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Kill la Kill |OT|

Eusis

Member
For a while anime became popular precisely because it had sex and violence, while American animation shied away from it.
Which is part of a broader angle that anime was just more varied than American cartoons, and there was a huge novelty factor that would inevitably go away as you got used to seeing Japan depicted in them or their typical tropes and general quirks.
Anime was the dudebro video games of the '80s.
Kenshiro does look the part more than almost any other anime/manga protagonist afterwards. JoJo probably comes closest but that gets too... fabulous.
 

javac

Member
I've already got Ryuuko on order.

I think it's futile getting the thread back on track at this point though. :(

Ha don't worry they'll calm down eventually and the thread will calm down again.

I've got Ryuko ordered too. Both her phat and nendoroid. I still haven't ordered Mako yet tho. I will eventually. I'm guessing Satsuki will go up near or after Ryuko goes on sale this August.

I enjoyed the top favorites list. I had written about re-watching Ep 4 and 5 a little while ago, but I scrapped it when it was clear the thread was going to be off track for a while. I'll just say Ep 4 is still one of my favorite episodes. (RIP Maiko)

Yeah I loved episode 4. It was just a really fun rollercoaster (literally!). Sad Maiko never appears again. Now that was a wasted potential. Even a cameo.

That's a pretty typical Japan release strategy. The US release hasn't been announced yet, other than that Aniplex has the license. They have a bad habit of just taking the Japanese release, printing a few subtitles on them and then tossing them over to the US at full or near-full Japanese prices. It must be working for them because they keep doing it.

Kill La Kill is the one show that I'm willing to shell out for like that though. :( I feel bad for the Gurren Lagann superfans that finally got their English Blu-Ray release in the form of a limited edition $500 Japanese import set.

Yeah Anime Limited in the UK announced that they're bringing Kill la Kill over on bluray in the UK by the end of the year. They handled the simulcasts here too. Awesome guys. They're the ones doing the sub £100 Lagann bluray set too!

I was looking on Yahoo Auctions at the KLK blurays. I saw the first 3 volumes for about 20k but I didn't bite. I would gladly pay £100 for an ultimate bluray set however!
 

Akiller

Member
I thought the point of the thing was to go to Trigger and not Platinum

That's the idea, Platinum was only a suggestion because I admire them and I think they share a similar action/over top style with Imaishi e co. (All that tweets show that other people saw the resemblance).

That's all, only a suggestion(never wanted to force them), if I don't know CC2 or a small Japanese dev accepts to make a KLK game it's okay .

Anyway, sorry for the mess guys.
 

Jex

Member
I just realised I had posted this in the Anime thread but not bothered in here. Whoops!

[Kill la Kill] - Episode 5

Trigger

I don't really care for Kill la Kill. I don't really have anything else to add to that particular discussion of the series as a whole. However, as I went back through the show I came across a real gem - the fifth episode in the series. Not only do I think this is the best episode in the series but it also represents a fascinating insight into what Kill la Kill might have looked like if it wasn't being directed by Imaishi.

Episode 5, Trigger, introduces Tsumugu of Nudist Beach and features his battle with Ryuko over Senketsu. It also features some drip-feeding of information to the viewers about the wider world of the series and hints at future plot developments. None of that sounds particularly noteworthy, so why I am singling it out as something to highlight?

This episode was directed and storyboarded by Hiroshi Kobayashi whose directorial work you might have seen on the recent Yozakura Quartet TV show and OVA's (no, he's not the one doing all pantyshots). It's also worth pointing out that he's done key animation here and there. Still, it's not a particularly large portfolio but based on his work here I feel like he's someone to look out for. What makes this episode so interesting is that the production quality is so far off the hook that it feels like it's been made by an entirely different studio and the overall tone of the show feels completely different as well. It's far more restrained, and, for want of a better word, serious.

Fanservice

For example, Hiroshi doesn't frame Ryuko's scantily clad body the same way that other directors have done in the series. You can debate all you want about whether the 'fanservice' in other episodes is just there for fun or not, but you can't deny that it exists. This episode is different. Hiroshi doesn't shove the camera up her ass, or between her thighs, or across her breasts. For the most part, that is.

klk5a14dmi8o.jpg

There's not really a classy way to shoot her outfit, but this is about as classy as you can make it while still actually showing Ryuko onscreen! The rest of Imaishi's trademark humour and style is largely absent too with a distinct lack of perv jokes, food jokes, or naked people jokes. All the dumb gags that you normally find scattered throughout the show are mainly missing and when they do, occasionally, appear it's only very briefly and they're not really the focus of the scene.

Tone Control

Another surprising aspect of the tone is how uncomfortable the bathroom sequence at the end of the episode is. When Tsumgu has completely defeated Ryuko she still refuses to relent to his will and so he beats her with the brunt of his weapon in a manner that isn't lighthearted or exaggerated, or heroic of fantastical, it simply looks like a strong, brutal man assaulting a teenage girl:


This one act of violence is very off-putting, even though we're slightly distanced from it buy the longshot we can still feel it due to the reaction shot for Ryuko. This also establishes Tsumugu as a character who will apparently stop at nothing to achieve his goals. It's some pretty serious stuff.

What's good about this scene is that we also learn Tsumgu will stop at nothing to eliminate Senketsu:


That's right, when a tragic accident occurred that Tsumugu could do nothing to stop he vowed to never feel so powerless again. This is emphasised in the framing of the show where Tsumugu is not only restrained by two men, but entrapped by the frame of the window itself. Therefore, by his logic, it's okay to hurt Ryuko because really he's trying to help her in the long run. Unfortunately this particular plot line is never developed in the series and loses all relevance fairly quickly. But it works in this episode!

Production Quality

With regards to the production quality being higher than the rest of the show, a casual flip through this episode should be enough to show you how different it looks. The character designs are more complicated, the world is far richer in visual detail, the animation is great throughout and there's none of the classic money-saving techniques used in many other episodes. Things also appear far more rounded and fuller then than the rest of the series where things tend to be flat and brash:


I think this is most noticeable when you check out the battle that occurs in the middle of the episode and see how much animation actually occurs:

killd3uesrk.gif


I know right, movement and stuff. You'll notice how this isn't just two static combatants with overlayed with a loop of cheap animation.

Tsumugu

This episode does two very important thing in that in introduces Tsumugu, who we learn is a badass, and it strengthens the bond between Ryuko and Senketsu. Now, both of these improtant developments are handled well in the script but they really come alive on screen thanks to the directing.

Don't ask me how or why, but in movies/tv/games wearing sunglasses, riding on a motorcyle and smoking cigarettes all make you cool. That's just a fact of life. Tsumgu wins a lot of points simply for having these as part of his character. Ridiculous, but that's just how it works!

Tsumug's strength and dominance is demonstrated in numerous scenes where he thrashed anyone who gets in his way from lowly scrubs to the main character at the peak of her power. The framing of this character always demonstrates his power, he's usually shot from a low-angle so that we can see him physically dominating those below him in the frame and other characters are clearly subservient to him.


Another device that shows Tsumugu's dominance in this episode is how he extends out of the traditionally shallow frame towards and reach out towards the audience. We aren't even safe from him:


In the scene where he first meets Ryuko Tsumgu almost appears like a monster in a horror movie, his face shrouded in darkness with only his ominous sunglasses visible like the glowing eyes of a larger-than-life demon. He has utter control of the scene and of Ryuko and the way the scene is shot emphasises this greatly:


One of my favourite shots in the episode that really demonstrates his power, and the strength of the storyboarding, is this one:


Which is basically just Ryuko being kicked very hard by Tsumug. You can feel the force of the impact just from a single frame, but why is that? It's because just about everything in that shot is concentrating your eye on the impact itself, as you can see in this shot where I trace the lines in the image that are being used to guide your eyes:


Owch. Of course, for whatever reason, this guy becomes a complete gag character by the end of the series!

Bonus shot of Tsumugu being a boss before he got horribly neutered. RIP, cool dude.


Next time, I'll cover Senketu and Ryuko's relationship in this episode!
 

Gazoinks

Member
I just realised I had posted this in the Anime thread but not bothered in here. Whoops!

[Kill la Kill] - Episode 5

I don't think I commented on this in the anime thread, but this is a really good breakdown. I remember at the time thinking about the world building this episode introduced, but I kind of forgot about it and the general quality of this episode as the series progressed. If only we had more episodes with this strong direction and tone. What could have been, eh?
 

javac

Member
Man that was an amazing writeup! I actually really love that episode too! It had a different aura surrounding it now that I think about it. That was the point where I really became immersed in the universe and its characters.

The way Tsumugu is introduced and his interactions with Mikisugi were really interesting. Really interesting character with his demeanor. You never quite know if he's on your side or not. In fact he's on nobody's side, he's on his own side which makes him unpredictable. He does what is necessary. Viscous, violent and unapologetic. But he feels he's doing everyone a service and they'll think him in the future. He gets to learn and appreciate the bond between Ryuko and Senketsu. He doesn't fully understand it neither does he fully trust it, but he'll see how it goes for now. Ever ready to pull the trigger if needs be.
 

Giolon

Member
Since we seem to be back on track now,

I got through 2 more episodes of my re-watch last night, and it was Episode 4 - the school death-trap run and Episode 5 - the introduction of Tsumugu. Episode 4 still remains one of my favorite episodes. There's so much great imagery between the rocket launcher firing grannies, Mako running an autocannon, the "friendship" shots w/ Maiko...I even dig the Panty & Stocking-esque art style used for most of the episode.

And I still find the running panty-shot leads to death gag that runs throughout the episode. Each of the three instances of that were caused by Maiko if you look closely

This is also the first episode that we see Mako and Gamagoori directly interacting with each other.

I just realised I had posted this in the Anime thread but not bothered in here. Whoops!

[Kill la Kill] - Episode 5

Great writeup. Now I don't have to! I don't have a lot to more to say about Episode 5 other than I love the look at all the different clubs we get (The Karuta club is my favorite, since I so enjoyed Chihayafuru), but the Biology Club is standout with it's creepiness. I liked how at this point in the show Mako is constantly Ryuuko's damsel-in-distress, yet Mako comes to Ryuuko's rescue anyway w/ her Hallelujah interludes.

The animation quality throughout this early show is so high and the later half of the show so low, that I had forgotten how good the show used to look. Maybe we'll be treated to some improved art and animation on the Blu-Ray release. It's not uncommon these days.
 

Eusis

Member
It really does highlight how the series was definitely at its best at the start rather than later on. It was crazy how things escalated by Episode 3, and fighters were just better within the first several episodes than the last several. I still enjoyed it, but watching that .gif's still amazing while at least one fight near the end resorted to cheaply animated flailing.
 

Gbraga

Member
Anime like Cowboy Bebop and Millennium Actress were never the norm, else they wouldn't still be remembered so fondly compared to so many earlier works.

Anime has changed to a certain degree overall, as all mediums tend to do, but the '80s and '90s were not really a universal golden age. They were full of OVAs with ridiculous hyper-violence, sexual assault, etc. And yes, there was moe too. I don't think using anime to sell merchandise is anything new, either. I don't like Kill la Kill and 90% of anime is still crap, but as long as things like Wolf Children, Time of Eve, Bunny Drop, Flowers of Evil, Space Dandy, and From the New World are still being made, it's not accurate to say that anime is irredeemably and measurably worse than in the '90s.

Seriously, JP should watch Wolf Children. If he doesn't like it, he can't be saved.
 

Kieli

Member
Another episode that I felt was a lot like episode 5 was episode 7 (I think?). These 2 episodes showed the Kill la Kill that I wanted, but sadly did not get.
 

ZoddGutts

Member
Platinum games already bombed hard enough, asking for KLK won't change that. Then again W101 bombed really hard even by bomba standards, maybe a KLK would sell more, not that I'll take much:

Media Create Sales: Week 34, 2013 (Aug 19 - Aug 25)

01./00. [PS3] Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Masou Kishin III - Pride of Justice <SLG> (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.08.22} (¥7.480) - 39.255 / NEW <52,55%>
02./01. [3DS] Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life # <ETC> (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.08.01} (¥5.480) - 20.881 / 227.508 (-50%)
03./02. [3DS] Mario & Luigi: Dream Team # <RPG> (Nintendo) {2013.07.18} (¥4.800) - 20.339 / 264.977 (-49%)
04./00. [PSV] Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Masou Kishin III - Pride of Justice <SLG> (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.08.22} (¥6.480) - 18.929 / NEW <46,91%>[/b]
05./00. [PSV] Conception II: Shichisei no Michibiki to Mazuru no Akumu <RPG> (Spike Chunsoft) {2013.08.22} (¥6.279) - 18.878 / NEW
06./03. [3DS] Friend Collection: New Life # <ETC> (Nintendo) {2013.04.18} (¥4.800) - 15.585 / 1.394.763 (-45%)
07./00. [PS3] Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara <RPG> (Capcom) {2013.08.22} (¥3.990) - 14.480 / NEW
08./06. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf # <ETC> (Nintendo) {2012.11.08} (¥4.800) - 8.448 / 3.386.386 (-36%)
09./07. [3DS] Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon <ACT> (Nintendo) {2013.03.20} (¥4.800) - 7.639 / 878.384 (-39%)
10./08. [3DS] Youkai Watch <RPG> (Level 5) {2013.07.11} (¥4.800) - 7.084 / 143.796 (-36%)
11./04. [3DS] One Piece: Romance Dawn - Bouken no Yoake <RPG> (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.08.08} (¥5.980) - 6.712 / 47.210 (-57%)
12./09. [WIU] Pikmin 3 <ACT> (Nintendo) {2013.07.13} (¥5.985) - 5.741 / 171.401 (-48%)
13./14. [3DS] Mario Kart 7 <RCE> (Nintendo) {2011.12.01} (¥4.800) - 5.262 / 2.106.522 (-32%)
14./00. [WIU] The Wonderful 101 <ACT> (Nintendo) {2013.08.24} (¥6.830) - 5.258 / NEW
15./05. [3DS] Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies <ADV> (Capcom) {2013.07.25} (¥5.990) - 5.232 / 327.996 (-61%)
16./00. [3DS] Conception II: Shichisei no Michibiki to Mazuru no Akumu <RPG> (Spike Chunsoft) {2013.08.22} (¥6.279) - 5.072 / NEW
17./10. [3DS] Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D <ACT> (Nintendo) {2013.06.13} (¥4.800) - 5.003 / 258.457 (-52%)
18./13. [3DS] Fantasy Life: Link! <RPG> (Level 5) {2013.07.25} (¥4.980) - 4.481 / 48.874 (-45%)
19./12. [3DS] Hoppechan: Tsukutte! Asonde! Punipuni Town!! <ETC> (Nippon Columbia) {2013.07.25} (¥5.040) - 4.280 / 33.857 (-48%)
20./15. [WII] Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Super Deluxe Edition # <ACT> (Bandai Namco
 

A-V-B

Member
That post is excellent and makes me really sad.

I know. It's like it was a totally different show back then. Tsumugu was a badass, Nudist Beach was this mysterious superpowerful group, the animation was superb. A lot of promise with a deep world just ready to be explored. Stuff like that is what got me hooked.

To be honest... if the show was like the later third of the series, I don't know how much I would've stuck around for. Might've still, but... The first part of KLK was so good.

My kingdom for a TARDIS and a giant bag of Takarada bucks for KLK's budget.
 

Eusis

Member
Maybe he is referring to the new one. The weird remake that takes forever to make.
So once it's over Anime Is Dead?

... I've been very on and off with anime I can't subscribe to that. There's other events I'd sooner go "anime has died" to that I don't even WANT to name.
 

Evilisk

Member
[Kill la Kill] - Episode 5

This is a great write up. I absolutely agree that this episode is the best episode of the show and I feel that no other episode gets even remotely close to this.

I'll even admit that this was the episode that got me interested in the show (I was considering dropping it after episode 4). Actual world building, actual action choreography, great visuals (that shot with the instruments is sogood.gif), EVERYTHING about this episode is just excellent.
 

Masaki_

Member
I just realised I had posted this in the Anime thread but not bothered in here. Whoops!

[Kill la Kill] - Episode 5

Pretty cool stuff and I agree what happened to Tsumugu was a goddamn tragedy, but I don't see your point about this episode being so vastly superior in terms of animation and art direction. The Osaka arc stands out in that regard (the Satsuki vs Ryuko duel sequence comes to mind).

What's to really take from this is that the series could've gone in more serious direction and explored and developed the rest of the cast, but they chose instead to focus on the sisters, for better or worse. The scope of KLK ended up being really narrow.
 
I had a lot of episodes to watch, so I decided to binge through the 14 last episodes.
What can I say

obamacry_slow.gif


Contender for one of my favourite shows ever alongside TTGL.
Is it crude ? Yes.
Is it ridiculous ? Yes.
Is it fanservicey ? Yes.
Is it crazy awesome ? Hell yes.

Plus, dat OST. "Before my body is dry" and "Blumenkranz" are the best songs of the show.

A TTTGL/KLK crossover now pls
 

BBboy20

Member
I think that Eva marked a clear shift away from what was more an OVA/feature driven industry.

Eva showed up, and reused lots of scenes to keep the quality high and the budget low. But thematically it is a mess. Mamoru Oshii is right: http://otakuusamagazine.com/LatestN...i-The-most-opinionated-man-in-anime-4973.aspx

The other shift was that the character designs, not the characters, became the selling point. It's all about how you can sell the character in merchandising/UFO catcher toys now, not about who the characters actually are.

I don't think you can honestly compare current anime, which is basically Michael Bay/summer blockbuster stuff to me, with what was going on in the 80s and 90s. Miyazaki's golden age, Akira, Ghost in the Shell (an anime with an attractive female character that is about the character not the design), Roujin Z, Honnaemise, Jin-Roh, etc. The gap in quality is huge and clear. Obviously, there are outliers, like Bepop and Millennium Actress, but they are the exception to the rule when they used to be the norm.

If that is what anime is about now, I'm just not a fan. It doesn't speak to me. Doesn't mean it can't speak to you...

EDIT: One added thing. For all the money that Eva made, the anime industry has been in clear decline since it came out. All these companies chasing that crowd and appealing to a smaller and smaller market. Correlation does not imply causation, but I think there is something to be said for the correlation being pretty strong.
................................................can you guys make a Attack On Titan game?...............*walks away sideways and then hides*
 

Gintamen

Member
So to anyone that listens to Podtaku they uploaded an episode about Kill La Kill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfWEN26XU_c&feature=youtu.be
I'm at min 14 and it's getting harder and harder to listen to their bs opinions. And how they are hating on Mako... shut your damn trap Sooin!

Meanwhile, if you look beyond the classics, a lot of shit came out in the 80's and 90's.
Yeah, people filtering out the bad stuff and only remember what they like seems to be the mistake here. But I can't say there is any less shit nowadays aside from better looking anime due to new means of production.
 
3 episodes in! Music is great, fighting is pretty damn good. I hate the rest. I know this argument has been made a billion times before, but if they can go one episode without anything sexual, I'll be impressed. Right now, it is ridiculous. And if they continue (as I imagine they will) in the same vein of sexy clothing and sideboobs being pointed out every second, then they better make an effort to make it feel like it is there for a reason. And a good reason. Characters are pretty dull also.

Right now, I'm ranking this show as garbage. I hope it gets better. Might bail and finally start Dr. Who
 
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