Neat post. I really liked the episode but it didn't occur to me that it would be something like "best of the year". The way you put it makes it seem like it really is flawless. It is undoubtedly the best entry in Tamako, and most surely in Winter too.
Therein lies the magic. The episode itself isn't overly showy or bombastic in a way that draws attention to it's greatest qualities but that's because the entire thing is seamless. Which brings me back to my original point about the episode feeling effortlessly good - it's not the work of a youth strenuously demonstrating their talent as a storyteller rather it's the product of a far more mature creator who lets the story breathe and speak on it's own terms. I don't mean to make a qualitative comparison, for a whole host of reasons, but it is very reminiscent of Hosoda's approach to Wolf's Children.
So 7th brought this up because I talked about the weird photo backgrounds in the first Otona Joshi episode.
And yep, this sure has that stuff too:
Somehow though, after confirming the look of the show, I got sucked into it and basically watched the entire series.
And once you learn the twist at the end of the series, suddenly everything about the show makes sense - especially Sora's outlook on life.
This was particularly devastating. The :firehawk is just fucking palpable in this show.
And you know, maybe because it was so compressed, but I got totally used to seeing photo backgrounds and blended photo backgrounds in the show. I guess it's lazy inasmuch as they take the photo referencing one step further by not even bothering with the tracing, but it looked good and the story was strong enough to make you forget all of that stuff anyway.
The directing being fairly subtle and subdued helped as well, allowing the characters to breathe and feel like real agents in a space that blurs the line between fiction and reality.
I don't know if this is quite Aria-tier for me, but it's definitely close. Although now I really feel bad about not finishing Windy Tales. lol
The plot about Nitta and his brother (it is his brother right) has me curious. Since I just recently re-watched Welcome to the N.H.K. I'm getting the feeling
this guy is a hikikomori
. Anyways I'm sure I'll figure out next week (hasn't watched the preview).
It'll be great. That arc was really messed up in the manga since Togashi didn't even bother drawing stuff most of the time and we had to wait weeks for the smallest bit of story development to happen. Since they probably will fix the pacing I can't wait for it to start.
Personally speaking, I'm always much more interested in the episode rankings from Newtype than the shows/characters, because they're always so wildly different from the other polls. Shows like Space Brothers, or Zetsuen no Tempest, or Shin Sekai Yori, seem utterly weird to be showing up there.
This month that list reads as follows:
1. Vividred ep 6 (the summer trip one with the ridiculous long title)
2. Magi ep 18 (start of the Sindria arc)
3. Psycho-Pass ep 17 (
Makishima's arrest and escape
)
4. Zetsuen no Tempest ep 17 (
Hakaze finds out that Yoshino loved Aika
)
5. Haganai Next ep 5 (
time machine episode
)
6. Robo;Notes ep 17 (
club shut down, final report downloaded
)
7. From The New World ep 18 (summer festival/
bakenezumi attack
)
8. The Unlimited Hyoubu Kyosuke ep 5 (the one with the Angry Video Game Nerd cameo)
9. Space Brothers ep 44 (the episode after
Araragi is number 6 on the men's poll this month and was number 2 last month. They just don't seem to be very interested in the girls at the moment!
The character rankings always seem a bit weird. Given how unpopular Magi is with many in Western fandom due to its apparent bastardisation of the manga, surely it stands to reason that in a country where far more people are likely to have read that the characters should be even less popular?
nao's confirmed as doing the OP, increasing the chances of 5pb showing up by 2.487%. If the OP's on the same level as Kirihirake! Gracie☆Star I'll be happy.
Personally speaking, I'm always much more interested in the episode rankings from Newtype than the shows/characters, because they're always so wildly different from the other polls. Shows like Space Brothers, or Zetsuen no Tempest, or Shin Sekai Yori, seem utterly weird to be showing up there.
This month that list reads as follows:
1. Vividred ep 6 (the summer trip one with the ridiculous long title)
2. Magi ep 18 (start of the Sindria arc)
3. Psycho-Pass ep 17 (
Makishima's arrest and escape
)
4. Zetsuen no Tempest ep 17 (
Hakaze finds out that Yoshino loved Aika
)
5. Haganai Next ep 5 (
time machine episode
)
6. Robo;Notes ep 17 (
club shut down, final report downloaded
)
7. From The New World ep 18 (summer festival/
bakenezumi attack
)
8. The Unlimited Hyoubu Kyosuke ep 5 (the one with the Angry Video Game Nerd cameo)
9. Space Brothers ep 44 (the episode after
Hibito gets rescued
)
10. Sasami-san ep 5 (Kagami friendship ep)
Araragi is number 6 on the men's poll this month and was number 2 last month. They just don't seem to be very interested in the girls at the moment!
The character rankings always seem a bit weird. Given how unpopular Magi is with many in Western fandom due to its apparent bastardisation of the manga, surely it stands to reason that in a country where far more people are likely to have read that the characters should be even less popular?
It might have aired too late in the month to make the poll. The latest episode they have on there is from 14th February; said episode aired on the 22nd I think so may not have made the deadline.
It might have aired too late in the month to make the poll. The latest episode they have on there is from 14th February; said episode aired on the 22nd I think so may not have made the deadline.
More news from the Dengeki Spring Festival: light novel series Strike the Blood (by the author of Dantalian no Shoka) and Golden Time (by the author of Toradora) will be adapted for anime.
You say that, but have you seen the final PV for the Vassalord OVA that came bundled with the last volume of the manga this week? It's super BL which may stop some people watching but the animation looks glorious.
It's directed by Kazuto Nakazawa, who also directed one of the last truly great vampire-related anime Comedy.
Few screens of the first Neptunia anime footage shown at the Dengeki event:
Also IF and Compa will be appearing!
nao's confirmed as doing the OP, increasing the chances of 5pb showing up by 2.487%. If the OP's on the same level as Kirihirake! Gracie☆Star I'll be happy.
Few screens of the first Neptunia anime footage shown at the Dengeki event:
Also IF and Compa will be appearing!
nao's confirmed as doing the OP, increasing the chances of 5pb showing up by 2.487%. If the OP's on the same level as Kirihirake! Gracie☆Star I'll be happy.
You say that, but have you seen the final PV for the Vassalord OVA that came bundled with the last volume of the manga this week? It's super BL which may stop some people watching but the animation looks glorious.
It's directed by Kazuto Nakazawa, who also directed one of the last truly great vampire-related anime Comedy.
Haha, apparently Takeshi Honda did key animation on that too. It looks totally uninteresting and stupid to me though, so what a waste. I guess IG only gets serious with staff when the product has no potential?! Lolz.
I love this show. It's slow, but, I don't mind as the character interactions are the best part. I like all the characters. Kurisu is already one of my favorite's. I like every character, specially the main.
I thought I would hate it seeing as how I hated Durararara.
I've read a bit of the manga - it is pretty uninteresting and stupid, it feels like the worst bits of Trinity Blood (i.e. all of Trinity Blood...) with prettier men in vaguely S&M relationships. I guess, as you say...
I guess IG only gets serious with staff when the product has no potential?! Lolz.
I wonder whether Nakazawa just likes working on small projects. He's one of the best OP directors in the business IMO and his shorts are almost always interesting, but it's relatively rare for him to direct something longer than that.
I wonder whether Nakazawa just likes working on small projects. He's one of the best OP directors in the business IMO and his shorts are almost always interesting, but it's relatively rare for him to direct something longer than that.
Maybe he's just not very good at it? I mean, his Kid Icarus short wasn't really good, and his Asura's Wrath DLC episode was total shit compared to Ohira's. He should probably stick to OPs where he is more comfortable. Otherwise he might ruin his own reputation like Shiotani has! (looool)
You say that, but have you seen the final PV for the Vassalord OVA that came bundled with the last volume of the manga this week? It's super BL which may stop some people watching but the animation looks glorious.
It's directed by Kazuto Nakazawa, who also directed one of the last truly great vampire-related anime Comedy.
Vampires Charles J. Chrishunds (Charley) and Johnny Rayflo have a strange relationship. Charley is a cyborg vampire mix, and a vampire hunter for the Vatican, while his master Johnny enjoys a playboy lifestyle. While fighting crimes involving vampires, Charley struggles to control his lust for blood and for Johnny, while Johnny (previously known as Addie before becoming a vampire) delights in seducing his servant and attempts to deal with issues from his own past. Johnny cares about Charley (also known as Cherry and Chris), and the feelings don't seem to be one-sided.
Definitely felt so much better running through it all in a week, and quite more emotional and sad second half with all things going on. Really enjoyed the dub, in tea and in men, only the first pick will do, etc, and mr president watch out still sounded and was hilarious.
You say that, but have you seen the final PV for the Vassalord OVA that came bundled with the last volume of the manga this week? It's super BL which may stop some people watching but the animation looks glorious.
It's directed by Kazuto Nakazawa, who also directed one of the last truly great vampire-related anime Comedy.
Maybe he's just not very good at it? I mean, his Kid Icarus short wasn't really good, and his Asura's Wrath DLC episode was total shit compared to Ohira's. He should probably stick to OPs where he is more comfortable. Otherwise he might ruin his own reputation like Shiotani has! (looool)
