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Summer 2014 Anime |OT| this thread has been outsourced to Toei Phils

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D

duckroll

Member
The Martian mechs in Aldnoah look pretty damn Super Robot-ish. I hope they have cool attacks when it comes to action scenes, instead of hovering around and just firing missiles.... Some of them look like they might be close combat suits too.

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B

Blusby

Member
Fireblend said:
Tokyo Ghoul was insanely disappointing. So many plot holes. If ordinary weapons can't kill ghouls, how did the ghoul-girl die? When the doctor was operating on him, didn't he notice the huge bite in his shoulder and deduce the girl was a ghoul, which would've prevented the already stupid let's-transplant-her-organs-into-him thing? If it's common knowledge the ghouls hate normal food, how did his doctor not suspect anything when he reported that exact symptom? Not watching one second more of this.
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Allow me to explain, ordinary weapons like knives won't work because humans are too weak. To kill a ghoul without kagune you need a ton of force (like those beams), and was as implied caused by foul play rather than a freak accident. For the whole operation thing, it's explained late in the manga (beyond where the translation's at) so you won't know unless they decide to make a second season.
 
J

Jarmel

Banned
I'll talk about Terror in Resonance in a bit. My phone has been dead all day and today was another madhouse. Here's the KLK panel and some minor Inafune bits.
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-Took awhile for writing process to start but once it got going, it came quickly.
-SUSHIO and producer want to cosplay as Guts.
-Mako/Ryuuko and Gama/Mako both BFfs. Looks like Gama is getting friendzoned.
-Clothes idea was a throwback to older anime series. Saint Seiya is mentioned. Started with idea that clothes were sentient.
-Nakashima always wanted to write a show where everyone was missing a screw.
-Ragyo's hair emits water and that's why it's rainbow colored. He come up with that on the spot.
-Question about theme of sexuality in the show:There is no depiction of love interests and what I wanted to incorporate was the idea of friendship between entities that wasn't defined. Question was sort of dodged.
-Character designs involved long meetings with other creative staff. Was clear when Imaishi didn't like a design(visibly annoyed). Ryuuko took the longest.
-Satsuki would normally be the main character but intentionally made her the rival. Wanted a more innocent character for the lead. Nudist Beach originally used to be just the people to explain the stuff to the audience. Nudist beach originally was a joke name but they just ran with it.
-Nakashima: Before KLK went on air, him and Imaishi were just trying to come up with something that would satisfy Imaishi, they were worried whether it would be palatable to a normal audience. Sushio mentions he was very worried.
-Nakashima: Favorite scene is Satsuki in Senketsu staring at Ryuuko in Junketsu. Sushio: Favorite scene is where someone ripped clothes off and Ragyo asked "what does this mean". Sushio was asking the same thing.
- Satsuki was a reference to Mako Gagi , an old female Japanese actress. She served as the inspiration. I'm sure I misspelled her name but I can't even find anything close to that spelling so someone more knowledgeable will have to help me on that one.[Edit:It's Meiko Kaji. Thanks Erigu.]
-Life fibers in space question: Space is vast, they probably won't target Earth anymore.
-Special bullet question: In script of the original version of episode 15, bullet was to be used against Satsuki(should be Ryuuko, I think that's the translator's fault) and it doesn't work.
-Manga from 70s, Otogumi, influenced early parts of KLK. Other influences came from Japanese manga in the 70s ,like Female Convict Scorpion. Stuff Tarantino would like(his words). In that respect Imaishi followed in the footsteps of Tarantino, in that of throwbacks. Sushio: In Otokogumi manga everyone is hot blooded.
-Why did Ryuuko need to go to school to find day's killer?: Ryuuko saw back of person who killed her father, knewit was a high school student around 17. Honnouji academy was one of last schools she went to, as she skipped from school to school trying to find her father's killer.
-Junketsu not sentient. Only Senketsu, so Satsuki couldn't hear Junketsu. In final episode, every human could hear voice of Senketsu.
-Life fibers are sentient life forms, have a voice and language but humans don't understand them . Ragyo is exception, as she works as their messenger. Senketsu can talk because of Ryuuko's DNA and can communicate with others due to her.
-SUSHIO:Kamui having eyes is a reference to Mazinger Z. Wanted to put something on breasts. Early designs looked like Devilman. One eye missing was a reference to Gunbuster 2 and also implies that it's still imperfect as a life form.
-An idea tossed around about Senketsu was that feral covers were captured by Dr.Matoi and Senketsu came from there. Also had idea about weredogs but subdirector didn't like fighting animals so it was tossed out. Had many idea for clubs, nomad club(wander nomads where you would wander for three years and come back to the school.
-Question about whether the early parts of the show were about Japan's loss of identity after the war: It's an overanalysis.
-When you look at 70s Otokogumi, mostly male. Thought women would be more confrontational and a better fit for a contemporary audience. Sushio didn't want to initially do the job. Sushio declined three times. Was told if he did designs of good looking guys, girls would like him so he accepted(pretty sure that was a joke).
-Question about if writing for shows like Kamen Rider Fourze is different from TTGL/KLK: Kamen rider is a children show so can't get really violent(KLK had no restrictions) and it was also a live action so can't write certain things.
-(Sushio)Had ideas of costumes that would be erotically appealing for cosplay. Nakashima later wanted to refute that.
-Was it ever considered for school to turn into giant robot? Episode 25 will answer your question.
-Imaishi is working on episode 25 in Japan.
-Something about Mako having same color as Nui in a scene was a fluke.
-Which is their favorite couple in KLK: Nakashima would often repeat that there is no space for love interest in KLK. So onus is on the fans. Sushio said that Sucy-Mako would be the best couple. Producer mentions old laundrymat idea.
-Sushio did his belly button forte again.

Translator is fucking awful, should have gotten Tattun to do it.

Might No.9 Animated series announced.
Original Mega Man was twice as hard because the developers kept playing it and thought it was too easy.
Marketing forced them to make the game easier. They didn't agree with the marketing department but did it anyway.
 
A

Admiral Woofington

Member
Space Dandy 14

Welcome back Dandy. Your trip through anime tropes and generations was a nice way of coming back into the show with DAT BONES animation. So many gif'able scenes. Dandy starts the season strong, let's hope it keeps up. I loved the very weird effeminate female meow who kept replacing words with meow. Also Space Goku Michael Jackson Dandy was great, he almost outstayed his welcome though. Depressed Dandy and nightmare robot meowth was the best though.

I seriously love him. He detests life.
 
J

Jintor

Member
Space Dandy 14

They took a while getting there but they finally saved anime. I can't fucking breath I'm laughing so hard
 
M

MetroidPrimeRib

Banned
Space Dandy 14

THEY KEPT VIVA NAMIDA 10/10

That was an insanely good episode, and also absolutely hilarious.

Jesus Christ, welcome back Dandy. If you can maintain that quality then I'll love you forever.
 
C

cajunator

Banned
Admiral Woofington said:
Space Dandy 14

Welcome back Dandy. Your trip through anime tropes and generations was a nice way of coming back into the show with DAT BONES animation. So many gif'able scenes. Dandy starts the season strong, let's hope it keeps up. I loved the very weird effeminate female meow who kept replacing words with meow. Also Space Goku Michael Jackson Dandy was great, he almost outstayed his welcome though. Depressed Dandy and nightmare robot meowth was the best though.

I seriously love him. He detests life.
Click to expand...

Ok. Ill watch this show again.
 
S

SliceSabre

Banned
Jarmel said:
-Junketsu not sentient. Only Senketsu, so Satsuki couldn't hear Junketsu. In final episode, every human could hear voice of Senketsu.
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This is weird because I remember when Matoi ripped Junketsu off her it started screaming.

Space Dandy 14

That was interesting. I still think the series overall is sub-par in everything it does, but I do give this episode props for giving me a couple chuckles.
 
K

KuwabaraTheMan

Banned
Space Dandy 14:
Welcome back, and what a way to come back. That was a really off the wall episode in the way only Dandy can be. The first half was already pretty funny, but stuff in the contradictory universe really started killing me, especially with the multiple narrators fighting. Unlike the first season, this was a strong and confident debut which says exactly what the show is.
 
J

Jarmel

Banned
SliceSabre said:
This is weird because I remember when Matoi ripped Junketsu off her it started screaming.
Click to expand...

Right. That was what another question was addressing. I guess he's sentient on a very low level in that he can make animal sounds but not anything higher unlike Senketsu or 'pure' Life Fibers.

The translator was shit so I don't know how much the translator fucked up.
 
T

Thoraxes

Member
Space Dandy - 14 (S2)

Fucking amazing.

TU6KX1e.gif
The king is back baby.
TU6KX1e.gif


Now excuse me while I go re-watch it a few times for all the
reference porn
too, because holy fuck was it incredible.

Each
alternate universe
was so well done with each
iteration of a new Dandy
, fucking gorgeous show, and
literal string theory?
Yeah, BONES keep making more of this forever, please.

And the horrifying
last crew that showed up was lol-worthy. That Meow man. I lost my shit every time it made noise.

I need animation credits for this episode too. Jesus. The Sakugabooru cup shall flow.
 
A

Admiral Woofington

Member
Space Dandy is not consistent, but when it hits those highs, fuck me with a rake does it hit them well. No joke man. Everybody dips their pen in the company ink. And I'm now scavenging the internet for emo dandy. I'm sure somebody will upload him.
 
M

Mokoi

Banned
Alright I'm going to go catch up on the dandy now with those impressions. I stopped watching after that really good episode with the girl looking for her grandfather.
 
A

Admiral Woofington

Member
Mokoi said:
Alright I'm going to go catch up on the dandy now with those impressions. I stopped watching after that really good episode with the girl looking for her grandfather.
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There's one more bad episode, but it's only a half one, and then it's pretty consistent from that point onward imho. About half of season 1 was good, which isn't bad for a show with no real direction.
 
F

firehawk12

Subete no aware
Sword Art Online II 1
The first episode of the second season of Sword Art Online is one that serves to remind us of the encroachment of technological progress into our everyday lives. Very much about the liminal space between man and machine, this is a text that very much evokes Donna Haraway's seminal "A Cyborg Manifesto", choosing not only to express its message of post-humanist hybridity via the text itself, but also through its very existence. Coming from the tradition of science fiction master Roberto Orci, the season premiere of Sword Art Online is both startlingly prescient and wonderfully crafted, serving as a shining example of the best the genre has to offer.

The episode begins with a "CG" effect that takes the audience directly into the world of Gun Gale Online. While the audience is unsettled by the sudden transition into this game world, they are greeted with a familiar image:
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It is the first sign that the world of 2025 has truly become a cyborg utopia, as what might be considered nonsensical in 2014 - watching a video inside a video game - is standard fair. The people who play this games are "Pros", ones who can earn a living by championing the post-humanist future through their cybersport pursuits. And as such, this vanguard of humanity has evolved to the point where they choose to relax in neo-Second Life spaces. Watching a Nico Nico stream inside a video game where your downtime is spent aimlessly in a bar is not an absurdity, but an assured moment of careful world building that masterfully foreshadows the doubling in the episode.

Consider the fact that this stream also has Nico Nico commentators "wwwww'ing" while watching the stream from some presumably outside source. For the Japanese audience acquainted with the streaming comments of the contemporary "Internet", they must surely feel a moment of uncanny. For the American viewer used to hashtagging their brilliant Twitter comments during the live airing of a television show or news event, this is only a glimpse into the future of television. Nevertheless, this remnant of the past being thrust into the pseudo-future isn't "lazy", as one might think, but brilliant aesthetic. Just as the bar is familiar to the audience, this Nico Nico reference also serves to bridge the gap between the present of 2014 and the future of 2025. It only reinforces the liminality of this space and serves to set up the climax of the opening scene.

When Death Gun violently ejects his hatred into the "television" monitor and kills Zexceed, we see an encroachment of the virtual into the real. Just as the design of the virtual space evokes an assured uncertainty, Death Gun's judgement asks the audience to consider the new possibilities of the world where everyone is not only connected to technology, but becomes technology themselves.

When the show takes the audience out of the liminal and back into the familiar, we are greeted with the safe and familiar face of the neo-feminist heroine Asuna. But through her familiarity, we are introduced to another moment of liminality:
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The director has chosen to perfectly juxtapose Asuna's rhetorical question with a shot of a "CG" leaf flying in the wind. Alluding to the other seminal text that explores liminal spaces, 1994's Forrest Gump, the director recreates the floating feather scene by using a computer animated leaf.
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Forrest Gump asks the audience to suspend disbelief and accept Gump's tale, and the feather, as truth. Sword Art Online asks the audience to expose themselves to the artifice of fiction. By contrasting CG with 2D animation, the text itself becomes an example of liminality. This episode is itself a post-humanist project, one that simultaneously defies the expectations of traditional animation and the so-called uncanny valley of CG animation. Whereas shortsighted directors such as Alfonso Cuarón use technology to mask the technological with the real, Sword Art Online exposes the truth of this recombination of art and asks the audience to embrace it.

When the hero of this universe meets our strong female protagonist, the director takes no time at all to remind us of the duality of their relationship:
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This shot is simply amazing! Their clothes both bring them together, but also set them apart. As the first couple to raise a child in a virtual space, the director gives the audience a perfect visual representation of their unique status as the first cyber-parents of a universe based on slippery identities.

The director earns their chops by pushing the metaphor further:
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Not only are the characters representative of the liminal cyborg future, but the setting itself represents both the ur and the contemporary. The grounds of the Tokyo Imperial Palace represent Japan's noble history, but they also represent the vestigial nature of an obsolete past. In this context however, these grounds also represent the future - a space where those who understand the future of hybridity can express themselves outside of the confines of a suffocating Metropolitan Tokyo. In an episode about liminal spaces, the audience is treated to the ultimate space that literally exists in between time and place. Kirito and Asuna describe this place as the intersection of axises, where everything converges, much like the castle Aincrad from the first season of Sword Art Online. As they explain, the "seed" - which births all virtual worlds in this future - was born from the axis of Aincrad. And much like Aincrad, the Imperial Palace is where the seed of post-human cybernetics will be birthed. Kirito tells Asuna and the audience that he will turn his extraordinary skills toward developing technologies that will blend the virtual world and the real world together and make them indistinguishable. Soon our cyber-parents will be real parents, as Yui is made tangible through Kirito's ambitious plan.

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That their fingers are intertwined when the audience learns of Kirito's plans serves to perfectly frame the hybridity that he strives to achieve. Kirito and Asuna have an intimate moment while describing a future where such intimacy will become suspect, all while in a space that is itself strictly liminal. Simply astounding.

Duality is at play when Seijirou asks Kirito for help with the Death Gun case.
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While someone shortsighted might describe this ten minute scene as painfully expository, it is clear that this scene is meant to show the hybridity of human knowledge. Just as both Seijirou and Kirito are experts of all things virtual, the audience is soon made into experts themselves through their careful discussion of Death Gun and the deaths of two Gun Gale Online players. Previously, the audience is in a state of both knowing and "unknowing". The prologue is repeated to the audience yet again, as the characters describe what the audience has surely already inferred. And while nothing is confirmed in this scene, the audience is placed in the same mental state as our hero, who is prepared to bravely place himself in the line of fire to stop more game related deaths. The audience's inferences are now those of the characters as well. The harmonic duality of the Seijirou and Kirito is one that the audience becomes complicit with.

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Indeed, while the audience sees Kirito's reflection on this glass (which itself is a liminal space between the indoors and outdoors!), it is very easy to imagine that the audience sees themselves in that reflection. This is a shot that represents the interiority of Kirito's mind through the exteriority of Kirito's body, but also offers the audience the chance to directly relate with Kirito and the depth of his character. Not only is liminal hybridity expertly on display in this shot, the audience is invited to be an active agent in of this cybernetic future.

Which brings us back to the future that this show posits:
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By invoking the Apple Keynote, we are asked to believe in the cyborg, where humanity ends and machine begins. Just as we are trapped in our "iPhones" now, we will soon be trapped in our "iGlasses" in the near future. This shot is not a cheap shorthand to make the audience believe in a threadbare fictional universe that is devoid of depth. No, it serves as an extended hand asking the audience to grasp it. The future is here. We only have to embrace it.
 
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