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Summer 2013 Anime Thread Zero: grown men playing with dolls/who but WB Masochism
- Thread starter Mandoric
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While she's telling us off, she's cutting hot dogs, bananas, and cucumbers into small pieces using a pair of scissors.
GuP is the bestest.
Accel World, K and AGE. Drop the rest.
Hyouka 20
Just bang on the fucking door and yell until somebody helps you! Was it really that worth it just so that somebody might get the wrong idea of what you were doing in there? It's not that hard to explain; you were going to the warehouse to get sake, you accidentally went to the shed instead, and you got locked in.
Also, Chitanda totally wanted to use the string on her kimono and have it fall off.
Just bang on the fucking door and yell until somebody helps you! Was it really that worth it just so that somebody might get the wrong idea of what you were doing in there? It's not that hard to explain; you were going to the warehouse to get sake, you accidentally went to the shed instead, and you got locked in.
Also, Chitanda totally wanted to use the string on her kimono and have it fall off.
Kirito "suddenly being fine with killing people" is not a contradiction, as I've explained before. He's never had any problem with killing people's avatars except when it causes the players to actually die.
The "praising a murderer" you can complain about all you like, and I appreciate it's a valid complaint, but this is more an aspect of the SAO arc than the ALO arc. The whole of the SAO arc is about the fact that the virtual world they're living in is a strange contradiction of being both unreal yet real, terrible yet wonderful, and how the characters grow to feel a powerful attachment to it even as they strive to escape it. Kirito and Asuna's feelings towards Kayaba at the end of that arc (which carry over into the ALO arc) are the natural culmination of this: on a logical level, they can't reasonably forgive him for all the deaths he has caused, but on an emotional level, they can identify with the dream of creating another world that drove him to do what he did, because they've grown to love that world themselves.
Personally I think the "rape slugs" went a long way towards demonstrating the sheer repulsiveness of what Sugou was doing in ALO. He himself is a despicable human being, of course, but the whole twisted conspiracy somehow seems more real and more horrifying when we witness first-hand that he has a whole organised workforce of people who are willing and happy to participate in his depraved experiments on people's minds in such a matter-of-fact way.
At least when I originally read it in the novel, I found the scene where Asuna escapes her cell and explores the laboratory to be one of the most tense and gripping scenes in the arc, because it really brought home the sheer scale and depravity of these plans that we had previously only heard about second-hand from Sugou's own idle boasts. And a big part of the tension of that sequence was that these minions were dotted around the place, providing a constant danger of discovery for the unarmed Asuna. It was honestly heartwrenching when they finally found her just seconds away from successfully logging out. I don't think that scene would have been nearly as effective if it had been Sugou himself that discovered her - the fact that the minions didn't actually know who she was just made the whole scene more tantalisingly painful, since it left open the slim possibility that she might be able to talk her way out of the situation, before that hope too was summarily crushed.
The involvement of the minions also helps the narrative on a logical level, since Asuna specifically chose a time of night when she felt confident Sugou would be asleep to make her escape. Really, it would have been downright stupid to attempt to attempt an escape at a time when Sugou himself would be around to discover her.
Oh, and it's seriously satisfying when we hear second-hand from the minions just how furious Sugou was to hear that Asuna almost got away. I feel like even if she hadn't got the admin card out of it, the shock she gave Sugou alone would have made the whole escapade worthwhile XD
Oh, please let's not put Kayaba and Sugou on the same level. Sugou was deplorable and twisted on every level. He actively stripped all of his captive players of their humanity and subjected them all to horrific torture. He tormented Asuna and Kirito like a sadist because he could. He lied, cheated and deceived indiscriminately. Everything he did, he did to satisfy his own basest desires for money, power and sexual satisfaction.
By contrast, the ordeal that Kayaba subjected people to wasn't even wholly negative. He didn't strip people of their humanity; if anything, he gave them the opportunity to explore it. He didn't cause anybody pain; in fact, he gave them a world where it doesn't even exist. He caused deaths, yes, but almost entirely indirectly - he simply put the players in an unfamiliar world and allowed them to make of it what they chose. With the exception of concealing his identity as Heathcliff (and even that he never intended to last forever), he was never deceitful, cruel or unfair, and consistently treated the players with respect. Personally I've always felt the only truly evil thing Kayaba did was allowing the handful of deaths that occurred at the very beginning, before the people outside the game knew that disconnecting the Nerve Gear would kill the user, and before the people inside the game knew that dying in-game would kill them for real.
Well, I feel like it's important to appreciate that this is a story divided into separate arcs, and the final Sugu/Kirito scene was never intended as a finale to "SAO as a whole", but as a finale to the ALO arc. Kirito's relationship with Asuna had of course already been well and truly established and given tons of focus in the previous arc, and will continue to be a prominent element in the story going forward; it wasn't such a major focus in this arc. The central focus in this arc was the new character of Suguha and her doomed feelings for Kirito, so it made perfect sense to end the arc with a scene tying up that plot thread.
EDIT: Just had a look at the episode where Yui talks about the reason why Kirito landed where he did, and you're right, the reason is much less obvious in the anime. The anime exchange is "Come to think of it, why did I login to this empty forest? I should have been transferred to a home town..." "I'm not sure... Perhaps your location data was corrupted, or else there was interference." Whereas the same line in the LN is more specific: "Perhaps your location data was corrupted, or else there was interference from another player diving from a nearby path...I can't say for sure." And then the narration later on makes it explicit: "She was the first person I met after logging in. Yui had speculated that this was because we were logged in to ALO from nearby paths. Nearby wasn't the half of it - we were diving from the same house, so our global IP was identical."
Girls und Panzer & Gargantia
GuP obviously.
Lavalamp1138
Member
It's ununanimous! Girls under Panzers it is!
You should watch the dub.
Surprised I haven't seen an anime based around track-and-field considering the many PE episodes you see in slice of life shows.
Crimsonlink
Member
Skip AGE imo.
FelixOrion
Poet Centuriate
SAO was good for all of like 3 episodes and everything after it was pure unadultered shit of the highest order that one could either hate with a burning passion or learn to laugh at heartily so all this bickering over this half and that half seems silly to me.
Because why do the actually smart thing and go for the completely logical and straightforward solution to a mundane issue when you can instead opt to use stupid and tedious ways to work around it that make less sense while taking even longer all in the name of "character development" that feels nonexistant anyway.
Because why do the actually smart thing and go for the completely logical and straightforward solution to a mundane issue when you can instead opt to use stupid and tedious ways to work around it that make less sense while taking even longer all in the name of "character development" that feels nonexistant anyway.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Oofuri 19
Its fun to watch this while take taking a break from Natsume and in between random play sessions of P4G (kou ichijou is an amazing character, one of persona's best designs).
But oofuri
This became quite intense.
Its fun to watch this while take taking a break from Natsume and in between random play sessions of P4G (kou ichijou is an amazing character, one of persona's best designs).
But oofuri
why they score like that and tie up the game so fast. The pop ups that were so far away even.
Jigsaw wasn't a serial killer; he just put the players in an unfamiliar situation and allowed them to make of it what they chose.
all of them except age and k
firehawk12
Subete no aware
GooP is truly the one good show on that list.
Well... you can never have too many moe vegetable girls, I guess.
Fuck that show forever and ever. Thats the only thing Ill dignify the show with.
Yes. Look up "Hall om mig"
Why would you consider watching Gundam AGE let alone marathoning it?
On that note, is it physically possible to marathon that show without going mad?
Not bad.
MisterSamMan
Member
Genshiken Nidaime - 02
Great episode, the continuing focus on the fudanshi is an interesting choice, but I do hope they do something more with him than just "Oh, look it's a cross-dresser, who likes Yaoi." That being said, I'm still really digging the series and the new members.
Also I'm just going to predict that
Great episode, the continuing focus on the fudanshi is an interesting choice, but I do hope they do something more with him than just "Oh, look it's a cross-dresser, who likes Yaoi." That being said, I'm still really digging the series and the new members.
Also I'm just going to predict that
Ogiue will either graduate or step down as president because that's what happens in every season of Genshiken.
something something conservative Japanese wouldn't care.
It's worth noting Oreki had the same thought process as you, but it was Chitanda who told him not to shout (and when they realized they didn't have cellphones she did give in).
I don't know if it's exaggerated in the show (it probably is) or not, but it made for a fun episode so hey.
Olololol. I haven't actually seen the Saw movies, but I'm pretty sure the situations Jigsaw placed his victims in were specifically engineered to force them to horribly maim and/or kill themselves and one another. I think that's a far cry from placing people in a world that is dangerous but fair, and indeed even provides players with entire towns where their safety is completely guaranteed.
Girls und Panzer.
So I've been gone all day hanging out with friends, but the day wasn't a loss, anime-wise, because....
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
So I've had this sitting around since Christmas waiting to find a three hour block to sit around and watch it. Now that I've watched it... I wish I had done it sooner.
Knowing the Haruhi stories was pretty close to essential to truly understand everything going on, which despite not having watched either season or read much of the books, It completely clicked back in once the movie started.
As for the movie content, it was... interesting.
The biggest issue I had with the movie was
Given everything, I'd give the move a 9/10 to a 10/10 (9.5?) It was a very well done, well animated, acted movie. If this is the last bit of Haruhi animation to come, it went out on a high note.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
So I've had this sitting around since Christmas waiting to find a three hour block to sit around and watch it. Now that I've watched it... I wish I had done it sooner.
Knowing the Haruhi stories was pretty close to essential to truly understand everything going on, which despite not having watched either season or read much of the books, It completely clicked back in once the movie started.
As for the movie content, it was... interesting.
The changed world just felt... wrong, as it should have been, and I would have reacted the same way Kyon did. While Disappearance-Yuki was cute, she all honesty didn't really feel essential to the story. This was Kyon vs Himself if Haruhi was gone. And I think he chose wisely, going with the world he knows.
The biggest issue I had with the movie was
the time travel shenanigans. At points, it started confusing me what and who was where, but I think that was trying to keep the complete series in line, not necessarily the movie's fault.
Given everything, I'd give the move a 9/10 to a 10/10 (9.5?) It was a very well done, well animated, acted movie. If this is the last bit of Haruhi animation to come, it went out on a high note.
I think my biggest problem with the situation is that the longer they meander trying to figure out how to get out of there some other way, the more suspicious it becomes that they were in there for so long. I mean, she said that shrine maiden girl would understand if she saved them, but if they waited a half hour before they finally gave in, and then got the sake and gave it to her and explained that they got locked in the shed but they didn't knock because that would totally look suspicious so we tried dropping our shit in front of the shed in the hopes that our friend who's in charge of the lost and found would get it and then make the connection that we were in the shed...I think the girl would think something was up. "You were stuck. Suuuuuuuuuuuure."
As for fun...I dunno, I didn't find this episode that fun. To me, their chemistry just didn't work in a situation like that.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Last? I thought theyre just waiting on more source material since the writer was depressingly slow.
The guy who is doing the japanese VA is doing a ridiculously good job.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
Am I late? Marathon Girls und Panzer
KirbYuuYuu
Member
It is in fact a "list" show, and a damn good one at that. Also, dubbed.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Zetman 13(end) (rewatch, dub)
Excellent to rewatch and great dub with some new va's in a role or two (or at least ones I hadnt heard before), like Jin when he was younger a few more. WIll most likely get this if its released on Blu Ray as it was wholly enjoyable. Jin in the end was great in the end too.
Excellent to rewatch and great dub with some new va's in a role or two (or at least ones I hadnt heard before), like Jin when he was younger a few more. WIll most likely get this if its released on Blu Ray as it was wholly enjoyable. Jin in the end was great in the end too.
Lavalamp1138
Member
Girls und Panzer 1
I like this! I like this a lot! Centering everything around Miho made things compelling to watch. She's pretty adorable in her own right, being a bit of a shy klutz with a big heart. It was interesting to actually watch as the social shift of a once traditional art became popular among the youth. You could see the peer pressure gradually build until it overcame Miho, but she didn't really give into it, but rather she wanted to do something for her friends who were supporting her in spite of their own personal interests. The whole in medias res setup has me excited to see some actual Tankery, so I'm definitely marathoning this!
I like this! I like this a lot! Centering everything around Miho made things compelling to watch. She's pretty adorable in her own right, being a bit of a shy klutz with a big heart. It was interesting to actually watch as the social shift of a once traditional art became popular among the youth. You could see the peer pressure gradually build until it overcame Miho, but she didn't really give into it, but rather she wanted to do something for her friends who were supporting her in spite of their own personal interests. The whole in medias res setup has me excited to see some actual Tankery, so I'm definitely marathoning this!
Jigsaw puts people in those traps in order to teach them the value of their own lives. By surviving such a deadly experience, they'll appreciate what they have.
His games are also fair, because the rules, dangers, and solution are clearly spelled out in advance. This is different from Sword Art Online, where players don't know the abilities of monsters they encounter for the first time, exploits allow players to kill other players in towns against their will, and there are undetectable traps placed in dungeons that can singlehandedly overwhelm characters playing in the appropriate level range.
Would you tell the families of the 2000 players that died in the first month that their situation was "fair" after they were tricked into strapping microwaves to their brains and dropped into a world they knew nothing about?
Freezasaurus
Member
The World God Only Knows 12
So I finally started my TWGOK marathon a few days ago, and I was pretty ho-hum on it until episode 12. But I think it's starting to find its groove with me. On to season 2!
That show was one of the first things I plowed through when I'd just started subscribing to crunchyroll. Loved it from beginning to end.
So I finally started my TWGOK marathon a few days ago, and I was pretty ho-hum on it until episode 12. But I think it's starting to find its groove with me. On to season 2!
That show was one of the first things I plowed through when I'd just started subscribing to crunchyroll. Loved it from beginning to end.
FelixOrion
Poet Centuriate
Its not on the list but it should be
Slow? More like "I have trouble believing he has any intention to write any more material ever" at this point.
Proper light novel authors tend to release multiple books per year, sometimes once every few months. Haruhi followed this pattern for most of its run, gradually getting slower (3 releases in 2003, 2 in 2004, 2 in 2005, 1 in 2006, 1 in 2007), and then the tenth book was unexpectedly delayed for four years with no real explanation given, only finally releasing in 2011 after everyone had practically given up hope on it ever materialising. Since that release there has been no sign of Tanigawa planning to continue the series at all.
By contrast, the Accel World series started in 2009, after the release of Haruhi Book 10, and has since surpassed the Haruhi series' length, releasing 14 volumes in the time it took Tanigawa to release one, and with no sign of slowing. And that's while Kawahara was working on the release of the Sword Art Online novels alongside it.
Incidentally, the Haruhi anime has only covered up to Novel 4 (plus parts of 5 and 6 due to non-chronological storytelling) so far, so there's still about half the material left to cover if they wanted to make another anime series. Novel 10 even provides a pretty decent cutoff point for them to end a new anime series at (before its release, there was the issue that the not-yet-adapted novels were building up some new plot elements that had yet to actually reach any kind of conclusion, and Book 9 ended on a cliffhanger. Novel 10 solves that problem by providing a decent set-piece finale that incorporates those new plot elements.) It's just that with Tanigawa doing a whole lot of nothing, the franchise is stagnating, and it doesn't make a whole lot of business sense to make a new anime for a stagnating series.
Lavalamp1138
Member
I feel like I have to watch it. My history with these sort of shows leads me to believe that I'll actually like it. Plus, I got through Seed Destiny and Purpletown without keeling over so there's that.
00 is my favorite Gundam series. Season 2 included.
No let's.
Kayaba and Sugou imprison people in a virtual world against their will for the sake of fulfilling some dream. And it was definitely against their will. Nobody knew that when entering SAO, they couldn't leave again. How is Kayaba any less evil than Sugou, when he ensnared people into this digital world of his and forced them to stay? That's precisely what Sugou did, too, and Sugou did it to fewer people to boot.
Kayaba then proceeded to leave people, elderly and children not excluded, in a world that was full of very real dangers which could very definitely kill them for the sake of his ambition. This ambition is not explained in the animated series in any definite way. To further point out the hypocrisy of this action, Kayaba makes himself invincible. The game is not fair if you set yourself up as an invincible God and rule over it. And he did just that. Kayaba made himself invincible, and then rose to a position of power over his prisoners.
He lead them into these dungeons full of dangers with the promise of freedom, and many of them died. And as he did this, he planned, all along, to one day turn on them, and slaughter them at the final level in order to make the story in his little game more amusing to himself.
He treated these people as beneath him the entire course of the game. He lied to them, lead them to their deaths, and intended to kill many more before the end for his own jollies.
Sugou, at the very least, had wanted some monetary gain from it. Although at the end we see that Sugou, like Kayaba, wanted to be a God through this digital world. Both men also treated Asuna as if she were their property. Kayaba through his nonsense of the guild, and Sugou through the more personal abuse.
But what, really, differs between Kayaba's treatment of the population of Aincrad and Sugou's of Asuna? Asuna was stuck in a cage, from which she could not escape, just like the SAO players could not log out. Both Asuna and the SAO players are teased with the promise of an escape that they cannot attain with ease. Asuna the control pad on the door, and SAO the 100th floor. Just as Sugou loved to come into the cage and "play" with his imprisoned, Kayaba entered Aincrad and played with his prisoners in SAO. Just as the populace of SAO suffered harm at the hands of Kayaba's world, people dying in droves in the drive to escape which HE encouraged actively, Asuna's body was molested by Sugou. Just as Kayaba tortured the populace of SAO and used them for his own amusement, Sugou experimented on the minds of the 300, for his own gain.
The only difference between Sugou and Kayaba is that Kayaba did what Sugou did on a hilariously larger scale.
And yet there goes Kirito, praising Kayaba. And most amusingly, what he praised most in Kayaba and scolded Sugou for was "running away." Which is ironic, because Kayaba did nothing BUT run. He never stood punishment for his crimes, never willingly confronted his victims, and when SAO crumbled he committed suicide/fled to a digital world. Sugou, on the other hand, having lost in ALO, went to the real world and challenged Kirito again.
How isn't Kayaba comparable in evil to Sugou?
FelixOrion
Poet Centuriate
KirbYuuYuu
Member
Razgriz-Specter
Member
Nevermind Gundam AGE is perfect for you.
And also I know about this wonderful love story involving two crazy kids and a guy's sister on the internet if you want . . .
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