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Fall 2013 Anime |OT2| The Rise and Fall of Kyoto

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duckroll

Member
Yozakura Quartet - Hana no Uta 5

Wow, this was an incredible episode. Amazing animation - I love how the dinosaur monster is animated, and there's some incredible effects - and really sharp direction that sold the more serious tone. Just look at how the eyecatch was handled as a capstone of the preceding scene. The previous episodes have built up my affection for the characters, so the revelations and higher stakes really worked. I hope the rest of this arc keeps up this quality.

The chipper next-episode preview music is painfully inappropriate though.

The next two episodes of the arc are handled by the animation directors who worked on ep1 and ep2, so I think it'll continue to look pretty great.
 

cnet128

Banned
Samurai Flamenco 5

Ahhh, this was a good episode. I'm starting to warm to FG a bit more now; she's still as overbearing and obnoxious as ever, but the genuine pleasure she obviously takes in her "work" is quite easy to empathise with. It helps that
Masayoshi is no longer letting her walk all over him and steal all his spotlight. I can definitely see her working much better as a separate hero than trying to continue as a duo
.

Also lol
Flamenco Girls
. That's so like her. Gotou is going to have his work cut out for him keeping this loose cannon in check, that's for sure.

Not sure how I feel about the
sudden grandfather's inheritance angle to the Samurai Flamenco persona
; honestly it feels a little contrived and unnecessary if anything, but I'll wait and see where it leads (if anywhere). I have to say it's a little amusing that
the helmet "upgrade" he got out of it actually looks more cheap and tacky than the one he was originally using. I guess the sentimental value is what counts!
 
Valvrave the Liberator 17

I wouldn't have thought that I would grow to be sympathetic to L-Elf's old buddies but
back then I didn't know what Cain was capable of
. Some chilling stuff.
 
Ranma 1/2 Episodes 7 - 8

Ryouga is a hilarious addition and though his sense if direction seem like it inspired Oda's Roronoa Zoro, it still remained rather funny and entertaining. The action scene, while not super flashy still seemed fun and intense and really well done for something so old. Looking forward to more if the anime is going that route in the future.
 

cnet128

Banned
Ranma 1/2 Episodes 7 - 8

Ryouga is a hilarious addition and though his sense if direction seem like it inspired Oda's Roronoa Zoro, it still remained rather funny and entertaining. The action scene, while not super flashy still seemed fun and intense and really well done for something so old. Looking forward to more if the anime is going that route in the future.

Well, the whole "outrageously bad sense of direction" gag character trait is a trope in its own right at this point. Not quite as ubiquitous as "deadly cooking skills", but it's getting there. The first recent example that comes to mind is Celica from the BlazBlue series, who manages to end up back where she started while trying to follow a straight downhill path to the bottom of a mountain shortly after her first appearance, and doesn't get any better from there. But Ryoga may indeed have been one of the earliest examples and an inspiration for all the others.
 
Kyousougiga 05

Oh yeahhhhh, the last of the ONAs get expanded. I really didn't expect how grim his past was and it was a nice wrap up of having everyone get introduced.

Can not wait to see where the story goes now.
 

CorvoSol

Member
Blood-C: The Last Dark
Thoughts before this all goes haywire.

Since I know that whatever I see in the next and remaining twenty minutes of this movie is going to probably be completely and totally insane, I thought I would post first the actual thoughts I had so that my screams of pain need not be mingled with a desire to express any real points.

So first: man there is some obvious and terrible CG. Like for a minute I thought the whole movie was gonna be that way and I was soooo ready to stop watching then and there.

Second: This lesbian romance is the most forced and boring I have ever seen. Like really, Saya is full on undead mode here and somehow lesbian fangirl is hell-bent on forcing her to love her and I guess it is working? The unsettling thing is that I can't decide if they're actually sisters or just the same person, given how Mana looks just like old Saya and also the kind of sort of implied
Mana's father is Tadayoshi.
Which would just really be swimming for forcing this romance further down my throat, since then they'd have a motive to be together that was nearly as contrived as their relationship.

Fumito
is still full on boss mode.

Actually I basically hate every character introduced in this movie. None of them have the personality to compete with the old cast, and basically all of them play no real role in the movie. Do we really need three expert hackers? I mean sure that might be more realistic, but from a story-telling standpoint that's three people filling the same story function, with the fourth dude as "driver" and then "mysterious boss" and "Boobs the Secretary."

Not nearly enough time fighting Elder Bairns versus the time spent developing this awful romance. By developing I also mean forcing and not actual character development. Please don't try and convince me otherwise, because if the movie itself can't do it, it isn't worth your time to try. But seriously, say what you will about the show, but it knew how to keep up its pacing, spending roughly half of every episode kicking monster ass. There have only even been two monsters. Three if we count the ninja.

Why would the Japanese government pay for this? They come off really, really bad in this movie. I can only imagine a plot point in this movie is that the Japanese government is a nanny-state that is way, way too conservative. Which, from what I've been told, isn't entirely inaccurate. So why would they pay for a movie that just makes them look worse? To send the message of "See? It could be worse!"? I don't know.

The actual plot of the film, Saya on a roaring rampage of revenge against
Fumito
for messing her up and making her
kill her father figure
isn't half bad. Hell, even her meeting
Fumito's cousin, who is a victim of similar circumstances
could work. But for the love of goofy little talking magical wish granting mascot animals, can we please spend less time on bad slash fiction and more time on kicking monster ass?
 
Magi Episode 4 (dubwatch)

Minor character, but the voice for male character leader of the clan in this village episode, having Jude's ToX voice was a perfect fit. Almost wish he could have voiced the lead here (Alibaba) Too bad we hear him so little. :(
 
Golden time - 06

My god they did it

THEY DID IT !

Dat story ...

DAT WAY TO END A EPISODE

ckv9n.gif


Superbe , c'est magnifique !

Ahem ... everything in this episode was glorious dialog ... i loved from start to finish ...
NEXT EPISODE PLEASE
 
That's pretty much the thing I hate most about S2. Everyone dishing the violence for even the slightest thing. My memory is that S1 wasn't like that at all.

At first, that was my problem too. Then, his idiocy seems to become progressively worse as the show goes on.
 

Gazoinks

Member
Revolutionary Girl Utena 34

Of all the things I was expecting from this show, straight exposition was not one of them! Lot of things learned in this episode!

So the shadow girls are the drama club... or something.
More importantly:

AGLBL ANTHY. As it turns out being slapped is pretty chill compared to what she's been through. Also, is Akio doing all of this to try to save Anthy?

I don't think I ever wrote it down, but I totally guessed Dios being part of Akio a while ago. Although that doesn't explain that one bit where Dios turned into Anthy, so maybe I'm still wrong.
 

cnet128

Banned
Outbreak Company 6

Oh god, so much Inazuma parody. THIS! IS! FOOTBALL!

I think we have all learned something from this incident. Namely, if you're going to hold a football match with real-life Inazuma-style super shots, you ought to prepare some tougher goals and pitches. Because that shit is destructive.

Also, elves and dwarves are tsundere for each other on the species level.
 

CorvoSol

Member

Narag

Member
Haha, I suppose so. Wolf Children is the only good not-Miyazaki anime movie I think I've seen in a long time. Well, I guess Bagi, but that's basically just Wolf Children the South American Prequel.

There's the other Hosoda stuff, Blue Exorcist movie, Sword of the Stranger, Space Adventure Cobra, and Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer to name a few that you probably haven't watched. You'll also have Do You Remember Love? when you're done with Macross too.
 
Kyousougiga 4-5

Heavy, moving episodes. I know some people around here don't like Yase, but I do, and I liked how her episode dealt with nostalgia and its connection to physical objects. (Kurama is my least favorite of the major characters.) And Myoue's episode was just... Really, really curious to see where the second half of the series goes.
 

jman2050

Member
Lolimonogatari 19 (Loli 3)

Arararararagi-san's personal harem heaven rudely interrupted, how unfortunate.
So I guess that explains how Shinobu got separated from him during Neko White.

Not liking the vibes coming out from
Gaen.
 

CorvoSol

Member
That's a pattern if I've ever heard one!

There will always be a part of me that finds cat women totally sexy. I blame Breath of Fire II for this. That and like, the fact that Disney has been doing the Hosodapocalypse's work for ages.

Now, if you really want to establish the pattern, don't forget the sexy lesbian cat mecha pilots from Escaflowne. Because I never do.
 

Gazoinks

Member
Revolutionary Girl Utena 35
CvPBxpJl.jpg

Touga brooding with his carrot

Hee
Touga and Akio fighting over Utena. Or more accurately, Touga trying to seduce Utena and getting cockblocked at every turn by Akio's amazing swag.

Akio manipulating Utena is getting more and more painful.

Also Touga and Saionji stripfighting was pretty great.

Otherwise this felt mostly like a set-up episode for whatever's happening next.
 
Utena 4

Wow Miki made this incredibly amazing and even better yet Anthy
and how she was always one step ahead of the other girl. It was just back to back comedy and every time Miki was like its so cute, and Utena acted like it was normal, I was in tears. He should really defect as he would be perfect on the protagonist side of things. Snail scene and when all those snails appeared has to be the best non action scene thus far.
 

cajunator

Banned
Golden time - 06

My god they did it

THEY DID IT !

Dat story ...

DAT WAY TO END A EPISODE

ckv9n.gif


Superbe , c'est magnifique !

Ahem ... everything in this episode was glorious dialog ... i loved from start to finish ...
NEXT EPISODE PLEASE

Its pretty enjoyable. Cant wait for it to escalate further!

I can't stop watching her hair for some reason.

Based Shiranui ♥

Acchi Kocchi 9

Cuteness to the max.

So cute it gives cute cavities
 
Kyousougiga - 05

This was a slow episode , very light on flashbacks yet quite important

It was still good but so far , the last 2 episodes struck better in my heart .

Kyousougiga%20-%2005.jpg

couldn't find a better picture

The scenary for the final scene was good, i dunno if it was lazy or if they pourred a lot of work to reach this result but it worked in the end.

Ps: i wasn't ready for the ending
 

Tokyo Ravens 5

This guy makes some wonderful faces. Hope he's not just a one off and makes another appearance.

Liked how they made some of the fighting off-screen. Don't have to waste my time watching more lame action scenes.

Touji messing with Natsume and Kyoko was my favorite part though. Still wish that he was the MC.
 

Branduil

Member
Blood-C: The Last Dark
Thoughts before this all goes haywire.

Since I know that whatever I see in the next and remaining twenty minutes of this movie is going to probably be completely and totally insane, I thought I would post first the actual thoughts I had so that my screams of pain need not be mingled with a desire to express any real points.

So first: man there is some obvious and terrible CG. Like for a minute I thought the whole movie was gonna be that way and I was soooo ready to stop watching then and there.

Second: This lesbian romance is the most forced and boring I have ever seen. Like really, Saya is full on undead mode here and somehow lesbian fangirl is hell-bent on forcing her to love her and I guess it is working? The unsettling thing is that I can't decide if they're actually sisters or just the same person, given how Mana looks just like old Saya and also the kind of sort of implied
Mana's father is Tadayoshi.
Which would just really be swimming for forcing this romance further down my throat, since then they'd have a motive to be together that was nearly as contrived as their relationship.

Fumito
is still full on boss mode.

Actually I basically hate every character introduced in this movie. None of them have the personality to compete with the old cast, and basically all of them play no real role in the movie. Do we really need three expert hackers? I mean sure that might be more realistic, but from a story-telling standpoint that's three people filling the same story function, with the fourth dude as "driver" and then "mysterious boss" and "Boobs the Secretary."

Not nearly enough time fighting Elder Bairns versus the time spent developing this awful romance. By developing I also mean forcing and not actual character development. Please don't try and convince me otherwise, because if the movie itself can't do it, it isn't worth your time to try. But seriously, say what you will about the show, but it knew how to keep up its pacing, spending roughly half of every episode kicking monster ass. There have only even been two monsters. Three if we count the ninja.

Why would the Japanese government pay for this? They come off really, really bad in this movie. I can only imagine a plot point in this movie is that the Japanese government is a nanny-state that is way, way too conservative. Which, from what I've been told, isn't entirely inaccurate. So why would they pay for a movie that just makes them look worse? To send the message of "See? It could be worse!"? I don't know.

The actual plot of the film, Saya on a roaring rampage of revenge against
Fumito
for messing her up and making her
kill her father figure
isn't half bad. Hell, even her meeting
Fumito's cousin, who is a victim of similar circumstances
could work. But for the love of goofy little talking magical wish granting mascot animals, can we please spend less time on bad slash fiction and more time on kicking monster ass?

Here's my theory on what happened, I think it explains everything about why the movie is the way it is.
 

Gazoinks

Member
Revolutionary Girl Utena 36
6zEbeTVl.jpg

This whole sequence was pretty great

Tougaaa stop making me sympathetic for you, you're supposed to be a bad guy.
Just tell her End of The World is Akio already!

Home stretch marathon gogo.
 
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