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[BassForever]

Aquarion Evol coming to toonami!!!!

I got scared that for a moment you were being serious >:[

 

[SAB CA]

Rape is such a heavy topic that when it pops up, it derails the proceedings. Everything becomes about how rape is in the story. The only way to offset this is to treat it properly, to focus on it as this heinous crime. Otherwise you just look like a hack.

There is no defense for this episode.

Thus is the annoying Nature of entertainment. In order to be constantly "Edgy", the edge has to be pushed closer and close to the immoral and irresponsible. Though the way creators treat it can offset the effects, the fact that some of these things even EXIST in shows should be the focal point, to me.

But if a sin is a sin, why should the exaggeration of rape in SAO be more shunned than the violent mutilation of Oberon at the hands of Kirito? Both situations played with the outer trappings of completely horrific actions, and both were done to get some form of a rise out of audiences who enjoy seeing something that would be reprehensible IRL.

Society really does condition us oddly. We can play games where the heroes commit violence against fairly realistic character models repeat horrors that only war vets had to see in the past. We can play these for HOURS, and never bat an eye at the fact that the developers and artist took absolute joy in rendering exploding heads, undead creatures, mutilation, torture, agony, etc...

...yet 5 min of watching an ultimate bad guy forcing himself on the heroes woman makes a mini outrage.

I often think of how I'd feel to spend hours rendering out certain scenes of violence or sexuality in art, if I were to draw some of the things I've seen in Manga or Anime, or even in movies. It's one of the things that I appreciated in "Perfect Blue", the scene where she was filming the rape moment, only to have them take a break, and the actor who was suppose to be assaulting her starts asking if she's ok, plain as day. I always wondered how people could have such a clear on/off switch for such things, and if it's healthy to be able to detach oneself from their work... while the very fact you've brought it to life admits that THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'VE THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT. AND WANT TO SHARE WITH OTHERS. It's just... very awkward.

How different entertainment as a whole would be, if creators stopped within their own boundaries. I really wonder what effect that'd have on the world...

 

[Dr.Palutena]

Rape is a serious topic, as is attempted rape and sexual assault. It's unfortunate that a lot of fiction has molestation or characters just generally trying to force themselves onto others as a shortcut to get the audience to hate them, but it's something I've generally come to accept. Hell, InuYasha's even done it. The thing that makes these moments tolerable is that they're usually brief.

In Sword Art Online, it isn't brief. It goes on for a long fucking time as the villain chains Asuna up, rips off her clothes, licks her face, starts touching her, and goes on about what he's going to do to her. If you're going to put rape or attempted rape in a story, you give the topic the serious consideration it deserves. It doesn't matter if this is in character, you don't bring up this subject as just another reason to hate the villain, especially in your little "Trapped In a Video Game!" show that's meant purely for entertainment. It's trashy and in poor taste, to put it lightly. This is not a serious portrayal of rape, this is throwaway hero motivation, and it goddamn shouldn't be. Rape is such a heavy topic that when it pops up, it derails the proceedings. Everything becomes about how rape is in the story. The only way to offset this is to treat it properly, to focus on it as this heinous crime.Otherwise you just look like a hack.

There is no defense for this episode.

There is a video by Jim Sterling about 'Rape Vs Murder in video games' that more or less sums up the point of whats wrong with it in other media too and in the end it just reeks of being culturally irresponsible, but thats just me. That it serves as a final showing of everything thats been wrong with the portrayal of women in the show . The camera pan outs of boobs and ass even during dramatic scenes isn't actually so bad compared to Asuna going from the third most powerful character in SAO to...a "bird stuck in a cage" , a prize/object and a sexual assault victim complete with clothes being torn off and body . violated.

As for rankings from last night,...I skipped a ton of shows, from what I watched it would prob be

1. FMA :B - always loved this finale, I don't really care if it throws no curveballs and fulfills everything that most wanted to happen in story, because they honest worked for it and struggled immensely and deserve a happy note to where the story leaves off .

2. Samurai Jack - I always loved this series when I was a kid but can appreciate it a million times more now that I'm an "adult"

3. One Piece - Still just a drama/world building episode mostly and I'm still waiting to get to the meat of what I like about this arc, but yea nice episode

4. Naruto - The beginning of where Naruto really starts to develop and become a good even if flawed (FLASHBACK FLASHBACK FLASHBACK IN FLASHBACK) show.

5. Shippuden - mostly a boring episode, that ramen did look mad tasty though and I really want to try authentic ramen some day...yea i've got nothing else

87. SAO -See above posts about it, laughed for about 5-10 minutes this episode but *not* for good reasons.

Anything else I didn't get a chance to watch this week or refused to.

EDIT: jim sterlings video on rape vs murder also gives a good perspective of what your talking about SAB CA. EVERYONE dies, no one would legitimately defend murder , there are no "victims of murder" still around to be uncomfortable and traumatized by seeing it. However people do in fact defend rape and molestation, to this day, blame victims, etc, you just have to take a look at the news and recent going ons with certain celebs to see this. There are victims of rape who exist after the act who can be traumatized again, dismissed, and discomforted from seeing a scene of the act of rape or molestation, particularly a extensive and long scene.

 

[slightconfuse]

You guys are nuts

Aquarion Evol is the best love story with giant robots since G Gundam

 

[BassForever]

Time to do catch up on Naruto filler arc, I think I need to watch 4 episodes today to be caught up and on pace? Ugh what a terrible thought

 

[Doctor Decimate]

Thus is the annoying Nature of entertainment. In order to be constantly "Edgy", the edge has to be pushed closer and close to the immoral and irresponsible. Though the way creators treat it can offset the effects, the fact that some of these things even EXIST in shows should be the focal point, to me.

But if a sin is a sin, why should the exaggeration of rape in SAO be more shunned than the violent mutilation of Oberon at the hands of Kirito? Both situations played with the outer trappings of completely horrific actions, and both were done to get some form of a rise out of audiences who enjoy seeing something that would be reprehensible IRL.

Society really does condition us oddly. We can play games where the heroes commit violence against fairly realistic character models repeat horrors that only war vets had to see in the past. We can play these for HOURS, and never bat an eye at the fact that the developers and artist took absolute joy in rendering exploding heads, undead creatures, mutilation, torture, agony, etc...

...yet 5 min of watching an ultimate bad guy forcing himself on the heroes woman makes a mini outrage.

I often think of how I'd feel to spend hours rendering out certain scenes of violence or sexuality in art, if I were to draw some of the things I've seen in Manga or Anime, or even in movies. It's one of the things that I appreciated in "Perfect Blue", the scene where she was filming the rape moment, only to have them take a break, and the actor who was suppose to be assaulting her starts asking if she's ok, plain as day. I always wondered how people could have such a clear on/off switch for such things, and if it's healthy to be able to detach oneself from their work... while the very fact you've brought it to life admits that THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'VE THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT. AND WANT TO SHARE WITH OTHERS. It's just... very awkward.

How different entertainment as a whole would be, if creators stopped within their own boundaries. I really wonder what effect that'd have on the world...

there's a certain detachment that comes with the kind of violence you're referring to; it's impersonal. we can distance ourselves from it, and i'm sure desensitization has played a bit of a role in this. graphic torture still gets people up in arms because it doesn't come with that detachment, which is probably the more comparable situation here.

 

[Dr.Palutena]

You guys are nuts

Aquarion Evol is the best love story with giant robots since G Gundam

I don't know what Aquarion Evol is but you can't call on the G Gundam's name in vain like that.

 

[kayos90]

You guys are nuts

Aquarion Evol is the best love story with giant robots since G Gundam

Oh hell no it's not. It's a disgusting piece of shit and drivel that makes fucking SAO look like a masterpiece. I call bullshit good sir!

 

[Unspeakable Evil]

I can't put my finger on it but something about the sand ninjas shooting those giant arrows at Deidara looked very off.

 

[kayos90]

I can't put my finger on it but something about the sand ninjas shooting those giant arrows at Deidara looked very off.

Yeah. I found it extremely stupid that there are tons of jounins in the sand village and not a single fucking one of them tried to fly up there to help gaara. It's fucking bullshit.

 

[BassForever]

I like how among Toonami gaffers for both first time viewers and season vets Shippuden consistently rates at the bottom of the shows each week

 

[Doctor Decimate]

I like how among Toonami gaffers for both first time viewers and season vets Shippuden consistently rates at the bottom of the shows each week

seriously, does this show at least pick up the damn pace later?

 

[Dr.Palutena]

I like how among Toonami gaffers for both first time viewers and season vets Shippuden consistently rates at the bottom of the shows each week

I like a lot of the first arcs of Naruto part 2 before it goes to complete shit, but its all ruined by an Anime that has a pace slower that even Bleach it seems at this point. Gawd . I only wanna watch cause I liked those first few arcs, but the pace really makes it likely that I will just skip that whole hr soon.

 

[kayos90]

In my eyes Shippuden only had a few good fights. Gaara vs Deidara was NOT one of them rofl.

 

[BassForever]

Mangod made a gif of the only thing giffable from this episode, other then that I feel like this episode is missing a scene of Naruto learning about the prison/Orochimaru and why he bothered going there at all.

Edit: Shippuden fights are only really good when they're cut/paste into fight videos with all the filler and other BS cut out

(the original post is the edit, but as nobody posted and I didn't want to DP I just edited my new post around my old one)

 

[Unspeakable Evil]

Edit: Shippuden fights are only really good when they're cut/paste into fight videos with all the filler and other BS cut out

But the question is what Linkin Park song works best?

 

[Dr.Palutena]

But the question is what Linkin Park song works best?

it's not always Linkin Park, sometimes it's 'Wake me up inside '

 

[Levyne]

I hate when I am just trying to find a clip and have to navigate that garbage. It doesn't seem as bad now as it was maybe 5 years ago though.

 

[Dominican Power]

http://shoryuken.com/2014/02/09/swo...e-character-in-dengeki-bunko-fighting-climax/

 

[SAB CA]

EDIT: jim sterlings video on rape vs murder also gives a good perspective of what your talking about SAB CA. EVERYONE dies, no one would legitimately defend murder , there are no "victims of murder" still around to be uncomfortable and traumatized by seeing it. However people do in fact defend rape and molestation, to this day, blame victims, etc, you just have to take a look at the news and recent going ons with certain celebs to see this. There are victims of rape who exist after the act who can be traumatized again, dismissed, and discomforted from seeing a scene of the act of rape or molestation, particularly a extensive and long scene.

So it's basically saying "Be responsible, because people who lived through things shouldn't have to relive them! Be socially aware!"... Kind of odd to think about, when the people who make these things in the first place are probably outcast from society. Good basic morality and social skills should keep a person from sinking to too low a depth, but would these thoughts come to mind, and be portrayed, if the person felt well-treated in the world in the first place? Hm.

I can't say I judge these things on equal grounds either, but in watching characters act out such things in a show / game, they all feel just as bad. I like the people who can treat issues with some respect more, but I personally always will look at the creators out of the side of my eye, and wonder how the staff could feel cool saying "This is what I spent hours / weeks working on!" Even if one presents something in a negative light, there's an element of glorifying something by spending time rendering it...

...I'll stop before I ramble in circles, heh.

there's a certain detachment that comes with the kind of violence you're referring to; it's impersonal. we can distance ourselves from it, and i'm sure desensitization has played a bit of a role in this. graphic torture still gets people up in arms because it doesn't come with that detachment, which is probably the more comparable situation here.

It just always seems like a cop-out to me. Like one is trying to justify why their dark side enjoys watching something twisted.

I guess I view these things on something of an equal level, which is why they're kind of equally reprehensible; even if death in Samurai Shodown was cartoony like a Toshiro Mifune film (forget the particular one), I still felt just as bad for listening to Charlotte and Nakaruru die, as I do for watching a character die in MGS or something. Seeing the titillation in Highschool OTD seems just as ridiculous and out of place / offensive as what was here in SAO, they both make me more "eh" to their overall works than if the stories just delivered the action and character development I personally desire.

Blargh, I'm just annoyed that works continually try to out-sleaze each other. It's such a driving force of not only bottom-tier drivel, but also of high-class, top-praise works. I hate how works have made their dirty elements the money-maker focus of their series, rather than just letting them be the occasional kinda-fun fanservicey elements. It's a balance I'm never quite happy with.

(Weekly pondering of Morality fueled by SAO * COMPLETE! *)

 

[Levyne]

Asuna and Leafa were announced for that game before Kirito? I'm not familiar with the game but that seems weird.

 

[Seda]

 

[kayos90]

Asuna and Leafa were announced for that game before Kirito? I'm not familiar with the game but that seems weird.

Reel in all the male otakus first with female leads. Then all the female otakus with all the bishounen

 

[SAB CA]

Asuna and Leafa were announced for that game before Kirito? I'm not familiar with the game but that seems weird.

Asuna playable... was Leafa announced before? Maybe I didn't know who she was when she was announced, lol.

It's not too weird in a game that most assume is an "All girl fighting game... with Shizuo because he's badass!".

Since French Bread is small and animating, I also assume they revealed easier-to-render characters first, and then are tackling characters with more dramatic animation / attacks / effects later on. I'm still surprised they're working on this alongside their updates to UNiB, ha. I really like their spriting style...

This one, it wins.

 

[Levyne]

Ah. Didn't realize anything about it having a label of "all girl fighting game"

 

[Dr.Palutena]

Personally I believe in moral hierarchies and other dynamics of morality based on who has power, position, privilege , and the responsibility that comes with those things etc, but yea, this is getting a bit too heavy for this sorta thread.

 

[kayos90]

Ah. Didn't realize anything about it having a label of "all girl fighting game"

LOL. Seriously though, the game is pandering already to the fans of the publication. Might as well put female leads lol.

 

[Doctor Decimate]

i honestly didn't know they had enough characters to justify a fighting game.

but then i also know jack shit.

 

[BassForever]

Even Naruto thinks Mizuki looks completely different

 

[foxuzamaki]

It does NOT need to stop just because someone disagrees with you. Personally, I love of lot of what I call the 'structure' of the show. How and when plot points are presented, and how the narrative builds from beginning to end. Nothing is introduced too randomly, and the plot twists and turns are generally paced well. Almost every scene feels important and adds something to the show, it's efficient that way. It's probably my favorite anime (and I've always preferred it to 03 even though I generally liked 2003 /outside/ of the ending). But when the plot gets to the last ten episodes or so, to me, it feels like the narrative starts going through a checklist. Each character gets their moment, the Homunculus start to fall one-by-one, have Mustang get revenge on Envy, have Scar accept his brother's method (and arm), Ling gets 'immortality', Hohenheim gets to be with Trisha in death, finally have Ed/Al get their bodies back. It's just a tad too pro forma, to the extent it feels rigid and a little unbelievable. I wouldn't say any of the individual 'bows' that tie up these things are bad resolutions or anything like that, it's more how things are all wrapped up so....successively.

Let me stress one thing. I don't think the ending in place is poor or unfitting. It just feels too exacting to me.

This is exactly how I feel, theres absolutely nothing wrong with that, we need stories that tries to have happy endings for once, but you can see the author made sure everything went exactly as planned for it without throwing a wench in it to give real doubt.

 

[SAB CA]

Ah. Didn't realize anything about it having a label of "all girl fighting game"

Just as much as Aquapazza is an "All girl fighter", even though it has 3 playable males in it, now. Put a few schoolgirls in your fighting game, and your international perception shifts pretty quickly.

Personally I believe in moral hierarchies and other dynamics of morality based on who has power, position, privilege , and the responsibility that comes with those things etc, but yea, this is getting a bit too heavy for this sorta thread.

Well, yeah, IRL, I agree. For shows / creative works, Once that line has crossed, it's all kinda equally annoying.

i honestly didn't know they had enough characters to justify a fighting game.

but then i also know jack shit.

Dengeki Bunko apparently has mountains of series they could toss into a game like this. It's much less about "Does this character have fighting skill?!" and more about "Does this series have popularity? WE CAN FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT FIT!"

I love how this gives characters that have no business in a fighting game, a chance to be crazy awesome... in a fighting game.

 

[slightconfuse]

Oh hell no it's not. It's a disgusting piece of shit and drivel that makes fucking SAO look like a masterpiece. I call bullshit good sir!

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Need a version where Jaken comes back and yells at Naraku before LORD SESSHOMARU tells him to back off again.

 

[foxuzamaki]

FYI Gucchi Al was 14-15 during the story and 17 at the end, May was 11-12 though the story and 14 at the end. There is also the assumption that the final shot of Ed/Winry with kids probably takes 5+ years after the story's completion where Al would be 22 and she would be 19



Why are things so heavy in the future is there something wrong with the moons gravitational pull?

Also it was a different time when it comes to that stuff.

 

[BassForever]

Real talk, Naruto filler arc so far has been waaaaaaaaaaaaay better then canon Shippuden

 

[foxuzamaki]

That was funnier than I expected.

That video needs more views.

That song is a guilty pleasure, also feel like watching summer wars again.

 

[Conan-san]

Perfect.

& holy crap, I LOVE the coincidence of Kirito being confirmed playable for Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax after last night's episode. I can use Team Durarara to take down Team SAO in Green Hill Zone.

And conversely I can use Krito to end that dumb sack of Oranges that is "Oreimo"s sod of a 'protagonist'.

Or throw things at her with the Durara dood, that's also fun.

See? Everyone's happy.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Wait, Durarara in a fighting game? What?

 

[foxuzamaki]

As much as I <3333333 Steins Gate I don't think it's actiony enough for the general AS audience, I imagine most people would get bored and quit before we got to the point where it really picks up. I imagine if AoT dub is ready to go from Funi (which they confirmed last year and have been silent on since) I could see that sliding into that slot and being hugely successful.

your point on Steins;Gate hurts me cause I personally think the best parts of SG is when everyone is just fucking around, talking and just being friends and such, I will be the first to admit that the dialogue helps the first 10 episodes alot but its what makes the series as a whole so great is they dont try to rush giving everyone some screentime.

 

[mightynine]

I like how among Toonami gaffers for both first time viewers and season vets Shippuden consistently rates at the bottom of the shows each week

I can't wait for the pace to pick up because, no lie, Bleach/Shippuden damn near put me to sleep last night. That usually makes it very difficult for me to stay focused during Soul Eater and One Piece.

 

[BassForever]

 

[BassForever]

your point on Steins;Gate hurts me cause I personally think the best parts of SG is when everyone is just fucking around, talking and just being friends and such, I will be the first to admit that the dialogue helps the first 10 episodes alot but its what makes the series as a whole so great is they dont try to rush giving everyone some screentime.

For me the first few episodes were like "huh... wut's going on" as it established the characters, then once times hopping shenanigans really took over it got better and better. While I do love the series I think the average AS/Toonami audience member would be turned off before it got to that point.

 

[BatDan]

I heard in the One Piece Romance Dawn thread in Gaming that there's going to be a finite number of copies, as in each box is actually numbered.
Yeah, I'm not putting off buying it, I pre-ordered it immediately after I heard that. Even if it sucks, it's a collector's item.

 

[Branduil]

Aquarion Evol coming to toonami!!!!

 

[Crocodile]

Proper debate and criticism requires one to abstain from major and frequent logical fallacies including but not limited to ad homineum. I know it can be sometimes hard to do when something is making you see red but it is something we all must make an effort to avoid.I make a very concerted effort to do so but I wouldn't be surprised if I have/will slip up from time to time. That being said I want to be clear on the tone/content of the posts that are being criticized. I know a recent post Jintor (as an example, I don't mean to throw you under a bus dude ) made crosses the line (and maybe prompted a PM or two), but I don't think a statement akin to

"I don't understand/it concerns me what people see in this show, I find its bad qualities to strongly out-way its redeeming qualities and I'm puzzled as to how others overlook its bad qualities to be able to non-ironically enjoy it"

is particularity controversial. I doubt it was posts like that which may have prompted action though.

I'm sure Toonami has the rights to this for a while. If they ARE replacing something Funi-related they should totally get Steins;Gate =D

S;G is paying off big time right now but I don't know if I could have made it through the beginning without watching it with other people. Me and most other people were left in a daze of "I don't understand what is going on" for most of the beginning episodes of S;G. It would probably be rating suicide.

 

[BassForever]

I heard in the One Piece Romance Dawn thread in Gaming that there's going to be a finite number of copies, as in each box is actually numbered.
Yeah, I'm not putting off buying it, I pre-ordered it immediately after I heard that. Even if it sucks, it's a collector's item.

Crap when does it come out again?

 

[BatDan]

Crap when does it come out again?

This Tuesday.

 

[Conan-san]

Yeah, I never made it far in ether Aquarion show. The first one refused to get anywhere (and the bad guys seemed to hover up human victims for thier bizzare tree nonsese at what one would call an "Apocalyptic" rate and everyone seemed to be far too fucking chipper for that and the second one just refused to even try to make sense.

 

[BassForever]

I need scene context is that actually rape?

This Tuesday.

Shiiiiiiiit Sorry Bravely Default you will have to be pushed back another week because I gotta get Romance Dawn first

Unless it's getting a digital release, is it getting a digital release?

 

[slightconfuse]

Yeah, I never made it far in ether Aquarion show. The first one refused to get anywhere (and the bad guys seemed to hover up human victims for thier bizzare tree nonsese at what one would call an "Apocalyptic" rate and everyone seemed to be far too fucking chipper for that and the second one just refused to even try to make sense.

Second show doesn't make much sense if you haven't seen the first .