kids on the Slope 5:
Great show remains great. This episode was definitely centered around the Kaoru/Sentarou friendship, and focusing on the similarities and differences between their circumstances. The direction remains superb, too. We didn't get a whole lot of music this time, but the character relationships are definitely evolving in a very organic manner. It's easy to sympathize with each person's situation right now.
 

Risette

A Good Citizen
Dragonball Z 11

This episode had some pretty good animation in the first half at least. But jeez, the people tasked to do the original writing and character design (it was a filler ep, apparently) must've been trolling, bored, on drugs, or angry. I mean, giant bug people? The ending is hilarious.



Then at least keep it to criticism and not silly unprovoked personal attacks.
I'm capable of figuring out how I want to post, thanks. Are you getting defensive because people are making jabs at Precure fans? I don't think anybody was being serious.
 
What got into you today? Envelope's Bebop trolling is annoying, but you're better than this.

I hoped my sarcasm would come across - I certainly don't hold anything against Precure fans, I was just annoyed at Envelope's responses and wanted to make a sharp retort back. Forgive me if I offended you; I am feeling a bit on edge today due to real-life pressures, and that probably came across more than I intended.
 
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