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Winter Anime 2016 |OT| Celebrating the New Year and PSO2's release in the west!
- Thread starter BGBW
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Trapeze (空中ブランコ [Mid-air Balanço]) aka Welcome to Irabu's Office - Episode 1
I'm pretty surprised at what this show turned out to actually be about. While I've been meaning to watch this for ages, I only had a vague concept of the premise and it's not something I really looked into since I already decided I would eventually watch it. I thought this was about one guy with mental problems going back to a weird quack doctor over and over. Some sort of surrealist comedy or something.
Instead, it's a comedic drama about different people who have different mental problems, visiting a doctor who seems to be grappling with issues of immaturity and professionalism himself. Presented in a surrealist style, but handling the themes with a good deal of respect while having a somewhat over the top tone. Also, it has music by Denki Groove and Denki Groove rocks. I like the show already.
The first episode tackles something very real but not a topic people want to talk about in any culture - xenophobia. It's not just casual xenophobia either, but a very real practical example - a circus tends to have jobs which are obviously undesirable for the local populace, so there will obviously be foreign workers there. Given the type of work, it is also realistic that they might not be highly educated, at least in language skills, and hence communication can be a problem. This can lead to misunderstandings, anxiety, etc. If the job requires you to fully trust the other party to have your back, and you don't, that's not going to work. The trapeze routine as an analogy for this social interaction is really brilliant.
Trapeze (空中ブランコ [Mid-air Balanço]) aka Welcome to Irabu's Office - Episode 2
I like how the scenarios stand alone but at the same time feel very connected in a small slice of Tokyo. The ward manager in this episode was seen in the first episode when they visited for the permits, and there are various other connections in every episode which tie in with the stories of other episodes. Very neat. The calendar stock footage is also a great way to communicate the timeline and connectivity to viewers without having to make it an overt part of the dialogue.
This episode was pretty funny but... the imagery was a bit much for me. The guy was just too... horny... if you know what I mean! Lol. I don't really feel sorry for him, and I think that was part of the point too. It's possible to depict something with a problem without making him too sympathetic, because the cause and consequence of his actions can be interesting without anyone rooting for him necessarily. I preferred the first episode though!
I'm pretty surprised at what this show turned out to actually be about. While I've been meaning to watch this for ages, I only had a vague concept of the premise and it's not something I really looked into since I already decided I would eventually watch it. I thought this was about one guy with mental problems going back to a weird quack doctor over and over. Some sort of surrealist comedy or something.
Instead, it's a comedic drama about different people who have different mental problems, visiting a doctor who seems to be grappling with issues of immaturity and professionalism himself. Presented in a surrealist style, but handling the themes with a good deal of respect while having a somewhat over the top tone. Also, it has music by Denki Groove and Denki Groove rocks. I like the show already.
The first episode tackles something very real but not a topic people want to talk about in any culture - xenophobia. It's not just casual xenophobia either, but a very real practical example - a circus tends to have jobs which are obviously undesirable for the local populace, so there will obviously be foreign workers there. Given the type of work, it is also realistic that they might not be highly educated, at least in language skills, and hence communication can be a problem. This can lead to misunderstandings, anxiety, etc. If the job requires you to fully trust the other party to have your back, and you don't, that's not going to work. The trapeze routine as an analogy for this social interaction is really brilliant.
Trapeze (空中ブランコ [Mid-air Balanço]) aka Welcome to Irabu's Office - Episode 2
I like how the scenarios stand alone but at the same time feel very connected in a small slice of Tokyo. The ward manager in this episode was seen in the first episode when they visited for the permits, and there are various other connections in every episode which tie in with the stories of other episodes. Very neat. The calendar stock footage is also a great way to communicate the timeline and connectivity to viewers without having to make it an overt part of the dialogue.
This episode was pretty funny but... the imagery was a bit much for me. The guy was just too... horny... if you know what I mean! Lol. I don't really feel sorry for him, and I think that was part of the point too. It's possible to depict something with a problem without making him too sympathetic, because the cause and consequence of his actions can be interesting without anyone rooting for him necessarily. I preferred the first episode though!
Cornbread78
Member
Nah, that shit was fucked up but it more of perverse hazing than anything. Araragi is a messed up dude.
The sisters get into it as much as he does. They're all really fucked up in general.
I fought mine all the time. Then my brother moved to Japan and my sister married a bible thumping Marine. I still talk to my brother though.
Back to the topic though, what's really weird is that all three are in relationships. Yet they constantly toe that incest line to the point that you understand that everyone Araragi comes near inevitably has some kind of sexual issue.
Cornbread78
Member
Sibling love is great, huh. Too bad all my brother and I did was steal each others shit, fight, oh and played whiffle ball outside, then fight...
Then he joined the Marines for a long time and I stopped messing with him, lol.
Trapeze (空中ブランコ [Mid-air Balanço]) aka Welcome to Irabu's Office - Episode 3
Another unsympathetic character is featured here. A rather well-to-do romance novelist who found success by selling out his own creative talent after a unsuccessful debut with an honest book. Now he's stuck in a rut because he faces constant anxiety worrying about whether he is recycling old ideas because he is conscious of the fact that he is in fact recycling the same garbage over and over just because it is what the audience expects from him.
What I find interesting in this episode is that Mayumi is starting to develop a character of sorts, rather than just being the gimmick character meant to turn heads. We've seen glimpses of her reading "Tomorrow" previously, so this isn't something just shoehorned into the story either. Her scene at the end stuck me as something incredibly real for some reason, like, I imagine it took some real effort for her to even approach a patient to say something like that, since she seems to prefer to stay in the background. That alone seems to speak more about the implied quality of the book, than hearing him and his old friend just talk about it.
Trapeze (空中ブランコ [Mid-air Balanço]) aka Welcome to Irabu's Office - Episode 4
Now this is a guy I can feel sympathy for. The anxiety of being replaced by someone younger who is growing in popularity can really suck. It might seem silly if you're a hotshot, but everyone feels it. Insecurity can be a real bitch. One thing I'm noticing about Irabu is that he seems to take a real personal interest in trying to relate to his patients, in really ridiculous ways. It goes along with his child-like mentality which is visually depicted by his changing forms. It was also pretty cute how they had a connection to the previous episode too, with the Wings of Love movie adaptation being mentioned.
One thing I really enjoy from watching this show, especially after Mononoke, is that in almost every story, there is really no "bad guy" so to speak. Even when there appear to be antagonistic elements, in the end it is very much people being people, and tensions being social relationship issues rather than active acts of sabotage or ill intent. That goes a long way in making a show about mental illness less depressing and more consumable, without watering it down or making light of it. The way the cases are resolved also tend to have an optimistic tone to them, but not with any sort of real finality, because as we all know, living is tough, and living with personal problems is a constant struggle. But simply having a fresh perspective to a brighter side of life can make a huge difference. I love the way the episode ended.
Another unsympathetic character is featured here. A rather well-to-do romance novelist who found success by selling out his own creative talent after a unsuccessful debut with an honest book. Now he's stuck in a rut because he faces constant anxiety worrying about whether he is recycling old ideas because he is conscious of the fact that he is in fact recycling the same garbage over and over just because it is what the audience expects from him.
What I find interesting in this episode is that Mayumi is starting to develop a character of sorts, rather than just being the gimmick character meant to turn heads. We've seen glimpses of her reading "Tomorrow" previously, so this isn't something just shoehorned into the story either. Her scene at the end stuck me as something incredibly real for some reason, like, I imagine it took some real effort for her to even approach a patient to say something like that, since she seems to prefer to stay in the background. That alone seems to speak more about the implied quality of the book, than hearing him and his old friend just talk about it.
Trapeze (空中ブランコ [Mid-air Balanço]) aka Welcome to Irabu's Office - Episode 4
Now this is a guy I can feel sympathy for. The anxiety of being replaced by someone younger who is growing in popularity can really suck. It might seem silly if you're a hotshot, but everyone feels it. Insecurity can be a real bitch. One thing I'm noticing about Irabu is that he seems to take a real personal interest in trying to relate to his patients, in really ridiculous ways. It goes along with his child-like mentality which is visually depicted by his changing forms. It was also pretty cute how they had a connection to the previous episode too, with the Wings of Love movie adaptation being mentioned.
One thing I really enjoy from watching this show, especially after Mononoke, is that in almost every story, there is really no "bad guy" so to speak. Even when there appear to be antagonistic elements, in the end it is very much people being people, and tensions being social relationship issues rather than active acts of sabotage or ill intent. That goes a long way in making a show about mental illness less depressing and more consumable, without watering it down or making light of it. The way the cases are resolved also tend to have an optimistic tone to them, but not with any sort of real finality, because as we all know, living is tough, and living with personal problems is a constant struggle. But simply having a fresh perspective to a brighter side of life can make a huge difference. I love the way the episode ended.
Cornbread78
Member
Araragi is an extension of the authors deepest desires. Dude wanted to be as pimp. That or Araragi has some super sensual pharamone's that draws everyone to him sexually, lol.
Well, he is a sparkling vampire after all.
striferser
Huge Nickleback Fan
Haruchika 4
Haru keep getting cockblocked by Chika was funny.
A piggy bank in a form of a house...
There's probably a million yen in there, counting all of it will be a pain in the ass.
Oh wait, Handa-kun getting anime adaptation?
Its a gag manga and very different when compared to Barakamon. As far as comedy goes, it's decent from what i've read so far. Its not Nozaki-kun tier comedy though.
Haru keep getting cockblocked by Chika was funny.
A piggy bank in a form of a house...
There's probably a million yen in there, counting all of it will be a pain in the ass.
Oh wait, Handa-kun getting anime adaptation?
Its a gag manga and very different when compared to Barakamon. As far as comedy goes, it's decent from what i've read so far. Its not Nozaki-kun tier comedy though.
I remember Hanekawa actually talked about that once and linking it to vampiric charisma, but then I think she said she was joking, and that Koyomi's lessened vampiric abilities probably mean he doesn't have that anyway.
Then again Shinobu's mere presence calls aparitions out, so Koyomi's calling out girls wouldn't be too farfetched as a lesser form of Kiss-shot's charisma.
I read it's pretty funny, plus we get rid of the awful loli fanbase that somehow decided to latch into the show.
Trapeze (空中ブランコ [Mid-air Balanço]) aka Welcome to Irabu's Office - Episode 5
I was not expecting a case to involve Irabu so personally. It's interesting though, because this is a clear indication that despite the ridiculous setup of his office and the visual motifs used to represent him, he is a real person who actually exists and other people know him.
While the crux of this case is about a middle age guy who just wants to hang loose but feels trapped by social conventions which he assumes have to be met, hence overcompensating by allowing his imagination to egg him on to do really ridiculous things, there is another side to the story. The encouragement on the part of Irabu here seems somewhat malicious, if only because it seems Irabu himself has the same tendencies of immaturity, except not bottled in. The combination is pretty humorous but almost leads to disastrous outcomes. I feel there's a side of Irabu here which we haven't seen before, and I can't say I really approve of it!
The ending scene really got me good though. Seeing him finally more relaxed and actually realizing that it's okay to show a side of yourself which your family hasn't seen before, and finding acceptance... that's the bestest feeling ever.
Trapeze (空中ブランコ [Mid-air Balanço]) aka Welcome to Irabu's Office - Episode 6
It's funny seeing an episode dealing with cellphone addiction in youths in an anime produced so long ago that all the phones in the episode are feature phones. Flip phones to boot! A reminder that the mobile wave definitely hit Japan earlier and stronger than the rest of the world, even before smartphones became the norm.
The restaurant scene this time was pretty damn cool, especially with the extra context from the earlier episode. I think it teased a connection with a future episode too, showing yet another person who was also there at the time. Stuff like this was done really well in Bacanno too, so I'm always happy to see these "connections" which aren't plot coincidences but just characters who are inhabiting the same physical space.
The end of this episode is actually a huge shocker for me. The episode further develops Mayumi's character, after what I mentioned previously about her interacting with a patient directly. It definitely seems like she has issues of her own, but is confident enough not to make them (much of) a burden. What surprised me though, was the party. Is there a side to Irabu and his practice that we haven't seen at all? It opens up all sorts of questions now.
I was not expecting a case to involve Irabu so personally. It's interesting though, because this is a clear indication that despite the ridiculous setup of his office and the visual motifs used to represent him, he is a real person who actually exists and other people know him.
While the crux of this case is about a middle age guy who just wants to hang loose but feels trapped by social conventions which he assumes have to be met, hence overcompensating by allowing his imagination to egg him on to do really ridiculous things, there is another side to the story. The encouragement on the part of Irabu here seems somewhat malicious, if only because it seems Irabu himself has the same tendencies of immaturity, except not bottled in. The combination is pretty humorous but almost leads to disastrous outcomes. I feel there's a side of Irabu here which we haven't seen before, and I can't say I really approve of it!
The ending scene really got me good though. Seeing him finally more relaxed and actually realizing that it's okay to show a side of yourself which your family hasn't seen before, and finding acceptance... that's the bestest feeling ever.
Trapeze (空中ブランコ [Mid-air Balanço]) aka Welcome to Irabu's Office - Episode 6
It's funny seeing an episode dealing with cellphone addiction in youths in an anime produced so long ago that all the phones in the episode are feature phones. Flip phones to boot! A reminder that the mobile wave definitely hit Japan earlier and stronger than the rest of the world, even before smartphones became the norm.
The restaurant scene this time was pretty damn cool, especially with the extra context from the earlier episode. I think it teased a connection with a future episode too, showing yet another person who was also there at the time. Stuff like this was done really well in Bacanno too, so I'm always happy to see these "connections" which aren't plot coincidences but just characters who are inhabiting the same physical space.
The end of this episode is actually a huge shocker for me. The episode further develops Mayumi's character, after what I mentioned previously about her interacting with a patient directly. It definitely seems like she has issues of her own, but is confident enough not to make them (much of) a burden. What surprised me though, was the party. Is there a side to Irabu and his practice that we haven't seen at all? It opens up all sorts of questions now.
Cornbread78
Member
OniBarubary
Banned
It actually fills me with a sort of giddy joy to see someone else watching Trapeze and enjoying it so much.
If we're going with my favorite anime of all time if Trapeze isn't it than it's a safe number 2. I think it's straight up beautiful and astonishing.
If we're going with my favorite anime of all time if Trapeze isn't it than it's a safe number 2. I think it's straight up beautiful and astonishing.
Are you trying to fan the flames of The Great Hepburn/Kunrei-Shiki War?
Cornbread78
Member
Booo, hell no. Not enough on it, as the author is too busy having him play around with little girls, rather than a real woman.
Wait, what? Why is the hell would that happen? There is absolutely nothing to sexualize about Naru or any of the other child characters... There is plenty of other trash shows for that to happen with, but not with Barakamon...
Cornbread, I present to you: the internet.
EDIT: Just read about why Barakamon was being talked about. A high-school-aged prequel is basically the last thing I would want out of more Barakamon content. \: But if people are saying it's good, I'll trust them, I suppose.
God it's really really really depressing to learn there's a loli fanbase for Barakamon of all things.
EDIT: Just read about why Barakamon was being talked about. A high-school-aged prequel is basically the last thing I would want out of more Barakamon content. \: But if people are saying it's good, I'll trust them, I suppose.
Hellwarden
Member
AquaWateria
Member
What.....................................
Cornbread78
Member
That's how it makes me feel...
Go get those freakin' pervs Naru!
The kitty is only good for playing with in short spurts. Senjou FTW.
Dimension W 04
This is probably my favorite episode so far. I like it when shows do a horror themed episode. This one had a good sense of mystery even if it is for a while. I loved that background score during Kyouma's investigation.
The ending seems a bit ambiguous but I hope the next episode clears it out.
Cat's a wise one, she needs to stay away from Araragi
This is probably my favorite episode so far. I like it when shows do a horror themed episode. This one had a good sense of mystery even if it is for a while. I loved that background score during Kyouma's investigation.
I like the idea of past world overlapping present world through dimension W.
Cat's a wise one, she needs to stay away from Araragi
Seriously, I got hyped for a second.... No Naru no sale.
Correct, cat Hanekawa is just alright
Default Hanekawa is where it's at though
Crab is just always the worst though.
Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno.
SliceSabre
Banned
I'm skipping the monogatari airing this season cause it doesn't seem important.
yes
What about all the weird stuff that Narag watches?
What he looks at in an incognito window is his business.
SliceSabre
Banned
You leave Narag alone!
Cornbread78
Member
Spring Anime 2016 |OT| Celebrating big fat cat tits!
Spring Anime 2016 |OT| What about all that other weird stuff that Narag watches?
You just can't make this stuff up.
Daphne In The Brilliant Blue.
You tell me. I still remember that time when I went to a manga site to check people opinions on the manga, one of the first threads was "I hope Naru and Sensei get together".
This_is_so_fucked_up.jpg
Must be the same people who wrote that terrible slash fiction after the events of Usagi Drop
SliceSabre
Banned
Metal Gear
nintendoman58
Member
There's over 2500 Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon crossovers on fanfiction.net and not one of them is about an all out war between Magical Girls and Gundams.
So no.
Gen Urobuchi wrote an entertaining Equilibrium fan fiction. https://vndb.org/v1390
ah-hahahahahahahahaha
My sonic x watch looms ever closer.
Gundam IBO #16
Okay episode, mostly because it showed how Kuudelia and the guys at Tekkadan are merely being used as pawns by people in power. The way the authorities made up an attack to have an excuse to fight back and how they said they'd handle the media later was quite harsh, as was their plan to do all that just to give the resistance from nearby colonies an excuse to go on the offensive so that they can justify their use of overwhelming force to "pacify" the rebel factions. The image of the old guy's lifeless hand touching the ground while revealing the engagement ring he was wearing was a nice "show, don't tell" touch, but I didn't like it when the camera decided to show that very shot a second time.
Also, it felt like the show was pushing the whole "Kuudelia's a helpless idealist, but that's exactly what the revolution needs" thing way too hard with the flashback and how closely it was mirrored in the present (with both scenes being shown in the very same episode, for crying out loud), but at the same time I liked how we saw that even Teiwaz's boss was willing to betray his new allies for profit. The show's focus on the rift between children-like ideals and adult-like cynicism is nice, and it's also interesting that it isn't like Kuudelia's niceness alone is enough to make things up and put a pacific end to the conflict between the opressed people an those in power.
Okay episode, mostly because it showed how Kuudelia and the guys at Tekkadan are merely being used as pawns by people in power. The way the authorities made up an attack to have an excuse to fight back and how they said they'd handle the media later was quite harsh, as was their plan to do all that just to give the resistance from nearby colonies an excuse to go on the offensive so that they can justify their use of overwhelming force to "pacify" the rebel factions. The image of the old guy's lifeless hand touching the ground while revealing the engagement ring he was wearing was a nice "show, don't tell" touch, but I didn't like it when the camera decided to show that very shot a second time.
Also, it felt like the show was pushing the whole "Kuudelia's a helpless idealist, but that's exactly what the revolution needs" thing way too hard with the flashback and how closely it was mirrored in the present (with both scenes being shown in the very same episode, for crying out loud), but at the same time I liked how we saw that even Teiwaz's boss was willing to betray his new allies for profit. The show's focus on the rift between children-like ideals and adult-like cynicism is nice, and it's also interesting that it isn't like Kuudelia's niceness alone is enough to make things up and put a pacific end to the conflict between the opressed people an those in power.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
Tabi Machi Late Show 3
This was a really sweet story. I like that this series explores various kinds of "journeys".
This was a really sweet story. I like that this series explores various kinds of "journeys".
I suspected the twist from the moment we first saw Haruka, since he looked more surprised to see her than the reverse, but it was well done.
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