-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Toonami |Mar15| the smartest anime is back!
- Thread starter Seda
- Start date
- Status
But the next episode.... T_T
SigmasonicX
Member
With the Seven Deadly Sins anime wrapped up, it would really be a perfect fit for Toonami. I would add "if not for the fanservice", but that rule has obviously been loosened. Fun action, likeable characters, a very fast pace. And even though it ended before the manga, it stopped at a good point with most major plot threads wrapped up.
Reviews!:
Dragon Ball Z: Kai - Goku pleads with Krillin to let Vegeta go? What the hell?! I was expecting him to give the cliche, “killing him will only make us like them” speech but instead Goku simply wants a rematch because he now likes to fight? Not only is this out of character for Goku but the Earth is seriously in danger again! Just dumb. I actually liked the rest of the episode with all the reunions. Krillin and Bulma were actually contributing with good ideas. Rating: Hilarious Insert Song
Kill la Kill - The plots is moving forward and we get backstories for both Ryuko and Gamagori. We learn about Gamagori’s three star goku uniform, the Shackle Regalia, which is based on BDSM style discipline and can perform a two-stage transformation. There are also more lovely moments with Mako just being a-dorable. The boss rush begins next week. Rating: He climaxed
Sword Art Online II - So many hilarious things were brought up in the chat and I was throughly enjoying it. I mean, “Death Gun?! Pro Gamerz!?” Lol. I especially loved how people still play these games, even ones made by seclusive companies that hide in the shadows. That sure sounds safe! Even Kirito, who first-hand watched his friends die in virtual MMOs, doesn’t believe people are dying in MMOs again. WTF!? Screenwriting 101 dictates he should be the person warning everyone! But nope, in this world everyone is an idiot. The icing on the cake was the terrible end speech about time and space or some shit where it’s clear the writer thought they were being deep but it was complete nonsense. I can’t wait to watch more! Rating: Seriously, his name is Death Gun
InuYasha: The Final Act - It was an alright episode. I liked the whole “Kagome” part where she learned her name meant something special and the tie to the real-world song. I wonder if Takahashi knew about that all along and is only now revealing it or if she made it up here at the end? I’d like to think it’s the former. Ultimately, her bow gets an upgrade and Naraku is made to look even weaker. At this rate, he’s hardly a worthy villain anymore based on all these failures. Rating: Too much child death.
Naruto: Shippuden - This wasn’t half bad but it wast great either. I liked the “fight” between the hot chick and Naruto because Naruto actually did something clever for once and was legitimately funny (if a bit cheesy). The other battles felt weak, though. Sai’s Super Beast Scroll jutsu is a joke. It failed to do anything all THREE TIMES it was used in this episode. Basically he casts it and then it is immediately turned back into ink. Also, his “learning emotions from books” thing is too played out. Still, the animation was passible and at least there was some actual action this time. Rating: Kissu Jutsu
One Piece - Great episode! I liked how the Buster Call was a moronic accident by Spandam. They really are making Spandam a truly evil asshole. I can’t wait to see his comeuppance one day (probably years judging by this pacing). I especially liked how we got to catch up with everyone if only for a moment. There is a lot happening. The fight between Luffy and Lucci is underway and I expect to see great things. Rating: Legit shook!
Dragon Ball Z: Kai - Goku pleads with Krillin to let Vegeta go? What the hell?! I was expecting him to give the cliche, “killing him will only make us like them” speech but instead Goku simply wants a rematch because he now likes to fight? Not only is this out of character for Goku but the Earth is seriously in danger again! Just dumb. I actually liked the rest of the episode with all the reunions. Krillin and Bulma were actually contributing with good ideas. Rating: Hilarious Insert Song
Kill la Kill - The plots is moving forward and we get backstories for both Ryuko and Gamagori. We learn about Gamagori’s three star goku uniform, the Shackle Regalia, which is based on BDSM style discipline and can perform a two-stage transformation. There are also more lovely moments with Mako just being a-dorable. The boss rush begins next week. Rating: He climaxed
Sword Art Online II - So many hilarious things were brought up in the chat and I was throughly enjoying it. I mean, “Death Gun?! Pro Gamerz!?” Lol. I especially loved how people still play these games, even ones made by seclusive companies that hide in the shadows. That sure sounds safe! Even Kirito, who first-hand watched his friends die in virtual MMOs, doesn’t believe people are dying in MMOs again. WTF!? Screenwriting 101 dictates he should be the person warning everyone! But nope, in this world everyone is an idiot. The icing on the cake was the terrible end speech about time and space or some shit where it’s clear the writer thought they were being deep but it was complete nonsense. I can’t wait to watch more! Rating: Seriously, his name is Death Gun
InuYasha: The Final Act - It was an alright episode. I liked the whole “Kagome” part where she learned her name meant something special and the tie to the real-world song. I wonder if Takahashi knew about that all along and is only now revealing it or if she made it up here at the end? I’d like to think it’s the former. Ultimately, her bow gets an upgrade and Naraku is made to look even weaker. At this rate, he’s hardly a worthy villain anymore based on all these failures. Rating: Too much child death.
Naruto: Shippuden - This wasn’t half bad but it wast great either. I liked the “fight” between the hot chick and Naruto because Naruto actually did something clever for once and was legitimately funny (if a bit cheesy). The other battles felt weak, though. Sai’s Super Beast Scroll jutsu is a joke. It failed to do anything all THREE TIMES it was used in this episode. Basically he casts it and then it is immediately turned back into ink. Also, his “learning emotions from books” thing is too played out. Still, the animation was passible and at least there was some actual action this time. Rating: Kissu Jutsu
One Piece - Great episode! I liked how the Buster Call was a moronic accident by Spandam. They really are making Spandam a truly evil asshole. I can’t wait to see his comeuppance one day (probably years judging by this pacing). I especially liked how we got to catch up with everyone if only for a moment. There is a lot happening. The fight between Luffy and Lucci is underway and I expect to see great things. Rating: Legit shook!
Like, he didn't even shoot the person's character. He shot the image of the character on a virtual TV.
... and there was like a 15 second delay before anything happened as a result of it.
Gucci Messiah
Banned
false
Yeah, no.
Imperial Bishop
Banned
Kittytoe swag 3 real 5 me.
Gucci Messiah
Banned
glad we agree
foxuzamaki
Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
So with my new permit, my mom decided to take me out for proper practice on the road, its alot easier when your not dealing with trying to pull out from your apartment complex and there isnt a hundred cars speeding both ways. But as I thought, it takes alot of multitasking focus which im not the greatest at, I always tried to make sure my speed was at a certain limit, but then I end up going on the, white lines, but that only really happened when I was driving back home from work, maybe cause I allowed myself to get relaxed once I realize how i isnt as bad as I thought.
Oh man. don't ever drive when you've even had a sliver of alcohol.
There was literally nothing redeemable about that episode. So little happened that a competent team could have covered all of that in about half the time. So far there's no reason for him to actually get involved, there's no conflict, the characterization is utter crap, the dialogue is utter shit and the pacing is worse than early shippuden/late bleach.
It's a practice thing, you need to get used to dealing with all that at once. After you get used to it most of that becomes second nature. Keep your eyes focused on a point in the distance in the direction you want to go and try and let your periphery vision take care of the speed-o. If you do that you'll always go straight, just take quick glances in the mirrors there's no need to linger. Just long enough to see what's around you and what they're up to.
foxuzamaki
Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
I dont drink much so you dont have to worry about that, it was also raining while I was driving and I pulled it off pretty well, so im probably better than most beginners.
Gucci Messiah
Banned
dude, it's one episode out of 26. jesus.
cannot stress this enough. over the summer i was an idiot and totaled my last car because i wanted to drive home after drinking at a neighborhood bar instead of just walking. the financial loss and guilt you will feel are not worth it.
BassForever
Member
Wait did it filler end? They haven't even revealed all 7 deadly sins yet in the manga iirc
Doctor Decimate
Member
And so it begins again.
Sword Art Online II
So, you all know that Kotaku article floating around somewhere in the Internet that called Sword Art Online the smartest anime in years. A great deal of that article consists of some absurd over-analysis that tries to prove that the show is making some grand statement about the nature of humanity, presenting deep themes and profound ideas. I've routinely laughed at this idea (as well as other articles from that author on other ideas). SAO is many things, but I never found the first series to actually make any attempts at depth. It clearly thought it smarter than it was at times, sure, but it never really tried to grapple with the stuff that a show like Ghost in the Shell does. As a dumb, action(ish) series, that would've been completely pretentious. So I guess one of the positive statements you could make about the first season of Sword Art Online is that it wasn't pretentious.
This first episode of Sword Art Online II is pretentious. Asuna and Kirito's first encounter here is entirely dedicated to that pretty common idea of blurring the line between the real world and the virtual world, but it's done very poorly. Take Asuna standing in the middle of the street, muttering to herself, "I wonder what the difference is between the real world...and the virtual?" This has the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face, because it boils down to outright stating the theme being presented. But it also doubles as poor dialogue because of how unnatural it feels to watch this girl talk about this out of the blue, which only gets worse when Kirito appears to answer the question. It's so written that it hurts. And really, it's the writing that lets down this virtual world/real world thing, because the show takes so long to present the simple idea that we could theoretically simulate the real world and no one would know the difference. That's all that needs to be said. Kirito doesn't need to give a dull, lengthy example with the area that they're in. We get it. And the longer the show chooses to linger on this idea, the bigger the question of "So what?" becomes. This is all very surface-level stuff, so where do you go with it? What are the implications? What about the actual distinguishing factor, that one is manually created and the other is not? The show doesn't engage with any of this, though it does comically fumble an attempt at greater depth with a truly nonsensical speech about how where they are is the center of their reality because time and space and all that. Basically, it all feels pointless, especially when it's the way we're re-introduced to the main characters of the series. We have no investment in watching some kids talk basic sci-fi philosophy in the park.
Worse, it comes to affect our idea of Kirito and Asuna as characters and as characters in a relationship. They don't feel like real people, they just feel like mouthpieces, and that's a pretty huge problem when it comes to easing the audience back into the series. All the actual attempts at real characterization fall flat, as Kirito's just goes back to the philosophical stuff and Asuna's sole function in life is apparently devotion to her boyfriend and "child." You can see this disconnect in their obsession with their past in Sword Art Online, too. I was willing to let it go after the first few mentions because even if those mentions are clunky, some callbacks are to be expected. But these kids don't talk about anything else. They remark that they're wearing the same clothes, their whole date apparently relates back to it, their discussions on that date are only about VR games. This was obviously a huge event in their lives, but it feels completely unnatural for literally everything to tie back to it. They don't remotely feel like real people in a real relationship.
The actual plot of the episode is a little better. I won't harp too much on how silly of a name "Death Gun" is because I think that's probably just the language barrier, but it is a decent setup for a mystery. Kirito's conversation with the government guy offers far and away the most interesting material in the show, as the concept is somewhat unexpected without a readily available explanation, like any good mystery. It probably does elevate the episode quite a bit even if it comes with its own set of issues. On a simple plot level (apart from a few other nit-pics I won't mention), the idea that the government cannot contact this company is a load of nonsense. These people pay out real money to people based on their in-game credits. There is no universe in which this is possible without being public in some capacity, especially in America. But since it's the opening episode and this is just the setup, I'm a little more tolerant in regards to this kind of nonsense. However, I can't overlook some of the hilariously melodramatic choices made throughout the episode. The murdered player ranting about video game-speak as the camera swoops and circles around him is a particular highlight, only made even funnier when Death Gun comes over ranting himself as he shoots at a computer screen while the guy onscreen has the most dramatic choking face. The visualization of a bullet coming through the Internet is also rather silly, and so are the multiple quick cuts when the government guy is talking. These decisions feel so over-the-top that I almost wonder if they're intentional, but if they are I don't think the show is going far enough with it.
Also, Kirito saying "someone doesn't want me to forget" while we look at the scene where Kayaba forgot why he wanted to rule over his own world is pretty funny.
Sword Art Online II
So, you all know that Kotaku article floating around somewhere in the Internet that called Sword Art Online the smartest anime in years. A great deal of that article consists of some absurd over-analysis that tries to prove that the show is making some grand statement about the nature of humanity, presenting deep themes and profound ideas. I've routinely laughed at this idea (as well as other articles from that author on other ideas). SAO is many things, but I never found the first series to actually make any attempts at depth. It clearly thought it smarter than it was at times, sure, but it never really tried to grapple with the stuff that a show like Ghost in the Shell does. As a dumb, action(ish) series, that would've been completely pretentious. So I guess one of the positive statements you could make about the first season of Sword Art Online is that it wasn't pretentious.
This first episode of Sword Art Online II is pretentious. Asuna and Kirito's first encounter here is entirely dedicated to that pretty common idea of blurring the line between the real world and the virtual world, but it's done very poorly. Take Asuna standing in the middle of the street, muttering to herself, "I wonder what the difference is between the real world...and the virtual?" This has the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face, because it boils down to outright stating the theme being presented. But it also doubles as poor dialogue because of how unnatural it feels to watch this girl talk about this out of the blue, which only gets worse when Kirito appears to answer the question. It's so written that it hurts. And really, it's the writing that lets down this virtual world/real world thing, because the show takes so long to present the simple idea that we could theoretically simulate the real world and no one would know the difference. That's all that needs to be said. Kirito doesn't need to give a dull, lengthy example with the area that they're in. We get it. And the longer the show chooses to linger on this idea, the bigger the question of "So what?" becomes. This is all very surface-level stuff, so where do you go with it? What are the implications? What about the actual distinguishing factor, that one is manually created and the other is not? The show doesn't engage with any of this, though it does comically fumble an attempt at greater depth with a truly nonsensical speech about how where they are is the center of their reality because time and space and all that. Basically, it all feels pointless, especially when it's the way we're re-introduced to the main characters of the series. We have no investment in watching some kids talk basic sci-fi philosophy in the park.
Worse, it comes to affect our idea of Kirito and Asuna as characters and as characters in a relationship. They don't feel like real people, they just feel like mouthpieces, and that's a pretty huge problem when it comes to easing the audience back into the series. All the actual attempts at real characterization fall flat, as Kirito's just goes back to the philosophical stuff and Asuna's sole function in life is apparently devotion to her boyfriend and "child." You can see this disconnect in their obsession with their past in Sword Art Online, too. I was willing to let it go after the first few mentions because even if those mentions are clunky, some callbacks are to be expected. But these kids don't talk about anything else. They remark that they're wearing the same clothes, their whole date apparently relates back to it, their discussions on that date are only about VR games. This was obviously a huge event in their lives, but it feels completely unnatural for literally everything to tie back to it. They don't remotely feel like real people in a real relationship.
The actual plot of the episode is a little better. I won't harp too much on how silly of a name "Death Gun" is because I think that's probably just the language barrier, but it is a decent setup for a mystery. Kirito's conversation with the government guy offers far and away the most interesting material in the show, as the concept is somewhat unexpected without a readily available explanation, like any good mystery. It probably does elevate the episode quite a bit even if it comes with its own set of issues. On a simple plot level (apart from a few other nit-pics I won't mention), the idea that the government cannot contact this company is a load of nonsense. These people pay out real money to people based on their in-game credits. There is no universe in which this is possible without being public in some capacity, especially in America. But since it's the opening episode and this is just the setup, I'm a little more tolerant in regards to this kind of nonsense. However, I can't overlook some of the hilariously melodramatic choices made throughout the episode. The murdered player ranting about video game-speak as the camera swoops and circles around him is a particular highlight, only made even funnier when Death Gun comes over ranting himself as he shoots at a computer screen while the guy onscreen has the most dramatic choking face. The visualization of a bullet coming through the Internet is also rather silly, and so are the multiple quick cuts when the government guy is talking. These decisions feel so over-the-top that I almost wonder if they're intentional, but if they are I don't think the show is going far enough with it.
Also, Kirito saying "someone doesn't want me to forget" while we look at the scene where Kayaba forgot why he wanted to rule over his own world is pretty funny.
foxuzamaki
Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
Thats good advice, thanks.
It was the first episode, if they don't know to put their best foot forward for the first episode then I have no faith in the rest. The first episode should be establishing conflict and the main characters, this one didn't establish any conflict and half-assed the second. Even season 1 of SAO managed to establish conflict and the main character in the first episode. Every other show on the block managed to do these things in episode 1, even Shippuden with it's garbage pacing, why should SAO2 get a free pass for not doing the only things they had to do?
I had a hard time until someone gave me that tip, you'll do better in time. It's like riding a bike or writing, the more you do it the better you get.
BassForever
Member
SAO II does have some good action scenes and a few emotional moments ruined by the fact they're in SAO.
foxuzamaki
Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
I can tell by the ED that its gonna have some good ass fight animations.
I see what you did there.
Personally, I don't feel it's fair to judge an entire series by a premier. First impressions matter, yes, but I've probably seen enough TV series with lackluster first episodes that I ended up enjoying anyway. I don't have high hopes with this one but I'll still give it a chance.
This first episode in particular just gives too much stuff to laugh at that I can't resist the urge to pick it apart. It's kind of a jerk move on my part but it's also so much fun. -.-
That was a really nice read. Concise and balanced. I pretty much agree.
Are we really trying to defend SAO II first episode. We all know what the show is gonna be, it's gonna be self insert fan wank with a MC thats somehow attracts every female and a universe thats incredibly inconsistent
SAO has some good backgroudnd visuals, some of the animations can be decent, and the music is pretty decent too, but everything beyond that is gonna be dreadful, it aint like this is a new show.
SAO has some good backgroudnd visuals, some of the animations can be decent, and the music is pretty decent too, but everything beyond that is gonna be dreadful, it aint like this is a new show.
SigmasonicX
Member
No, it completely followed the manga, aside from actually skipping some parts in order to get to the logical stopping point (
mainly Gowther scenes
after the fight with Hendrickson, with everyone setting off on their new journey
Gucci Messiah
Banned
Does every show have to have a 10/10 first episode or are you just a SAO hater who would've said it was crap regardless of what happened? I mean, if you don't like the show that's fine but lets not beat around the bush. Fact of the matter is you're going in biased because the first season was something you did not like, and that's normal, but its been one mediocre episode and we've already got a wave of bitching going on which is part of the reason i didn't even post in here last night after KLK. The whole thread is nothing but cringeworthy sex jokes, reaction gif/image/table flip spam, and vitriol which makes makes me feel awkward because I'm not on the hate train. All i was saying is that most of you guys have only seen one episode so lets hold off before proclaiming that nothing about SAO II is good. Of course the writing is shit but there's some good action scenes, music is dope (especially the ending themes), and some of the art is beautiful.
Most of us have seen 27 episodes of SAO now
This isnt some new series, this is literally a continuation. We all know what it's going to be
And this is basically us doing a mystery science theater style watch of some shows we normally wouldnt watch. Most of it is just for laughs, and if you dont find that fun, then I guess that it is what it is
Gucci Messiah
Banned
i dunno how long you've been lurking/posting here but most of the regulars have not watched season 2 because we all knew it would get dubbed and come to toonami in a year based off of the ratings it pulled the first time around. I find it hard to believe that you can't find one single redeeming thing about SAO 2 unless you're just straight up hating for no reason. I think Shippuden is awful but can admit that it has likable characters (mainly shikimaru and naruto), interesting lore, great music, and cool fights when there's actually a budget.
Basically SAO ended on a godawful note and this picked up right where it left off.
People said this episode was 'boring' but I felt it was mostly just as nonsense and ridiculous as much of the first season (although it was dialogue rather than events). I wasn't...bored.
Personally, the two general points that were Not Good were 1.) every interaction between Kirito/Asuna and 2.) the contrived cannot-be-contacted mystery developer set-up, which is super silly and not at all intriguing as it tries to be.
Right now I'm in Ckohler's camp of "This first episode in particular just gives too much stuff to laugh at that I can't resist the urge to pick it apart. It's kind of a jerk move on my part but it's also so much fun. -.-" Hard to describe what it is but sometimes hatewatches can be fun.
People said this episode was 'boring' but I felt it was mostly just as nonsense and ridiculous as much of the first season (although it was dialogue rather than events). I wasn't...bored.
Personally, the two general points that were Not Good were 1.) every interaction between Kirito/Asuna and 2.) the contrived cannot-be-contacted mystery developer set-up, which is super silly and not at all intriguing as it tries to be.
Right now I'm in Ckohler's camp of "This first episode in particular just gives too much stuff to laugh at that I can't resist the urge to pick it apart. It's kind of a jerk move on my part but it's also so much fun. -.-" Hard to describe what it is but sometimes hatewatches can be fun.
To be fair, most people hated the first episode of Fate/Zero and loved the rest so....
Like I said, it's like mystery science theater but with everyone in this thread. We deride the bad shows because its what some people like to do. We may be "overly negative" but its mostly just for laughs and for fun amongst us. Literally, if we couldnt hate on some of the shows, there would be no reason for a lot of posters to sit here and post with others during shows like SAO and Naruto
We are not supreme critics and the basis for awesome anime, and we can get overly negative I guess, but its all in good fun. And I dont really see it being fixed beyond Seda or another mod banning "overly negative" posts which seems absolutely ridiculous to me.
It is what it is at this point Gucci, if you dont like the negativity then you dont have to join in for the shows where we get super negative. And hell, even the shows we all seemingly like (dbz, inuyasha, and one piece) all got its fair share of negativity around it too.
Gucci Messiah
Banned
I agree that hatewatches can be fun - Attack on Titan is a good example of this. But for some reason SAO brings out the worst in people. It's pretty bad that I have to defend the show when i think it's below average because the thread turns into a zoo whenever it airs or gets talked about. I mean, it got so bad last year that people were attacking the fanbase which just makes for a hostile environment. Not saying only positive comments should be allowed but the hate needs to be toned back a bit. Mainly chill with the innuendo and 'fuck anyone who likes this show' mentality that popped up the first season.
As long as people are civil when it comes to dissenting opinions. We actually did have one poster leave this thread partially because of the general 'stance' on SAO. bigkrev was more positive on this first episode than most, and I like seeing the different perspective.
I've said before that I appreciate discussing with people who disagree, helps to balance my own impressions of things.
I did finish Gurren Lagann by the way. Some quick thoughts:
I think the appeal of this show is obvious. First of all, the animation is stellar most of the time. It's also paced incredibly well. For any animated show, these two things alone are sometimes hard to come by, so that alone is worth merit.
It also embraces a literal "strength of willpower" throughout. Most of the the time, never-give-up powers feel undeserved in shonen - something like plot armor, but it acting as a central thematic core here, Gurren Lagann can get away with it - pretty well actually. This coupled with an ever-increasing scale fits the tone nearly perfectly. It wasn't exactly my thing, but I would say the creators achieved what they were going for here.
The overall cast has some problems. Somebody mentioned this a while back and I generally agree. There are many characters that are largely unnecessary and throwaway. Not that every single character has to have their time in the spotlight, but I still felt the cast was a bit bloated.
Not the best character in the show, but my favorite was Viral (who really never did have a moment dedicated to him). Outside of Simon, he was probably the most dynamic character in the show and I felt his development was very natural without being overbearing.
I said before that Rossiu was a 'good character', which I still believe - in a vacuum anyway. After seeing how things end, I'm not exactly certain what the point of that section of the narrative was. Having a little lull before the final episodes works in terms of preventing burnout, but I feel it doesn't 'fit' too well. I guess it works to emphasize belief in one's self versus any thing else? I mean it's not /awful/ but a little jarring.
The 'villains' and their motivations were kinda boring. First it was just stubborn beastmen who refused to state their reasoning, and then a mystery race that was defending against a nebulous threat of 'too much evolution' or some such. This wasn't a big deal, though, because good, interesting villains are pretty rare. It worked well enough in creating a conflict.
Overall, it was all right.
I think the appeal of this show is obvious. First of all, the animation is stellar most of the time. It's also paced incredibly well. For any animated show, these two things alone are sometimes hard to come by, so that alone is worth merit.
It also embraces a literal "strength of willpower" throughout. Most of the the time, never-give-up powers feel undeserved in shonen - something like plot armor, but it acting as a central thematic core here, Gurren Lagann can get away with it - pretty well actually. This coupled with an ever-increasing scale fits the tone nearly perfectly. It wasn't exactly my thing, but I would say the creators achieved what they were going for here.
The overall cast has some problems. Somebody mentioned this a while back and I generally agree. There are many characters that are largely unnecessary and throwaway. Not that every single character has to have their time in the spotlight, but I still felt the cast was a bit bloated.
Not the best character in the show, but my favorite was Viral (who really never did have a moment dedicated to him). Outside of Simon, he was probably the most dynamic character in the show and I felt his development was very natural without being overbearing.
I said before that Rossiu was a 'good character', which I still believe - in a vacuum anyway. After seeing how things end, I'm not exactly certain what the point of that section of the narrative was. Having a little lull before the final episodes works in terms of preventing burnout, but I feel it doesn't 'fit' too well. I guess it works to emphasize belief in one's self versus any thing else? I mean it's not /awful/ but a little jarring.
The 'villains' and their motivations were kinda boring. First it was just stubborn beastmen who refused to state their reasoning, and then a mystery race that was defending against a nebulous threat of 'too much evolution' or some such. This wasn't a big deal, though, because good, interesting villains are pretty rare. It worked well enough in creating a conflict.
Overall, it was all right.
Gucci Messiah
Banned
yeah i guess i'll stick around next week but if/when the hate gets out of control I'm just gonna bounce for the night
Imperial Bishop
Banned
Time to bring the pro-pain.
See, we're having two different conversations here. You're talking in terms of 10/10, I'm talking in terms of structure. I'm not exactly a hater, I've said a bunch of time previously that SAO has the potential to be a good show but that potential is constantly squandered in the worst ways imaginable. See, my problem with this episode is that it gives neither me nor it's main character a reason to move onto the second episode. What motivation does Kirito have to get involved with this investigation? He doesn't play the game, he doesn't know the victims, he's got no reason to put his life on the line here. All they had to do to fix this problem was make the guy who was killed in the opening minutes of the episode a friend of Kirito's from SAO. Preferably someone we already knew. That's all it would have taken, just a tweaked line somewhere in his conversation with the agent. Something to push him into getting involved because right now he's got no reason not to flip off the agent and go make out with his girlfriend for the next 11 or 12 episodes.
See, I'm not talking quality. I'm talking structure. Fate/Zero actually did the things I'm talking about in episode 1. They introduced the characters and their motivations for getting involved with the plot. It wasn't done well at all, but it was done. I know why all those characters are getting involved with what's going on after that episode, I have no idea why Kirito is getting involved in anything other than making out with his girl and going to school after this one.
My biggest problem with the episode is where's the call to action? Why should Kirito care? If they can't convince the MC of the show to care how can they convince the viewers? There were other issues, but those I'm more willing to forgive considering it's the first episode. This one however? No. Gimme a reason to watch the show, good animation and decent music isn't enough.
I'm confused. B-Dubs (most of ours really) critique has been mostly centered around the fact that the character and narrative writing is pretty damn bad. How does the fact that SAO has some good action sequences, good and consistent art direction and some good music counter any of his critiques? You can hate something even while being cognizant of its good qualities. Everybody has different priorities with regards to what they are looking for from a show and have different tolerances for what they can put up with to enjoy the redeemable aspects of any product. For many of us here, how terrible SAO is along a character, narrative and general writing axis outweigh those positives you've listed. To most of us here, these shows are straight up not enjoyable without the group watch aspect.
I will concede "people who like this are stupid" statements are a bit much (thankfully we've pulled back on that since the midpoint of last season I feel) but I can at least understand the high frustration of being perplexed by the popularity of something one personally finds to be anywhere from outright bad to downright offensive.
I also think part of it is due to the squandered potential - people (me included) tend to become more annoyed when we can see that with some number of fixes (some minor, some major) a show/IP could be legitimately good. Something that is irredeemable tends to produce fewer negative reactions than something that could be good in the hands of a better writer, artist, etc. but instead we get the mess we have now.
Is it just because you like SAO more than many other people here that this bothers you more? As an example we, ToonamiGaf, have been shitting on Shippuden for like a year straight now but I can't recall you rushing to defend it often. I personally have no qualms "going in" even on shows I generally like if something about them pisses me off (see One Piece last night).
I absolutely agree that ad homeneim attacks against people/fan groups should be avoided but if you think people are being unfair in calling out the shoddy writing on SAO, you're going to have to provide an argument as to why you think the writing isn't actually that bad.
BassForever
Member
10/10 post here
ASSauLTxMasTER
Member
The only reason I called it boring is because by SAO standards it can (and will) do so much worse.
You're right, it was just boring as shit and gave no reason to watch the next episode. How they managed to make a murder mystery boring I will never be able to understand. I'm sure they can do so much worse, I'm just annoyed at the lack of effort put into the actual story at this point.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Locked