[duckroll]

That really doesn't make any sense, because then "anime" would then include stuff that looks Japanese but isn't made there (Wakfu, even if Japanese people worked on it!) and stuff that looks Western but originated in Japan (Kaiba, Bebop). So yeah, I don't think that holds. I suppose I'd ask "where it the majority of the creative control for the production of this series?"

It doesn't have to make sense. Anime is such a generic term thrown around in western pop culture that with enough misuse it just comes to mean "that kinda japawacky asian cartoon shit". Blame the Americans I guess?

[Branduil]

Well let's do a quick poll of places which cover Wonderful Days/Sky Blue under "anime": http://www.absoluteanime.com/sky_blue/index.htm http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=568 http://canime.wordpress.com/2008/02/...-anime-review/ http://psgels.net/2007/08/14/wonderf...-review-76100/ http://movies.ign.com/articles/573/573967p1.html http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ency...me.php?id=2536 http://myanimelist.net/anime/548 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46iTeXkf2-U I think there's reasonable argument that many people see anime as an art style rather than something specifically Japanese in origin. I would even further suggest that to most of the masses they wouldn't even pay attention to details like the actual country something is produced or animated in specifically, as opposed to how it looks and how similar it is to something else they are familiar with which looks the same.

I think there's reasonable argument that many uninformed people see anime as an art style. My view is that basing definitions off of what people who would be admittedly ignorant of its origin think is a poor method for defining terms that are actually supposed to mean something.

I mean, your definition would functionally amount to "anime is something that looks like anime," or more basically, "anime is anime." I'm not a fan of tautological definitions.

[cajunator]

That really doesn't make any sense, because then "anime" would then include stuff that looks Japanese but isn't made there (Wakfu, even if Japanese people worked on it!) and stuff that looks Western but originated in Japan (Kaiba, Bebop). So yeah, I don't think that holds. I suppose I'd ask "where it the majority of the creative control for the production of this series?"

Thats pretty much how I determine it myself.

"Which country thought this shit up in the first place?"
Im talking about individual series here.

[Jexhius]

Well let's do a quick poll of places which cover Wonderful Days/Sky Blue under "anime": I think there's reasonable argument that many people see anime as an art style rather than something specifically Japanese in origin. I would even further suggest that to most of the masses they wouldn't even pay attention to details like the actual country something is produced or animated in specifically, as opposed to how it looks and how similar it is to something else they are familiar with which looks the same.

I don't thing rounding up a bunch of people of questionable sources and then moving forward with a definition based on their ignorance is a great way to move forward.

Are you really citing youtube videos? You might as well cite youtube comments.

It doesn't have to make sense. Anime is such a generic term thrown around in western pop culture that with enough misuse it just comes to mean "that kinda japawacky asian cartoon shit". Blame the Americans I guess?

I don't enough people have misused the term for it to simply mean "whatever people are calling anime these days".

[Haly]

Only someone Japanese would make something like Kaiba.

[duckroll]

I think there's reasonable argument that many uninformed people see anime as an art style. My view is that basing definitions off of what people who would be admittedly ignorant of its origin think is a poor method for defining terms that are actually supposed to mean something. I mean, your definition would functionally amount to "anime is something that looks like anime," or more basically, "anime is anime." I'm not a fan of tautological definitions.

You never actually asked my personal definition of anime. I would stick with the Japanese origin of the word, which is animation. It's all the same to me. Works for the Japanese, works for me.

I'm simply arguing that there exists out there other definitions of anime than your own, and there is nothing particularly definitive about it.

Since you're such a fan of Wikipedia, let's see what Wikipedia has to say about this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime

Anime is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation." In English-speaking countries, anime refers to a style of animation originating in Japan, characterized by colorful graphics and often featuring themes intended for an adult audience. The intended meaning of the word 'anime' sometimes varies, depending on the context.

LOL? LULZ? ROFLCOPTER? Again, I'm not saying Wikipedia is definitive, but you DID bring them up earlier.

[Haly]

Anime is very mature we all know this.

[Branduil]

Friends don't let friends let Yui define words.

You never actually asked my personal definition of anime. I would stick with the Japanese origin of the word, which is animation. It's all the same to me. Works for the Japanese, works for me. I'm simply arguing that there exists out there other definitions of anime than your own, and there is nothing particularly definitive about it.

I disagree. An informed opinion counts more than an uninformed one.

Since you're such a fan of Wikipedia, let's see what Wikipedia has to say about this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime LOL? LULZ? ROFLCOPTER? Again, I'm not saying Wikipedia is definitive, but you DID bring them up earlier.

I only brought up Wikipedia because of your claim that certain series were viewed by everyone as anime. My mistake, I shouldn't have indulged your sophism.

[cajunator]

Is this really what we have become?

[Jexhius]

I clearly should have been here earlier. I argued about this last May, so I would have known never to touch Wikipedia with a ten-foot barge pole. Most of these 'definitions' are rubbish. I mean, is this:

"a Japanese style of motion-picture animation, characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sexuality. "

any more helpful? Clearly not.

Apparently we just want to get to 20,000 even faster than ever.

[hosannainexcelsis]

Is this really what we have become?

May spring come swiftly.

[duckroll]

The biggest kick I'm getting out of this is that Jexhius is wasting his time with this "argument" instead of seeing the glorious trailer hidden away several pages back. :D

[darkside31337]

Apparently we just want to get to 20,000 even faster than ever.

I can't believe you guys are going to do Miri like this. This is wrong :(

Also we should stop using Wikipedia as a source.

[cajunator]

The biggest kick I'm getting out of this is that Jexhius is wasting his time with this "argument" instead of seeing the glorious trailer hidden away several pages back. :D

Maybe he saw it and is silently contemplating his response.

[Dresden]

I <3 wikipedia.

one day i will go back and update the episode summaries

[Ultimadrago]

The biggest kick I'm getting out of this is that Jexhius is wasting his time with this "argument" instead of seeing the glorious trailer hidden away several pages back. :D

He seems to do a collapsing motion on comment responses replying to both past and present simultaneously.

Just give 'im some time.

[duckroll]

I <3 wikipedia. one day i will go back and update the episode summaries

So I guess at some point... stuff happens?

[Jexhius]

The biggest kick I'm getting out of this is that Jexhius is wasting his time with this "argument" instead of seeing the glorious trailer hidden away several pages back. :D

I'm still reeling from the fact that it isn't a standard anime trailer - e.g. a bunch of clips from the pilot episode hastily edited together with some music slapped on top. It's rare to see actual effort invested in something like this.

[hosannainexcelsis]

I'm still reeling from the fact that it isn't a standard anime trailer - e.g. a bunch of clips from the pilot episode hastily edited together with some music slapped on top. It's rare to see actual effort invested in something like this.

I know! Has there ever been another anime trailer like it?

[-Minsc-]

It's far more than the protagonist simply being female. Her family dynamic - she assumes the role of protector and provider, mother/nurturer for her sister after their actual mother falls into depression. She assumes the role again when she encounters Rue. The harem of male figures that coalesce around her in varying roles - the lover back home, the secret admirer, the mentor/father figure, the confidant/support. Gender roles in the romance arc - The male is incapacitated and the female has to go for help. The male is held hostage and the female has to save him. The male is emotionally conflicted, scared, and unstable , and the female is focused, collected, driven, and strong. These kinds of qualities are characteristic to a more female oriented, female-targeted, female-centric audience, typical of your standard shoujo style story. That is NOT to say it cannot be appealing to everyone, because it absolutely can, and is, but there are many things about the narrative that are designed to speak specifically to the teenage female crowd.

I'll concede on that point. The Hunger Games can be compared to Twelve Kingdoms (see how I brilliantly bring this back on the topic of anime) in that both are targeted to female audiences while have high appeal to the male crowd. In both THG and Twelve Kingdoms cases, their screen adaptations may have been produced with more male appeal than the original sources.

Now, I'll bring up Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. It pretty much has everything you mentioned in some form yet is the complete opposite side of the coin. No matter how much I look at, I can not view it as shoujo. While there may not be a big romance, Balsa's relationship her male companion is portrayed with her as the stronger and him as the weaker.

[Branduil]

I'm still reeling from the fact that it isn't a standard anime trailer - e.g. a bunch of clips from the pilot episode hastily edited together with some music slapped on top. It's rare to see actual effort invested in something like this.

On the other hand, a cynical take could be that they're running behind the production schedule and it's not a bunch of clips because they weren't finished yet.

[BluWacky]

On the other hand, a cynical take could be that they're running behind the production schedule and it's not a bunch of clips because they weren't finished yet.

That was what I was thinking. But that's some stylish CG lettering and filters they've got going on there. Someone put effort into that PV even if there is worryingly little animation on show.

[RurouniZel]

Ano Natsu de Matteru 12 END:

Remon is a fucking badass! And so is her van! Kanna continues to run from the stalker probe of death only to be bailed out by Manami, who says her husband told her to be there? Does he know something? Well whatever, that's how Kanna gets away from the probe. Meanwhile Tetsuro and Mio continue on their road as well. Ichika and Kaito make for the unmarked location, but are found by yet another probe (fuck those things are annoying!!). So of course she trips and Ichika's sister has to intervene to save them.

While we're at it, add Rinon to the badass list. Jesus, Ichika don't talk about the others like they're dead! >>; Kaito assures Ichika and wonders if everything were to work out if he'd be allowed to visit her planet someday. D'aaaaaw, they're cute, I have to admit. The dialogue here is super cheesy but I don't care. I understand that they've gotta get it out of their system just in case this doesn't end well.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Remon MIB FUCKING CONFIRMED!! XD AND SO IS MANAMI'S HUSBAND!! XD!!! FUCKING ACE!! That certainly would explain the marriage problems, he's probably never around 'cause he's MIB! XD

And then finally... Ichika and Kaito find the place in her memory. As they go to find the evidence, the evidence decides to find them instead! How very nice of it! It does some lighty thing and breaks, taking Ichika and Kaito into her vision (her cells were used to heal him so it affects Kaito too). But the true evidence has long since disappeared, and Ichika is taken in a rather well done scene that I admit, I teared up a little. This whole sequence had some fantastic imagery right up to the eye catch.

I guess Tetsuro's fate's going to be ambiguous? Laaaaame. You were all set up with Mio, and even Kanna's encouraging it! Just do it, Tetsu! Oh well. Kaito's sister comes home with a souvenir for Ichika, so we can have a little dramatic moment. ^^ Remon tells the others she's transferring and leaves them the film she took before pulling a Batman.

The others gather at Kaito's house to watch the movie. I LOVE how it looks like a poorly edited movie from an older camera! ^^; And I love how it has all the "extra" footage! XD Fuckin' ace! Awwww, poor Kaito. I feel for ya dude. Totally feel for ya. But you know they're going to squeeze in a happy end at the VERY END because this is what anime does.

Yep, I called it!

Great end! I loved this show from start to finish! ^_^

[hosannainexcelsis]

On the other hand, a cynical take could be that they're running behind the production schedule and it's not a bunch of clips because they weren't finished yet.

Trailers like that usually end up being text on black screens and maybe one or two stills, not a carefully constructed baroque short.

[Instro]

KoikeLupin PV is up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om_UdToxqqE Like with all KoikeLupin anything, there is a NIPPLE shot because of the key visual. So NSFW!

Pretty excellent trailer really, looks like some actual time went into making it which is interesting. I assume this is the trailer that japanese bloggers were supposedly shitting on last week, lol.

I didn't realize Accel World was on the sakuga watch list. What would be the reason for this? Personally, I'd expect more out of Zetman.

The PV I saw the other week looked pretty impressive visually. I think I got laughed at when I brought it up in the irc though!

[Jexhius]

On the other hand, a cynical take could be that they're running behind the production schedule and it's not a bunch of clips because they weren't finished yet.

This seems more difficult then that. If it wasn't created to be a trailer for this show it seems more likely that it would be a concept pitch. It just feels too well-crafted to be a slap-dash thing.

[7Th]

I kinda get the feeling that Koike Lupin's PV isn't showing much because they're afraid of the backlash from the family-friendly Miyazaki Lupin fans; they want the audience to watch the first episode without preconceptions.

[duckroll]

If you're worried about KoikeLupin now, you're REALLY not going to want to hear what I have to say next. I read a report from the Lupin 40th Anniversary event last week, where they apparently said that right now they are only in production for episode 3 of the series. That sounds pretty terrible honestly, considering it airs in a week. :P

[Branduil]

This seems more difficult then that. If it wasn't created to be a trailer for this show it seems more likely that it would be a concept pitch. It just feels too well-crafted to be a slap-dash thing.

Obviously that's just to convince us that everything is going just fine!

If you're worried about KoikeLupin now, you're REALLY not going to want to hear what I have to say next. I read a report from the Lupin 40th Anniversary event last week, where they apparently said that right now they are only in production for episode 3 of the series. That sounds pretty terrible honestly, considering it airs in a week. :P

Are we sure that SHAFT isn't involved in this?

[Dresden]

If you're worried about KoikeLupin now, you're REALLY not going to want to hear what I have to say next. I read a report from the Lupin 40th Anniversary event last week, where they apparently said that right now they are only in production for episode 3 of the series. That sounds pretty terrible honestly, considering it airs in a week. :P

should get shaft to take over

[RurouniZel]

If you're worried about KoikeLupin now, you're REALLY not going to want to hear what I have to say next. I read a report from the Lupin 40th Anniversary event last week, where they apparently said that right now they are only in production for episode 3 of the series. That sounds pretty terrible honestly, considering it airs in a week. :P

Crappy outsourcing time, SWITCH ON!

[Instro]

If you're worried about KoikeLupin now, you're REALLY not going to want to hear what I have to say next. I read a report from the Lupin 40th Anniversary event last week, where they apparently said that right now they are only in production for episode 3 of the series. That sounds pretty terrible honestly, considering it airs in a week. :P

Maybe its a 12 episode 4 cour split.

[hosannainexcelsis]

If you're worried about KoikeLupin now, you're REALLY not going to want to hear what I have to say next. I read a report from the Lupin 40th Anniversary event last week, where they apparently said that right now they are only in production for episode 3 of the series. That sounds pretty terrible honestly, considering it airs in a week. :P

Now that is a concern. Could Koike's perfectionism damage the show?

[cajunator]

On the other hand, a cynical take could be that they're running behind the production schedule and it's not a bunch of clips because they weren't finished yet.

It does have a bit of Shaftian essence to it.

[Branduil]

Now that is a concern. Could Koike's perfectionism damage the show?

Eh, it's not like Koike has a history of bankrupting studios or anything.

[duckroll]

I kinda get the feeling that Koike Lupin's PV isn't showing much because they're afraid of the backlash from the family-friendly Miyazaki Lupin fans; they want the audience to watch the first episode without preconceptions.

If that was really the case, why would they have the sort of stuff they had on the official page for the series, along with the nude key visual, and so on? The official site has a short interview with Yamamoto, where she literally says they're making an erotic and bold avant-garde series. She goes on to talk about how the Fujiko she envisions is a cool and crazy woman who loves sex and lives only for the moment.

I would say comments like that certainly... create preconceptions.

[Steroyd]

Ano Natsu - END

Like a fucking boss.

A nice ending to all things.

[Lafiel]

If you're worried about KoikeLupin now, you're REALLY not going to want to hear what I have to say next. I read a report from the Lupin 40th Anniversary event last week, where they apparently said that right now they are only in production for episode 3 of the series. That sounds pretty terrible honestly, considering it airs in a week. :P

I guess the storybook-ish animation style takes a lot of time!

[Cwarrior]

If you're worried about KoikeLupin now, you're REALLY not going to want to hear what I have to say next. I read a report from the Lupin 40th Anniversary event last week, where they apparently said that right now they are only in production for episode 3 of the series. That sounds pretty terrible honestly, considering it airs in a week. :P

Don't worry they can get ikuhara to come in and spam some reused animetion and some jpeg image slideshows to fill up the rest of the episodes.

[cajunator]

They just need 20 second stills of Fujiko Mine in her birthday suit.

[7Th]

If that was really the case, why would they have the sort of stuff they had on the official page for the series, along with the nude key visual, and so on? The official site has a short interview with Yamamoto, where she literally says they're making an erotic and bold avant-garde series. She goes on to talk about how the Fujiko she envisions is a cool and crazy woman who loves sex and lives only for the moment. I would say comments like that certainly... create preconceptions.

True enough; I'm just extrapolating my thoughts about Toei not doing what they usually do with Saint Seiya Omega's PVs: showing clips from the henshin/transformation bank footage for 15-30 seconds. I get the feeling they know that hardcore fans are going to be angry over the lack of totems.

[EmmanuelMunoz]

Is this really what we have become?

Happily :P

[Cwarrior]

True enough; I'm just extrapolating my thoughts about Toei not doing what they usually do with Saint Seiya Omega's PVs: showing clips from the henshin/transformation bank footage for 15-30 seconds. I get the feeling they know that hardcore fans are going to be angry over the lack of totems.

here's some early footage right here of the transformation

[duckroll]

True enough; I'm just extrapolating my thoughts about Toei not doing what they usually do with Saint Seiya Omega's PVs: showing clips from the henshin/transformation bank footage for 15-30 seconds. I get the feeling they know that hardcore fans are going to be angry over the lack of totems.

My thoughts are a bit mix. I think you have a solid point about being afraid of too much backlash because of visual differences, but I also wonder if maybe they are really going a bit too far with the content and they find it hard to get good footage which would be... fit for public audiences. The key visual is already pushing it pretty far, but the show itself might be worse. I'm kinda imagining something like Kemonozume in my head honestly, and I'm not even sure if NTV can air stuff like that... so I dunno.

[Mad Pierrot]

Another 12 (END):

ಠ_ಠ

Reiko? REIKO?!?!?!? AAAAAAAAAAAFHGHDHGDGHHdhgdh. I'm okay with the twist in the sense of it being "9-3's teacher was the extra person rather than a student". In fact, I had considered that this very thing was going to be the ultimate twist, however after Kubodera killed himself I didn't begin to suspect Ms. Mikami. Still, just so I don't make an ass of myself, the fact that Ms. Mikami and Reiko were the same person was the other part of the twist, right? I'd hate to think that it had been immediately established that they were the same person and I had somehow missed this.

If it WAS part of the twist, though, it was an incredibly silly thing to hide from the viewer for the entire series. All of that deception just for a few moments of extra anguish from Kouichi over having to kill his aunt? I would have been just as satisfied if the extra person had been Ms. Mikami and a separate person from Reiko.

Well, on the whole, the series didn't end nearly as tightly as I would have liked. I was expecting the death phenomenon to have some kind of connection to Yomiyama Misaki's death deeper than "it started happening after he died". Because there was never any dirty secret or foul play behind the death, it never made any sense for Misaki's death to result in such a terrible, grudging curse against Class 9-3. I had originally expected the show to have a heavy focus on Kouichi and Mei investigating the true nature of Misaki's death and bringing about an end to the phenomenon from the information they uncover. The show certainly opened strongly, but as several other people have complained, it discarded its own identity and just became Final Destination by the end. It was never a bad show, but it failed to realize its potential.

[icarus-daedelus]

The first episode is bad though, I have never watched past it.

What? How is the first episode of Cowboy Bebop bad?!

[/XX/]

This seems more difficult then that. If it wasn't created to be a trailer for this show it seems more likely that it would be a concept pitch. It just feels too well-crafted to be a slap-dash thing.

There was present at their TAF booth a different storyboard from a pilot film, and it probably was already used for that pitch you comment (as the mentioned Mr. Koike one for Afro Samurai).

[-Minsc-]

If that was really the case, why would they have the sort of stuff they had on the official page for the series, along with the nude key visual, and so on? The official site has a short interview with Yamamoto, where she literally says they're making an erotic and bold avant-garde series. She goes on to talk about how the Fujiko she envisions is a cool and crazy woman who loves sex and lives only for the moment. I would say comments like that certainly... create preconceptions.

I'm liking the preconceptions I'm having. More please.

[RurouniZel]

Rurouni Kenshin: Shin Kyoto-Hen OVA:

Mari Okada strikes again. ;_; I'm going to list the negatives first, and then a couple positives.

Negatives:
1) They took a TON of liberties with the original story. I would think this was to try and cram as much into 45 minutes as possible, but then there's stuff that was just thrown in there that made me say "What the fuck?" (You'll know when you see it)
2) The artwork/animation aren't as good as the original TV series.
3) Again, this just can't be condensed into an OVA. It's too long and the whole thing suffers. I'd say it's for "fans only", but they're more likely to be pissed than not.

Positives:
1) The new renditions of TV series music are REALLY nice. Pulled on the ol' nostalgia strings
2) They found a good replacement for Saito's voice actor. Decent impersonation.

[Uchip]

The Hunger Games seems pretty damned shounenbro to me.

Whoever was behind the camera during the action scenes needs to be shot

look at Lord of the Rings. Made in New Zealand, directed, written, and crewed by native New Zealanders

You forgot to mention that a lot of it was also filmed on location here
thems our mountains!