True story
Last week after watching HanIro I looked up a few videos on how to do it, seemed simple enough. It ended up being surprisingly good, I guess it just depends on how good the rice you put in it is. Though I hate ketchup so I just used tomato sauce.
It's the dumb, random humor from Seto no Hanayome coupled with Fate/SN characters - but almost none of the jokes actually work and are probably incomprehensible to anyone not familiar with the game. It's shit.
I'm loving these cliffhangers so much more than the first season. It's just that the games are so luck based in this season that figuring out a way to beat them is just more satisfying.
Also I haven't realized this, but the music is really well done. I don't know if it was good in the first season since I wasn't paying attention, but it's really standing out now.
I would kill someone, but didn´t she talk to Ohana´s mother as if she would get the inn? It´d be ridiculous and turn this anime into Infinite Stratos-level of bad, but .... :/
Hasn't every decision of Takako's been a mistake? The revealing outfits for attendants didn't end up too bad, but the movie was supposed to be pretty major.
edit: Ohana's mother and grandmother agreed that Enishi should inherit the inn.
What I keep thinking about when you describe Haruhi is this way is that it sounds like it's the center of every party-based videogame ever, where no party member can solve their own problems without the intervention of the player character. I guess my real point of contention is that it seems impossible to have multiple relationships with individuals of the opposite gender and have them simply be 'relationships'; instead, it has to be a 'harem' with all that that implies.
Of course that's not impossible. It just almost never happens in anime, for instance the relationships in anime like Haruhi are certainly not just friendship.
So kawaii. It's always hard being the narrator guy in high-school when all the girls love you.
Genre definitions are often fairly messy, especially in an anime where the basic premise is over the top enough to act as a shell for harem mechanics and fairly standard characters.
I thought about it a little more and I guess what you're saying is the substance of the relationships is of a harem anime and that the overarching plot, in relation to the reasoning behind it, doesn't matter so much. In the sense that Kyon is the main character and every other character (bar Haruhi) is reactive rather than proactive, I understand why that might be viewed as 'harem-like' in nature, but it still seems strange to me that the bar of entry to becoming a harem anime is as low as 'have girls around you'. As I've said before, I don't think that Kyon views his relationships with Mikuru and Yuki as anything beyond a friendship level, even if it is a strong friendship (almost guardian-like in the case of Yuki).
How can you get so much detail right, but miss the basic nature of the relationships?
Jintor said:
Primarily because I believe it's possible to have multiple strong relationships with characters of the opposite sex without it being characterised as a harem. Clearly not, however.
That fact has absolutely nothing to do with the quite obviously not platonic relationships in Haruhi. I mean, I've mentioned some examples of shows with gender imbalances which aren't harem shows. Certainly it's possible. But it's so obvious that Haruhi is most certainly not one of those shows that it's hard to see how you can't tell...
Well it could just be TRUE FRIENDSHIP but yeah, under your definition that would qualify it. I'm reluctant to accept wholeheartedly your definition, but I can't think of a good way of defining harem. I just don't see the nature of their relationships as being a harem. Undeveloped, yes, but...
So you finally admit that it's a harem? Why is that so hard, because you think that if it's a harem that you'd think less or it or something? But it certainly is one. Sure, it doesn't develop the relationships as much as something like IS, but not all harem shows do. Those little bits where you see that the other girls do indeed like him are enough to make it harem.
I mean, like, in Love Hina all of the girls there really are in the harem, even if some, like Kitsune, almost never do anything to show it. The little bits where they do proves it.
On that note...
Re: Mikuru, I view it as more along the lines of a celebrity crush than an actual connection as a person. Most of his interactions with her are either kind of... not quite objectifying her, but not really treating her as a serious interest, you know? It's like he feels some kind of obligation to repeatedly point out how desirable she is rather than as if he himself has a true attraction to her beyond her looks and her cuteness.
Yuki is far more substantial in the context of a relationship that feels 'real', but I think while Yuki might view this as romantic Kyon thinks of it as more protective or guiding. It's difficult to tell though because of plot reasons.
You're ignoring the heroines in this case. It isn't only required that the protagonist has any possible romantic interest. Either side of the harem satisfies this criteria. I use Nagato as an example because she even lets him decide her fate in the movie for one thing, and the fact Kyon blatantly says he can manipulate Haruhi, has a superfriend in Nagato, and something about Mikuru highlights how dependent they are on him to do anything themselves and how control he is of his harem.
Yeah, it's quite normal in many harem shows for the girls to like the guy, but for the guy to not exactly immediately return their affections. It doesn't need to be mutual from the start to be a harem.
Jintor said:
As I've noted above, the problem with the 'main-character-dependancy' view of harem integration is that this basically approaches any situation which is reliant on the main character showing up and solving all the problems by virtue of being the main character; it strikes me as a narrative-based situation rather than a specifically harem-based one
Essentially, I guess your definition of a harem goes something like this: protagonist surrounded by girls, romantic interest in the protagonist on the parts of any of the parties involved, interest need not be mutual. Is the dependancy on the protagonist or degree of control that he wields necessary to the harem? Keitaro in Love Hina could hardly have been said to have any great deal of control over all the girls, but that show was undeniably harem...
There's usually a degree of control, but sure, it does vary. Keitaro probably does have less control than some other harem protagonists. But yes, it's the rest of the show that makes it quite obviously harem, not that. I'd say that the most important factors in something being a harem series are a character of one gender surrounded by people of the opposite gender, and clear affection going at least one way between the groups. Eventually that affection is usually returned by the other side.
Of course I gave up on Haruhi's storytelling what with the infinite wait for the light novels to be released and their general inconclusive, wandering nature. Basically waiting for KyoAni to do anything these days.
As I said, yeah, I got annoyed by the lack of plot progression in the first season for sure...
Jexhius said:
In a standard anime setting with standard anime cliche characters all hanging around with devoting their energy towards the protagonist I have moved to call it as I see it. They've given me every indication to consider that that is what those relationships are, especially in the most recent movie.
Now, if it was good show, like Bakemonogatri, they'd actually be able to clear it up! But they don't, partly because it's kind of obvious what's going on and partly to drag it out forever.
Haruhi is a series generally lacking in plot or character development, most of the time, so yeah, I wouldn't exactly hope for too much of that...
Jintor said:
I hope someday someone can write a story set in a school setting with a typical harem setting and yet somehow inexplicably not make it into a harem, and instead just be about a group of friends.
First episode would lead you to believe it's going to be standard magical-girlfriend/harem show #298. But it never happens. There's one relationship in the show, and no love triangles (except in one girls imagination). The show sticks to the fantasy-ish stories and never becomes a harem or magical-girlfreind show.
Another good example, and yeah, at least in the anime you're quite right that that never happens... I have no idea about the source material. You expect it to, given the gender imbalance, but... it doesn't.
Sennorin said:
On the contrary, are there any harem-anime like School Days, where the main character gets to bang every girl? Without it devolving into a full-blown hentai, of course.
I don't know of anything like that that isn't hentai.
mAcOdIn said:
Sorry if this comes off as crazy but for a harem to even be desirable, let alone the greatest harem ever, wouldn't that imply that there were at least two desirable haremites? Because I can't fathom who the second haremite worth a shit in Infinite Stratos is, perhaps someone not introduced yet?
Eh, Houki's not that bad, at least when she's not around the other girls that is... but I do agree that IS's harem probably isn't the greatest harem ever. Good harem, sure, greatest ever, no.
I would prefer if they just established whether or not AI can feel early on and presented it as just an inherent part of the fictional world instead of presenting it as an open question to the viewer. And if they are going to leave as an open question then I would prefer that they leave answer open ended.
It's finally over. 3000 leagues and several months later this journey is finally at an end. Does it deliver?
Thankfully, yes, in every way I had hoped. There's not a lot to say, considering that the story is extremely simple, but it's still worth pointing out how fantastic the execution is.
Well, there was also far too many convenient 'farewells' that definitely should not have happened quite so easily, but I can't complain too much.
From what I understand the original story was 100 pages long, and apparently Miyzaki also helped work on it? The story of this shows production sounds fairly interesting and I'd certainly like to learn more about it.
The shows one, obvious weakness, was the back-and-forth nature of the journeying which was clearly set up to extend the plot out for another few episodes in every arc. Luckily, for the most part, the show was so well made that I wasn't bothered.
Easily one of the best anime television series that I have ever had the pleasure of watching.
Holy wow does this season start off grim, and it looks like there's more meat behind Nehelenemia (however the hell you spell it), than how SuperS ended, on that note, if I close my eyes and pretend SuperS and Stars are the same season SuperS isn't so bad in context of it feeling like filler.
I've also got to LOL at Saturn, I thought there'd be a more significant timeskip between the seasons, but nope.
Never had a proper homemade fried rice with egg crepe or anything? The two go extremely well together. Scramble a few eggs and cook into very thin layers and cut them up into little strips and apply that over the rice.
I love how the world's first weeaboo uses the word Moe. I am fairly certain that the word Moe did not exist during the 19th century and especially not in France.
Aniplex of America: Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (Oreimo)
FUNimation: Sora no Otoshimono: Tokeijikake no Angeloid (Heaven's Lost Property the Movie: The Angeloid of Clockwork)
No details have been given for Nichijou or Gosick.
Aniplex of America will release the full Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai series in a sub-only DVD boxset with the 4 episode "True Route" OVA series.
FUNimation will release the Sora no Otoshimono: Tokeijikake no Angeloid movie in 2012.
I would prefer if they just established whether or not AI can feel early on and presented it as just an inherent part of the fictional world instead of presenting it as an open question to the viewer. And if they are going to leave as an open question then I would prefer that they leave answer open ended.
I think it's perfectly reasonable to posit a world where AI can feel, but various groups and interests might discourage and disagree with it, for a variety of interests. One could almost posit that there might be analogues to real-life situations in such a scenario.
cajunator said:
I love when people try to drag logic and historical fact into anime discussions.
holy shit. So Aniplex has BOTH Madoka and Oreimo? They are going to be rich.
Not sure what there would be to elaborate on. Just google up Fox News Mass Effect for one instance of what I meant. A 5 minute TV segment on the horrors of OreImo's incest would do wonders for its sales while being entertaining in its own right.
I don't mean to draw an exact correlation or anything, but I think a lot of the people who like that kind of thing like life on the high seas, or to put it another way, they would prefer not being seen in public purchasing a DVD titled "My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute," or having their Amazon account tied to such a purchase.
I don't mean to draw an exact correlation or anything, but I think a lot of the people who like that kind of thing like life on the high seas, or to put it another way, they would prefer not being seen in public purchasing a DVD titled "My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute," or having their Amazon account tied to such a purchase.
I don't mean to draw an exact correlation or anything, but I think a lot of the people who like that kind of thing like life on the high seas, or to put it another way, they would prefer not being seen in public purchasing a DVD titled "My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute," or having their Amazon account tied to such a purchase.
Not sure what there would be to elaborate on. Just google up Fox News Mass Effect for one instance of what I meant. A 5 minute TV segment on the horrors of OreImo's incest would do wonders for its sales while being entertaining in its own right.
I believe there's a substantial difference between how people would view a video game sex scene and an anime title glorifying underaged incestuous desire and general otaku depravity.
It may not be worse, but people would actually be more understanding of you buying actual smut as opposed to a show positively depicting a little girl who wants to have her big brother's shortbussed kids.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure those licenses were discussed back during Otakon. Wait, they were posted but weren't really discussed. Guess that's what happens when you don't use a fancy block quote to grab people's attention; lesson learned! Not sure why that guy on MAL made that topic half a month late, but whatever.
Hanasaku Iroha 21
With only five episodes to go, the plot's moving full steam ahead towards the likely finale during the Bonbori festival. Also that was cute how they came up with the name Kissuiso.
BONUS SAIMOE POST
Saimoe Day 7 said:
B02 1st 281 Gertrud Barkhorn @ Strike Witches
2nd 228 Shiori Shiomiya @ The World God Only Knows
3rd 77 Haruna Sairenji @ To Love Ru
I think it has more to do with the fact that my little sister can't be this cute is a fucking mouthful and MLSBTC doesn't quite have the same ring as the internet shorthand. Besides, the people who buy this will have watched it already, anyways.
Although if I was in charge of this I'd have called it My Little Nymphet.
