• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Summer 2011 Anime Thread II of IKUHARA'S RETURN, Penguins, and Idols

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jexhius said:
Sweet JP, his mechanic, his friend, etc all those guys even have a bit of backstory fleshing them out a bit further, but not too far, because it's not essential to the movie. As for the other racers, the movie uses a fairly neat device to give them their own brief moment to shine. Which is one of the best ways to do it in a movie of this type.
Click to expand...
Pretty much. Even without a more 'dimensional' personality, I think that their extremely extravagant attitude and resolute stance presents them likable enough to make the audience interested in the light (but efficient) narrative that conducts the movie, aside from the attractive 'per se' VISUAL SPLENDOR.

Miri said:
Ok, yeah. That about matches up with what I had in mind. And I agree with you on the definition of 'direction'. I don't, however, agree that the direction in Redline was good, at all. The editing was sporadic--intentionally so in many areas, but it spilled into areas that didn't call for it--the camerawork in the latter half was messy and relied on the viewer to mentally 'fill in the blanks' so to speak, and really; everything about that second half fell apart, now that I think about it. It's really is a posterchild for the saying: "All style no substance."
Click to expand...
I find true as well that some parts of the movie felt messy, including (I think) overly dense moments with excessive information on display, and scenes with a little disconnection in-between, making them sometimes inappropriate given the general fast pace of the movie, and therefore could have benefited from additional editing (perhaps movie length constraints affected the production), but the dynamism cleverly conveyed by the composition in a good part of the action scenes fits enormously the animation approach and its style. That warrants, in my case, a compliment for the direction.
 
Branduil said:
It's one of my favorite movies ever, so I'm afraid I have no choice but to defend it to the death. It's not perfect, of course, but what is?
Click to expand...
That's certainly understandable.
Branduil said:
I don't really see why that particular moment would break your suspension of disbelief. There were hints about it beforehand you can see if you watch it again.
Click to expand...
I was emotionally connected to the film until that point, at which my brain kicked in and started questioning things.
Branduil said:
I thought it was very naturally developed. I mean Makoto and her relationships with the other characters is pretty much the whole movie.
I'm not sure what's not to understand?
Click to expand...
I was under the impression that he is from very far in the future, so why would he wait for her?
Branduil said:
Well, people don't always cry in cinematically appealing ways.
Click to expand...
It just didn't feel natural, I think it was the audible portion that I disliked the most.

Another thing I didn't get was what was up with her aunt?
She was totally unfazed by her niece time traveling. Also, she looks way more like Makoto than her own mother.
Jexhius said:
Theirs only three main characters, their relationships are extremely well developed, that kind of the point.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say, "extremely well developed."
bigmakattack said:
The minute long scene of her running near the end. I hate watching that bit as it felt so unneeded.
Click to expand...
I agree that scene went on longer than it should have.
 
ninj4junpei said:
That's certainly understandable.

I was emotionally connected to the film until that point, at which my brain kicked in and started questioning things.

I was under the impression that he is from very far in the future, so why would he wait for her?

It just didn't feel natural, I think it was the audible portion that I disliked the most.

Another thing I didn't get was what was up with her aunt?
She was totally unfazed by her niece time traveling. Also, she looks way more like Makoto than her own mother.

I wouldn't say, "extremely well developed."
Click to expand...
The Aunt is implied
to also be a time traveler in the past. I'm pretty sure there is something in the novels about it.
Naturally, she wouldn't be too surprised.
 
cosmicblizzard said:
Gintama 153

Oh god, that is EXACTLY what I'm like while trying to sleep. Fuckin brain won't shut off. Always contemplating the meaning of the universe or something. The way Gin acted at the end was pretty much exactly how I was after seeing Paranormal Activity for the first time.

And that dog story on the radio was sad as hell... until the end :lol
Click to expand...

GinTama never fails to throw a curve ball.

GintamaApproves.jpg
 
ninj4junpei said:
I felt that the movie lost all momentum once it was revealed that Chiaki was from the future. My suspension of disbelief kind of broke at that moment and couldn't rebuild itself by the end of the movie. The relationship between Chiaki and Makoto wasn't developed well enough for the ending to have much impact on me.
Click to expand...
The funny thing is that... what impacted me the most of this film was how Makoto, Kōsuke and Chiaki's relationship wouldn't be the same after that. I liked that innocent and very friendly 'statu quo' between the three, so a step further, even if natural and logical for every human being, felt like a necessary but sad abandonment of those greatly unique and mostly enjoyable times lived (as Chiaki itself states) in change of an uncertain, but exciting, future we embrace as we grow. I know that, as it is set-up, they will probably meet again and keep living their lives as normal, but the melancholy derived from those good moments of youth is something I think everyone can relate to.

As I see it, the movie plays with the audience based on the above noted, because the sudden (but hinted) notion of Chiaki confessing his feelings to Makoto, and her reluctance to acknowledge this represents a destruction of the established comfort zone, the reluctance to change and keep going, wanting everything to stay exactly the same (as Aunt Kazuko thoroughly notes). Even if not developed enough as a couple's relationship, that goodbye scene with the two has (in my opinion) the impact necessary to make it poignant because it means more than love in general; the acceptance of a volatile present (remember, "Time waits for no one"), the realization of the fragile and precious thing that is friendship, and the necessity of leaving behind the past to reach the future.
 
/XX/ said:
The funny thing is that... what impacted me the most of this film was how Makoto, Kōsuke and Chiaki's relationship wouldn't be the same after that. I liked that innocent and very friendly 'statuo quo' between the three, so a step further, even if natural and logical for every human being, seemed like a necessary (but sad) abandonment of those greatly unique and most enjoyable times lived (as Chiaki itself states) in change of an uncertain, but exciting, future we embrace as we grow. I know that, as it is set-up, they will probably meet again and keep living their lives as normal, but the melancholy derived from those good moments is something I think everyone can relate to.

As I see it, the movie plays with the audience based on the above noted, because the sudden (but hinted) notion of Chiaki confessing his feelings to Makoto, and her reluctance to acknowledge this represents a destruction of the comfort zone, the reluctance to change and keep going, wanting everything to stay the same (as Aunt Kazuko thoroughly notes). Even if not developed enough as a couple's relationship, that goodbye scene with the two has (in my opinion) the impact necessary to make it poignant because it means more than love in general; the acceptance of a volatile present (remember, "Time waits for no one"), the realization of the fragile and precious thing that is friendship, and the necessity of leaving behind the past to reach the future.
Click to expand...

I officially like you.
 
/XX/ said:
The funny thing is that... what impacted me the most of this film was how Makoto, Kōsuke and Chiaki's relationship wouldn't be the same after that. I liked that innocent and very friendly 'statuo quo' between the three, so a step further, even if natural and logical for every human being, seemed like a necessary (but sad) abandonment of those greatly unique and most enjoyable times lived (as Chiaki itself states) in change of an uncertain, but exciting, future we embrace as we grow. I know that, as it is set-up, they will probably meet again and keep living their lives as normal, but the melancholy derived from those good moments is something I think everyone can relate to.

As I see it, the movie plays with the audience based on the above noted, because the sudden (but hinted) notion of Chiaki confessing his feelings to Makoto, and her reluctance to acknowledge this represents a destruction of the comfort zone, the reluctance to change and keep going, wanting everything to stay the same (as Aunt Kazuko thoroughly notes). Even if not developed enough as a couple's relationship, that goodbye scene with the two has (in my opinion) the impact necessary to make it poignant because it means more than love in general; the acceptance of a volatile present (remember, "Time waits for no one"), the realization of the fragile and precious thing that is friendship, and the necessity of leaving behind the past to reach the future.
Click to expand...
One of these days you wont be a junior!
 
Looks good, but not enough to pay full price again. The show is rather popular and shouldn't disappear quickly so I'll wait for a price drop.
 
/XX/ said:
The funny thing is that... what impacted me the most of this film was how Makoto, Kōsuke and Chiaki's relationship wouldn't be the same after that. I liked that innocent and very friendly 'statuo quo' between the three, so a step further, even if natural and logical for every human being, seemed like a necessary (but sad) abandonment of those greatly unique and most enjoyable times lived (as Chiaki itself states) in change of an uncertain, but exciting, future we embrace as we grow. I know that, as it is set-up, they will probably meet again and keep living their lives as normal, but the melancholy derived from those good moments is something I think everyone can relate to.

As I see it, the movie plays with the audience based on the above noted, because the sudden (but hinted) notion of Chiaki confessing his feelings to Makoto, and her reluctance to acknowledge this represents a destruction of the comfort zone, the reluctance to change and keep going, wanting everything to stay the same (as Aunt Kazuko thoroughly notes). Even if not developed enough as a couple's relationship, that goodbye scene with the two has (in my opinion) the impact necessary to make it poignant because it means more than love in general; the acceptance of a volatile present (remember, "Time waits for no one"), the realization of the fragile and precious thing that is friendship, and the necessity of leaving behind the past to reach the future.
Click to expand...
I think the film would have been more effective without the time travel element and had simply focused on that.
 
the good old days are gone

Les Miserables - Episode 2

ATzEc.png


I like it Cosette and Jean (not on the picture) and sutff, but I don't feel the old WMT feeling anymore.
 
ninj4junpei said:
I think the film would have been more effective without the time travel element and had simply focused on that.
Click to expand...
No, you're crazy.

What's really impressive about the movie is how it uses the sci-fi plot-device to time travel to explore characters and themes, rather than locations and events. It's used in service of those elements. This stops it from going off the rails in the way that a number of time-travel movies are want to do.
 
ninj4junpei said:
I think the film would have been more effective without the time travel element and had simply focused on that.
Click to expand...
Hmm I don't think that would be good at all. The time traveling is pretty much the lynchpin of the movie, and facilitates most of the interactions and plot progression. Also the time travel aspect is tied pretty heavily into the themes of the movie as well. You would basically be making a completely different movie without it. At least that's how I feel.

Besides, its somewhat rare that a movie uses time travel correctly within its plot. TGWLTT not only keeps the rules of its time travel simple, but also it weaves that element into the rest of the story quite well.
 
cajunator said:
What show is this?
Click to expand...

I don't know, he didn't state that it was Les Miserables - Episode 2 right above the photo or mentioned the names of characters below it.

My own thoughts on TGWLTT, absolutely amazing in terms of animation, story, direction and every other technical aspect of a movie. Thought it was really boring as a total package. One of those movies where the whole is actually less than the sum of the parts, at least for me personally.
 
darkside31337 said:
I don't know, he didn't state that it was Les Miserables - Episode 2 right above the photo or mentioned the names of characters below it.
Click to expand...
Hey, I didn't know there was an anime called LEs Miserables. I thought he was talking about an older show and was just being cute with the title, like many other posters do.
 
/XX/ said:
The funny thing is that... what impacted me the most of this film was how Makoto, Kōsuke and Chiaki's relationship wouldn't be the same after that. I liked that innocent and very friendly 'statuo quo' between the three, so a step further, even if natural and logical for every human being, seemed like a necessary (but sad) abandonment of those greatly unique and most enjoyable times lived (as Chiaki itself states) in change of an uncertain, but exciting, future we embrace as we grow. I know that, as it is set-up, they will probably meet again and keep living their lives as normal, but the melancholy derived from those good moments is something I think everyone can relate to.

As I see it, the movie plays with the audience based on the above noted, because the sudden (but hinted) notion of Chiaki confessing his feelings to Makoto, and her reluctance to acknowledge this represents a destruction of the comfort zone, the reluctance to change and keep going, wanting everything to stay the same (as Aunt Kazuko thoroughly notes). Even if not developed enough as a couple's relationship, that goodbye scene with the two has (in my opinion) the impact necessary to make it poignant because it means more than love in general; the acceptance of a volatile present (remember, "Time waits for no one"), the realization of the fragile and precious thing that is friendship, and the necessity of leaving behind the past to reach the future.
Click to expand...

Beautiful analysis. I want to watch this again now.

ninj4junpei said:
Yeah, but the time travel aspect just muddies things up and does more harm than good.
Click to expand...

I must disagree; taking out the time travel aspect of The Girl Who Leapt Through, uh, Time would entirely ruin it. Time - turning it back to recover a lost past, stopping it from flowing forward into an uncertain and irrevocably changed future, learning only in retrospect to distinguish between the important and irrelevant moments of our lives - is what makes the story what it is.
 
Jexhius said:
What's really impressive about the movie is how it uses the sci-fi plot-device to time travel to explore characters and themes, rather than locations and events. It's used in service of those elements. This stops it from going off the rails in the way that a number of time-travel movies are want to do.
Click to expand...
I agree, but then the movie drops the ball with the revelation and kind of goes "off the rails."
 
All this talk about quality anime needs to be brought back down...

Triplet Angel Ep.5

33xdo2q.gif


An episode focused on the teacher was perfect. She seems to have more character than the rest of the cast put together. I feel bad for her though, she just want someone to love and hold her :(
 
How does it go "off the rails"? The story was as consistent and coherent as any anime can possibly be. The show made sense in the context of its themes and plot. I especially loved how
Makoto used up her last time leap but in the process Chiaki got back his time leaps, giving Makoto one back again, which effectively reversed the bad things that happened.
 
EmmanuelMunoz said:
All this talk about quality anime needs to be brought back down...

Triplet Angel Ep.5

33xdo2q.gif


An episode focused on the teacher was perfect. She seems to have more character than the rest of the cast put together. I feel bad for her though, she just want someone to love and hold her :(
Click to expand...

I still find it incredibly jarring that the teacher is struggling to make ends meet, resorting to eating bread crusts every day yet still manages to have one bodacious body. This really really bugs me.
 
ninj4junpei said:
I agree, but then the movie drops the ball with the revelation and kind of goes "off the rails."
Click to expand...

I don't understand how you can think it went "off the rails". It's neither inconsistent with what came before nor incoherent and incomprehensible in itself.
 
Instro said:
Well I guess we have to shun ninj4junpei for not enjoying the movie as much as the rest of us.
Click to expand...
Uchip said:
not enjoying things is worthy of pity rather than shun
Click to expand...
2cwk57a.jpg


Whatever, I just suck at writing. Kids, don't fail out of college or you'll end up like me. I'm too incompetent for this thread.
 
darkside31337 said:
I still find it incredibly jarring that the teacher is struggling to make ends meet, resorting to eating bread crusts every day yet still manages to have one bodacious body. This really really bugs me.
Click to expand...
You must not know about the amazing Ramen and bread crust diet that is sweeping Japan.

How is THAT the thing that bugs you, and not the 15 y/o with huge breasts?
 
Mawaru Penguindrum Ep. 6 and 7

Those two episode were amazingly well done and were far and beyond, the best episode so far. The structure was sound and it didn't jump about so randomely and everything had a great sense of flow to it. Also, it had an amazing leap in both plot progresion and character devlopment
Now we know why Ringo is doing all this shit and what the guy thinks of the whole situation
The cliffhangers and the twists were quite good as well.

Seriously, liking the series more now than before.
 
ninj4junpei said:
Yeah, but the time travel aspect just muddies things up and does more harm than good.
Click to expand...

Do you mean the time travel aspect as in "the whole concept of time travel in a film about a girl who travels through time" or specifically pertaining to
Chiaki
? Would you have preferred it if
Chiaki had really just transferred schools rather than gone back to the future?
.

I think the problem with removing that aspect is how to make the end of the story dramatic without veering into melodramatic JDrama weepiness.
If Chiaki isn't from the future then we have no explanation for where the time nut comes from. If Chiaki can't make that one final leap to take Makoto back again, then Kousuke and Kaho will die in the bike accident. That turns the story into a tragedy - Makoto brought down by her own "hubris" in her use of the time leaps - but doesn't resolve anything with Chiaki either. So you'd have to remove the bike accident... by which point the time travel is essentially meaningless beyond being an amusing diversion.

Time travel is central to every subplot and major plot of the film; I don't think you can really remove any one aspect of it without damaging another part, and I'm not sure why the part you mention is particularly unbelievable given that it's a girl who travels through time when she leaps into the air...
 
Thanks for your kind words, people! Much appreciated...

ninj4junpei said:
I think the film would have been more effective without the time travel element and had simply focused on that.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't mind a film focused only in their relationship, as you say, but I think the setting that created the time travel experiences is in part what helps Makoto to estimate what she really has in her life, and to not lose the perspective at the end.

Infinite Justice said:
and to think he was hard on himself about his English...
Click to expand...
Sorry, but I still am... as I keep thinking expressions in my mother tongue it always seems like something is lost in the translation, or I don't make it clear enough (I know some of my posts are unnecessarily wordy because I'm not sure if the idea will come across well, it is some kind of... compensation). I won't try to always justify myself like this, though, because I know I'll end up being annoying to you, guys.
 
EmmanuelMunoz said:
You must not know about the amazing Ramen and bread crust diet that is sweeping Japan.

How is THAT the thing that bugs you, and not the 15 y/o with huge breasts?
Click to expand...

Why would that bother me? I am a man who never complains about huge breasts unless it's the disgusting Queen's Blade kind of levels

A lot of the things bug me about Twin Angel. The teacher is one of them but the biggest being

What the hell happened to the Isaac + cleft-lip not Miria? Are they supposed to actually be dead or something, I figure they'd be back by now, I really liked Salome, she was my favorite character in this dumb show :(
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Summer '25 anime discussion
Social  2
97
5K
Durien replied
Anime Streaming and Morality
Social 
41
1K
reinking replied
Kagurabachi anime announced || A new era of aura and hype moments has arrived.
News 
6
201
thefool replied
Kagurabachi Anime Releases April 2027
News 
5
246
thefool replied
New Evangelion anime incoming!
2
52
997
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt replied
Top Bottom