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[dimb]

what are you looking for in a show like this ? this show actually delivered on several points , points that many people were complaining in earlier episodes.

What do I want? Maybe like, a show that isn't extremely convoluted and contrived with a tangible topic and a likeable cast that doesn't have structural or pacing issues that scream "I used to be a VN!".

When they are actually advancing the plot and moving thing along, i see complains, when they are devellopping the characters , i see complains.

The act of simply advancing the plot is a meaningless milestone. Little actually changes, and it is rare for events that occur to matter or have much bearing. Even if the characters get developed for one or two episodes it doesn't matter, because the show doesn't keep track of half of the shit it spews. Like, the show will set up that one of the main characters as some stupid disease or whatever called "elephant mouse syndrome", but that will have no impact on the character and will only pop up when the show is trapped in a corner and needs to manipulate where the story is headed or fast inject some poorly fabricated drama into scenes.

What should this show do ? Find a focus ? they are giving you one but you're dismissing it .

What is the focus of the show? Is it about kids trying to build a robot? No...not really. Is it about this convoluted backstory behind certain characters? Sometimes. Is it about finding hackers? Is it about fighting toy robots? The world ending? Magic bean monopoles? A robot uprising? The main character playing detective and completing arbitrary tasks to unlock secrets? This stuff is poorly tied together and the show lacks something to push them all into one space with its weak cast. There is this looming conspiracy nonsense that it seems like the show wants to be about, but it is so obsessed with obfuscating information regarding the mystery that it is unable to serve as tent-pole for the series.

 

[Branduil]

I do have to say the School Days thing is pretty old hat at this point. There's nothing surprising about the reactions any more.

 

[Shergal]

I do have to say the School Days thing is pretty old hat at this point. There's nothing surprising about the reactions any more.

It's still always fun to see someone's reaction to it.

Although I expected a longer comment.

 

[Regulus Tera]

It's still always fun to see someone's reaction to it.

Although I expected a longer comment.

Drunk Extol is a man of brevity.

 

[Articalys]

Extended BD sales list for January 28 - February 3:

-- (*21) --- *2,561 *2,561 **1 Campione! v5
-- (*24) --- *2,208 *2,208 **1 Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankenai yo ne v2
-- (*27) --- *2,014 *2,014 **1 Rinne no Lagrange season 2 v5
-- (*30) --- *1,818 12,657 **2 Toshokan Sensou Kakumei no Tsubasa LE
-- (*33) --- *1,598 *1,598 **1 Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru! v5
-- (*36) --- *1,549 *1,549 **1 Kidou Senshi Gundam AGE v12
-- (*37) --- *1,528 *1,528 **1 Hagure Yuusha no Aesthetica v5
-- (*40) --- *1,307 *6,504 **2 Psycho-Pass v2
-- (*43) --- *1,278 *1,278 **1 Hakuouki Reimeiroku v5
-- (*44) --- *1,210 11,515 *13 Darker than Black -Kuro no Keiyakusha- BD Box
-- (*45) --- *1,208 *1,208 **1 Binbougami ga! v5
-- (*46) --- *1,190 *7,860 **2 Hyouka v8
-- (*48) --- *1,011 *1,011 **1 Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You v2
-- (*52) --- **,883 **,883 **1 Gusco Budori no Denki LE
-- (*58) --- **,809 *5,669 **2 Dog Days' v5
-- (*59) --- **,777 *4,184 **2 Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse v5
-- (*62) --- **,710 **,710 **1 Hiiro no Kakera season 2 v1
-- (*65) --- **,683 **,683 **1 Arcana Famiglia v5
-- (*67) --- **,674 *6,211 **2 Hidamari Sketch x Honeycomb v2
-- (*69) --- **,652 **,652 **1 Medaka Box Abnormal v1
-- (*72) --- **,578 **,578 **1 Saint Seiya Omega v6
-- (*74) --- **,563 **,563 **1 Code Geass Boukoku no Akito v1 RE
-- (*75) --- **,551 14,136 **3 Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! v2
-- (*82) --- **,467 **,467 **1 Code:Breaker v2
-- (*94) --- **,357 *7,818 **7 Psycho-Pass v1
-- (*97) --- **,344 *3,942 **4 Minami-ke BD Box
-- (*98) --- **,339 *4,300 **2 Shoujo Kakumei Utena BD Box v1
-- (100) --- **,332 29,708 **6 Sword Art Online v3

Series v1 debuts bolded.

This also updates the Fall temporal v1 chart:

26,445 *7 Girls und Panzer [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/21
19,370 *1 Jojo no Kimyou na Bouken [DVD+BD]: 2013/01/30
17,520 *5 Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/19
13,801 *1 Magi [DVD+BD]: 2013/01/30
12,838 *4 To LOVE-Ru Darkness [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/21
12,349 *2 Gintama' Enchousen [DVD]: 2012/12/19
11,609 *4 Little Busters! [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/26
10,440 *4 Initial D 5th Stage [DVD+BD]: 2013/01/11
*9,928 *3 Hidamari Sketch x Honeycomb [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/26
*9,297 10 K [DVD+BD]: 2012/11/07
*9,001 *7 Psycho-Pass [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/21
*6,249 *3 Kami-sama Hajimemashita [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/28 [Vol. 2 drops more than half]
*3,386 *1 Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo [DVD+BD]: 2013/01/30
*2,764 *1 Busou Shinki [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/26 [Vol. 2 data]
*2,497 *2 Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankenai yo ne [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/26
*2,494 *1 Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun [DVD+BD]: 2012/11/21
*2,392 *1 Jormungand Perfect Order [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/21
*2,024 *1 Hiiro no Kakera Season 2 [DVD+BD]: 2013/01/29
*1,911 *1 Zetsuen no Tempest [DVD+BD]: 2013/01/23
*1,759 *1 Ixion Saga DT [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/05
*1,235 *1 Robotics;Notes [DVD+BD]: 2013/01/23
*1,011 *1 Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/21 [Vol. 2 data]
**,652 *1 Medaka Box Abnormal [DVD+BD]: 2013/01/30
**,613 *1 Code:Breaker [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/21 [Vol. 2 data]
**,594 *1 Shinsekai Yori [DVD+BD]: 2012/11/30 [Vol. 2 data]
**,345 *1 BTOOOM! [DVD+BD]: 2012/11/21 [Vol. 3 data]

**,*** ** Sukitte Ii na yo [DVD+BD]: 2012/12/26

data via something @ mania forums

 

[trejo]

I do have to say the School Days thing is pretty old hat at this point. There's nothing surprising about the reactions any more.

Maybe someday I, too, shall share in that opinion.

Not today, though.

 

[cajunator]

I do have to say the School Days thing is pretty old hat at this point. There's nothing surprising about the reactions any more.

Not enough Yami impressions.
Syrinx was so taken by it, he gave it elephant oatmeal/10

 

[Regulus Tera]

-- (*69) --- **,652 **,652 **1 Medaka Box Abnormal v1

So how fucked up does this put GAINAX in the fucked up scale?

 

[Hellsing321]

I do have to say the School Days thing is pretty old hat at this point. There's nothing surprising about the reactions any more.

Schadenfreude is a hell of a drug.

 

[jbug617]

To commemorate this day, I shall post a Cute.

It sort of mesmerizing.

 

[Westlo]

So how fucked up does this put GAINAX in the fucked up scale?

Pretty fucked up.

Have Gainax announced anything that is being worked on? I remember reading a sakuga 2012 wrap up on some blog (vanishing point?) that featured our own Ducky! Someone mentioned that Gainax had some original shows in the pipeline... gotta go see if i can find that blog post...

 

[Branduil]

So how fucked up does this put GAINAX in the fucked up scale?

Gainax was already dead. This is just pissing on the corpse.

 

[Chet Rippo]

I do have to say the School Days thing is pretty old hat at this point. There's nothing surprising about the reactions any more.

If you've already seen the show, I'm not sure how other people's reactions to it can be at all surprising.

 

[cajunator]

Irthink ImI'mgonna be sick...

... fuck! why?!?

Now you understand why harem protagonists are afraid of women.

 

[Thoraxes]

Schadenfreude is a hell of a drug.

I like watching new people watch it who have never seen it before.

 

[fertygo]

-- (*44) 108 *1,210 11,515 *13 Darker than Black -Kuro no Keiyakusha- BD Box

lol wut, why this charting again.

 

[cajunator]

lol wut, why this charting again.

Im so close to ordering dtb 1 and 2.

 

[Jex]

I thought the problem with that scene was weak animation more than the storyboard. The director is young and new, so I agree that she's still a bit rough when it comes to things like the flow of action and the rhythm of the storyboard, but even if a bit overdone the storyboard was mostly okay for me.

I don't see the close-ups as only having the purpose you said, as they're also a way of demonstrating the characters' expressions through body language.

Well, in the part of my post that you quoted I did mention their body language! I would certainly agree that the lack of animation is what brings the scene down though.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

Nichijou 1 & 2

Why did I wait this long to watch this? :lol

Welcome aboard!

 

[Enron]

Drunk Extol is a man of brevity.

Thankfully.

 

[Articalys]

lol wut, why this charting again.

Looks like there was a reprinting of the old BD box, exact same contents... for some reason.

Also, the Binbougami-ga! final BD per volume average: 1,213

 

[Jex]

That reminds me, is there a large contingent of people here who have seen Zeta Gundam? That's the next show on my Gundam-watching experience. My understanding is that it's supposed to be the best that Gundam has to offer but just checking.

Hahahahahahahhaha Zeta Gundam. The direction and structure are classic Tomino, which is to say extremely variable. Nearly all the characters are terrible and the villains are cartoon characters (even more so than one would expect). Also women can't pilot any robot ever.

I mean hahahhahahhahaha.

Gundam 0080 or Turn A Gundam is where it's at.

 

[Jintor]

Angel Densetsu OVA 01-02

Goddamnit why did they stop there? GOD DAMNIT

 

[fertygo]

Hahahahahahahhaha Zeta Gundam.

I mean hahahhahahhahaha.

Gundam 0080 or Turn A Gundam is where it's at.

He not wrong.

Although 0080 is close. Turn-A was godly but its not your usual Gundam.

And yeah this is "Gundam's experience"

The direction and structure are classic Tomino, which is to say extremely variable. Nearly all the characters are terrible and the villains are cartoon characters (even more so than one would expect). Also women can't pilot any robot ever.

We not talking about the best show! but the best "Gundam" experience that they can offer, Zeta have it all.

 

[Jex]

It's a very Tomino anime.

When is a Tomino anime not very Tomino-esque? Well, I haven't seen most of his work (nor would I want too).

 

[dakkumauji]

Hipira-kun 04

Trolling zombies and trolling rose spirits. Vampire boy has it hard.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

When is a Tomino anime not very Tomino-esque? Well, I haven't seen most of his work (nor would I want too).

I really want to see the Ronin Warriors OVAs that Tomino did.

 

[Jex]

Dog Soldier: Shadows of the Past


Behold the amazingness that is Dog Soldier from Central Park Media who also did Area 88! This OVA has nothing to do with making dogs into soldiers. In fact it's just a nickname for this bloke called John Kyosuke Hiba, I was quite disappointed when I found out this fact.

Anyway, this is about an evil weapons dealer called 'Phantom' and his auction business, that sells weapons. This time it's a biological weapon that turned out to be a

Spoiler

n AIDS vaccine, it's not really much of weapon by all accounts

.

I feel like, despite the amazing overall plot idea e.g. the cure for AIDS and one really sweet knife fight most of that OVA is fairly bland and disappointing, especially when compared to some of the other stuff that's out there. I can't in all good conscious recommend that people check it out.

 

[Kagami]

SCHOOL DAYS !12[/b[

YO....

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Irthink ImI'mgonna be sick...

... fuck! why?!?

Now that you're done, I can talk about a couple of things you said before that I wanted to comment on.

At one point you said "there's nothing special about Makoto."
But later you got to see that at the very least,

Spoiler

he's extremely good at pleasing women sexually, enough to get all the girls in school talking about it.

But that doesn't explain why so many were interested in him to begin with.
Normally we'd just chalk it up to "that's just how romance games work," but in this case, it actually goes back up a level to Makoto's father, Tomaru.
Tomaru is a super-womanizer, to such a degree that he might as well have magic powers.
So the assumption is that Makoto inherited that ability from his father.

You know how you were saying

Spoiler

Makoto's too dumb/not smooth enough to pull off the cheating thing?

Well, unlike Makoto, Tomaru was shrewd, perverted, sociopathic, and completely aware of his super-charm abilities, and he used them to both make himself rich and to explore the limits of human depravity:

AnimeGAF discussion on Tomaru
http://neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=43281920#post43281920

4chan/jp/ discussion archive on Tomaru (occasional NSFW thumbnails, discussion itself is very NSFW and disturbing)
Part 1 http://archive.foolz.us/jp/thread/2638121/#2639485 (starts halfway through)
Part 2 http://archive.foolz.us/jp/thread/2642768/

 

[Jintor]

Jesus christ. Apparently, School Days is fucking amateur hour.

 

[firehawk12]

Friends Club 5

Yeah, this show is pretty bland, but I still half-watch/scrub it.

I'm curious though, is this show produced by the same people who did Mayo Chiki? This reference is so oddly specific that even though they fake the name, it feels like product placement. Rika is basically Kevin Spacey talking about her Pee Ess Vita™.

Very weird.

Vividred Operation 5
Yeah, the mysterious girl has a conflicted past and is being manipulated. This show isn't even trying any more. Ah well.

 

[Shergal]

Well, in the part of my post that you quoted I did mention their body language! I would certainly agree that the lack of animation is what brings the scene down though.

Yes, I expressed myself badly. I meant that I don't see avoiding the faces as a bad point in that part because the characters' feelings could (if it had been better executed) be appreciated more accurately by their body language than just by watching their faces. Although now that I think about it, Kyoani's approach to facial acting is usually not very literal so the expressions would have flat-out told the viewer about their reactions and such. Maybe my liking of that use of the storyboard is more superficial, I just seem to dig it instintively.

 

[Madao]

Sailor Moon rewatch 32-51 (end of S1, start of R)

i've watched these eps between tuesday and today.
one thing i forgot to mention the other day is how knowing that Zoisite was actually a guy changed my perception of a lot of this part since they made him female in the dub and i was like "wtf?!?!" when i watched the jp version in 2007 and learned about this. this time it wasn't much of a big deal but a few scenes were definitely weirder.
outside that, it was fun seeing Endymion cockblock Kunsite's plans and do his own thing for the eps leading to the end.
the end of the season was pretty shocking for me originally since i didn't know anything about the series and seeing them die was like "omg did they really die?". the final battle still brings a few chills.

Sailor Moon R
when i learned the first mini-arc was filler, i was a bit surprised since there was no difference with the quality between canon eps and these ones (i had a similar reaction with the asgard part in Saint Seiya). i guess it was a good thing they put more effort into these types of eps back in the day since you actually want to rewatch them along the other eps and didn't do shit like Naruto-esque filler which is a mandatory skip.
i'll probably finish the mini arc tomorrow and then it is Black Moon time!

 

[Noirulus]

July 6th. Which just confirms that I am, in fact, a cancer upon AnimeGAF.

hey another Cancer-bro

man that sounds really inappropriate

I thought the zodiacs have shifted recently? Cancer is July 21 - August 9 now according to wikipedia.

July 14th here, so I fall under Gemini now I think.

Edit: I feel like watching Saint Seiya now.

 

[Articalys]

Friends Club 5

Yeah, this show is pretty bland, but I still half-watch/scrub it.

I'm curious though, is this show produced by the same people who did Mayo Chiki? This reference is so oddly specific that even though they fake the name, it feels like product placement. Rika is basically Kevin Spacey talking about her Pee Ess Vita™.

Very weird.

Mayo Chiki was feel., while Hagnai NEXT is AIC Build, so no. I dunno if the LN publishers are under the same label or something though.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

But you are still watching after sixteen episodes.

I would have stopped back at 5-10 if,
1 . I didn't know a couple minor spoilers
2 . Steins;Gate wasn't my 2nd favorite anime series.

That reminds me, is there a large contingent of people here who have seen Zeta Gundam? That's the next show on my Gundam-watching experience. My understanding is that it's supposed to be the best that Gundam has to offer but just checking.

Nope
1. 0080
2. Wing
3. 08th
4. Turn A

 

[Jex]

He not wrong.

Although 0080 is close. Turn-A was godly but its not your usual Gundam.

And yeah this is "Gundam's experience"

We not talking about the best show! but the best "Gundam" experience that they can offer, Zeta have it all.

The most 'Gundam' experiences are the worst one's though!

 

[Instro]

Vividred Operation 5
Yeah, the mysterious girl has a conflicted past and is being manipulated. This show isn't even trying any more. Ah well.

I'm pretty sure it never tried.

 

[cajunator]

Friends Club 5

Yeah, this show is pretty bland, but I still half-watch/scrub it.

I'm curious though, is this show produced by the same people who did Mayo Chiki? This reference is so oddly specific that even though they fake the name, it feels like product placement. Rika is basically Kevin Spacey talking about her Pee Ess Vita™.

Very weird.

Vividred Operation 5
Yeah, the mysterious girl has a conflicted past and is being manipulated. This show isn't even trying any more. Ah well.

That is quite clearly a reference to Mayo Chiki.
Not sure about studio relation but thats exectly what they are talking about.

 

[Enron]

That is quite clearly a reference to Mayo Chiki.

You don't say!

 

[firehawk12]

Mayo Chiki was feel., while Hagnai NEXT is AIC Build, so no. I dunno if the LN publishers are under the same label or something though.

It's just weird because they took half a minute to basically advertise the show, even though they changed the names slightly.

I mean, unless the galge/otomoge they're playing is a real game and not a thin TokiMemo parody, it's weird that it was just that specific.

I mean, Joshiraku and every other anime with 5 girls has made a K-On joke, to the point where Joshiraku's characters talked about visiting London, but those references are obtuse at best.

Ah well. lol

I'm pretty sure it never tried.

That's probably true.

Anime is SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT, etc.

 

[fertygo]

The most 'Gundam' experiences are the worst one's though!

Like Star Wars!

 

[fertygo]

It's just weird because they took half a minute to basically advertise the show, even though they changed the names slightly.

I mean, unless the galge/otomoge they're playing is a real game and not a thin TokiMemo parody, it's weird that it was just that specific.

I mean, Joshiraku and every other anime with 5 girls has made a K-On joke, to the point where Joshiraku's characters talked about visiting London, but those references are obtuse at best.

Ah well. lol

The other show, talking about JoJo nonstop.. they just making fun, not a big deal.

EDIT : meh dp, sorry.

 

[Dresden]

Friends Club 5

Yeah, this show is pretty bland, but I still half-watch/scrub it.

I'm curious though, is this show produced by the same people who did Mayo Chiki? This reference is so oddly specific that even though they fake the name, it feels like product placement. Rika is basically Kevin Spacey talking about her Pee Ess Vita™.

The two LNs share the same publisher and imprint.

 

[Noirulus]

Mayo Chiki was feel., while Hagnai NEXT is AIC Build, so no. I dunno if the LN publishers are under the same label or something though.

Both LNs are under Media Factory, so that might explain it.

edit: beaten

 

[firehawk12]

The two LNs share the same publisher and imprint.

That makes a bit more sense. I guess they didn't want to use the actual name to avoid looking too much like an advertisement? Us nerds are a cynical bunch or something.

The other show, talking about JoJo nonstop.. they just making fun, not a big deal.

EDIT : meh dp, sorry.

Oh right, OreShura. The references they make there are oddly specific too, but at least the characters are only describing the scenes and not actually re-drawing them. lol

 

[dakkumauji]

Haganai NEXT 05

Blah, blah, half was crap, more points for Rika as usual, etc, etc.

 

[Extollere]

Now that you're done, I can talk about a couple of things you said before that I wanted to comment on.

stuff

Whoa dude, I still need a minute...

I'll try to reply later

 

[Hellsing321]

Jesus christ. Apparently, School Days is fucking amateur hour.

Maktoto is a fine upstanding gentlemen compared to his father.

 

[Chet Rippo]

Friends Club 5

Yeah, this show is pretty bland, but I still half-watch/scrub it.

I'm curious though, is this show produced by the same people who did Mayo Chiki? This reference is so oddly specific that even though they fake the name, it feels like product placement. Rika is basically Kevin Spacey talking about her Pee Ess Vita™.

Very weird.

Vividred Operation 5
Yeah, the mysterious girl has a conflicted past and is being manipulated. This show isn't even trying any more. Ah well.

The first season had an obvious Monster Hunter clone, a Sacred Blacksmith parody, and Mecha sex scene between an Eva unit and a Gundam. It's just what the show does.