Jex
Member
Yay.
What terribly designed cover. Impressive.
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Winter of Anime 2013 |OT -4| It's not my fault!
- Thread starter Dresden
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What terribly designed cover. Impressive.
Supplemental information! I posted it here before, but remember to check out a piece of GAiNAX history from the mouth of the Otaking himself, Toshio Okada:
The Conscience of the Otaking: The Studio Gainax Saga in Four Parts
http://www.gwern.net/docs/1996-animerica-conscience-otaking
The Conscience of the Otaking: The Studio Gainax Saga in Four Parts
http://www.gwern.net/docs/1996-animerica-conscience-otaking
SolarPowered
Member
Puella Magi Madoka Magica 1-6
I previously ignored this show because it seemed just like another random magical girl themed romp, but the ANN bit about a certain character dying peaked my interest. Not to mention Kuybey topping the list of baddies. This show is hardcore and a great twist on the magical girl theme.
I previously ignored this show because it seemed just like another random magical girl themed romp, but the ANN bit about a certain character dying peaked my interest. Not to mention Kuybey topping the list of baddies. This show is hardcore and a great twist on the magical girl theme.
I still gotta see the OVA if we get a little less sister involvement. Saori is amazing, though. Those glasses she wears are absolutely ridiculous.
Such an amazing show. It easily falls in my top 5 for 2012. Kukuru is the best.joshiraku - 11
Top ten 2012. Even the travelogue sections have been hitting it for the last few episodes.
So good.
Unrelated:
I learned more about school swimsuits than I ever wanted to know.
Jex
Member
Ah yes, the most important part of a new -monogatari series airing is now avilable - Jason has begun blogging about it here: http://blogsuki.com/archives/2013/01/01/6150/
I'd say reserve your judgement on whether or not it was an entirely nostalgia filled vision until you watch some more. I don't think the height of the series is at it's beginning.
Jex
Member
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
Impressive to say the least!
I do indeed love Sawako. Also nobody has posted pictures of her as a rocker yet. Is there only that one picture? So much hotness!
Yeah Madoka Magica is NOT your average magical girl show at all.
It goes wildly in a different direction. Sooooo good!
No one man should have all that PreCure.
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
Indeed its a great show. One of my favorites of the past several years.
Glad that ANN list was good for something.
Jex
Member
Or rather, no one cover should just have every single Cure standing on it in with zero effort put into how horribly clustered that would make the image appear.
Ultimadrago
Member
I believe in true natural balance. Ideally, there would be forces of equating magnitude going two different ways on the show...
Saori is the best anyways.
Hmmm
Thanks a lot for the info.
I think maybe they should have put each of their heads in a bubble/circle or something and arranged it somehow. It would be less cluttered while still showing everyone.
Ultimadrago
Member
HAH! My plan worked! I created a small amount of buzz to hype the people up for my forthcoming post! Mild rumblings achieved!
You thought it was over, but it's back again: Typographenia's overly long and self-indulgent post on some anime that he just watched!
You want links? I got 'em!
Otaku No Video
How long has it been since I initially wanted to watch this thing? Geez, I think I've known about this since at least 2004/2005, but I only picked it up some time over the last year. Honestly, I didn't know anything about it other than it was supposed to be poking fun at anime culture. I was afraid that this type of work would be highly referential and require knowing a lot of the anime industry from the 1970s/1980s to really appreciate it. While it remained true for some parts of it, Otaku No Video was still extremely approachable as a self-contained work that someone with very little knowledge of the culture or industry would likely find entertaining.
Story
I think it would be best to address the animated and liveaction parts of this work separately, rather than as it is presented in the show. I realize that is somewhat conflicting to the idea of many of the interviews being placed when they are, but I don't feel it will be critical to my thoughts.
The opening of the OVA displays a giant 1991 (the very year this was produced!) in front of a cold sky before going within a store where a loan man sleeps. He answers the phone begrudgingly and curses otaku (rightly so) before nodding back off. Then it cuts back to 1982 where we see the same guy, only much more energetic, happy, and playing tennis with a fellow tennis club member. The protagonist will hate otaku? What is this madness?!
The boy's name is Kubo, and he was apparently quite popular and successful in high school, but he is feeling rather aimless in his current university studies and none of his past activities are as fulfilling anymore. Leaving his circle of friends early from a night of drinking, he runs into an old acquaintance from high school named Tanaka. No longer bound by his obligations to societal education, Tanaka pals around with a small posse of passionate enthusiasts of an array of subjects sharing a central anime core. Kubo finds it amusing, and even mentions it to his girlfriend, Ueno Yoshiko, at lunch where he also encourages her to stop by the tennis club booth at his school festival. When she doesn't show up, Kubo wanders around and, once again, runs into Tanaka and his clique in cosplay. They attempt to recruit him before ending the scene. I know that feeling all too well, Kubo... Just run. Run as far away as you can!
Kubo speaks to Ueno on the phone about their missed rendezvous before heading over to Tanaka's apartment where he is amazed by the collection of assorted manga, anime, and memorabilia he has amassed in his living space. Tanaka decides to bring Kubo to the inner sanctum of his club's fanaticism where he properly introduces the members and their hobbies. They being tobrainwashindoctrinateintroduce Kubo to the wonderful world of anime, and they even get him to agree to cosplay as Cobra at an upcoming convention. At least they gave him a cool part to dress up as. You would think the first cosplay initiation would be some kind of hazing ritual or something. Surprisingly, Kubo finds himself really getting into everything and having a great time at the event.
Ueno has noticed that Kubo is never at home anymore, he's put on weight, his face and hair are unkempt, and he has a rad shirt. Well, maybe not that last part, but she should have said something about the rockin' shirt. Kubo excuses his state as helping out Tanaka and wanting to just have some fun. However, the group begins to question the sustainability of their activities after they are harassed and criticized by a drunken man while waiting outside a theater for the premiere of Nausicaä. Kubo tries to call Ueno, but is greeted by another man on the other end. Devastated, Kubo joins Tanaka on a search for a legimitate job, but he becomes infuriated at the thought of otaku being perceived as weirdos and undesirables. I know, what's up with that? He swears to become the Otaking, change the world and make it okay for Otaku to be Otaku, with Tanaka vowing to join him in their moment of determination.
Time and events moved so quickly at this point, I assumed it had to all be a dream, but it wasn't. Tanaka and Kubo decide to go legit and start acquiring licenses, selling garage kit models, and open up their own shop. They even get a new friend, the lovely Miss Fukuhara, to help manage the shop as the business moves at lightspeed to become one of the most successful businesses in the world! Well, maybe just one of the most successful anime merchandising production companies- the GrandPrix (GP for short). It cracked me up to see the board being made up of the same knuckle-heads that were in Tanaka's circle. I wonder if the night owl guy decided to change his sleeping habits for work? Kubo is already looking to shoot even higher by building a theme park designed especially with Otaku in mind, to convert everyone to becoming an Otaku and making Ueno deeply regret ever leaving him. Geez... Kubo, you need to let that go, man. It's like the precursor to The Social Network.
However, their ambitions are too lofty, as Kubo insists on outsourcing their handmade model business to a tremendous construction facility in China and take out a giant loan from the bank. GrandPrix only needs a wholly original design that has mass international appeal to really ensure Kubo's plan will be fully realized, and the meek Fukuhara steps up to the plate with the design of Maki- a lady magician wearing a playboy bunny suit. Kubo leaves to oversee construction in China, and the bank president uses this opportunity to seize control over Kubo's friends and company. Even worse, the president's real motives are to make his wife, Ueno(!), happy for Kubo's sudden abandonment of their relationship years before. Seems to me like she was the one that jumped off the relationship boat long before Kubo, but I digress. Kubo is exiled to a small, remote GrandPrix shop to spend the rest of his days in miserable failure. Betrayed by your best friends! That's the worst, Kubo. : (
The story picks back up where the OVA initially began, and Kubo heads out of the store with plans of just quitting and accepting his utter defeat before spotting a familiar face in the crowd outside of a different GrandPrix shop- Tanaka! I love that, despite what was done to him, he still is willing to give them his business, hahaha. Turns out that he was also cut loose after the coup, and he begs forgiveness of Kubo who invites him to rise to the top once more with him!
The duo begin concocting schemes once more, this time in the realm of actual anime production. Tanaka even had the foresight to enlist the loyal Fukuhara's help for design and animation, since neither of them are able to illustrate at all. With the crew assembled, a new company is born... Giant-X! The trio work furiously to realize their vision, and, once again, they conquer the world with a "brand new" designDaiconMisty-May! Their true ace in the hole is the addition of mascot characters! BRILLIANT! They become so successful, in fact, that they essentially shift the direction of the consumer market and run GrandPrix into the ground, eventually acquiring them to rub salt in the wound. After many years, Kubo even manages to open up his dream land for otaku- Otakuland! I wasn't wild about the rides at Disney World, but I would totally go to a theme park that had a giant robot just sitting there in the middle of the entrance area.
Thirty-six years later (wait, what?!), the two elderly friends cross the floor of the underwater dwelling place of Otakuland, as Japan has apparently been devastated. They are surprised, as I would also be, when they lights begin to activate and the park reveals itself to be in working order. They enter a giant mecha statue and are greeted by their old group of friends, looking exactly like they did in their youth when they reach the command center. Kubo and Tanaka return to their youthful states and declare the next destination is to find the Otakuplanet. The giant mecha launches out of the water, transforms into a rocket, and zips off into the distance. I had to choke back tears. So beautiful!
--------------------------------------------------
This was a somewhat familiar experience, much like I had when I originally viewed Welcome to the NHK in that I found myself watching semi-biographical moments in the show. A lot of Kubo's experience really mirrored my experience with being roped into anime in high school beyond just watching what Toonami and Adult Swim showed. The people in my school's anime club were very similar to the personalities of Tanaka's group, and it was really amusing seeing his determination to absorb it all, since I had an equally ridiculous aspiration at the time. It was a little disappointing to seeThen again, I guess that plays more into echoing Gainax's own history than for the sake of comedy.Kubo so easily achieve what he was after in the beginning, but it was great they pulled the rug out from under him.
I'm not some huge buff on Gainax's history, but I had read enough back when I first got interested in the Royal Space Force film to recognize what they were doing with GrandPrix, Giant-X, and a lot of the visual throwbacks to their own work. Also, there's apparently a convenient list of things they referenced on AnimEigo's site I found while searching something for this. Most interesting one I didn't know was the mug they handed to Kubo being one of General Products' earliest pieces. I wanted one as soon as I saw it. Curses! In fact, the amount of patting themselves on the back in the OVA was really amusing, since they used Daicon every chance they could. At least they were willing to share the love with an innumerable other number of properties, though. So many costumes, posters, designs, and quotes both in the animation and the interviews.
Speaking of interviews, Portrait of an Otaku, I assumed this would be the low parts of the OVA for me, but I consistently found them to be rather hilarious, if not a little sad. Some were pretty bleh, but I think the majority were really good. My favorite would have to be the american that was clearly saying things not even remotely similar to what the original japanese "translation" was. I really got a kick out of the computer programmer that denied being in a cosplay group until they started busting out photos. His reluctant and subsequent dawning of his Char helmet was exceptionally executed. Creepiest one, hands down, had to be the guy who had built his own glasses to help remove the mosaic on the porn he was watching. I'm still not entirely sure what to think about the very last one they showed, since they claimed it was actually legitimate, but I don't think it truly matters. I'm still not entirely sure my thoughts on how they worked in the pacing of the show. Often times, I found myself frustrated that the animated portions did not run longer than they did, but many of the interviews lead into the next segment with an idea that would be present. However, those ideas didn't feel powerful enough to warrant some kind of introduction, so... I'm not sure. They were generally entertaining, but I think it functioned more as interference than a complimentary addition to the short anime narrative.
The only two characters worth mentioning are Kubo and Tanaka, as they were the only ones with any substantial dialogue or roles in the show that really left an impact. That's not to say others weren't enjoyable, but they were really just side parts that never really did much more than they were required for a scene. Kubo was perhaps too boring for the role of "the man who would be Otaking." He had some amusing moments, but none of what he did was particularly praiseworthy. The guy played the straight man surrounded by weirdos in the beginning, and later became everyone's favorite guy to kick while he was down before rising back to the top. His best parts were definitely earlier on at the start of his exposure to the sub-cultures, as it was quite similar to my own back in the day. I will say, my favorite thing for Kubo involved making light of anime protagonists' tendencies to excitedly point upwards or look up skyward in a moment of grandeur, leaving those around him wondering what he was seeing that they were not. Tanaka was fun, perhaps more for his design, but felt a little underutilized. When he was first showing Kubo the ropes, he seemed like he eventually be a little more out there than we ever really got, but he had some fun over-the-top stuff when Kubo finds him at his lowest of lows outside the GrandPrix. Also, his dressing up as Char was great every single time.
It was really fun seeing so much of the Daicon imagery work its way back both literally and referentially in the designs and animations for Maki and Misty-May. As soon as I saw her riding the broomstick I got giddy, hoping they'd perhaps go for another over-the-top animation like Daicon in this. I'm hoping that getting the permission to use all of the other sources in this work wasn't too headache inducing, since they just went all out with Daicon originally. As many properties as there were (everything from Gundam to Lupin to Captain Harlock to Urusei Yatsura to Dirty Pair and much more), I think I would have lost my mind. Hopefully, it fell under some kind of fair use / beneficially promoting the material thing or something.
Presentation
Overall, the animation was adequate. It wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but they never really did anything really spectacular, except for maybe one or two brief sequences. The show was largely dialogue driven and showcasing all of the things that Gainax had a fondness for. I can't really be too upset, though, as my beloved late 80s/early 90s style of anime hands were on full display here. Don't give me that look... Major props to the background artists, because a lot of those backgrounds and rooms were packed with lots of detailed anime memorabilia.
The character designs weren't really anything to write home about, but I liked seeing a design like Tanaka be featured in a prominent role. Not really one you see too often, if at all. The cosplay designs all felt appropriately silly, and the anime designs were pushed into a comfortable parody zone that didn't go too far or too short in reach, for me. My favorite was the B-ko looking squad in the Misty-May description and Misty-May's own mirroring of the Daicon content and animations (like the flexing of the arms/riding broom).
It was unfortunate that none of the music in the show ever managed to match the opening song for parts one and two. It was really empowering and got you excited to see a bunch of people be nerds about anime.
The interviews felt appropriately funny through how ridiculous many of these people were living and with the pitched voices, but they still touched on some sad beats once in a while. The people who were creepy had appropriately creepy settings, though, and the aforementioned porn glasses guy was set in that really dark, claustrophobic room of his... eww.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed Otaku No Video. It really felt like Gainax's love letter to the things that attracted them to the industry, the acknowledgement of what was wrong with the culture, the potential for passion and dreams, and their desires for what it could become in the future. It's a little bittersweet watching this in an age where Gainax has gone through so much, they have had such a strong influence on the culture, and have changed so much to watch this semi-autobiographical and semi-prophesying OVA. It could be pretty easy to say the passionate, almost naively ambitious Gainax that created such works as Daicon and Royal Space Force no longer exists, but the qualities that embody Kubo are still major sticking points in stuff like Gurren Lagann. It's easy to forget Gainax's humble beginnings, and it was really fun seeing their attempt to preserve a piece of their history and inspire others in similar situations over the course of this short work.
Blast off!
Reposting for a new page because reposting for a new page.
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
There are barely any sports references. His blog has gone downhill so fast.
Just like -monogatari.
Or do what Nintendo did for the Smash Brothers Brawl cover, and just put the leader of each franchise on the cover.
Granted all the best Precures would have to be sacrificed, but it's a sacrifice that must be made.
Jex
Member
Perhaps he's trying to avoid getting stale. Economic references are far more "in" now anyway!
That could work too I guess but I think they wanted some way to show everyone.
chickdigger802
Banned
hidamari sketch 7
rainy day woes. S how is just sooo chilllax
rainy day woes. S how is just sooo chilllax
Jex
Member
Jintor, it's not like you've never been in this thread before!
Yeah, It wasn't fair to throw such a strong statement after watching the first episode.
50ppp master race
Jex
Member
I think you mean it's hilarious, because it is.
dakkumauji
Member
I'll probably always hate the title of this show.
One of its best qualities is how relaxed the show is. Its just like soothing soul food.
Chicken soup for the animu soul.
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
<3 She's so pretty!
Jex
Member
Why don't you like good things?
First ep's hook is lost if you know about the Valkyries in advance. Thought I read somewhere any sign of the Valkyrie transformed was actually left out of the first ep's OP on the initial broadcast so it'd be a surprise but unsure if true!
Yes, she is. Hooooo boy she is!
He doesl ike some good things. Unfortunately he also likes SAO. But nobody's perfect anyway.
Not sure how to handle my schedule today with regards to the animu. Dishwasher guy is coming over to the house, so I don't want to watch Yami and be ready to kill the fucker upon entry, so that'll have to wait till he's gone. Maybe more Ah! My Goddess. Or Girls Und Panzer. Need to find some use for that Crunchyroll account. I really should get back on the From The New World wagon now that I think about it. I'm rambling I'll stop now.
Edit: Should change avatar back to normal too. Holidays are over.
Edit: Should change avatar back to normal too. Holidays are over.
Jex
Member
You know, that's really an entirely reasonable position. I feel that Cowboy Bebop just about stretches ahead because there's a couple of shots that a teeny bit iffy in Gunsmith Cats OP and because Tank is pretty hard to beat as a piece of opening music.
Gunsmith Cats OP beats the hell out of Cowboy Bebop's.
Thats no indictment of CB's OP. Gunsmith Cats one is simply that good.
Blame the New Year's Day wine.
Yep, it's only had two episodes, but apparently it's on every weekday so the longer you leave it the more episodes will stack up.
What exactly is going on in that picture? why is Yukiho digging a hole?
I want to like this gif, but something about the animation feels really uncanny.
Jex
Member
You might think that, perhaps quite reasonably, but I feel that you're being a little naive. There's a number of ass-shots in that very sequence!
It seems to be flash based. Thats why it looks janky.
To sleep in.
Typographenia
Member
Haha, thank you.
That sounds like some kind of black-hole inducing irony or something. Either way, I'm pretty jealous, as the design was really fun, haha.
No, no worries at all! Half of the reason I started doing posts like that over my impressions of things was to hopefully encourage people to check out something they might not have seen. I've come across several things that I figured would be pretty terrible, but I really ended up liking a lot. It's fairly cheap, so if you like what you're seeing, I'd say pick it up.
You're a monster! Why would you do that?!
Thanks all the same, though. ; )
Cowboy Bebop is too overrated around these parts. By simple comparisons with modern, high-quality shows, I can easily prove that it's an inferior anime from back when the standards for what was considered good anime were much lower. It pales in comparison to BRS TV, for example. In terms of animation, the latter is much more compelling because of the use of advanced CG techniques that make the show much more immersive. BRS is also superior because of its setting, a middle-school. Because of it, we're faced with relatable situations and touching moments - things that Cowboy Bebop lacks. Besides, BRS TV has a Vocaloid OP, and Cowboy Bebop doesn't.
I'm a bit busy, but might as well stop for a moment to drop some random impressions here.
Jormungand: Perfect Order - 12 END
Overall, I'd say this ended up being about as enjoyable as the first season. A nice little distraction and nothing to write home about. The conclusion was a bit abrupt and thus rather underwhelming, truth be told, but the build-up to it was actually pretty decent for a while. I suppose the best part about the series was making me want to look forward to revisiting Black Lagoon, which will happen in due time.
Spice and Wolf II - 1
Can't remember why I never did finish watching this one, so I went right back to the beginning. While the first series was never particularly great in terms of art and animation either, you can definitely tell there was a behind-the-scenes change here. It works well enough, I suppose, by not being enough to completely take me out of the experience, but it's nevertheless worth pointing out. In any event, for now I'll just say the interactions between Lawrence and Horo still continue to make the show a lot easier to watch than any of the other technical aspects . Aside from the well-written banter, which is enjoyable on its own, there is some more or less subtle foreshadowing that should be interesting to keep up with.
Maria-sama ga Miteru - 1
Basically decided to watch this mostly on a whim and...yes, I can already start to see why it tends to be well-regarded. Production values are very nice, some of the foreign language terms were briefly explained, the characters have enough signs of personality to stand out and their dynamics are surprisingly entertaining to watch even at this early stage. You can usually tell if a series is going to be good when they take content that should, by all rights, be absolutely boring on paper and actually make it come across this well. That said, I'll be careful to try and not rush through too much of it at once.
Jormungand: Perfect Order - 12 END
Overall, I'd say this ended up being about as enjoyable as the first season. A nice little distraction and nothing to write home about. The conclusion was a bit abrupt and thus rather underwhelming, truth be told, but the build-up to it was actually pretty decent for a while. I suppose the best part about the series was making me want to look forward to revisiting Black Lagoon, which will happen in due time.
Spice and Wolf II - 1
Can't remember why I never did finish watching this one, so I went right back to the beginning. While the first series was never particularly great in terms of art and animation either, you can definitely tell there was a behind-the-scenes change here. It works well enough, I suppose, by not being enough to completely take me out of the experience, but it's nevertheless worth pointing out. In any event, for now I'll just say the interactions between Lawrence and Horo still continue to make the show a lot easier to watch than any of the other technical aspects . Aside from the well-written banter, which is enjoyable on its own, there is some more or less subtle foreshadowing that should be interesting to keep up with.
Maria-sama ga Miteru - 1
Basically decided to watch this mostly on a whim and...yes, I can already start to see why it tends to be well-regarded. Production values are very nice, some of the foreign language terms were briefly explained, the characters have enough signs of personality to stand out and their dynamics are surprisingly entertaining to watch even at this early stage. You can usually tell if a series is going to be good when they take content that should, by all rights, be absolutely boring on paper and actually make it come across this well. That said, I'll be careful to try and not rush through too much of it at once.
That's pretty awesome if true. Nowadays, any sort of show with a neat gimmick or novelty is ready to blow it's load in the first PV.
Yes. You really should.
Dig and sleep. The way life should be.
Flash is the future.
Sorry Steve.
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