This makes me sad. Guess I need to start reading the manga.
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Summer 2013 Anime |OT3| only manly sports allowed
- Thread starter FelixOrion
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This makes me sad. Guess I need to start reading the manga.
well no because then there would be panic at other gay/yaoi shows and there isnt. It was because KyoAni dred to make a show that wasnt about cute girls. Thats the only reason. Had any other studio done it I guarantee that nobody would even raise up in arms about it.
Well if I related this shit to actual real life experiences I would be very fearful that this girl would be suicidal or at the very least on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Again? Oh well, the otome adaptations manage to be remarkably lewd despite being fully clothed.
On that note Diabolik Lovers ep.1: Because 13 brothers trying to screw Ema in Brothers Conflict wasn't enough, the new reverse harem wants to break Yui and not necessarily one at a time either.
The backlash to Free was far more entertaining than the show.
Lee Chaolan
Member
So I watched up to episode 14 of Sword Art Online.
Really hated how it went on off tangents so much, series had so much potiential. Playing FFXIV recently, I really loved the beginning and the boss battles and the like. There was just way too much quick passing of time =/
Still, I enjoyed it. The music was good, animation wasn't terrible except for lazy fighting scenes.
Lisa is best girl
Really hated how it went on off tangents so much, series had so much potiential. Playing FFXIV recently, I really loved the beginning and the boss battles and the like. There was just way too much quick passing of time =/
Still, I enjoyed it. The music was good, animation wasn't terrible except for lazy fighting scenes.
Lisa is best girl
curlyfriski
Banned
No way. If Kyoani had said they were doing a mecha show, there would have been nowhere near the backlash. People were pissed because it was a premier studio seemingly catering to the fujoshi market.
Only just finished Ep 8 with the Toonami run so no thpoilerths
Kirito flipping to full on douche mode in her episode was pretty amusing. And weird. Mostly amusing. Also weird (but not really) that being a douche to her apparently caused his auto-harem junction to start working.
I dunno about suicidal but definitely she would be prone to breakdowns.
So I watched up to episode 14 of Sword Art Online.
Really hated how it went on off tangents so much, series had so much potiential. Playing FFXIV recently, I really loved the beginning and the boss battles and the like. There was just way too much quick passing of time =/
Still, I enjoyed it. The music was good, animation wasn't terrible except for lazy fighting scenes.
Lisa is best girl
You have chosen correctly. This is why youre groovy
Thats exactly what I said...
Lee Chaolan
Member
No worries, it's why I was so vague in my description.
I'll watch it with you guys on Saturday nights now, I want to know if the dub's any good!
Also, yeah. Kirito's a douche.
and Batman.
SAO would have been better if* it was a dark sitcom based in a tavern someone had set up on one of the floors where people come in and talk about the events of SAO from different perspectives. Gary "Kirito" Stu could still be a character, probably better off as legendary Beater people talk about but we never actually see.
That and the ending would have been so much better because instead of
it would just be someone about to take the first sip of their beer before being teleported out of the game and shouting "BASTARRRRRDS" as their virtual beer disappears from their hands.
*I could write anything after this point and it would likely always be true.
That and the ending would have been so much better because instead of
a bunch of bullshit like forgiving a mass murderer and coming back from the dead after having your brain zapped
*I could write anything after this point and it would likely always be true.
Hey, whats the source of your avatar? Cause she's a goddess and the full pic is probably glorious.
I'd love an anime with a framing device like that. Kind of like the World's End, or that BTAS episode "Almost Got 'im" (or whatever it was called)
Lee Chaolan
Member
You have chosen correctly. This is why youre groovy
Why, thank ya ^^
Anything for you, good friend. ^^
curlyfriski
Banned
My point is that the backlash was so big specifically because it was a series with obvious yaoi undertones. It wasn't just because Kyoani was doing a show not about cure girls, but because of what they were doing instead.I dunno about suicidal but definitely she would be prone to breakdowns.
You have chosen correctly. This is why youre groovy
Thats exactly what I said...
You are so awesome
Heres a pic of my two favorite idols as thanks.
I worded it strangely then because I meant instead of doing a cute girl show they were making a show about guys aimed at fujoshi. not that KyoAni made something else to begin with. Cause a FMP remake or whatever would be an immensely exciting prospect Im sure.
Watamote 12
Oh god. Loved this show so much.
Yeah she didnt change by the end, but people dont always change. I think thats the point here. You dont always grow. Sometimes things just stay the same. Thats life.
However it doesnt mean things will always be like that. I was very shy until around college when I pretty much was forced to come out my shell and socialize. Yeah Im super awkward. Yeah its sometimes nerve wracking. But its worth it.
Tomoko is ADORABLE. Like absolutely ridiculously squeehuggable adorable. I would totally befriend her.
Also some of the animation effects and ideas in this show were really fun and interesting. In particular this episode.
Oh god. Loved this show so much.
Yeah she didnt change by the end, but people dont always change. I think thats the point here. You dont always grow. Sometimes things just stay the same. Thats life.
However it doesnt mean things will always be like that. I was very shy until around college when I pretty much was forced to come out my shell and socialize. Yeah Im super awkward. Yeah its sometimes nerve wracking. But its worth it.
Tomoko is ADORABLE. Like absolutely ridiculously squeehuggable adorable. I would totally befriend her.
Also some of the animation effects and ideas in this show were really fun and interesting. In particular this episode.
Yea, no, this show doesn't get excused for that, not when the central premise about changing yourself in order to get to be more popular. There is no real introspection, there is no examination into why that shit doesn't work. Nor does she really make peace with her current situation. I also can not call this show out enough when they contrive the situation artificially to be this way, that is just bad writing and bad comedy.
Im not gonna argue this much further cause Im exhausted, but I think you were expecting this show to be what its not. Tomoko tried to make herself popular and the attempts failed. It is what it is.
What on earth is that?
It isn't her attempts at being popular failing that rile me up, those were superficial quick fixes that deserved to fail. Indeed a lot of what makes Tomoko unpopular is herself, and part of the frustration of this show is watching this nutcase slip into a world of denial and delusion every time it fails.
My ire is truly raised now and forever because Tomoko was about to get a friend, a new friend that could actually help her out her funk and is popular, a real game changer. Then Deus Ex Pantyshot happens and we get an extended sequence of her running home to sulk once again in her room.
It was silly and all but really this is anime. Its a satirical take on a very real condition but its still fictional. I dont know how the manga goes but IRL the chance for meeting again later and things actually changing is a pretty good one.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Looking forward to when diabolik lovers sales come, though its shortish episode format may make it unfair to compare to the other otomes. Speaking of others, more utapri next week, 30k please
Free! ought to reach 30k too.
Even though I wasnt interested in Free at all, I think it was a wise marketing move by KyoAni and sales bear that out.
NuclearSpy
Member
As someone who has read the manga up to date, I can only suggest you continue watching.
Diabolik Lovers 2
Can anyone who has insight tell me if its worth continuing? Is this thing going to be some kind of ongoing female masochism? If so, I am ready to take this one off my list.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Well hopefulyl Kuroko's Basketball 2 can met or exceed s1 and not turn into another Oofuri, which I think sold half as well as its first half. Maybe it can explode like UtaPri did its second season vs s1.
Wonder what unannounced anime are in the pipeline.
There is nothing more to watch and yea, I wouldn't expect that one to get any less terrible.
Is this a parody on idol
Also too many Mario sound effects.
NuclearSpy
Member
I meant continue watching as in continue watching Watamote if there is more in the future. There are still some good laughs to be had.
Mockingbird
Member
Ano Natsu de Matteru 1
What the hell. . .? They took the Onegai Teacher characters and just basically reskinned them! The setting is moved to a different rural area, but a lot of the premise is still the same! It's the same staff and hell even the same OP singer. Even more so: one of the characters -- even her name! Her name is Lemon instead of Ichigo (strawberry)! I'm disappointed they couldn't come up with a new idea instead of trying to remake Onegai Teacher.
What the hell. . .? They took the Onegai Teacher characters and just basically reskinned them! The setting is moved to a different rural area, but a lot of the premise is still the same! It's the same staff and hell even the same OP singer. Even more so: one of the characters -- even her name! Her name is Lemon instead of Ichigo (strawberry)! I'm disappointed they couldn't come up with a new idea instead of trying to remake Onegai Teacher.
Yea, no, I am done with Watamote, it got its chance and failed.
Another double episode. These two are connected, but I'll review them separately.
Aoi Bungaku - The Spider's Thread
Both of these short stories are works by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. He burst onto the literary scene at a young age, and took his own life when his abstracted fairy tales began to fall out of fashion with the literary world. I guess few things speak more clearly to the romanticization of suicide in Japanese society like its prevalence amongst these early 20th century literary giants. "The Spider's Thread" was apparently a children's book. It reads like a dark morality tale. It wouldn't feel out of place in a Catholic school.
These episodes were directed by Atsuko Ishizuka, the only female director among the five who worked on this project. She would go on to direct half of the Supernatural anime series, as well as the recent Pet Girl of Sakurasou. I haven't seen any of her work, but both of these episodes show a lot of visual imagination. I didn't find them particularly compelling beyond that, but I have to admire the work that went into some of the images displayed.
"The Spider's Thread" is the story of Kandata, a fellow most foul. In an ancient kingdom ruled by a vain emperor, Kandata acts like an open-world video game protagonist. He takes what he wants, he kills whoever inconveniences him, and he doesn't care about anything. When things go wrong, he is captured and executed, but in Hell, he finds one last chance at redemption...
Much of the episode feels rather wasted with empty violence establishing Kandata's evil nature. It's not entirely lacking in style, as streaks of blood fly across all surfaces imaginable, but I didn't feel very invested in it. The guy's a jerk. You just kind of wait to see him fail.
The best part of this episode comes after he arrives in Hell. The montage of him being tortured by his crimes was a little cliche, but much of what surrounds it felt arresting and unique. There are forms that don't quite make sense, space feels infinite and somewhat claustrophobic. You can sense Kandata's helplessness. But beyond that, the episode was rather bland. Maybe it's not enough material for a full 23 minutes, or maybe it'd take some more imaginative storytelling to make it work. It's definitely a lot less interesting than the episode following it.
Aoi Bungaku - The Hell Screen
This episode does a clever trick of maintaining the world setting from the last episode. Its focus is a royal artist working for the king. The king is vain, selfish, and without respect for the lives of his subjects, who live and die at his convenience. We could sense the king's incredible narcissism in the prior tale, and it takes much darker forms here. The artist is the greatest in the land, but his daughter and he are beaten down by the cruelties they witness. But when the king offers him the opportunity for his greatest masterpiece yet, the inside of the royal mausoleum, he sets his mind to a grim task, to portray the world of the kingdom as it truly is.
Whatever its commentaries on vanity and greed, this is a classic horror story of obsession, and it's not hard to see where things will end up from the moment the artist accepts his project. Paint stands in for blood as our protagonist's brushstrokes take on an Araki-esque fervor. But I don't think this would have felt particularly special were it not for the final sequence, which does a great job blending the artist's perception of beauty with the horrors he wishes to depict. The last image was really arresting.
I'll try to sum up this whole series at some point, but not right now.
Aoi Bungaku - The Spider's Thread
Both of these short stories are works by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. He burst onto the literary scene at a young age, and took his own life when his abstracted fairy tales began to fall out of fashion with the literary world. I guess few things speak more clearly to the romanticization of suicide in Japanese society like its prevalence amongst these early 20th century literary giants. "The Spider's Thread" was apparently a children's book. It reads like a dark morality tale. It wouldn't feel out of place in a Catholic school.
This framing tells you all you need to know about what's going to happen to the people down there.
These episodes were directed by Atsuko Ishizuka, the only female director among the five who worked on this project. She would go on to direct half of the Supernatural anime series, as well as the recent Pet Girl of Sakurasou. I haven't seen any of her work, but both of these episodes show a lot of visual imagination. I didn't find them particularly compelling beyond that, but I have to admire the work that went into some of the images displayed.
"The Spider's Thread" is the story of Kandata, a fellow most foul. In an ancient kingdom ruled by a vain emperor, Kandata acts like an open-world video game protagonist. He takes what he wants, he kills whoever inconveniences him, and he doesn't care about anything. When things go wrong, he is captured and executed, but in Hell, he finds one last chance at redemption...
I was really struck by the sound design accompanying the burst of fireworks signifying his execution. The suggestion of the fireworks imagery is obvious, but the way the crowd's cheering eerily lingers suggests something a little more unpleasant.
Much of the episode feels rather wasted with empty violence establishing Kandata's evil nature. It's not entirely lacking in style, as streaks of blood fly across all surfaces imaginable, but I didn't feel very invested in it. The guy's a jerk. You just kind of wait to see him fail.
The best part of this episode comes after he arrives in Hell. The montage of him being tortured by his crimes was a little cliche, but much of what surrounds it felt arresting and unique. There are forms that don't quite make sense, space feels infinite and somewhat claustrophobic. You can sense Kandata's helplessness. But beyond that, the episode was rather bland. Maybe it's not enough material for a full 23 minutes, or maybe it'd take some more imaginative storytelling to make it work. It's definitely a lot less interesting than the episode following it.
Hell.
Aoi Bungaku - The Hell Screen
You spilled yourbloodpaint.
This episode does a clever trick of maintaining the world setting from the last episode. Its focus is a royal artist working for the king. The king is vain, selfish, and without respect for the lives of his subjects, who live and die at his convenience. We could sense the king's incredible narcissism in the prior tale, and it takes much darker forms here. The artist is the greatest in the land, but his daughter and he are beaten down by the cruelties they witness. But when the king offers him the opportunity for his greatest masterpiece yet, the inside of the royal mausoleum, he sets his mind to a grim task, to portray the world of the kingdom as it truly is.
These two images follow each other really closely. I like the visual design of the city, with its pastel primary colors. There's a contrast between the city in the bright light of day and in the darkness of the night that fits well with the story's message at that moment.
Whatever its commentaries on vanity and greed, this is a classic horror story of obsession, and it's not hard to see where things will end up from the moment the artist accepts his project. Paint stands in for blood as our protagonist's brushstrokes take on an Araki-esque fervor. But I don't think this would have felt particularly special were it not for the final sequence, which does a great job blending the artist's perception of beauty with the horrors he wishes to depict. The last image was really arresting.
The action shots of him painting reminded me of Araki. They could be very kinetic.
A screengrab from the last scene. Despite Ishizuka's weakness as a storyteller in these episodes, I think she has a good sense of when to forsake realism for emotional effect, and she did that best here.
I'll try to sum up this whole series at some point, but not right now.
Same here I had a lot of fun with that show. Its best to regard that show as gag show without thinking its need character development and such, its worked for me.
Random 10 DVD Dregathon
DVD 05: Shakugan no Shana Second (2007) Episodes 1-7
DVD 06: Shakugan no Shana Second (2007) Episodes 8-12
Audio options: Sub & dub (5.1!)
Extras: Ep 1 commentary, all sorts of comedy shorts, OP & ED
Yikes, 12 episodes. This was the second JC Staff show in a row. I'd never really paid attention to their track record before but looking through the list now I'm thinking "yup, that show looked nice, that one too, that show was dumb but pretty" etc. So this looked quite nice, and the few battle sequences were well animated. But ....
Well to start with, this was the second series and I came in cold. They made a small effort to recap events from the first series but that led to dialog like this, and i quote:
Then they spend the vast majority of the next 10 episodes on the romance subplots and everything slows down to a snails pace.
MC has two girls in love with him, but oh noes there is a new transfer student and he seems to be spending all his time with her. So they spend SIX FREAKING EPISODES saying stuff like "I feel sad when I see them talking to each other, what is this strange feeling" before they find out that apparently its this thing called "jealousy" and maybe telling him how you feel will make it go away. Fucking anime. And don't talk to me about the theme park episode with the wimp who gets sick on the ferris wheel. After that nadir things start to pick up slowly (with two decent Margery Daw backstory episodes) until the Big Bad finally turns up right at the end of episode 12.
One other thing I have to mention is the terrible background music, cheesy MIDI filler that sounded incredibly cheap.
Normally I'm not a fan of the tsundere type but Shana herself was OK. But there was one character that was clearly better than all the others:
Do I want to watch the rest? Spent far too much time on this already, I'll read up on what happened next
Nice battles, shame about the pace: 3/10
DVD 05: Shakugan no Shana Second (2007) Episodes 1-7
DVD 06: Shakugan no Shana Second (2007) Episodes 8-12
Audio options: Sub & dub (5.1!)
Extras: Ep 1 commentary, all sorts of comedy shorts, OP & ED
Yikes, 12 episodes. This was the second JC Staff show in a row. I'd never really paid attention to their track record before but looking through the list now I'm thinking "yup, that show looked nice, that one too, that show was dumb but pretty" etc. So this looked quite nice, and the few battle sequences were well animated. But ....
Well to start with, this was the second series and I came in cold. They made a small effort to recap events from the first series but that led to dialog like this, and i quote:
Yeahhhhhh. Stuff like that is one of the main reasons that fantasy is one of least fav genres, even Lord Of The Rings is full of crap like that.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Then they spend the vast majority of the next 10 episodes on the romance subplots and everything slows down to a snails pace.
MC has two girls in love with him, but oh noes there is a new transfer student and he seems to be spending all his time with her. So they spend SIX FREAKING EPISODES saying stuff like "I feel sad when I see them talking to each other, what is this strange feeling" before they find out that apparently its this thing called "jealousy" and maybe telling him how you feel will make it go away. Fucking anime. And don't talk to me about the theme park episode with the wimp who gets sick on the ferris wheel. After that nadir things start to pick up slowly (with two decent Margery Daw backstory episodes) until the Big Bad finally turns up right at the end of episode 12.
One other thing I have to mention is the terrible background music, cheesy MIDI filler that sounded incredibly cheap.
Normally I'm not a fan of the tsundere type but Shana herself was OK. But there was one character that was clearly better than all the others:
Make the show about her & the talking book fighting demons ffs
Do I want to watch the rest? Spent far too much time on this already, I'll read up on what happened next
Nice battles, shame about the pace: 3/10
Aoi Bungaku - END
It's kind of hard to believe that this got made. Who would be crazy enough to finance a series of completely disconnected anime adaptations of stories at least 60 years old that have no attraction to the traditional anime-buying public? This isn't even like one of those out-there manga adaptations that might be trying to sell something. I thought vanity projects like this didn't happen anymore.
As you'd expect from a production handled by a number of completely different directors telling completely different stories, it's a mixed bag. It seems like Madhouse used this as an opportunity to give some of their younger talent a chance to flex their creative muscles. We see all kinds of different approaches, and while some succeed and some fail, very few of them play it safe. There was usually something interesting in every episode, even when they failed.
"Run, Melos" is the clear standout of the five tales. Perhaps because it goes farther than any of the other stories in changing the plot, it uses the strengths of the visual medium better than any other story. Nakamura's triple narratives of playwriting, play, and memory are able to intertwine and reinforce each other dynamically in a way that's difficult to achieve using the written word, and he uses those strengths to build on the original tale in a way that none of the other directors can rival. Even if an interested anime viewer doesn't want to watch the entire series, I'd recommend "Run, Melos" on its own without reservations.
"No Longer Human" and the two tales of Akutagawa suffer from similar problems, I think. I might be talking out my ass here, having not read either of the original tales, but I think the technical skill with which the stories are reassembled by the directors still sacrifices some of what made those original stories great. For "No Longer Human", I wonder if there was a compelling internal monologue that couldn't survive the transition to the visual medium. For "The Spider's Thread" and "The Hell Screen", I think that even the incredible art mustered there can't replace what the imagination can conjure from a few well-chosen words when discussing the abstract, horrifying unknown.
"In the Woods Beneath the Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom" and "Kokoro" both seem kind of misguided to me, though at least the former makes up for it by being continually surprising. The interesting things they try to do don't complement the stories they adapt.
Final Ranking
Run, Melos > Akutagawa > In the Woods > No Longer Human > Kokoro
Though only the best and worst on this list are firmly in their spots.
Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone who commented and encouraged me to continue. Even if one thinks that there must be people who see one's impressions, an actual response is priceless by comparison.
The masterpieces are blue.
It's kind of hard to believe that this got made. Who would be crazy enough to finance a series of completely disconnected anime adaptations of stories at least 60 years old that have no attraction to the traditional anime-buying public? This isn't even like one of those out-there manga adaptations that might be trying to sell something. I thought vanity projects like this didn't happen anymore.
As you'd expect from a production handled by a number of completely different directors telling completely different stories, it's a mixed bag. It seems like Madhouse used this as an opportunity to give some of their younger talent a chance to flex their creative muscles. We see all kinds of different approaches, and while some succeed and some fail, very few of them play it safe. There was usually something interesting in every episode, even when they failed.
"Run, Melos" is the clear standout of the five tales. Perhaps because it goes farther than any of the other stories in changing the plot, it uses the strengths of the visual medium better than any other story. Nakamura's triple narratives of playwriting, play, and memory are able to intertwine and reinforce each other dynamically in a way that's difficult to achieve using the written word, and he uses those strengths to build on the original tale in a way that none of the other directors can rival. Even if an interested anime viewer doesn't want to watch the entire series, I'd recommend "Run, Melos" on its own without reservations.
"No Longer Human" and the two tales of Akutagawa suffer from similar problems, I think. I might be talking out my ass here, having not read either of the original tales, but I think the technical skill with which the stories are reassembled by the directors still sacrifices some of what made those original stories great. For "No Longer Human", I wonder if there was a compelling internal monologue that couldn't survive the transition to the visual medium. For "The Spider's Thread" and "The Hell Screen", I think that even the incredible art mustered there can't replace what the imagination can conjure from a few well-chosen words when discussing the abstract, horrifying unknown.
"In the Woods Beneath the Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom" and "Kokoro" both seem kind of misguided to me, though at least the former makes up for it by being continually surprising. The interesting things they try to do don't complement the stories they adapt.
Final Ranking
Run, Melos > Akutagawa > In the Woods > No Longer Human > Kokoro
Though only the best and worst on this list are firmly in their spots.
Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone who commented and encouraged me to continue. Even if one thinks that there must be people who see one's impressions, an actual response is priceless by comparison.
The masterpieces are blue.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Joe Molotov
Member
Somethings are adorably rapey, and somethings are just rapey-rapey.
Watamote
But For the Grace of 4chan
I'm not sure what angle to approach this from. I've mostly known this as "the anime that 4chan saved", and was curious what exactly 4chan would want with it. I could mention how Izumi Kitta is in it, and I want to support the Milky Holmes actors going forward. I think I'll start with the nature of a protagonist.
When OreGairu was airing, I thought Hachiman was a literary character - Holden Caulfield, to be precise. Worth analyzing and observing, but I never considered him someone to be admired, however, he was consciously removing himself from society, even if he was being a total dick about it. Tomo, on the other hand, wants to be popular, but can't. If she was a literary character, I'd compare her with Walter Mitty.
Why did 4chan want this saved from obscurity? It's definitely cynical about the otaku nature, and in some respects right (which is why watching episode 1 at 1 AM was a terrible idea), but this can't possibly be what it's all like. I've read it's sympathy, and while I have a tough time believing in 4chan and sympathy together, that it was this series does sort of hint at the American preference for more cynical works... I think.
An OreImo scenario is also possible. Not the incest part, but the meeting a group of friends online and, even though discussions are harsh, they still get along. Being an otaku shouldn't mean being deficient at talking to people online, though almost every comment section ever would prove me wrong. Even something like getting a pet would help Tomo along.
To say nothing of Yuu and Imae. Yuu's magnanimous, tolerant (if a bit naive) and still an otaku. She's probably living out her own Nogizaka Haruka-esque story on the sidelines, and that's a story I'd like to watch. The effort the staff were putting in was clear when big name VAs like Kugimiya, Nonaka and Sugita were playing those big characters on the sidelines. Kii's also a ray of hope, but she saw things neither Yuu nor Imae did, so I like her more than Tomo as well, but she has a tougher road to go in helping her. To me, these characters alone are signs that the world isn't nearly as bad as Tomo thinks it is. Perspective can make a small thing feel like a big deal, and the narrative focus often succeeded on that point, but we, the viewers, having the ability to see it all, know that this isn't the most terrible place to live. Which only makes it more tragic.
I like that Tomo almost got close to Imae at the end of the last episode, but the very nature of the story...
I understand that's not going to happen. The title is meant to be ironic, the premise extended for as long as possible with success never coming. I'm fine with the series doing that, and some of my favorite series - Yuru Yuri comes to mind - are exactly like that. Even the black-on-pale-yellow color scheme and many empty shots perfectly convey the sense of bleakness the series is going for. That factory scene comes to mind.
The series is well produced, but ultimately, my anime experience comes down to emotion. The somewhat bittersweet happiness of the final three episodes aren't quite enough to override the malaise that the first 3/4 of the series produced for me. Tomo's occasional fantasies are fun, but the things surrounding them are purely uncomfortable. Someone who sees sex and friends as rewards instead of things that happen is tough to watch.
The opening stood out from a lot this season, and the combination of idol singer and rock band worked. The ending seemed to be the only time in the series Tomo had self-awareness, but it was catchy. My favorite song the series produced was probably Yuu's cover of the ED theme.
Final Thoughts: Watamote. Walter Mitty. Whatever it is, it was a fine series to see once and get to know what everyone was talking about, but beyond the OVA, I don't see myself returning to it. I'm looking for happier emotions in my anime, is all.
But For the Grace of 4chan
I'm not sure what angle to approach this from. I've mostly known this as "the anime that 4chan saved", and was curious what exactly 4chan would want with it. I could mention how Izumi Kitta is in it, and I want to support the Milky Holmes actors going forward. I think I'll start with the nature of a protagonist.
When OreGairu was airing, I thought Hachiman was a literary character - Holden Caulfield, to be precise. Worth analyzing and observing, but I never considered him someone to be admired, however, he was consciously removing himself from society, even if he was being a total dick about it. Tomo, on the other hand, wants to be popular, but can't. If she was a literary character, I'd compare her with Walter Mitty.
Why did 4chan want this saved from obscurity? It's definitely cynical about the otaku nature, and in some respects right (which is why watching episode 1 at 1 AM was a terrible idea), but this can't possibly be what it's all like. I've read it's sympathy, and while I have a tough time believing in 4chan and sympathy together, that it was this series does sort of hint at the American preference for more cynical works... I think.
An OreImo scenario is also possible. Not the incest part, but the meeting a group of friends online and, even though discussions are harsh, they still get along. Being an otaku shouldn't mean being deficient at talking to people online, though almost every comment section ever would prove me wrong. Even something like getting a pet would help Tomo along.
To say nothing of Yuu and Imae. Yuu's magnanimous, tolerant (if a bit naive) and still an otaku. She's probably living out her own Nogizaka Haruka-esque story on the sidelines, and that's a story I'd like to watch. The effort the staff were putting in was clear when big name VAs like Kugimiya, Nonaka and Sugita were playing those big characters on the sidelines. Kii's also a ray of hope, but she saw things neither Yuu nor Imae did, so I like her more than Tomo as well, but she has a tougher road to go in helping her. To me, these characters alone are signs that the world isn't nearly as bad as Tomo thinks it is. Perspective can make a small thing feel like a big deal, and the narrative focus often succeeded on that point, but we, the viewers, having the ability to see it all, know that this isn't the most terrible place to live. Which only makes it more tragic.
I like that Tomo almost got close to Imae at the end of the last episode, but the very nature of the story...
I understand that's not going to happen. The title is meant to be ironic, the premise extended for as long as possible with success never coming. I'm fine with the series doing that, and some of my favorite series - Yuru Yuri comes to mind - are exactly like that. Even the black-on-pale-yellow color scheme and many empty shots perfectly convey the sense of bleakness the series is going for. That factory scene comes to mind.
The series is well produced, but ultimately, my anime experience comes down to emotion. The somewhat bittersweet happiness of the final three episodes aren't quite enough to override the malaise that the first 3/4 of the series produced for me. Tomo's occasional fantasies are fun, but the things surrounding them are purely uncomfortable. Someone who sees sex and friends as rewards instead of things that happen is tough to watch.
The opening stood out from a lot this season, and the combination of idol singer and rock band worked. The ending seemed to be the only time in the series Tomo had self-awareness, but it was catchy. My favorite song the series produced was probably Yuu's cover of the ED theme.
Final Thoughts: Watamote. Walter Mitty. Whatever it is, it was a fine series to see once and get to know what everyone was talking about, but beyond the OVA, I don't see myself returning to it. I'm looking for happier emotions in my anime, is all.
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
Maybe if the show was any good it wouldn't get nearly as much flashback. KyoAni decided to make this show for the sole reason of being fanservice to that audience and that is why the show is ultimately a bore to watch. Also KyoAni can't draw guys for the sake of their lives. Not only are muscles hilariously wrong but their heads look so small too. Seriously I know people doing Arts that can draw better than that.
Probably the most famous anime show, DBZ, breaks that assumption so I don't think its a popular one.
ThreePiMatt
Member
Alright, I've put this Crunchyroll subscription through a little more work and watched a few things.
Little Witch Academia - I enjoyed this though definitely felt like something that could be stretched out stretched out further.
Stella's Women's Academy, High School Division Class C3 - This has been decent. Sonora and Karila seem like the best characters, but I don't really believe Yura's progression as a character and it seems like her imagination/visions could have been explored with a little more depth. Also, I watched episode 12 last night and it seemed like it capped it off pretty well, kind of surprised to find out its going to keep going.
Upotte!! - I have never felt quite like a pedo before watching this. Now, I'm all for a good pervy joke as much as the next guy so long as its done in moderation and the timing is right, but they really played fast and loose with the sexualization. I can look past silly premise that the characters are guns personified as humans, but overall it didn't seem like it was going anywhere and then it just ended.
I'm interested in watching K-On but wanted to know the best place to find it since it doesn't seem to be on CR, checked the OT2 but didn't see anything in there. Also, it looks like it has English dubs, is that the way to watch it or are subs prefered?
Little Witch Academia - I enjoyed this though definitely felt like something that could be stretched out stretched out further.
Stella's Women's Academy, High School Division Class C3 - This has been decent. Sonora and Karila seem like the best characters, but I don't really believe Yura's progression as a character and it seems like her imagination/visions could have been explored with a little more depth. Also, I watched episode 12 last night and it seemed like it capped it off pretty well, kind of surprised to find out its going to keep going.
Upotte!! - I have never felt quite like a pedo before watching this. Now, I'm all for a good pervy joke as much as the next guy so long as its done in moderation and the timing is right, but they really played fast and loose with the sexualization. I can look past silly premise that the characters are guns personified as humans, but overall it didn't seem like it was going anywhere and then it just ended.
I'm interested in watching K-On but wanted to know the best place to find it since it doesn't seem to be on CR, checked the OT2 but didn't see anything in there. Also, it looks like it has English dubs, is that the way to watch it or are subs prefered?
hosannainexcelsis
Member
This is simply not true, as anyone who has watched Hyouka would know. The reason why the male designs in Free are what they are is not because the animators at KyoAni are incapable of drawing anything else, but because those kinds of designs are what appeals to many fujoshi. Just look at yaoi manga; you'll see much more exaggered examples of the small head syndrome.
this, just type "yaoi" into amazon and look at the covers of the books that come up
and enjoy yaoi books popping up in your recommendations for days to come lol
firehawk12
Subete no aware
damnit.
Well a few things.
First, yes it feels very much like Onegai Teacher. However OT is over a decade old, has no recent releases and a huge amount of people dont know about it. A similar kind of show is perfectly fine to make for the new generation.
Secondly, Kanna is the best.
Thirdly, Lemon > Ichigo.
Ok this one I agree is terrible. The art is cute but Shana with that fucking URUSAI phrase just makes me insane and I want to break things.
Then theres three more seasons of this. It wasnt for me. The premise was semi-interesting but...God no.
LWA is getting a sequel thanks to kickstarter.
Upotte might be licensed, but I dont remember. It would be a very sensitive subject here in US although I dont see a big deal about it personally.
C3 bu was Upotte lite mixed with K-on.
I like the way you think.
Needs more Rento. Rento is an angel.
I'll have to respectfully disagree with you on this point. Yura's development was extreme, but handled remarkably well, I thought. It was very easy to identify with her and see things from her perspective at all stages of her development, for good or for bad.
...or alternatively, the adaptation could have avoided taking such liberties with them in the first place. But they functioned pretty well on a thematic level, and I don't think they really harmed the series in the end, beyond seeming a little out of place on occasion.
Yeah, I get the impression episode 12 was intended as the proper "series finale" and episode 13 will just be a fun little bonus.
I'm sorry I haven't really commented on your posts but having only seen Run Melos I didn't think I could contribute much - I just wanted to say I really appreciated your thoughtful, detailed comments on each of the episodes, I understood exactly how you felt about them and thought your insight was particularly interesting.
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