chicagocubsfan
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Crazy Rainbow Star + 7 minute episode recaps is what made me drop OP for a while.
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Toonami |Dec14| Watch the reruns, Shinji
- Thread starter Seda
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Doctor Decimate
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On episode 77 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it’s not a hat, it’s part of the head. Ahsoka belongs to a race of people called the Togruta, and these people are apparently so enamored with whatever the hell is growing from their skulls that they construct buildings to resemble these horn/tail/things. A group of them live at a colony on Kiros, a colony without firearms or weapons of any kind in the interest of peace, love, and understanding. The hippies hope to negotiate with Count Dooku, who is huffing and puffing at their doorstep, but Yoda sends help just in case. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka arrive to an eerily silent city, save for some hostile droids that get the business. Obi-Wan is called to talk alone with Darts D’Nar, a Zygerrian slaver with a Wolverine haircut. Darts reveals that he’s planted bombs throughout the city and surrounded them by colonists, so Anakin and Ahsoka race to secretly defuse them. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan keeps Darts distracted by settling matters in the old Zygerrian tradition: beating the shit out of each other, bare-handed.
Early in the episode, another slaver asks Darts via hologram why he chose to stick around, and it’s a valid point. The guy has a grudge to settle because the Jedi pretty much put the Zygerrians out of business (as explained in clunky fashion during the fight with Obi-Wan); it’s a plausible explanation but not good enough to distract from the obvious. Clone Wars arcs have a tendency to wear out their welcome as of late, and this very much feels like a result of that tendency. The episode doesn’t do a great job of disguising the fact that there are no colonists on Kiros, as they’ve already been taken to a slave auction, so this amounts to about 20 minutes of information-gathering. By the end, little has changed beyond the revelation that Dooku intends to help the Zygerrians revitalize the slave trade.
This problem could easily be mitigated by the simple presence of good action, and in that regard the episode is only partially successful. The Obi-Wan/Darts throwdown seems like it’d be the highlight, but it lacks (excuse the pun) punch. There’s something about the way the characters are animated and what sound effects are used that keeps hand-to-hand combat in this show from having the impact it should. On paper, it sounds brutal. Statues are smashed, glass is cracked, necks are choked, stomachs are punched, bodies are thrown. But in execution, it feels rather tame. Maybe it’s due to airing on a children’s network, though I doubt it. Anakin and Ahsoka do at least manage to pick up the slack, more or less. Their trudge through the usual automated mooks feels perfunctory, but they do get a clever scene where they’re pinned down by sniper droids at locations opposite one another and have to deflect the blasts at just the right angle to take out the enemy. The pair’s struggle against a creatively-designed tentacle monster (it attacks Anakin and not Ahsoka, sorry) also livens up Darts’s inevitable escape attempt before it concludes with Anakin’s best Baleman impression as he screams, “WHERE ARE THEY?”
Such a reaction is what you’d expect from the future Darth Vader, due to his status as a former slave. But that reaction comes in short bursts; there’s plenty of shouting of “SLAVER SCUM” and “I’LL TAKE CARE OF HIM”, but for the rest of the episode, Anakin is the superior-to-the-prequels interpretation of an easygoing smartass. While I’m not really one to call for more navel gazing, he comes across as bipolar due to the sudden shifts. You get the feeling that Anakin isn’t really allowed to lose it yet because this is just the setup, which reinforces the episode’s status as nonessential. Sure, there are two decent action scenes and a nice-looking monster, but the whole thing feels like the writers biding time before the good stuff.
Grade: C+
Other Stuff
-Seriously, how big of an asshole do you have to be to erect a building that commemorates the shape of your head?
-Darts escapes using a bomb he’s had attached to the back of one of those Speak & Spell droids. It had no knowledge of this and says, “Sir, how could you?” just before it explodes.
-Darts calls Ahsoka a “young Jedi” when she confronts him alone, as Anakin is dealing with the tentacle monster. Her retort is, “I’m not so young. Anymore.” The show gives such gravity to this response, like it’s one of the most badass one-liners of all time, that it’s absolutely hilarious.
-This is apparently an adaptation of a comic book story arc so my criticism of the pacing may or may not be misplaced, but it definitely feels like a problem the series normally has.
-Obi-Wan looks a little odd this episode. Maybe it's the lighting, but he looks younger for some reason.
That is the thing, love it or hate it, Eva has earned its place in the pantheon of anime.
Yep. Even I am not a huge fan of the series but it is required reading if you ever decide to watch more anime simply because it's referenced in anime today both directly and indirectly.
UltraGunner
Banned
Happy BirthdayIt's my birthday today! Hooray! Turning 20 today!
Also Eva is pretty much required viewing for any anime fan
BassForever
Member
Its a love it or hate it kind of anime, for sure its worth watching. I would be rewatching both tonight if I was feeling better
BassForever
Member
They're fixing the dub so who knows when it'll be ready
Let's keep it that way. It doesn't exist.
Exactly. I hate EVA because I don't think it deserves the phenomenon that it became. But it is what it is, so that's reality. Having said that, I sincerely hope these movies are worth my time especially since 2.22 sort of goes in a different direction from what I'm told.
I hope that 4th girl is a likable character, because as far as I'm concerned, I can't stand nearly all the characters.
I feel like the characters are slightly better in the movies. (Maybe. My memory of the movies is pretty spotty.)
Is it that bad?
I wouldn't say it's outright bad, but it's the pure definition of itsfuckingnothing.gif. Literally nothing happens to move the plot along. I'd say don't watch it until 4.0 is out. I regret watching it the minute it came out.
UltraGunner
Banned
I probably wont make it tonight. Plans suddenly sprung up on me.
Schadenfreude
Member
Pretty coincidental we never see Shinji and you at the same time in the same place. Hrm.
Just finished watching DBZ: Battle of Gods.
Really fun movie. I know people weren't too happy with the lack of action, but all the character scenes really made this feel like an original Toriyama story (which it was, and I'm glad, fuck GT).
Beerus is a great villain. He's just so casual in everything he does, all the destruction he leaves, and it's just Tuesday to him.
Now I'm excited to see the upcoming Freeza movie. Hopefully there isn't a long gap between Japan and the West like there was with Battle of Gods.
It's not out yet, but it will the last movie.
Really fun movie. I know people weren't too happy with the lack of action, but all the character scenes really made this feel like an original Toriyama story (which it was, and I'm glad, fuck GT).
Beerus is a great villain. He's just so casual in everything he does, all the destruction he leaves, and it's just Tuesday to him.
Now I'm excited to see the upcoming Freeza movie. Hopefully there isn't a long gap between Japan and the West like there was with Battle of Gods.
There's a 4.0?
It's not out yet, but it will the last movie.
ASSauLTxMasTER
Member
I might keep EVA on to see if there are any goodies (Intruder 2 Tease?)
But, I'm either finishing Akame Ga Kill or headin' back to the epic arcs of
But, I'm either finishing Akame Ga Kill or headin' back to the epic arcs of
haters gtfo
Too well animated to be anything in One Piece.
Hey now, you must not run away.
BlackGhost
Banned
whats the "special presentation" tonight, thats listed on the website schedule ?
The Tokus are fun, I just wish they'd use better animation in regards to their cartoons.
The Eva films, from what I'm seeing.
Oh god, I forgot 2.22 ends at 5 AM. Sure hope I can last that long, especially since I doze off twice last week, once near the end of Broly, and then again not too long into Akira which made me give up & go to bed.
BlackGhost
Banned
Ooooo cool, so they're starting with 1.11?
Thanks
1.11 at Midnight, then 2.22 at 2:30. This is a repeat week since both movies aired a while back, considering it's still the holiday weekend.
dat clean cut transition
if OP animation looked like that then I would actually enjoy it
oh yea..I says it
At least we got the face before the year was over. It is a damn shame Toei has passed firmly into not giving a fuck territory.
Kind of makes me want a One Piece Brotherhood with animators who want to try still.
Internet access has been pretty limited for me the past few days. Merry Belated Christmas to all and Happy New Year in advance if I'm nowhere near a computer that night/day
Also Happy Belated Hanukkah if anybody here celebrates that!
Also, yes EVA is pretty much an anime classic. If you haven't seen it before in any medium, you should probably watch the movies.
Also Happy Belated Hanukkah if anybody here celebrates that!
Also, yes EVA is pretty much an anime classic. If you haven't seen it before in any medium, you should probably watch the movies.
I might have the TV running in the background tonight. Still too sick I think to stay up and watch both.
Doesn't change the fact that it has shit source material.
Tycho is good chill music.
I might keep EVA on to see if there are any goodies (Intruder 2 Tease?)
But, I'm either finishing Akame Ga Kill or headin' back to the epic arcs of
haters gtfo
Doesn't change the fact that it has shit source material.
Tycho is good chill music.
Imperial Bishop
Banned
Maybe if I'm drunk enough, I'll watch Eva wih you guys.
Not likely.
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