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[chickdigger802]

I almost feel like I should post what can happen to the loli in the VN.

Isn't that VN getting brought over to the states this year? I think I might be obligated to play through that... for... idk.

 

[Regulus Tera]

Revolutionary Girl Utena 12
[...]
What an awesome series.

Pfft, only pretentious symbolism hipsters like Utena anyway.

This is pretty wrong. Also, I noticed you did not include Tomoe or Ohana's mom in your list. Why do you hate real women?

Used goods.

School Day 7
[...]
I'm still confused... what is makoto? He definitely ain't... anime.

He's... more?

He's a (read after the last episode)

Spoiler

Greek tragedy

.

 

[Thoraxes]

Isn't that VN getting brought over to the states this year? I think I might be obligated to play through that... for... idk.

It depends on what version. I haven't touched the 2010 version outside of checking out some of the endings on youtube.

 

[cajunator]

This thread needs a picture of Sekai with cat ears.

 

[KO Traveling Hobo]

Well, he was a machine after all...

Oh you.

Gotta go back and rewatch it, man.

I've been meaning to do that. Now it seems I have no choice!

I almost feel like I should post what can happen to the loli in the VN.

It's amazing how much is added to the show by putting it in the context of the VN.

 

[cajunator]

I saw it in all its unfiltered glory.

 

[Kagami]

School Days 6

- Makoto is an amazing anime character... but is he like this in the VN? I'd feel terrible playing that.

He can be. Or you can make things right. School Days has a lot of plot branching/"what if" scenarios depending on how you have Makoto behave.

 

[cajunator]

He can be. Or you can make things right. School Days has a lot of plot branching/"what if" scenarios depending on how you have Makoto behave.

Given that kind of freedom in the game I'd make Makoto the biggest asshole ever.

 

[Novid]

Kaze to Ki no Uta (The Poem (Song) of the Wind and the Trees)



Much like other adaptations of Keiko Takemiya'smaterial, this is very much part of the Shoujo genre (\70's shoujo made in the 80's) and it makes no qualms about it. Much like Natsu e no Tobira (The Door Into Summer), the setting is an all-male boarding school (Pretty much identical to that of Natsu). The characters are extremely familiar in their designs. They are very androgynous, but much like other shoujo, it serves the story well. Gilbert looks identical to the protagonist in Natsu amd there are even some Oniisama e (-esque) characters. To those familiar with Oniisame e, a Rei look alike makes an appearance later in the film.



The story takes place from the perspective of now graduated Serge, a transfer student from France. He is returning to his alma mater (A preparatory boarding school) to reminisce? Maybe? They don’t make his intentions clear, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not a big deal.

There is a great use of classical music though out the film. Serge is a piano virtuoso, so there are quite a few scenes where we see him flex his musical muscles. One scene in particular, nearing the end of the OVA, I put on a loop (Chopin Etude Op. 25/11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnOLil6tCfE). There is also poetry, often appearing overlaid into the scene. It is written as if Serge had dedicated it to Gilbert. It comes fast, so I took the liberty of transcribing it:



The school is very strict, as many boarding schools are...I imagine. The school works as a sort of boudry that all the students are placed behind. They are not oppressed, but seem to be unfriendly to those who act out.

Serge is placed into a room, which seems to have a reputation. This is due to its current occupant, Gilbert. The polar opposite of what this well-mannered boy represents. The initial meeting of Serge and Gilbert is laced with sexuality. Gilbert’s lips come close to Serge...too close. But he pushes Gilbert away and collapses. Now Gilbert is passed out, not breathing, and in need of assistance. Serge goes to find help, but the other characters seem to strangely accept the fact that Gilbert is passed out. This is something that happens often, so it is approached as if nothing is out of the ordinary...



His resuscitation is another look into Serge’s lack of comfort with sexual behaviors. Mouth to mouth terrifies him; the student helping’s contact with Gilberts lips causes him to jump back in fear. He seems to be unable to separate a kiss from resuscitation. He is asked to keep a rhythm…

Ichi... Ni... san
Ichi.... Ni.... san
Ichi..... Ni..... san

The rhythm count gets slower and slower, as Serge becomes more interested in the process…

Ichi...... Ni...... san
Ichi....... Ni....... san
Ichi........ Ni........ san

Gilbert reminds me so much of Rei from Oniisama e… it's uncanny. And as the OVA progresses, it reminded me more and more of the melodramatic aspects in involving Rei.

I think that means gay...

The OVA takes a turn for the explicit when we find out about why Gilbert has his reputation as we find out about Gilberts...extra-curricular activities. He is a sex object, or at least he is perceived as one. I think this is when the OVA really picks up. We learn the realities of how Gilbert functions in this school and why he has such a strained relationship between him and the rest of the school. All the other students seem to hate him for this, while at the same time they seem to lust over him. One student proclaims "We've all been seduced by him". But later they express how dirty homosexuality is in their eyes. This is something that has always bothered me, but also interested me, about these kinds of works. Their take on homosexuality is both encouraging and dismissive. But this is for another conversation.



As the relationship between Serge and Gilbert develops, it becomes one of caregiver and patient. Serge wants to look after Gilbert, but he is not comfortable with being told what to do. He is not comfortable with being controlled. He asks himself “Why isn’t he lonely?”…He wants Gilbert to be lonely so that they may be lonely together.



Their relationship appears to become much clearer after an incident involving Gilbert in their very room. But this is just an indication of what is to come. This relationship between Serge and Gilbert can be boiled down to "He is broken…but...but I can fix him!" Not an uncommon one, but it's still interesting to watch.



On their own, the students of the academy act like children, even though they are expected to be more mature and adult-like at school. Here we see that really, the control of the environment is what shapes them...all of them except for our Serge and Gilbert. They are what they always have been, even when away from school. This is a good thing in Serge’s case, but Gilbert is not able to be controlled, and reverting to a prior affair. Once again treating him like the sexual object that everyone has made him out to be.



The moment that their relationship changes, is the moment that Serge can finally come to terms with his own desires. Serge wants something that he thinks Gilbert can give him, but he is only half right. Like many damaged characters, Gilbert is the result of some sort of abuse. He is what someone, along with the ideas of many, have made him out to be. This is where the OVA does a great job of showing how his emotional state is driven by pain, pleasure, and abuse. He is attempting to fill this vacuum or suppress these feelings with the sexuality that is destroying him.



In the end, the story feels incomplete when taken from the perspective of Gilbert. But it is not his story to tell, we are listening to Serge and in his case it ends abruptly. One can say that the culminations of their joint experiences is the end, but they set up so much more, that leaving it just there...it feels dismissive. It feels abrupt.

If anyone enjoyed The Door Into Summer, they will enjoy this as well. It's a little less melodramatic and equally as entertaining. It is definitely better made, but it almost loses some of the flare of Natsu because of it.

Edit: In terms of animation and visual aesthetics, this does a lot of what The Door Into Summer did. They often color the entire scene blue, green, a singular color. They do a great job at making Gilbert look amazingly gorgeous and shimmering (literally) with life and sensuality. The animation can be a bit stiff at times, but it never takes away from the experience. It does a great job of staying visually and narratively captivating.

heard of this from a friend of mine, when he first saw it he said this was the first (at the time like mid-80's he now works in Hollywood) treatise into the lifestyle that was halfway honest anywhere (at the time period) I have yet to see it but a lot of the ova's from that era didnt end because they felt they could go back to it or was a chance to get into the big leaugues.

 

[duckroll]

With the anime, I'm aware that it's a work created by a large number of people, who had to come to group decisions and compromises over how to adapt this and structure it.

I'm not sure how this is really true, considering it was Takayuki Hirao's pet project. He is the director of the project, and he was involved in writing and storyboarding it as well. I'm fairly certain that all major changes and the different direction for the adaptation is his individual choice. Not to mention, this was originally slated to be a short 30 minute project, but because of the director's initiative, it was bumped up into a full movie length 70 minutes.

Do you also think that something like The Dark Knight is someone which was made due to group decisions and compromises over how to adapt and structure it, just because it was created by a large number of people?

 

[karobit]

Do you also think that something like The Dark Knight is someone which was made due to group decisions and compromises over how to adapt and structure it, just because it was created by a large number of people?

I think that Nolan, Goyer, etc have to serve as many masters as any OVA director does, sure.

 

[cajunator]

I'm not sure how this is really true, considering it was Takayuki Hirao's pet project. He is the director of the project, and he was involved in writing and storyboarding it as well. I'm fairly certain that all major changes and the different direction for the adaptation is his individual choice. Not to mention, this was originally slated to be a short 30 minute project, but because of the director's initiative, it was bumped up into a full movie length 70 minutes.

Do you also think that something like The Dark Knight is someone which was made due to group decisions and compromises over how to adapt and structure it, just because it was created by a large number of people?

How does it compare to midori?

 

[duckroll]

How does it compare to midori?

I'm not sure what you're asking. The show itself, or the production?

I think that Nolan, Goyer, etc have to serve as many masters as any OVA director does, sure.

Sure, I guess that's fair. But at the same thing the overall vision is clearly Nolan's and it's very visible in every aspect of the film.

 

[cajunator]

I'm not sure what you're asking. The show itself, or the production?



Sure, I guess that's fair. But at the same thing the overall vision is clearly Nolan's and it's very visible in every aspect of the film.

The horror aspects of Gyo compared to Midori. Is it worse? Like gorier or more disturbing?
Midori is pretty disturbing but I was able to watch through it with no problems. Im probably just desensitized to the point of apathy.

 

[duckroll]

The horror aspects of Gyo compared to Midori. Is it worse? Like gorier or more disturbing?
Midori is pretty disturbing but I was able to watch through it with no problems. Im probably just desensitized to the point of apathy.

Midori is pretty sick. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It's like watching a snuff film or something. Gyo is just a high production value horror movie. It's uncommon in anime. It's really slick in terms of how the whole adaptation is taken really seriously and made like a feature film. It's not really gory or anything either, but the designs are disturbing and there's a strong sense of unease and just general visual unpleasantness throughout the entire film.

 

[cajunator]

Midori is pretty sick. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It's like watching a snuff film or something. Gyo is just a high production value horror movie. It's uncommon in anime. It's really slick in terms of how the whole adaptation is taken really seriously and made like a feature film. It's not really gory or anything either, but the designs are disturbing and there's a strong sense of unease and just general visual unpleasantness throughout the entire film.

Sounds like something I'd set aside for very specific moods when there's nothing else I want to watch. Although I'm honestly not particularly excited about watching this. more like curious about it.

 

[wonzo]

School Days 6

-

Spoiler

Just dump the girl already

!!!! oh wait... anime
- Makoto is an amazing anime character... but is he like this in the VN? I'd feel terrible playing that.
- Wow... the mood switch. I guess this ain't your light hearted romcom eh? It is still kinda funny in it's own way
- Man I love the 'dead eyes'. it's soooo good
- Gotta love how the only one that doesn't give a fuck about anything is makoto.

And i'm only half way done!!! This show... is ... ... ...

School Day 7

- Denial, or are all big boobs kinda... slow?
- loli getting the pieces moving!
- RAIN SYMBOLIZES TEARS!
- Wait wasn't genki ... friends with boobs?
- Boobs is gonna.. burst someday... eh?
- aaaahhhhh...

I'm still confused... what is makoto? He definitely ain't... anime.

He's... more?

mankoto's the greatest harem protagonist in the greatest harem/love story ever told.

Damn it.

you know what needs to be done to rectify this error!

 

[chickdigger802]

School Days 8

- Having to choose? Such a pain. It's like choosing that starter pokemon =/
- something something soemthing.
- oh... boobs!
- err... late inning flag?


Hmmm for anime MC, makoto barely thinkings or internal monologues about anything. He just stare at whatever boobs and nods.

Antikeikaku.

But fuck, I'd be confused as well. People talk logic stuff to you... but then they smooch you? What am I suppose to do??

 

[cajunator]

School Days 8

- Having to choose? Such a pain. It's like choosing that starter pokemon =/
- something something soemthing.
- oh... boobs!
- err... late inning flag?


Hmmm for anime MC, makoto barely thinkings or internal monologues about anything. He just stare at whatever boobs and nods.

Antikeikaku.

But fuck, I'd be confused as well. People talk logic stuff to you... but then they smooch you? What am I suppose to do??

He acts more like a normal human than any other guy in anime probably.

 

[Jex]

Gyo

I feel kinda sick now. It sucks because now I might not have appetite for dinner. Definitely a poor personal decision to watch an adaptation of a Junji Ito manga before eating. I might need to go check something cute out to wash this guro taste out of my mind. I feel like Cajunator on a bad day now. I could do with some serious Hnnnnngh at the moment. >_<

[...]

Note: No screen caps this time because I don't really want to go through it again, and right now I really need to go look for some HNNNNNNNGH material to recover... x_X

Duckroll, have you been replaced by someone else? Of the Cajun persuasion?

 

[Regulus Tera]

Duckroll, have you been replaced by someone else? Of the Cajun persuasion?

We all have a little cajunator on the inside.

 

[duckroll]

It's okay. I'm myself again.

 

[cajunator]

Let us celebrate with a hypercute song from an H game!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niJdV4QUFaU

 

[Jex]

Haters gonna fate, all hail the best saber.

I don't see how there can ever be a good Saber.

 

[Envelope]

I don't see how there can ever be a good Saber.

What about the one

in your pants

>_>

 

[Brazil]

Let us celebrate with a hypercute song from an H game!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niJdV4QUFaU

Obviously, Ponponpon is in the related videos.

 

[cajunator]

I don't see how there can ever be a good Saber.

I would say the figurine on my shelf is a pretty damned nice Saber.
It cost a pretty damned not so nice price though.

 

[duckroll]

I don't see how there can ever be a good Saber.

Ye of little faith.

 

[Jex]

hey hey hey.

I'm about to start watching school days.

What kind of mindset should I have... er... on?

You really even shouldn't read this thread. You should simply have secluded yourself at some location where you couldn't post on GAF and watched the whole thing in one sitting.

It's the purest way to experience anime's finest romance drama.

 

[Envelope]

Ye of little faith.

Saber's head looks off there, otherwise that's cool.

 

[Brazil]

Ye of little faith.

http://i.imgur.com/BvUp2.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

That must cost a million dollars.

 

[chickdigger802]

School Days 9
- Wait who the fuck is this ponytail girl? Buy 1 flag get 1 free?
- Jeez all this Council drama.
- Wait... what is going on?

I'm seriously lost now... who what? who is fucking who now?

 

[cajunator]

Ye of little faith.

I was considering getting that one, but I don't like the design of the bike at all.

 

[Jex]

The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya (plus Season 2)

I came to the conclusion after watching S2 that I really don't like Haruhi herself. Yeah there's probably something ...endearing, I guess, about her character but man. I just can't personally stand her after watching S2.

It took you that long to come to such a realisation?

 

[Envelope]

School Days 9
- Wait who the fuck is this ponytail girl? Buy 1 flag get 1 free?
- Jeez all this Council drama.
- Wait... what is going on?

I'm seriously lost now... who what? who is fucking who now?

Stop posting and just watch the next 3 episodes back to back.

 

[Brazil]

It took you that long to come to such a realisation?

I like Haruhi, but she's definitely at her worst during The Sigh. She's simply an asshole in that arc - nothing less, nothing more.

 

[Uchip]

Ye of little faith.

Edward Elric can synthesize bikes now?

 

[Jex]

That reminds me, it's going to be tough waiting for The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki to come out on bluray.

It's quite easy when you have no idea what that is.

 

[wonzo]

Stop posting and just watch the next 3 episodes back to back.

yeah, just do this

 

[Jex]

Stop posting and just watch the next 3 episodes back to back.

That's certainly an approach that I would recommend.

 

[RurouniZel]

Spoiler

DAMNIT ALTERNATE NAGATO WHY YOU GOTTA BE SO ADORABLE

Why'd you have to make her cry, Kyon? Why choose that bitch Haruhi over her?! Damnit ;_;

But yeah.

Fun film. Great visuals as expected from KyoAni. I thought the more somber atmosphere was a nice change of pace from the usual crazy slice-of-life ordeal from the series.

Yeah, this book/film is what made me a Kyon x Nagato shipper. ^^;

 

[sonicmj1]

Revolutionary Girl Utena 13

Once I realized this was a recap episode, I skipped it.

--

Ah, just kidding.

This show is such a tease.

So, let me try to summarize what I learned from this summation of events to this point.

Spoiler

Dios is Utena's prince? He's (metaphorically?) locked up in the upside down castle, because his power is sealed or something.

Looks like he's having a ball.

Spoiler

All the duels so far are SYMBOLIC of things like FRIENDSHIP and LOVE and SELF. Eventually a duel will happen that will unlock Dios's power. I guess that's the only one that really counts.

Touga's taking this loss rather hard. I wonder why.

Nice rat-tail, guy.

Spoiler

End of the World is orchestrating everything.

I wonder what this is all about?

Moving on...

Revolutionary Girl Utena 14

Holy shit.

Holy fucking shit.

This scene was really intense, and I like the SYMBOLISM with the picture on the wall.

This is crazy. These Black Rose guys are dark. I don't even know where to begin. I'm not even sure how to start speculating about this episode.

I mean, they're keeping the

Spoiler

corpses of dead Duelists in their basement, and using their rings?

What the fuck?

This kinda blew my mind. I really want to know more about what the deal is with this faction.

With Touga missing from this episode, someone's gotta pick up the Swag Baton

Also, seems like

Spoiler

Akio is End of the World and current chairman of the school, which means the duels are super involved with the whole school, and suggests all sorts of possibilities for plotting.

I'm gonna have to find a way to pick up the pace. I'm having a hard time controlling myself.

 

[Ultimadrago]

What about the one

in your pants

>_>

Perv.

 

[Hitokage]

Revolutionary Girl Utena 14

Holy shit.

Holy fucking shit.

Just when you thought things were starting to seem normal, too.

Deeper. Go deeper.

 

[trejo]

I can never get tired of School Days reactions.

Stop posting and just watch the next 3 episodes back to back.

yeah, just do this

Thirded.

 

[Envelope]

Now I need to start up Utena again so I don't have to resist the urge to click the black bars.

 

[Hitokage]

Now I need to start up Utena again so I don't have to resist the urge to click the black bars.

Focus, Envelope. You still have Sailor Moon to watch!

 

[Envelope]

Focus, Envelope. You still have Sailor Moon to watch!

I have too many things to watch.

 

[sonicmj1]

Just when you think things were starting to seem normal...

Deeper. Go deeper.

Lots of weird stuff going on with Mamiya and Souji.

Spoiler

They mention Dios's "eternal secrets", which echoes Saionji's backstory and his quest to find "something eternal", and further confirms that Dios is probably Utena's prince, while failing to answer how he met her if he's in that loopy castle.

Souji has a normal rose seal ring. In that ring of empty shoes in their basement (where all the Black Rose Rings are), he stands in a pair of shoes that fit perfectly in that ring. Was he part of the group that was buried?

He wants to make Mamiya (whose picture he has on his desk) into the Rose Bride. Why does he need to have that person be the Rose Bride? Why won't merely being engaged to Himemiya bring the "eternal secrets of Dios"?

So many questions!

 

[NewFresh]

Now I need to start up Utena again so I don't have to resist the urge to click the black bars.

I know that feeling, man...