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The Stream - Bend It Like Kakeru


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darkchibi07



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 5459
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:43 pm Reply with quote
I'm curious. Will Black Rock Shooter be covered as well despite it starting rather late in the Winter season?
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Hypeathon



Joined: 12 Aug 2010
Posts: 1176
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:56 pm Reply with quote
From what I recall, Black Rock Shooter isn't even being legally streamed right now. Not from Crunchyroll or even Funimation.
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Surrender Artist



Joined: 01 May 2011
Posts: 3264
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:02 pm Reply with quote
I've begun to look forward to The Stream ever other week, especially as I'm avidly watching Bodacious Space Pirates this season. I keep dreading the moment when it begins to fall in rank, not so much because I expect it, but because I'm a hateful, pessimistic human being who expects everything that he loves to fail him and every good thing that happens to him to go bad.

I'm starting to feel guilty about not having watched any of Chihayafuru yet. I know that I should and I even think that I'll like it, but I'm just bad at this.

For now, however, I'm still very content. I was surprised that Bamboo didn't comment on the tonal differences of episode six compared to the first five, but they weren't too severe and things settle back to a more familiar feel in episode seven, so all is copacetic. I've come to feel that my favorite thing about the series is actually the quiet conversations between characters that happen fairly often. The conversation between Chiaki and Marika while they were outside of the Bentenmaru training was an excellent example. I just love the feel of scenes like that.

Funnily enough, even though I haven't even watched Inu X Boku SS, I'm almost disappointed to see it be dropped. It just has a weird premise that I can't help but wonder about it. I'll probably still watch at least a few episodes, one of these days...

I should try my hand at Another, I'm not a logical person anyway, but I am sucker for atmosphere. Both because I need it to survive and for aesthetic reasons.

I still need to watch Lagrange ~The Flower of Rin-Ne~, for contrast, as I keep saying. Wow, I suck at this whole 'watching stuff' thing. How I ended up even seeing any of Bodacious Space Pirates, much less enamored of it, I don't know.

Hypeathon wrote:
From what I recall, Black Rock Shooter isn't even being legally streamed right now. Not from Crunchyroll or even Funimation.


It's being streamed in eight languages, including English, by Nico Nico Douga, but the episodes expire one week from the broadcast date, so unless Bamboo has been watching from the first, it might be problematic to add it to the column.


Last edited by Surrender Artist on Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:12 pm; edited 2 times in total
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:04 pm Reply with quote
I dropped The Knight in the Area after the ridiculous scene in episode three where spoiler[the boy saves a child from a car with the power of football.] To me, that was the canary in the coalmine that this show was not worth following. And lo and behold, it turns out there are many other problems too. I'm glad I didn't waste my time with it.
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Red Fox of Fire



Joined: 24 Jan 2010
Posts: 345
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:31 pm Reply with quote
Oh, what timing. I'll repeat myself here, then.

As much as I like Chihayafuru, I can't wait to see something else in the #1 spot.
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Mr. Toto



Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 139
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:39 pm Reply with quote
@Bamboo Dong

I absolutely adore your column. Keep your eyes on Hunter x Hunter. Though the two most recent episodes were hyped (being the Final Phase of the Exam), I'll give you a hint and say that the anticlimactic nature of these two episodes is totally something the writers/director want you to pick up on.

Think about the reasons as to why the author would tell the Hunter Exam's (supposed) biggest moment (almost indisputably so; you mentioned in the last Stream how excited you were for it) in an anticlimactic flashback? It's because everything in it is incredibly important to the story.

I'm sure you realized that there was absolutely no fighting whatsoever in the Final Phase of the exam. Calling Gon's match "prosaic" and "unclimactic" in your review was very apt of you. This is because the battles themselves aren't the important part to the story. Rather, the two matches fully shown to the viewer (Gon vs. Hanzo and Killua vs. Illumi) are important because of the dialogue.

Think about it: Gon has been spending this entire series thus far going through trials to become a Professional Hunter. But his "tournament battle" could be described better as "enduring three hours of literal torture." It wasn't exciting in the same way that Gon's other challenges have been. Moreover, it's hard to get over the fact that Gon's solution ended up being a very dangerous and foolhardy one.

I don't want to spoil anything related to the series, but I'll say that these two matches exist so that Togashi can develop Gon and Killua. Really pay attention to the details he's giving you about their characters. Also, don't be afraid to criticize the characters for any of the actions they've taken in the past two episodes--it's what you should be doing.

Also, the mysterious nature of Kurapika's match is also something you should be thinking about.


Last edited by Mr. Toto on Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:47 pm; edited 1 time in total
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:41 pm Reply with quote
Red Fox of Fire wrote:
Oh, what timing. I'll repeat myself here, then.

As much as I like Chihayafuru, I can't wait to see something else in the #1 spot.


Something else can go in the top spot when it damn well earns the top spot. I don't think the best Anime this column covers should be kicked off its perch just because you want to see something else in the numero uno position. This is a meritocracy, not kiddy soccer where every child has a turn at being Player of the Day.

I disagree with a lot of the rankings in the column, but nothing else being covered by Bamboo deserves #1 more than Chihayafuru. Nothing's even close.
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Red Fox of Fire



Joined: 24 Jan 2010
Posts: 345
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:52 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
Red Fox of Fire wrote:
Oh, what timing. I'll repeat myself here, then.

As much as I like Chihayafuru, I can't wait to see something else in the #1 spot.


Something else can go in the top spot when it damn well earns the top spot. I don't think the best Anime this column covers should be kicked off its perch just because you want to see something else in the numero uno position. This is a meritocracy, not kiddy soccer where every child has a turn at being Player of the Day.

I disagree with a lot of the rankings in the column, but nothing else being covered by Bamboo deserves #1 more than Chihayafuru. Nothing's even close.

Yeah, okay. I don't think I meant it the way you think I meant it. I actually agree that Chihayafuru is the best series being reviewed in this column, it's just that by the end of this season it will have been there for half a year and it's still the only one that's been there since The Stream started with Chihayafuru. It's just not very exciting to see this column again when I always know what's taking the #1 spot. I'm not saying she should change that just cause, I'm just saying it'll be refreshing to see something different eventually. Maybe next season we'll have 2 or 3 shows constantly competing for the top spot. That will be interesting.
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Panoptican



Joined: 03 Oct 2005
Posts: 160
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:54 pm Reply with quote
I tried watching Chihayafuru, but couldn't get into it almost completely based on that card game they play. It's sooo boring, no matter how much they try to spice it up with the animation. Maybe some other crazy rules come up later, but I made it to episode 4 and it still seemed like a really boring memorization game. They talk about how the game is not just for kids in the show. But I have to say, it seems like a child's game. I could have got behind it if there was less card action, but there was plenty in the episodes I watched and heard from others that there's a good amount later on.
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Cecilthedarkknight_234



Joined: 02 Apr 2011
Posts: 3819
Location: Louisville, KY
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:07 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
I dropped The Knight in the Area after the ridiculous scene in episode three where spoiler[the boy saves a child from a car with the power of football.] To me, that was the canary in the coalmine that this show was not worth following. And lo and behold, it turns out there are many other problems too. I'm glad I didn't waste my time with it.


I only watched ep 1 but thanks for the heads up... I wanted a sports drama like touch... dammit japan.

On a different note another is getting back to killing although epiosde six alone set up more doujin material than I could hope to write for the next 2 years.
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Crisha
Moderator


Joined: 21 Apr 2010
Posts: 4290
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:18 pm Reply with quote
The Boss wrote:
That's the diet where you just clap your hands and, because of a necessary plot point, you shed 100 pounds in ten days and turn into a lean, mean, futbol machine.

Yeah, y'know what? That just killed all interest I had in the series. Utterly. The brother's ghost haunting him and giving him special abilities or what not was bad enough, but this takes the cake. Having struggled with my weight most of my life, seeing something like this touches a nerve, especially considering how unhealthy it is to lose so much in such a short time.

The Boss wrote:
Is it really a horror story when most of the “horror” revolves around some dumb kids and their terrible ideas?

Isn't that a staple trope of horror films? Laughing I've seen enough parodies of it. "Hello? Is anyone here? Billy? I'm gonna get naked and take a shower, guys, what's going on?"

The Boss wrote:
Girls, we have all been in one of these situations. Either as Kanna, or Ichika, or Mio, the sweet girl who has a crush on her womanizing friend Tetsuro.

Nope, not me. I haven't ever dated or been interested in dating (that may be changing, but I still have no desire to look for someone). It's why I have a hard time identifying with girls like this and why I don't have a high tolerance for high school romances where girls and guys are constantly fretting and angsting over each other and acting like idiots. I prefer relationships that are more partners / tag team duos (i.e. Rosette/Chrono, Deunan/Briarios, etc) - pairs who've already built up trust, comraderie, support, and balance each other (and who just end up adding an additional layer of romance to the relationship... or the potential for romance).

Re: Listen to Me Girls
Oh god, that picture is creepy. Showing off that 10% for us? You've successfully creeped me out. Neutral
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Cecilthedarkknight_234



Joined: 02 Apr 2011
Posts: 3819
Location: Louisville, KY
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:21 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Re: Listen to Me Girls
Oh god, that picture is creepy. Showing off that 10% for us? You've successfully creeped me out. Neutral


you should see some of the fun photo shopped pics that are floating around the net..I am not amused Mad
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Volibear



Joined: 29 Nov 2011
Posts: 344
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:36 pm Reply with quote
i've found that Inu x Boku SS' biggest problem is that it doesn't define its target demographic at all, you've got the loli main and pervy woman for the men and the handsome male protector for the women, not enough battles to keep men occupied (not exclusively men ofc, just as a generalised demographic template), the shoujo-esque romanctic feelings with Ririchiyo etc. etc. etc.

its such a mish-mash of contrasting ideas that it can't pull it off effectively enough to keep a solid, interested audience instead of a bunch of people who just watch it out of obligation (ofc, not the case for everyone) so i'm really not suprised to see you ended up dropping it

As for other series, i'm impressed that Chihayafuru has been able to kept up such a strong overall feel throughout the whole series, most series tend to lull at some point, be it early, mid or end so i'm hoping it doesn't go into one for it's finale

Nice to see some love for Ano Natsu de Matteru, i think its my favourite series that premeired this season so i've been a little disappointed to see it so low all the time, although i still think #6 is low but some positive comments are enough to cheer me up about it

i love Bodacious Space Pirates being a good clean series, not relying on cheap jokes and gimmicks but i feel it needs something to pick up the pace slightly, its well written and explores different ways to keep the audience interested but just a little something to make me really want to watch it every week would be nice
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One-Eye



Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Posts: 2260
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:43 pm Reply with quote
Bamboo wrote:
What especially irritates me is that after five episodes of the characters hemming and hawing about their actions, when they finally do reveal what's going on, nobody actually has a reasonable explanation for why they're doing what they're doing. Even the faculty member, whom I'd trust the most, says that it only sort of maybe kind of works 50% of the time.

I thought that students over the years had tried different things and that before they had hit on this solution the casualty rate was higher.


Shows I'm watching:
Another: I just caught up with this show. Some complained that it was a bit slow to reveal some information, I didn't have too much a problem with this and that maybe because I saw it in 3 episode chunks so I didn't have to wait on a week by week basis for things to be revealed. So far its really pulled me in and has me asking a lot of questions. I found the artist mother and daughter relationship interesting. It felt real and I liked that. My only real gripe is I don't like the music in the opening it doesn't feel right for the show. Looking forward to more of the show.

Blackrock Shooter: Just started this only seen about 2 episodes, so its too early to tell. But I liked the wheel chair bound girl character, I found her a bit creepy. The character with the Star design made me think of an advertisement for Converse, lol.

Chihayafuru: My favorite show of these two seasons. I like the main leads and its an even mix of sport and drama. The details of the Karuta strategy I found to be really cool and interesting. There's also character growth! As Taichi has grown from the spoiled privileged kid into a considerate young man and leader. I also thought spoiler[it was very sweet when Chihaya put his head on her shoulder when he was sleeping. Its too bad he wasn't awake to enjoy it.] I'm definitely going to keep following this show.

Future Diary: I'm mainly watching this to see how it ends and if they “fix” the manga ending. Overall its been a disappointment. The main problem I see is one of character development. When things happen to Yuki and Yuno we don't care because we are not invested in them. They are not given much depth so they just fall into the categories of the whiny one and the crazy one. There's a fair amount of action, danger and surprises, but I personally don't feel as excited as when I did when I read the manga.

Shows on Hold until I'm convinced they are worth finishing:

Ano Natsu de Matteru: Its ok-ish. We see these kids dealing with their emotions and crushes, but what else does it have? I don't find the characters themselves or the situations particularly interesting and its been 6 episodes. The most interesting thing to me is the alien mascot and I usually hate mascot characters.

Bodacious Space Pirates: Its a decent show. I like some of the details. For example, that the two original warring groups were swallowed up by the Empire or the comment about Marika's ditziness, or that you have electronic warfare in space (very cool). I also like that they haven't introduced every crew member. I hated that in Tiger and Bunny where we spent many episodes introducing heroes and their particular issues. Sometimes, I think its better to learn about a character by just what they say and do. However, I'm having problems with the tone of the show. It feels like it wants to be both cute and taken seriously which isn't quite working for me right now. Its high school girls in space! Ohh, space is scary and pirates are scary. So, when they show up let's party like its 1999! I'll wait and see what The Stream has to say in a few weeks.

Lagrange: It has some elements I like, but its another show for me that is having an issue with the tone it presents. We started with high school girls in giant robots! A giant robot doing a suplex on another giant robot! LOL, so this is the kinda of show it is. Oh, we get a little foreshadowing that there might be something darker afoot, but the tone of the show makes me think it probably wont be that dark. But wait, a few episodes go by and we get a mix of a dark grim background, pseudo eel/tentacle uh molestation (?), the power of friendship and bonding thru nakedness! This just makes me wanna go WTHey!?

Everything else, I dropped or wasn't interested in this season.

willag wrote:

Re: Listen to Me Girls
Oh god, that picture is creepy. Showing off that 10% for us? You've successfully creeped me out. Neutral
Oh, god I'm so glad I didn't even bother to watch a single episode.
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Merida



Joined: 21 Feb 2012
Posts: 1945
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:00 pm Reply with quote
I like Chihayafuru for the character interaction, the team building, the goofy humor and by now even for the game itself which i found pretty ridiculous in the beginning, to be honest.

I don't like it for the 'romance'. I can deal and even sympathize with Taichi's feelings of unrequitted love but i really hope it won't turn into some melodramatic 'shoujo love triangle' in the last couple of episodes. Rolling Eyes

Inu x Boku is hilarious in my opinion. I consider it 'humerous slice of life with supernatural elements', so i really don't expect it to become something deep or incredibly exciting, it's enough that it brightens my mood every time i watch it.


Last edited by Merida on Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
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