i didnt watch monogatari outside of 1 episode, which annoyed me greatly, but meh, i could check it again.
the wit im referring to in mirai nikki is largely on the eng dub's part, actually. they made some v good dialogue decisions that are not translated in the subs.
im also a little picky when it comes to 'school' settings. pretty much if more than one episode takes place within a school or centers around school social dynamics, to me it's immature or not for my age group. major exception would be GTO, and major offender (though i still liked the show overall) would be Code Geass
deletedabout 9 years
Speaking of giving false ideas of how people work, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 2 guys can share the same turf without one stealing all character development and love interests?!
And dear logic, I'm CERTAIN male human beings never have more than 1 male friend.
im so sick of shows I'd otherwise watch following the "harem" structure y u do this animoo
I know I'm using a straw man argument here but like, ugh. I'd rather just be bombarded with one RELEVANT girl's than have to swallow another rendition of the same ridiculous scenario just to watch a show I thought looked interesting.
deletedabout 9 years
What, you mean 4 random attractive girls don't throw themselves over guys that lack anything in common with those girls AND the stereotypically "masculine" traits that most people allegedly find attractive, even if there's 1 girl that the guy is clearly going to end up with by the time he meets the others? No way. I don't believe you.
deletedabout 9 years
I do agree about the detective and parts of the main story but it was definitely made less enjoyable by every moment with Five on screen. I just had a lot more expectations from Watanabe because he made Bebop, Champloo, and Kids on the slope. There were just too many plot holes introduced throughout that even though that motorcycle scene with the song in the background was probably my favorite moment of anime that year. The style is just so grand that I needed more out of the story. It's certainly understandable to expect that when the majority of the anime produced is purely to sell to the very small group of otaku in japan which they depend on very heavily. Sophisticated series are produced from time to time they just arent part of the hype train shows that get new fans interested and they usually stick to those types of shows. (E.g. Code Geass, TTGL, AoT, NGNL, Fate series.) Last year wasnt a good year for those types of shows but looking at previous years there are a large amount of shows to satisfy that need, but thats out of the scope of casual fans to find for themselves. (The monogatari series is a lot better at straddling that line in my opinion, mirai nikki had very little wit or nuance to it)
but this all might be due to lowered expectations, and the fact that im a sucker for a phenomenal orchestral score and artwork (any scene w a motorcycle was so crisp and smooth..)
it's sad that i've grown to expect the illogical in animes, but i guess it's hard to pander to the masses while producing sophisticated works of art, which are two rather different tasks that the anime industry seems to straddle the line w/ more and more these days (eg. explicit fanservice and witty dialogue in a single scene - Future Diary is a prominent example of this methodology)
i agree that she was the turning point for the show towards illogical nonsense (wtf was that chess scenario...), but i think it really boils down to the airport episode and the one following it that got ruined by her character.
beyond that, i think the detective's subplot and the main story of the girl and 2 guys made it well worth the watch..
i would argue there is a good degree of substance tbh, but it doesn't throw it in your face or demand you take it in, as the story is indeed mainly about the style and the display of appearances and terror itself (and that is, in many ways, ultimately the message of the show).
there's nothing too fundamentally deep going on, but as a whole, i still think this show has a very good structure and flow, and it effectively conveys a concise story, without delving too far beyond the intrigue of the premise
certainly, it's by no means perfect, but i'd say this is, ironically, one of the more approachable animes (for non-anime viewers) ive seen in recent years
deletedabout 9 years
The art and framing of scenes were good, Watanabe definitely is very skilled at that. But everything revolving the script was horrible, to me it was a huge disappointment compared to Watanabe's previous work. It's definitely his worst series. It was good up until the white haired girl showed up and then the entire show was ruined for me. I think it's the epitome of all style and no substance.
big investment is a ridiculous thing to say. its easily the funniest anime in japan right now even if you only watch a few episodes. you can talk about your favorite anime, but i havent heard anyone talk talk poorly of that show, or remark that its too long. its a consistently funny show even if its your first time watching it, and thats how its been so popular and for so long. thats why i think saying its a commitment is preposterous
just finished Terror in Resonance.. kinda bizarre in some spots, and the plot is a little convenient at times... but that was really good.
the eng dub was impressively good (considerably better than the native audio imo). but the show really shines w art and sound. the music had, bar-none, some of the best tracks ive heard in anime; very moody, and the artwork was slick and smooth, cinema-quality shot setups etc. everything felt film-worthy, which in 11 episodes seems appropriate. though, some plot developments are def questionable and 1 episode stands out as slightly pointless.
still, all in all an entertaining watch. again, lacking some substance here and there, but it got me right in the feels.
If you're looking for horror, anime isn't the best place to look. The only time in recent memory that I found a scene which could be seen as scary or unsettling was in Shinsekai Yori.
